NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Oct. 30, 2019 – Rebuilding Together Nashville, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, launched a two-year initiative today that includes both home improvements and neighborhood revitalization to help preserve affordable homeownership in Greater Bordeaux.
Greater Bordeaux was selected for the new program because of the high number of senior and low-income homeowners living in older houses. The average single-family home in that area is 20 years older than the average single-family home in Nashville. Additionally, twice as many owner-occupied homes in the target community (64%) are considered affordable (affordable to households making 80% of area median income and below) compared to all of Nashville. (source: Enterprise Community Opportunity 360 Tool)
The nonprofit defines the Greater Bordeaux community as those neighborhoods north of the Cumberland River, east and south of Briley Parkway and west of I-24.
“Our goal is to rehab, renovate and preserve 65 homes over the next two years so homeowners can continue to live in their neighborhoods and age in place,” Kaitlin Dastugue, executive director of Rebuilding Together Nashville, “Residents won’t have to sell their homes because they don’t have the money for repairs. This is an important piece in our city’s affordable housing solutions puzzle.”
The multi-year Rebuilding Together Nashville initiative is being funded by a $511,310 grant from the Barnes Housing Trust Fund, a $200,000 Wells Fargo Priority Market Program grant, along with support from other community partners.
“Thanks to the generous financial support from Wells Fargo and the Barnes Fund, we’re ready to work with Bordeaux-area homeowners and make the critical repairs and modifications to keep their homes safe and healthy,” said Edward Henley III, Rebuilding Together board president.
The application process for homeowners will begin January 2020, with work scheduled to start on homes Spring 2020. Rebuilding Together will host several information events for the community in the next few months. In the meantime, Greater Bordeaux homeowners are encouraged to:
- Complete the homeowner interest form at www.rtnashville.org/bordeaux.
- Nominate residents for the Community Advisory Committee.
- Recommend contractors and other skilled professionals who live or work in the program’s focus area.
“As a company, we are committed to helping individuals and families succeed financially, and much of that begins with financial education and housing affordability,” said Stephen Norris, Wells Fargo’s North Mid-South and Northwest Georgia region bank president. “Wells Fargo is proud to support Rebuilding Together Nashville in this initiative to help more people in the community remain in safe and stable homes.”
Rebuilding Together Nashville is one of 62 nonprofits to receive a total of $9 million in funding through the Wells Fargo Foundation 2019 Priority Markets Program.
To date, the Rebuilding Together Nashville has made meaningful improvements to over 500 homes throughout Nashville. This is the first time it will focus in one area of the city. The most common repairs made are floor repairs, accessibility modifications for seniors, plumbing and electrical work, and building or repairing exterior wheelchair ramps.