April 2026 Meeting of Chattanooga Health Education Housing Facilities Board
April 2026 Meeting of Chattanooga Health Education Housing Facilities Board
The Health Education Housing Facilities Board of the City of Chattanooga met on April 20, 2026, to review minutes, approve resolutions related to housing covenants and a new down payment assistance program, receive information on a Baylor School bond project, and address concerns regarding the College Hill Courts redevelopment.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: The minutes from the February 16, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously.
- Resolution Ratifying Joinder for THDA Covenants – Larry Plant Transaction: The board ratified the chair’s execution of a joinder for the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) Rental Housing Declaration of Restricted Covenants and Notice of Land Use Restrictions concerning C and E on the Larry Plant property. Approved unanimously.
- Resolution Ratifying Joinder for THDA Covenants – Bailey Property: The board ratified a similar joinder for the Bailey property, which includes maintenance of a private stormwater management facility. Approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public addressed the board.
Discussion Items
- Down Payment Assistance Program MOU: Megan Miles, Director of Housing Policy for the City of Chattanooga, presented a resolution authorizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with THDA to administer a new down payment assistance program. The program provides up to $15,000 in city funds to first-time homebuyers within Chattanooga city limits, layered with THDA’s existing $6,000 down payment assistance. The combined assistance can reach $21,000. Eligibility requirements include a purchase price cap of $400,000 and an income limit of 120% of area median income. The loan is a zero-percent interest, deferred payment loan due upon sale or cash-out refinance. The city has allocated $3 million for this program, which will be reimbursed to THDA on a first-come, first-served basis. Lenders already approved with THDA can access both funding sources with no additional application to the city. The board heard questions about outreach, lender participation, and the application process. The resolution was approved.
- Preliminary Summary of Baylor School Bonds and Projects: Mr. Dallas, representing Baylor School, presented an informational overview. The school currently enrolls 1,130 students (890 day students and 240 boarding students). Baylor proposes to build a new dormitory to increase boarding capacity from 240 to 304 students, retrofit the building with equipment, construct a central utility plant for steam and water to multiple buildings, and install fiber optics on campus. Additionally, the school plans to refinance $17.9 million of its $61 million in bonds issued in 2017 (with 18 years remaining). No vote was taken; the item was for board information and will come for formal action at the next meeting.
- College Hill Courts Phased Redevelopment: A board member raised a concern about potential displacement of residents during the phased redevelopment of College Hill Courts (formerly known as Concord Courts). The member noted that up to seven phases are planned and asked for assurance that residents would have a place to move. A staff representative (referencing Betsy) stated that the concern is incorrect: Phase 1 will be completed by the end of the year, Phase 2 is under construction and will be ready next year, and subsequent phases will accommodate all residents who choose to remain. The board member’s question was answered.
Key Outcomes
- Approved minutes of February 16, 2026 meeting.
- Approved two resolutions ratifying execution of THDA joinder covenants for the Larry Plant and Bailey properties.
- Approved resolution authorizing the MOU with THDA for the down payment assistance program (up to $3 million).
- Received information on Baylor School’s proposed bond refinancing and capital projects; no action taken.
- Addressed board member’s concern regarding College Hill Courts displacement, with staff clarification that all residents will have housing options in new phases.
- Next meeting scheduled for May 18, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
O stuff the chair did in the in the since the last meeting. So then your third one is a resolution that you'll work on, as is the um number eight, the preliminary summary for Baylor. The way you have an idea what we're gonna do today. I'm assuming the last three pages being in here twice, the last two pages being here twice. They want to make sure you saw it one way or the other one. I want to make sure there wasn't a difference though. If you got lost going front to back there going back to the end of the day, which one are we saying? Like there's I have two last three pages. At least mine does has two copies of HEB twenty twenty six oh five. Yeah. And then the memorandum of understanding, and then the um Baylor School Project. Yeah. You want to make sure you got it, whichever way you went through it. Make sure there weren't any differences at all. The agreement was amended. Which what's the um trying to see the price? The project that's at the corner of uh MLK where the old housing authority building used to be. What's the name of that one? Do you remember? You know which one we're talking about? One that's in like five or six phases. Where is that okay? I don't know if this on here or not, but I was gonna ask a question. I can't remember what the what what we call that, but I picked up some information. I went I had a question about it. So one west side. I don't think that's I don't think it's seven phases. Uh-huh. Yeah, because it has yeah, one west side phase, and you have the phase whatever. So we talked about phase three B. Okay, that's in a minutes, right? Yes. Okay. Yeah. Um we'd previously done one in the two A or Choice Neighborhoods grant. Yeah, it's on the college here courts. That's what it is. Okay. Yeah. I had a question on that. Thank you. I was searching for the name of that project. You're the brains on that one too, aren't you? You're not going to be able to do that. Oh, just teasing. No. I was going to give you ten minutes as a full professor, and you made it in five, so you're good. It's a good thing Maria called then. Do we have the pre-humanist? I'll let you get your stuff good before we start.
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