Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Votes Budget Round16 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves Arts & Business amendment, defers Be a Helping Hand amendment; FY27 budget and Round 16 oversubscription reported
Summary
The commission approved a 12-month extension for the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, deferred a Be a Helping Hand Foundation amendment until the grantee can appear, and heard staff report FY27 allocations (Barnes Fund $23M, $7M loan program) and Round 16 application totals that exceed available funding.
The Metropolitan Housing Trust Fund Commission approved a grant contract amendment for the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, moved and then deferred a separate amendment for the Be a Helping Hand Foundation, and received updates on FY27 budget allocations and the Round 16 application pool.
Approvals and deferrals: Staff presented a second amendment for the Arts & Business Council to extend its contract term by 12 months. Staff reported the grantee had drawn 75% of its grant and estimated project completion by July 2028; commissioners voted to approve the amendment.
On Be a Helping Hand: Staff described a round 13 amendment request from Be a Helping Hand Foundation seeking to increase the projects unit count from 34 to 41 (Barnes-funded units would remain 34) and to extend the contract by 12 months. The grantee did not attend. Commissioners questioned how much financing was secured (staff said Barnes plus a Catalyst loan) and expressed concern about money already drawn without visible progress. Legal counsel said the Department of Law could file suit to recover funds if necessary, but deeds-of-trust or liens are not standard for Barnes grants. In the absence of the applicant, the commission moved the item to the heel of the agenda and ultimately voted to defer final action to next month so the grantee can appear and staff can report additional information.
Budget and Round 16: Staff said the Barnes Fund was kept at $23 million in the FY27 substitute budget with an additional $1 million gained through advocacy; a $7 million loan program remains in place. The mayors recommended Unified Housing Strategy items totaled $69.5 million; the substitute budget reached $72.2 million. Staff reported Round 16 preliminary counts (threshold review pending): six homeownership applications (overprescribed by ~ $6.5 million), 16 rental applications (overprescribed by ~ $30.6 million), and three owner-occupied rehab applications (undersubscribed by ~ $600,000), noting overall demand exceeds the FY27 Barnes allocation.
Public comment and legal questions: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashvilles Lucille Hausworth opened public comment with appreciation for stakeholders and the new application platform. Near adjournment, Andy Zoo of MFX Ventures asked for clarity about clawback and lien provisions when projects spend Barnes funds but later fail; staff and legal said they are reviewing enforcement options with counsel.
Next steps: The commission deferred the Be a Helping Hand amendment to the July meeting and directed staff to provide additional financial information, legal options for recapture or liens, and to return with recommended amendment criteria and milestone language before final action on related policy changes.
