Urban Housing Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1991 with one goal in mind—to provide decent, affordable rental housing for residents of Nashville.  Our first property was Mercury Courts, a 173-unit motel on Murfreesboro Road.  We converted the motel rooms into efficiency apartments with rents that were affordable for the recently homeless and people with very low incomes.  Today, we have 15 additional properties located all over Nashville.  Most of these locations are indistinguishable from for-profit apartment complexes. 

We primarily house individuals and families with low-to-moderate incomes, those who were homeless, the mentally ill and physically disabled, individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.  Our housing is permanent—there are no time limits on how long a person may live at one of our properties.

People often ask if our housing is free.  The answer is no.  About one-third of our apartments have income-based rent.  If someone earns $1,000/month, for instance, his rent would be about $300.  When people pay income-based rent, it's usually because they suffer from a disability (mental illness, HIV/AIDS, etc.).  For most of our apartments, however, our residents pay below-market rent (as low as $360/month for an efficiency apartment). 

If you would like to apply for housing, please call (615) 726-2696, ext. 110, 116, or 118..

If you would like to help sponsor an apartment for people who would not ordinarily qualify based on their income, please call Brandi at (615) 726-2696, ext. 114.  Urban Housing Solutions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

One reason people become homeless is because they have no support system.  Urban Housing Solutions created a support system through our case management services.  We have a team of case managers who help our residents connect to government and non-profit service providers; obtain adequate food, clothing, and household goods; manage physical and mental illnesses; maintain their housing; and resolve conflicts.

Many of us take reliable transportation for granted.  Our residents, however, know all too well the impact a lack of transportation has on their lives.  That's why we have free shuttle service at some of our properties for people who need to visit the doctor, get to work, go grocery shopping, or apply for benefits.  And best of all... one of our formerly homeless residents is employed full-time as our shuttle driver.

If you would like to support our shuttle service through a donation, please call Brandi at (615) 726-2696, ext. 114.  Each year, the service costs about $30,000.  Expenses include the driver's salary, gas, repairs and maintenance on the van, and vehicle insurance.

Leaving a drug rehabilitation center and immediately entering mainstream housing can be a recipe for disaster.  Journeys of Hope provides specialized housing for people in recovery and, if applicable, their families.  Program participants attend weekly group and one-on-one sessions with our addiction counselor, in addition to Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.  Living with others facing the same struggles and temptations often cements what residents learned in rehab and gives them the courage to move into mainstream housing. 

If you would like to apply for Journeys of Hope housing, please call (615) 726-2696, ext. 121.  You may also want to read the program description to see if you qualify.

Based on San Francisco's highly successful Delancey Street program, The Academy works to transform the lives of men who were incarcerated, addicted to drugs, and/or chronically homeless.  Men in the Academy learn job skills during the day through a variety of enterprises and participate in encounter groups or prepare for the GED at night.  The program operates under the "each one, teach one" philosophy in which each resident shares his knowledge with the others.  It may be a book report at lunch or the best way to load a moving van or do a math problem.  Residents who join the program make a two-year commitment.  The Academy's Director and Assistant Director, Frederick Hilliard and James Wheeler, are graduates of Delancey  Street.  If you wish to apply for The Academy, please call (615) 262-3003, send a letter to The Academy;  822 Woodland St.;  Nashville, TN  37206, or send an e-mail to theacademy@urbanhousingsolutions.org

Residents living at our Mercury Courts and Greentree Terrace locations may participate in Life University, a curriculum designed for and by our residents.  Class offerings include Cooking for One, Container Gardening, World Religions, and Commercial Cleaning.  Residents who participate in the program may earn rent credits and a completion certificate.  We hope to have the curriculum recognized by area employers wishing to hire our residents.  Want to learn more?  Call Pamela McIntosh, Director of Resident Education, at 726-2696, ext. 129.