During this divisive time in American politics, an interfaith coalition in Nashville is giving the nation a stunning example of unity by bringing together people of all backgrounds to advocate for social justice policies.
Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH) is a multi-racial and interdenominational coalition of churches, synagogues, mosques, community organizations, nonprofits and labor unions working to change unjust systems and policies.
With over 50 member organizations, NOAH acts as a unified voice for the faith and justice community in Nashville by working to dismantle systemic racism by ensuring residents are engaged and educated on the economic and social issues impacting them.
“NOAH’s mission is really focused around the work of justice, which is foundational to most faiths,” said Kay Bowers, NOAH’s finance committee chair. “It involves affecting change at the system level – that our housing systems, our legal systems [and] our education systems function in a way that’s fair and gives people the ability to thrive.”
NOAH originated from another nonprofit called Tying Nashville Together in 1993, which was developed by a diverse group of faith leaders with the goal of breaking down silos between people of different backgrounds and advocating for social justice. In 2014, NOAH was established as part of Gamaliel, a national nonprofit that trains faith leaders in building diverse community coalitions and grassroots movements.
Social justice through affordable housing
NOAH’s work is divided across four core programmatic taskforces focused on transformational justice, affordable housing, education and economic equity. Through these taskforces, NOAH identifies priority issues and advocates on the community’s behalf with political candidates, public officials and businesses.
Some of the coalition’s most impactful work is in the affordable housing ecosystem. NOAH was instrumental in establishing Nashville’s Barnes Housing Trust Fund, which provides public funding for affordable housing in the metro area. Since 2013, the fund has leveraged $108 million to create over 6,000 affordable housing units.
In 2025, the community organizing efforts of NOAH’s affordable housing taskforce helped lead to the passage of zoning changes in Nashville to produce more middle class housing in the face of the city’s housing shortage.
Nashville is also undergoing a significant redevelopment project along the city’s Cumberland River. As part of the first phase of redevelopment, over 900 units of housing are being built. With NOAH’s advocacy, roughly 400 units will be designated as affordable housing for low- to moderate-income people.
“It’s on metro land and it has to remain affordable for 99 years,” Bowers said. “So it’s almost permanent affordability – and that’s a first.”
Supporting the mission with NCRC
As NOAH works to advance social justice policies in Nashville, NCRC has become a valued partner for the organization. Bowers noted that NCRC recently connected her with a community development council in Philadelphia to exchange best practices for effective ways to bring different stakeholders together.
“We now have a place to go to ask questions and get research and information that we may not know – that’s extremely valuable,” Bowers said.
Kaitlyn Ridel is a Contributing Writer.
Photo courtesy of the Nashville Organized for Action and Hope team.
