In 2013, Mayor Karl Dean and the Metro Council created Metro Nashville's first housing trust fund to leverage affordable housing developments throughout Davidson County. Named after Reverend Bill Barnes, a longstanding advocate for affordable housing and deconcentrating poverty, the Barnes Fund makes competitive grants to nonprofit housing developers to increase affordable housing options for Nashvillians. Grants include funding for preservation and creation of affordable rental and homeowner units to encourage long-term affordability.
The Metropolitan Housing Trust Fund Commission (HTFC) oversees the Barnes Fund. The HTFC usually meets at 2:00 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month in the Sonny West Conference Center. The Metro Housing Division provides administrative support to the HTFC and manages all aspects of the Barnes Fund.
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View past Housing Trust Fund meetings
Since its inception, the Barnes Fund has invested more than $191 million in to create and preserve over 6,000 affordable homes and has leveraged over $1.5 billion in other funds.
For more information on the performance of the Barnes Fund, please visit the Barnes Fund tab on our Housing Dashboard and review recent Annual Reports listed below.
Barnes Fund 10 Year Celebration Video
Each year, the Metro Council appropriates funds to the Barnes Fund. The HTFC makes these funds available to qualified nonprofit organizations on a competitive basis through a funding round, and Housing Division staff prepare requests for applications (RFAs), which include grant policies and scoring matrices (i.e., evaluation criteria).
The HTFC is preparing to open the next funding round – Round 16 – in Spring 2026. From August through December, Housing Division staff held work sessions with the HTFC and input sessions with stakeholders. In January, staff held public comment sessions and accepted written comments on draft Round 16 grant policies and scoring matrices. In addition, staff accepted written comments on the draft Grant Application Policies and Procedures Manual. View public comment sessions through the links below.
Following the public comment opportunities, staff revised the Grant Application Policies and Procedures Manual and Round 16 grant policies and scoring matrices and will present these documents for approval at the next HTFC meeting. Please note: The Round 16 funding window has not opened.
Following the evaluation process, the HTFC approves award recommendations. Final awards and contracts are approved by the Metro Council. Below is a list of organizations that have received awards from the Barnes Fund.
If you are considering a donation to the Barnes Fund, please contact Barnes Fund staff.
