Creating Homes Initiative 3.0
Creating Homes Initiative 3.0 supports housing providers creating permanent homes for Tennesseans with mental illness or substance use disorder and incarceration histories to foster recovery and stability.
Funder: Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Due Dates: October 8, 2026 (Intent to apply) | November 5, 2026 (Completed proposals)
Funding Amounts: Minimum request $100,000; estimated $5 million for up to 10 awards; March 1, 2027–February 28, 2029
Summary: Supports new safe, quality, affordable permanent housing in Tennessee for people with mental illness and/or substance use disorder who have been incarcerated.
Key Information: Applicants must own the project property or have a mutually signed purchase contingency agreement when submitting.
Description
Creating Homes Initiative 3.0 (CHI 3.0) is administered by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), Division of Mental Health Services. It funds development, new construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, and conversion of infrastructure to create new permanent housing for Tennesseans experiencing mental illness and/or substance use disorder who are returning from prisons or jails or have previously been incarcerated.
The program seeks safe, affordable, recovery-oriented housing that supports health, stability, meaningful activity, and community connections. Eligible housing models include peer-run, monitored, and supervised residences. Regional Housing Facilitators and Regional Substance Use Housing Facilitators collaborate with applicants and community partners to develop housing options and leverage resources. CHI 3.0 builds on the broader initiative’s 26-year history, which has leveraged over $1.4 billion and created more than 37,000 housing opportunities.
