Knox County accepts $2 million HUD grant to help seniors age in place

Knox County commissioners voted to accept a $2,000,000 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development award to fund aging-in-place home repairs and accessibility modifications for low‑income senior residents.

The grant requires no local match, county staff said. Director Jenny Holden told commissioners the program will fund ramps, grab bars, bathroom conversions, and HVAC repairs or replacements when necessary. Holden said the county intends to coordinate the HUD funds with the existing county home‑rehab wait list — about 46% of that list is elderly — to prioritize eligible seniors.

Commissioner Fox opposed accepting the grant on philosophical grounds and raised a procurement concern tied to the Build America, Buy America provisions in the grant terms. "I don't think we should be undertaking something that we don't know what the requirements are," Fox said, noting that linked federal webpages had appeared unavailable. Director Holden replied that county staff are familiar with Build America, Buy America requirements and that program documentation can be complied with even if some web resources are temporarily offline.

The motion to accept the HUD award, moved by Commissioner Durrett and seconded by Commissioner Hill, passed; the commission recorded one no vote (Commissioner Fox). Commissioners discussed using the county's existing home‑repair mechanisms to administer funds and coordinate with community partners to serve seniors.

Next steps: staff will finalize grant acceptance paperwork and begin program planning and outreach to the county's home‑repair wait list.