A Tennessee agency is providing a $1 million matching grant to help Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis take full advantage of President Jimmy Carter’s participation in a week of home-building and repair in Uptown Memphis.
The Tennessee Housing Development Agency will match the first $1 million in donations for next summer’s Habitat project, according to the Commercial Appeal (http://bit.ly/1QycfzG). Typically, Memphis Habitat for Humanity receives less than $500,000 a year from the agency and competes for grants with other nonprofits.
“As far as our grant funds are concerned, I’m pretty sure this is a first of its kind and likely to be one of a kind,” said Ralph Perrey, executive director of the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.
The Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project will take place Aug. 21-27 and will improve the living conditions for nearly 100 families by building 21 homes and undertaking 33 beautification projects, including minor repairs, painting and landscaping. Crews will also take on 45 “Aging in Place” projects to improve accessibility and mobility for low-income seniors.
The budget for the project is $4.8 million. The group still has $3.8 million to raise, said Memphis Habitat president Dwayne Spencer. Memphis Habitat is seeking partnerships to help fund the work and support the families who will move into the houses.