Rent Assistance in Tennessee

Last checked: November 2026. Benefits Explorer is a directory. We do not provide rent money or decide who gets help, and each program makes its own decisions.

In Tennessee, emergency rent money is mostly handed out county by county. The Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) awards federal Emergency Solutions Grants to local governments and nonprofits, while Memphis and Nashville get their own allocations directly from HUD. You apply to a local agency, not to THDA.

Rules differ sharply by place. Memphis releases appointments on the first Monday of each month. Nashville's Metro Action Commission limits help to one time per October-to-September period. Chattanooga stops helping once an eviction has been filed. Clarksville's city program is paused until December 7, 2026 and does not pay past-due rent, though the local Community Action Agency has a separate past-due rent program.

Where to Start in Tennessee

THDA Emergency Solutions Grants

THDA administers the state's federal ESG funds and awards them to local governments and nonprofits outside Memphis and Nashville-Davidson County. Under THDA's 2026 program description, homelessness prevention is for households below 30% of area median income who meet HUD's homeless or at-risk definitions. Allowable help includes short-term rent, a one-time payment of up to six months of arrears, and security deposits of up to two months' rent. Grantees can set lower limits, and individuals apply through a funded local agency. Ask 211 which agency holds funds near you.

Visit website · Phone: 2-1-1 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Tennessee Housing Development Agency

The state housing agency. The City of Clarksville lists it as the contact for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. Ask about waiting lists, since vouchers are longer-term help and not a fix for an eviction this month.

Visit website · Phone: 615-815-2200 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Local Rent Help in Tennessee

City of Clarksville Rental Assistance Program (Clarksville)

A HUD HOME-funded rental subsidy of up to one year, not renewable, run by Clarksville Neighborhood and Community Services. New applications are paused while staff work through the queue, and the city says the program is scheduled to reopen to referrals on Monday, December 7, 2026. You need a referral from an approved community partner, income at or below 60% of area median, and a priority status such as a family with minor children, a domestic violence survivor, an adult 62 or older, a person with a disability, or a young adult aging out of foster care. You must be current on rent, because past-due rent is not covered. Voucher holders cannot apply.

Visit website · Phone: 931-648-6133 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Clarksville-Montgomery County Community Action Agency: Past Due Rent Help (Montgomery County)

A Community Services Block Grant program for residents who meet federal income guidelines and can show an unforeseen hardship such as medical bills, job loss, reduced hours or major car repairs. Call to schedule an appointment and bring proof of income, Social Security cards, photo IDs, the hardship documents, your landlord's past-due statement and your lease. Your landlord must agree to accept a voucher and wait for payment. The page does not give dollar limits or say whether funds are available today. Office at 150 Lafayette Road.

Visit website · Phone: 931-896-1800 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Clarksville Area Urban Ministries (Clarksville)

Listed by the City of Clarksville among housing and rental assistance agencies. Its Grace Assistance Program connects people experiencing homelessness and poverty to resources. Its site does not state current rent funds, and a client story there mentions the group running out of rental assistance money, so call to ask. Office at 217 South 3rd Street.

Visit website · Phone: 931-648-9090 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Catholic Charities, Clarksville office (Clarksville)

The City of Clarksville lists this office at 523 Madison Street among housing and rental assistance agencies. Catholic Charities of Tennessee's site does not spell out rent help for Clarksville, so ask what is available when you call.

Visit website · Phone: 931-905-3551 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Shelby County Community Services Agency: Rent and Mortgage Assistance (Shelby County, including Memphis)

The Comprehensive Emergency Assistance Program. Appointment slots are released online on the first Monday of each month, and the agency listed a portal opening of November 2, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. A 'Bad Request' message means the scheduler is full, so try again the next first Monday. Requirements include gross income at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines, a current lease or mortgage, and a wage loss or reduction, while seniors 60 and older show proof of income. Repairs, funerals and medical bills do not count as qualifying costs. The agency warns that it never charges for this service.

Visit website · Phone: 901-222-4200 · Accepting applications when last checked

Metro Action Commission Emergency Assistance (Davidson County, including Nashville)

Covers rent and mortgage for residents with a loss of income in the last 60 days, and for adults 60 and older through Senior Services. Homeless Services can cover rent deposits for people who have secured housing, with an agency referral. Help is one time per application period, which runs October 1 through September 30, and income guidelines apply. The page was last updated March 2, 2026. The agency's waitlist notice there is for LIHEAP utility help, not rent.

Visit website · Phone: 615-862-8860 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Chattanooga Office of Homelessness and Supportive Housing: Eviction Prevention (Chattanooga city limits)

Rental assistance for people at risk of eviction. Your rent cannot be subsidized, which rules out public housing, Section 8, project-based vouchers and LIHTC. You must show rent is past due and a documented, involuntary disruption to income or expenses. Help is not available once an eviction has been filed, so reach out early. Requests go to Evictioninfo@chattanooga.gov. The page does not list a dollar cap or say whether funds are available now.

Visit website · Phone: 423-643-7663 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Knoxville Eviction Prevention Program (Legal Aid of East Tennessee) (Knoxville)

A legal aid program for tenants, not a source of rent money. No current Knox County rent program could be confirmed on an official page, so call 211 for that. Chattanooga tenants have a matching Legal Aid of East Tennessee line at 423-710-9432.

Visit website · Phone: 865-371-8730 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Facing Eviction in Tennessee?

Legal Aid Society says eviction rules vary by county in Tennessee and that notices usually run from 3 to 30 days. Its Davidson County sheet says a landlord suing over a missed rent payment only has to give 14 days' notice, and a lease that waives notice for nonpayment may mean no notice at all. If you miss court, you automatically lose. If the landlord wins, you get 10 days to move, and a request to reconsider or an appeal must be filed within that same 10 days. A landlord still has to go to court and cannot change the locks or shut off utilities to force you out. Read the official guidance

Free or low-cost legal help: Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. Free civil legal help in its service area, including a Davidson County eviction line at 833-837-HOME where you leave your name, date of birth, phone number and any court date. Legal Aid of East Tennessee serves its own counties, with offices listed at laet.org. Statewide self-help material, standard court forms and the Renter Defender chat tool are at help4tn.org. Visit website · Phone: 1-800-238-1443

This page is general information, not legal advice. Don't ignore a notice or court papers, because eviction deadlines can be short.

More Help in Tennessee

Want other options? See our full rent assistance guide, including how to spot a scam, or see your options. That form is not an application for rent assistance. If you submit it, Benefits Explorer and its partners may contact you.

Tennessee Rent Assistance Questions

Is rental assistance open in Clarksville, TN?

The city's program is paused for new applications and says it is scheduled to reopen to referrals on Monday, December 7, 2026. It requires a partner referral and does not pay past-due rent. If you are already behind, call the Clarksville-Montgomery County Community Action Agency at 931-896-1800 about its Past Due Rent Help program, which works by appointment.

Who helps with back rent in Memphis?

The Shelby County Community Services Agency runs rent and mortgage help through online appointments released on the first Monday of each month. Slots can fill, so check right when they open. Call 901-222-4200 with questions, and be wary of anyone asking for payment, since the agency says it does not charge.

Can a Tennessee program pay a security deposit?

Sometimes. THDA's ESG rules allow a security deposit of up to two months' rent for eligible households, but each funded agency sets its own limits. In Nashville, Metro Action's Homeless Services can cover rent deposits for people who have secured housing after being homeless, with a referral.

Rent Assistance in Nearby States

Most programs only help people who live in their state. If you are moving or live near a state line, you can also check:

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