Funding Opportunities
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
2015 Self-Help Homeownership (SHOP) Program
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announces the availability of $9,977,500 of FY2015 Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) grant funds. SHOP funding is intended to facilitate and encourage innovative homeownership opportunities on a national and geographically-diverse basis. The program supports self-help housing programs that require a significant amount of sweat equity by the homebuyer toward the construction or rehabilitation of his or her home. Volunteer labor is also required.
Eligible applicants for SHOP funding include national and regional non-profit organizations and consortia with experience facilitating homeownership opportunities on a national, geographically-diverse basis through the provision of self-help homeownership housing programs. Applicants must propose to use a significant amount of SHOP grant funds in at least two states and may award SHOP grant funds to local non-profit affiliate organizations to carry out the Grantee's SHOP program. These affiliate organizations must be located within the Grantee's service area. Individuals are not eligible to apply for SHOP grant funds.
SHOP units must be decent, safe, and sanitary non-luxury dwellings that comply with state and local codes, ordinances, and zoning requirements, and with all other SHOP requirements, including but not limited to, the requirements for energy-efficiency, water conservation and accessibility. The SHOP units must be sold to homebuyers at prices below the prevailing market price.
Deadline Date: January 4, 2016
View the NOFA.
More information is available on the HUD website.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program (JRAP)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announces the availability of approximately $1.75 million for the Juvenile Re-entry Assistance Program (JRAP) to support successful transition to the community by reducing barriers to public housing, employment, and/or educational opportunities.
This NOFA provides funding for Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) who have established a partnership with a legal aid organization, university legal center, public defender's office, or other legal service organization that is a non-profit and has experience providing legal services to juveniles (including expungement and/or sealing the juvenile and/or adult criminal records) for 1) current public housing resident youth up to 24 years old who have a criminal record and/or 2) former household members (who are youth up to 24 years old) of current public housing residents who, but for their criminal record, would be living in public housing. These services must be in accordance with state law.
Bonus Points: In support of certain inter-agency initiatives, HUD awards bonus points to projects where the preponderance of work will occur in a designated zone, community or region. These points will be awarded only if the application otherwise meets or exceeds the Program's minimum fundable score based on the rating factors of this NOFA.
HUD encourages activities in communities with Preferred Sustainability Status (PSS) and/or Promise Zones (PZ), HUD will award two (2) points for qualified activities within a designated zone or area and supporting either or both initiative(s). In no case will HUD award more than two bonus points for these activities.
To receive Promise Zones Bonus Points, applicants must submit form HUD 50153, Certification of Consistency with Promise Zone Goals and Implementation, signed by the Promise Zone Official authorized to certify the project meets the criteria to receive bonus points. To view the list of designated Promise Zones and persons authorized to certify, please go to the Promise Zones website. Please refer to page 17 of the NOFA for more information.
Deadline: January 4, 2016
View the NOFA.
More information is available on the HUD website.
U.S. Department of Labor
Training to Work 3 – Adult Reentry Grants
The U.S. Department of Labor announces the availability of approximately $20 million in grant funds authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Second Chance Act of 2007 for Training to Work 3 – Adult Reentry.
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) provides the opportunity for organizations to develop and implement career pathways programs in demand sectors and occupations for men and women, including veterans, and people with disabilities, who are at least 18 years old and who are enrolled in work release programs (WRP). Additionally, grantees must provide a strategy to prioritize services to veterans that are in these WRPs. Career pathways are frameworks that help to define and map out a sequence of education, training and workforce skills training resulting in skilled workers that meet employers’ needs. Career pathways link and coordinate education and training services in ways that enable workers to attain necessary credentials and, ultimately, employment. T2W3 is aligned with the Department’s goal to make our Federal employment and training programs more job-driven.
Priority Consideration Points: As a participant in the Promise Zone Initiative, DOL is cooperating with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Agriculture, and nine (9) other federal agencies to support comprehensive revitalization efforts in 20 of the highest poverty urban, rural and tribal communities across the country. Applicants that submit a certification (HUD Form 50153) signed by an authorized representative of the lead organization of a Promise Zone designated by HUD or the Department of Agriculture supporting the application will receive 2 priority consideration points. To view the list of designated Promise Zones and lead organizations, please visit the Promise Zones web page. Please refer to page 2 of the NOFA for more information.
Deadline: January 15, 2016
View the NOFA.
More information is available on the DOL website.
National Endowment for the Arts
The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) has issued a request for proposals to rural communities interested in applying for funding to host a community design workshop in either 2016 or 2017.
The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design is a National Endowment for the Arts leadership initiative in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Project for Public Spaces, Inc., along with the Orton Family Foundation. CIRD provides communities access to the resources they need to convert their own good ideas into reality.
CIRD offers annual competitive funding to six small towns or rural communities to host a two-and-a half day community development and design workshop. With assistance from a wide range of design, planning, and creative place-making professionals, the workshops are intended to bring together local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government agencies to develop actionable solutions to the communities’ pressing development challenges.
The communities will receive additional support through webinars, conference calls, and web-based resources on www.rural-design.org.
Deadline: Proposals must be submitted by 11:00 PM EST on January 12, 2016.
The Request for Proposals is posted on the CIRD website.
Upcoming Webinars
CIRD staff will also offer two pre-application assistance webinars to answer questions and guide interested applicants in assembling their proposals.
Date and Time: Tuesday November 10, 2015 at 3:00 PM EST and Thursday, December 10, 2015.
Participation in each call is free. Please register for the conference call.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Rural Gateway Peer-To-Peer Conference Call
A Discussion of the Border Community Capital Initiative
Date and Time: November 17, 2015 at 2:00 PM EST
Sponsor: Office of Rural Housing and Economic Development
Join us on November 17, 2015 for a Peer-to-Peer conference call to discuss the Border Capital Community Initiative. The Border Community Capital Initiative (BCCI) is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Rural Development (USDA-RD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) designed to increase access to capital in the U.S./Mexico border region which includes some of the poorest communities in the country. Specifically, it provides direct investment and technical assistance to community development lending and investing institutions that focus on affordable housing, small business and community facilities to benefit the residents of colonias.
In 2014, HUD awarded $2 million to boost job growth and business opportunities along the U.S. - Mexico border. During the peer to peer conference call, participants will have an opportunity to hear from the grantees: Accion Texas; Affordable Homes of South Texas; Community Resource Group, Inc.; Tierra Del Sol Housing Corporation; and the International Sonoran Desert Alliance.
Participants will learn more about:
- The Border Community Capital Initiative (BCCI) General Overview
- FY 2013 Funded BCCI projects
- The types of activities implemented
- Expected performance outcomes
- Public and Private sources of funding to carry out projects
- Project challenges
- Best practices and lessons-learned
Please RSVP by email to rhed@hud.gov no later than 10 AM EST on November 13, 2015. Please include your name, organization, city, and state. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions after the presentation.
CDFI Funding for CED and CED-HFFI Projects Webinar
The recording and materials for the CDFI Funding for CED and CED-HFFI Projects Webinar, which took place on October 22, 2015, are now available.
The materials from this webinar can be accessed on the CDFI Funding for CED and CED-HFFI Projects Webinar page, which you can also access from the CED Leveraging Additional Funding Resources page. The materials include the presentation slides and a transcript. The full audio visual recording will be available shortly.
