NEWS BRIEFS

Income limit raised for help with energy payments

Metro Action Commission has raised the income limit for its energy assistance program. This is a one-time payment that is open until September 2021 and can cover electricity, gas, propane, or other energy payments.

The limit is now $31,191 for a household of two or $45,869 for a household of four. Applicants must be residents of Davidson county, but do not have to have an income currently — just an active energy account.

The application, which includes a full list of income limits, is available at Metro Action Commission’s website (www.nashville. gov/mac) and at the main Metro Action office. Customers may also request an application by email to metro.action@nashville.gov or call to 615-862-8860.

Applicants need the following to apply for help: • Completed energy assistance application • A copy of the applicant’s government issued ID (such as a driver’s license, passport, birth certificate or federal or state identification card) • Copy of the most recent energy bill and the 12-month bill history • Proof of current income for the past 4 weeks for adults receiving income (payroll check stubs, social security income, DHS award letter, child support, etc). Copies of social security cards or verification for all household members

New program connects people without housing to landlords

Open Doors Atlanta, an organization that connects people experiencing homelessness with landlords that will house them, may expand to Nashville. The organization presented to a host of Nashville area homeless service providers at the Sept. 17 Continuum of Care general membership meeting.

Executive director Matt Hurd described the organization’s eightyear focus on landlord engagement, brokerage and matching. Open Doors Atlanta promises landlords up to 12 months of rent even if the tenant is evicted or the lease is ended by the tenant, and creates a searchable database of housing options available to homeless service providers. In eight years, the organization has housed 7,800 people in Atlanta through partnerships with nonprofits there.

Open Doors Atlanta’s goal is to house people within two weeks of being entered into Coordinated Entry, a shared database that homeless service providers use to hold information on people experiencing literal homelessness — meaning they live somewhere not meant for habitation. Hurd says with Open Doors, 80 percent of applicants are placed and 95 percent of them are still in housing after 12 months.

Questions arose around the longevity of housing and whether or not the organization helps to house sex offenders. Hurd said Open Doors does not house those who are registered sex offenders, or have charges of arson or meth production. They do work with those with other criminal history, past evictions, or poor credit history. They do not have data on the tenants they match past 12 months.

Hurd described the funding for Open Doors as 60 percent grants, 30 percent corporate funds, and 10 percent individual contributions.

If the city works out a partnership with Open Doors, it would help find places to live for the 400 that the city’s nonprofits have pledged to house through government Rapid-Rehousing dollars. Rapid-Rehousing helps to pay for housing for up to one year. Nashville is set to receive $10 million divided between nonprofits for the purpose of Rapid-Rehousing, street outreach, and homelessness prevention.