Oct. 19, 2023 – Tennessee Housing Development Agency has awarded $1 million in grant
funding to two Hardeman County municipalities to make much-needed repairs to substandard
homes for elderly and disabled residents.
THDA awarded two $500,000 grants to the City of Bolivar and Town of Whiteville to renovate
or rebuild single-family homes located within their jurisdictions. Each locality will be able to
repair or rebuild up to seven homes. The project will benefit very-low and low-income
individuals that do not have the financial resources to make needed improvements to their
residences.
“Providing safe, decent housing is important for all Tennesseans, and with the help of these
HOME funds, Bolivar and Whiteville will be able to ensure more residents have access to just
that,” THDA Executive Director Ralph M. Perrey said.
Bolivar Mayor Julian McTizic, Sr. said the city was excited to participate in the HOME program.
“The program is designed to benefit families who do not have the financial resources to make
necessary improvements to ensure their homes are safe and to bring them up to code,” McTizic,
Sr. said. “This grant provides a unique opportunity to significantly and positively impact the
lives of its recipients and we are proud to be a part of it."
Whiteville Mayor Gene Bowden echoed McTizic’s sentiments. "This THDA grant will assist in providing adequate housing for some of our citizens and for that
we are grateful,” Bowden said.
The next step for Bolivar and Whiteville will be to hold public meetings that outline application
procedures and grant guidelines. Once applications are received, a priority list will be formed
based on the level of rehabilitation work required, as well as each applicant’s socioeconomic
factors.
Each home selected under the program will receive repairs that will bring it up to code. If the
hard cost of repairs exceed more than 75 percent of the home’s appraised value, the funds will be used for reconstruction.
The grant is being administered for the City of Bolivar and Town of Whiteville by the Southwest
Tennessee Development District. Anyone seeking additional information on the program should
contact Bolivar City Hall at 731-658-2020, or the Whiteville Town Hall at 731-254-8523.
The HOME program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and
is administered in part in Tennessee by THDA. During the most recent funding round, THDA
awarded 11 competitive HOME grants statewide totaling $4.9 million. HOME grants must be used for the production, preservation, or rehabilitation of affordable housing for low and very low income families and individuals.
As the State’s housing finance agency, the Tennessee Housing Development
Agency (THDA) is a self-sufficient, independently funded, publicly accountable
entity of the State of Tennessee. Our purpose is to meaningfully expand safe,
sound, affordable housing opportunities for low and moderate income
Tennesseans. More information about THDA can be found online at THDA.org.