The City of Memphis has programs and funds to help low-income homeowners winterize their homes — but there’s only so much they can do. Caulking and insulation, sure. But a failing roof or major plumbing problem can stop the process cold.
Until now.
Memphis Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently announced a $500,000 grant aimed at covering those “gap” repairs — the kinds of fixes that can’t be paid for under weatherization rules, yet must be addressed before a home can qualify for energy-efficiency upgrades.
“TVA is providing that additional funding to help address issues like the roof that prevents us from doing the weatherization,” said HCD Director Ashley Cash. “We can get those things done with this type of funding.”
Cash described the “gap” as the moment a home qualifies on income, but fails on condition. Weatherization is intended to reduce utility costs by improving how a home holds heat and air, but federal rules can limit what weatherization money can fix — and serious issues can stop a job before it starts.
“Energy burden is defined as the percentage of income that families are paying toward their utilities,” Cash said. In older homes with leaky windows, drafty attics and other openings, she said, families can end up paying more just to stay comfortable.
“To get those homes repaired, we have a weatherization program but there are certain elements of the home that can’t be repaired unless there’s another source of funding to pay for it,” she said. “These funds allow us to help those homeowners.”
The “threshold” problems: roof, leaks, plumbing
Cash said roof repair is one of the most common barriers — and when a roof is failing, other problems tend to follow.
“If your roof is challenging (to repair), you’re probably (also) having leaks through that roof,” she said, adding that water intrusion can damage walls and foundations. Major plumbing repairs can also stall a project. “It’s hard for us to go in and do a new HVAC system if everything else is leaking and you really need repairs at the plumbing site.”
Cash said the city expects the TVA funding, leveraged with other resources, to help repair about 41 homes this year, with the goal of pushing those homes back into the weatherization pipeline instead of leaving them deferred.
The funding will support the city’s Efficient Homes for All program, which prioritizes households that have been deferred or deemed ineligible for other home repair or energy-efficiency programs due to the condition of their homes, according to the city.
The effort is closely tied to the city’s newer Residential Repair and Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRRAP), created to serve households that could not move forward with weatherization assistance because their homes needed structural or safety repairs outside allowable funding. The city has said the program’s first 65 beneficiaries were households previously deferred from weatherization services.
Boxtown leader: Don’t let the help pass you by
For Barbara Britton, president of the Neighborhood Association for Boxtown, the policy details matter — but so does the reality of how information reaches seniors in neighborhoods like hers.
Britton said many residents don’t use computers, don’t track city announcements online, and can miss out on programs simply because they hear about them too late.
“A lot of people in my neighborhood are elderly and don’t use computers and stuff,” Britton said. “So a lot of them, by the time they find out what’s actually going on, the program is not there for them or has closed.”
Her advice to neighbors: “Start calling today,” Britton said.
TVA: A stake in lowering energy burden — and building the workforce
TVA’s Latrivia Welch, government and community relations manager for the utility’s West Region, said TVA views the investment as a community partnership with tangible payoffs — not only for families, but for the city’s long-term capacity to do this kind of work at scale.
“Number one, our priority is to make sure that we’re good partners to our community,” Welch said. “All of us have a stake in this. Reducing energy burden, identifying ways that we can use these energy efficiency programs to improve quality of life is something that we’re all seeking to do. This gives us the alignment and the ability to do it.”
Welch emphasized a second goal: workforce development.
“We cannot stop working on developing that workforce,” she said, describing demand for licensed contractors and hands-on trade skills connected to home repair, weatherization and energy efficiency.
“We’ve got young people who are looking for ways that they can get involved … and this is a great place,” Welch said, encouraging residents to explore training opportunities through Moore Tech, which operates a Weatherization Training House referenced by the city as a key part of the broader effort.
In a prepared statement included by the city, TVA Senior State Director of Government and Community Relations Bert Robinson said the investment is designed to remove barriers that keep families from essential upgrades.
“By removing barriers to essential home upgrades, we aim to help families lower energy costs and improve long-term housing stability,” Robinson said.
Citywide eligibility, intake begins by phone
Cash said the program is not limited to one part of the city.
Asked what neighborhoods were targeted, she responded: “All of the city of Memphis.”
Eligibility begins with intake, Cash said, and the city uses affordability criteria — generally tied to households at or below a percentage of area median income — before moving to an application and inspection.
“It starts with an intake,” Cash said. “If they’re not sure, they can call, give their information, we’ll let them know.”
Cash said residents can begin reaching out immediately as the city builds its list and works through the process.
“People can call tomorrow,” she said at the announcement. “We’re setting up a list to make sure we have a good intake list and then we’ll work through the system.”
For more information, call 901-636-7300, or go to https://memphistn.gov/residential-repair-and-rehabilitation-assistance-program-rrrap/.
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