APPLICATIONS DUE: May 7, 2015, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Description:  The purpose of HUD’s Housing Counseling Grant Program is to provide funds that shall be used for providing counseling and advice to tenants and homeowners, both current and prospective, with respect to property maintenance, financial management and literacy, and such other matters as may be appropriate to assist them in improving their housing conditions, meeting their financial needs, and fulfilling the responsibilities of tenancy or homeownership. Funding provided by this NOFA is intended to support HUD-approved housing counseling agencies to respond flexibly to the needs of residents and neighborhoods, and deliver a wide variety of housing counseling services to homebuyers, homeowners, renters, and the homeless. This NOFA plays an integral role in the continued stabilization of our nation’s housing market by helping individuals and families obtain housing and stay in their homes through responsible homeownership or affordable rental housing. Traditionally underserved populations such as minorities, the elderly, veterans, persons with disabilities, persons with limited English 2 of38 proficiency and residents of rural areas, face unique housing and economic challenges. HUD’s Comprehensive Housing Counseling Grant Program funds housing counselors who provide expert, unbiased guidance and information to help families and individuals meet their housing needs and improve their financial situations. Moreover, HUD grants assist housing counselors to act as an important safeguard against scams and discrimination,, and to act as an important gateway to local, state, federal and private housing assistance and resources

 Title:  FY 2015 Supplemental Comprehensive Housing Counseling Grant Program

Agency Name: Department of Housing and Urban Development

Funding Instrument Type: Grant

Express Language for Legal Aid:  No, but legal aid has been funded in the past.

Target Population: Tenants and homeowners, both current and prospective

Expected Number of Awards: HUD expects to make approximately 60 awards from the funds available under this NOFA.

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

How to Apply:  All Applicants must have a valid, active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM). All sub-grantees must have a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) identifier. Applications are submitted through grants.gov.

Current Closing Date for Applications: 05/07/2015

Estimated Total Program Funding: $3,500,000

Award Ceiling: Depends on the number of eligible applicants and other factors.

Award Floor: Depends on the number of eligible applicants and other factors.

Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants for this FY15 Supplemental NOFA are limited, with certain exceptions as described in Section III.A. of the NOFA, to HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agencies and State Housing Finance Agencies that were not awarded FY 2014 comprehensive housing counseling funds through the FY 2014 – 2015 Comprehensive Housing Counseling Grant Program NOFA (FY 2014 – 2015 NOFA).

Priority Consideration:  

1. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. (2 points) Applicants may receive one point for demonstrating any one of the following, with a maximum of 2 points awarded for this priority overall.

2. Capacity to Provide Technical Assistance in Civil Rights and Fair Housing Law:Policy and Regulations on Use of Funds.

3. Increase Energy Efficiency and the Health and Safety of Homes.

Current/Past Funding Recipients: 2014

Samples of Successful Application: 2010 part1, part2, part3, part4, part5, part6, part7

Link to Full Announcement: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=2015schcnofa.pdf

Contact Information:   Questions regarding specific program requirements should be directed to the point of contact listed below.

A. Technical Assistance and Programmatic Information. For program related information, Applicants should contact housi ng .couns eling @hud .gov . Hearing and speech-impaired persons may access the telephone numbers listed below by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 800 877-8339.

B. Satellite Broadcast. HUD may hold an informational broadcast to provide information about the Housing Counseling Program and this NOFA to potential Applicants. The Housing Counseling Program Office will notify all eligible Applicants regarding the timing to view information for any such broadcast.

Questions concerning the General Section should be directed to the Office of Strategic Planning and Management, Grants Management and Oversight Division at 202-708-0667 (this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access these numbers via TTY by calling the tollfree Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

Categories: Government Organizations, Homeless, Housing, Housing and Urban Development, Subgrant Possibilities