BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn — Five Blount County households will be able to take the next steps to homeownership thanks to a grant from the Arconic Foundation.
Alcoa's Arconic is donating $475,000 to 15 non-profits in Blount, Sevier and Knox counties. The company said the grants will be used for educational, sustainability and social equity programs across the region.
Affordable housing group Foothills Community Development received $27,000 in grant money and $25,000 of it will be used for the newly developed Homebuyers Assistance Program. The remaining $2,000 will be used for administrative needs, according to director Bobby Eason.
"We will use that as down payment, closing costs and moving assistance for homeowners," Eason said.
The homebuyers can be people who use Foothills Community Development's homebuyer program, Habitat for Humanity's homeowner program or people who've been saving for a house.
Eason said people have to be income-qualified to take part in this program, meaning they have to meet income requirements from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"Providing affordable housing is incredibly, incredibly difficult," he said. "As things are so expensive, building costs are expensive, land cost is incredibly expensive, so having investment into these types of programs is what really makes it possible."
The Arconic Foundation wants the money to go toward STEM education, helping people in need and developing the manufacturing workforce.
"We are thrilled to invest in programs through Arconic Foundation that support our mission, vision, and values,” Arconic Plant Manager Chad Birge said. “To name a few, this year’s grants will increase local recycling rates thanks to Keep Blount Beautiful; allow more folks access to Seven Islands State Birding Park through Tennessee State Parks; let students and teachers have class in the Great Smoky Mountains through Friends of the Smokies; and allow local families to become first-time homeowners through Foothills Community Development.”
The 2024 Arconic Foundation funded grant programs including:
- Alcoa City Schools (Education) - $25,000
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee (Education) - $25,000
- Blount County Education Foundation (Social Equity) - $30,000
- Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley (Education) - $25,000
- Community Food Connection of Blount County (Social Equity) - $25,000
- East Tennessee Equality Council (Human Needs) - $30,000
- Foothills Community Development (Human Needs) - $27,000
- Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Education) - $25,000
- Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont (Education) - $35,000
- Harbours Gate (Human Needs) - $25,000
- Keep Blount Beautiful (Environmental Sustainability) - $25,000
- Richard Williams Jr. Leadership Development Academy (Social Equity) - $15,000
- Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Knoxville (Education) - $100,000
- Tennessee State Parks Conservancy (Social Equity) - $28,000
- United Way of Blount County (Social Equity) - $35,000