Who We Help

Who We Serve
Urban Housing Solutions is a catalyst for change and Nashville’s leading nonprofit provider of affordable housing options. Called to provide apartments and supportive services to those who have been left behind by the affordability crisis, we believe having a place to call home changes everything.

Cost-burdened Nashville residents from many walks of life face adversity and find themselves without safe, permanent housing. At UHS, we help homeless, low-income and moderate-income individuals and families face the challenges posed by the rising price of area rent and homeownership.

From 2015 to 2016, Nashville homelessness rose nearly ten percent—the sixth-biggest jump among major U.S. cities during that time period—according to a United States Conference of Mayors report. Urban Housing Solutions began as a resource for homeless people to find permanent housing and social services, and today we continue this mission. UHS partners with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission to restore hope to Nashville’s homeless community through the provision of affordable, permanent housing, transportation, medical care and more.

You’ll find UHS communities throughout the heart of Nashville, strategically located near public transit with access to supportive agencies. Moving homeless clients out of a transient life of shelters and uncertainty, we work to bring them safety and stability. Homeless programs include:

• Fisk Court: In partnership with Oasis Center, we have created Nashville’s first permanent supportive housing community for homeless youth. Oasis Center identifies potential residents and offers adjunct social services that help residents maintain their housing and pursue employment and life skills development.
• Nashville/Davidson County Continuum of Care: Urban Housing Solutions participates in the Coordinated Entry System (CES) managed by the Homeless Impact Division. To participate, clients must either be staying in an emergency shelter or residing in a place not meant for human habitation. Interested homeless families or individuals can enroll in CES and request UHS assistance through these access points:
  • Room in the Inn
  • Nashville Rescue Mission
  • Oasis Center
  • VA-TVHS
  • Operation Stand Down-Nashville
  • Park Center
  • Mental Health Co-Op
  • Metro Social Services

A recent report by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies found that more than 25 percent of tenant households spent over 50% of their income on rent. This is true for much of Nashville’s workforce. While gainfully employed, service staff and public servants may earn far below the city’s median income and find it increasingly difficult to maintain a household.

Urban Housing Solutions partners with waiters, janitors, hospitality staff and other workforce members to provide modern apartments in safe, accessible parts of Nashville and its suburbs. UHS’s goal is to help these people live where they work while improving access to supportive services.

For young, entry-level professionals, artists, and recent college graduates, Nashville rents are often out of reach. At Urban Housing Solutions, we help teachers, artists, musicians, grads, and future business people live where they work by providing safe, economical housing in metro areas.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals face unique challenges as they manage the realities of housing, education and employment. Urban Housing Solutions has a heart for the deaf community: providing them with comfortable, specialized housing tailored to their communication and lifestyle needs.

Most importantly, UHS’s Porter East deaf-friendly property is safe, accessible and affordable. Strategically constructed near public transit, medical care and essential services, the units encourage independent living while fostering a sense of community.

In cooperation with Vanderbilt University, Urban Housing Solutions is proud to supply housing and supportive care to low-income individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. These unique communities, called Friendship Houses, include separate units for Vanderbilt divinity students and their developmentally delayed neighbors. The goal of these UHS properties is to create community and foster a sense of independent living among special needs adults.

Children who are homeless or housed in transient situations are more likely to suffer from physical and mental health issues or require special education for academic difficulties. Dedicated to the health and well-being of Nashville families, Urban Housing Solutions has built decent, affordable housing communities for parents and young children who could not otherwise afford a safe, stable home.

In partnership with the U.S. Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program, we offer housing and supportive services for residents who are HIV positive or living with AIDS. Through this program, we strive to overcome the stigma that contributes to HIV/AIDS discrimination and housing instability. Partner with UHS for clean, community-driven HIV/AIDS housing that’s an economical option for low-income and disabled households.

Urban Housing Solutions understands that housing directly impacts the health outcomes of special populations, so we place clients in various UHS properties where they build stable lives and enjoy access to critical medical care and disease education. This innovative program is managed by our Director of Resident Services, who has worked in the HIV/AIDS field for more than two decades.

For men and women recovering from a substance use disorder, a safe, drug-free home environment is essential to sobriety success. Urban Housing Solutions offers these individuals a lifeline at Journeys of Hope, a recovery-housing program. Tailored to the needs of low-income residents in active recovery, the initiative offers affordable homes for those who meet these qualifications:

• • Nine documented months of recovery time
• • Active involvement in a recovery program
• • Proof of employment or, if disabled, 20 hours per week of community service