Barnes Housing Trust Fund

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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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

Applying for a Barnes Fund Grant

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).

Barnes Fund Grant Application Policies and Procedures Manual

Upcoming Funding Round

The Round 17 funding application period will be announced in 2027.

Funding Awards

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.