Our sources
Where our Tennessee program facts come from
Every program listed here gets checked against its official source. Here's how we go about it, and what our labels mean.
So where do the numbers come from?
Right now we keep tabs on 20 Tennessee programs, and we lean on 37 official sources to do it. Think of the housing agency's own program pages, its rate sheets and its county income charts, along with whatever the city halls, county offices and nonprofits publish about the local programs they run. Dollar figures and rules get lifted from there and nowhere else. Other directories and news write-ups are fine for tips, but we don't take their word for anything. And when two official sources say different things, you'll see both on that program's page.
And how fresh is it?
Look near the bottom of any program listing and you'll find the month it was last looked over. We circle back to the source pages on a set rhythm. When a pot of money dries up, a fresh round kicks off or the terms shift, the listing gets updated. A program that's gone for good gets taken down. One that's just between rounds stays up with a "Paused" tag, which is your cue to check back.
Our labels, decoded
| Label | In plain terms |
|---|---|
| Open now | Applications are coming in today, through approved lenders or the program office. |
| Funds limited | The program runs on a yearly or capped budget. Ask whether there's money left before you count on it. |
| Waitlist only | Every dollar is already promised. Newcomers get a spot in line. |
| Paused | Not taking anyone today. Plenty of these wake back up when new funding lands. |
| Grant, never repaid | Yours to keep, with nothing to pay back. |
| Forgivable loan | Shrinks to zero the longer you stay put. Leave or refinance early and some or all of it comes due. |
| Deferred loan, due later | Nothing to pay monthly. The bill shows up at the sale, the refinance or the day you stop living there. |
| Loan with monthly payments | A regular loan with a regular payment. |
A few promises
The word "grant" only goes on a program when its own paperwork says nobody repays it. A program whose amount or terms we can't pin down gets a one-line mention instead of a full page, and it stays that way until the details are public. Nobody pays to be listed here. We're not a lender, we're not the government, and we like it that way.
Spotted something wrong?
It happens. Drop a note to leads@tndownpmtassistance.com with what looks off, and we'll go back to the source.
