Buffalo Valley breaks ground on new homes for disabled veterans

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan and other community leaders celebrated the ground breaking today for two new homes for income-qualified veterans, disabled veterans, or low-income families.

The new units, built by Buffalo Valley, Inc. a Middle Tennessee nonprofit organization, will be rented to individuals of extremely low income, meaning they earn less than 30 percent of the area median income. The project will prioritize veterans with disabilities. Buffalo Valley will also provide supportive services to the residents.

These homes are part of Providence Pointe, a 17 lot subdivision in north Clarksville that offers ENERGY STAR® rated houses, underground utilities, sidewalks, green space, and access to public transportation and shopping centers.

“This project will help revitalize and transform this neighborhood, and provide additional safe, decent single-family housing for our growing veteran and low-income populations,” said Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan.

The new units will be funded in part by a $500,000 Tennessee Housing Trust Fund grant from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) which Buffalo Valley received to build six new homes in Chattanooga and Clarksville.

“We appreciate the confidence and support that THDA has shown in this project by committing to a half million dollars in funding,” said Buffalo Valley executive director Jerry Risner. “We are excited to get started on construction.”

“The application process for funding from Tennessee’s Housing Trust Fund is highly competitive, and Buffalo Valley should be proud to bring home this grant for the people of Clarksville,” said Ralph M. Perrey, executive director of THDA.

THDA issued the $500,000 grant from the Tennessee Housing Trust Fund (THTF), which receives no tax dollars but is instead funded by revenue from THDA’s Great Choice Home Loan program. Nonprofits and local governments from across the state compete twice a year to receive THTF funding for their affordable housing initiatives. Since 2006, THDA has provided more than $74 million in THTF grants.

Additional funding for this project is provided by the City of Clarksville, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).