Fahe Awards $2.4 Million to Strengthen Appalachian Nonprofits

Projects Recognized for Strategies to Increase Housing and Community Development

BEREA, Ky., Nov. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fahe awarded $2.4 million in Maximizing Appalachian Capacity (MAC) grants to support nine projects led by 11 nonprofit Members across Appalachia. The awards will leverage $19.4 million in additional funding, build staff capacity, increase housing production, create job training opportunities, create new jobs, and serve over 600 households.

Fahe serves as an intermediary for a diverse network of more than 50 housing nonprofits. Fahe established the new awards program to support outstanding Member-led projects that will expand the capacity of Fahe Members to deliver housing, workforce, and community development solutions in one of the nation's most economically challenged regions.

"Appalachia's future depends on strong local institutions," said Fahe CEO Jim King. "These awards give our Members funding to pursue the tools, talent, and infrastructure they need to accelerate housing and community development across the region."

A distinguished awards committee selected nine collaborative projects from a competitive pool of 37 applications from five states with funding requests totaling $11,817,372. The potential of awarding all 37 applicants would be to leverage $230 million in additional funding and serve nearly 1,500 households.

"Fahe advocates for resources to advance solutions grounded in practice," said Fahe President Sara Morgan. "Each awarded project reflects a deep understanding of local needs and a shared commitment to building opportunity in rural and other Appalachian communities. We have more Member projects still waiting to be funded; however, we are delighted to make these awards today."

"We're empowering organizations that know their communities best and are ready to build their capacity to create impact," said Dana Bezerra, Regional President, Americas for CREO and awards committee member. "We're excited to be scaling solutions that will define the next generation of opportunity in Appalachia."

Awarded Projects Led by Fahe Members

• CAPNA (AL) – $400,000 to develop a 10-acre affordable housing site for 22 homes in Decatur, Alabama alongside the Neighborhood Promise Training Center which will include new financial literacy programs and homebuyer assistance funds to help families achieve homeownership – advancing housing, education and economic mobility across the region.
• HomeOwnership Center (WV) – $70,000 to launch a below-market construction loan program that supports local developers building affordable homes in rural north central West Virginia. The initiative reduces financing barriers and expands internal lending capacity by training staff in commercial lending, allowing HOC to create new revenue streams and a replicable model for rural communities.
• HomeSource east tennessee (TN) and Oak Ridge Housing Authority (TN) - $310,122 to create a shared Resource Development Officer position to expand fundraising, build donor relationships, and strengthen long-term capacity for both organizations. This position will be integral in unlocking new sources of capital, bringing new investment to expand affordable housing production across the greater Knoxville region. 
• Knoxville Leadership Foundation (TN) – $400,000 to transform the historic Swan Bakery into a 25,000 square foot vocational training center to serve as a regional hub for workforce development and supportive housing initiatives. This investment will help double the capacity of its KnoxWorx skilled trades training program through new facilities, classrooms, and partnerships with employers and educators.
• Loudon County Habitat for Humanity (TN) and Blount County Habitat for Humanity (TN) – $381,026 to share a full-time grant writer, building institutional funding expertise and increasing the sustainability of repair and homebuilding programs, expanding affordable housing opportunities for families across both counties.
• Mountain T.O.P. (TN) – $150,000 to launch a partnership with Housing Hub to pilot a 12-week workforce development program and establish a revolving capital fund for rural home repairs. This investment will build invaluable trade skills among young adults and increase home repair capacity in rural Tennessee.
• Open Door Community (VA) – $245,000 to launch an apprenticeship program that combines housing development with workforce training for individuals returning to work after recovery or incarceration. Participants will gain paid experience building homes, with all home sales proceeds reinvested into their Housing Can't Wait fund to support future builds. The program addresses workforce shortages, expands affordable housing, and strengthens local recovery pathways.
• Religious Coalition for Community Renewal (WV) – $115,852 to lead a strategic redevelopment effort on Charleston's West Side, converting three blighted properties into nine affordable homes through new construction and renovation. The project includes a replicable tenancy-to-homeownership model with wraparound supports, providing block-level redevelopment that eliminates blight, expands affordable housing, and builds long-term pathways to homeownership.
• Woodlands Development and Lending (WV) – $328,000 to establish two locally managed Housing Investment Funds in Tucker and Randolph Counties offering low-interest loans for community-driven development. This program will offer a reliable way for local investors to support community-driven housing development.

About the MAC Grant Awards

Fahe established this competitive grant program as part of the Housing Can't Wait^® campaign to expand access to affordable housing in Appalachia by 2030. Fahe Members designed the awards application. Fahe staff and a distinguished awards committee of Board members reviewed Fahe Member applications for strategy, readiness, and impact. Impact results will be published in a future report.

Funding for the MAC Grant Awards was made possible thanks to an unrestricted grant that Fahe received from the Yield Giving foundation. Transformational financing empowered Fahe to direct the funding in a manner that would be most productive to Fahe's mission.

About Fahe

Fahe unites people, organizations, and resources to build homes, strengthen communities, and create a thriving Appalachia. Since 1980, Fahe and its Members have invested nearly $5 billion, improving life for more than one million people through housing, advocacy, and local leadership. Learn more at www.fahe.org.

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