FY 2019-FY 2020 Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants (RCB) | FR 6400 N 08

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR 6400 N 08

The FY 2019-FY 2020 Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants (RCB) opportunity is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) focused on strengthening the organizations that deliver affordable housing and community development work in rural places. Instead of funding individual housing projects directly, the program is designed to build the long-term ability of rural-serving entities to plan, manage, govern, and execute affordable housing and community development activities that benefit low-income and low- to moderate-income people in rural areas.

A key feature of the program is how the funding is structured: HUD awards RCB funds to National Organizations that already have experience and expertise in rural housing and rural community development. These national organizations then work hands-on with local eligible beneficiaries, such as rural housing development organizations, Community Development Corporations (CDCs), Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), rural local governments, and Indian tribes. The idea is that the national grantees function as capacity builders, providing training, technical assistance, and other forms of support that help rural organizations become more effective and sustainable over time.

Eligible activities are tightly centered on improving organizational infrastructure, management systems, and governance. In practical terms, the grant supports training, education, and direct support that can help rural organizations do things like carry out organizational assessments, strengthen strategic planning, improve board development and governance practices, and modernize operations through technological upgrades. It also supports efforts to deepen engagement with rural community stakeholders, measure and evaluate the performance of current and proposed rural initiatives, and plan for the use of rural resources in a more comprehensive and coordinated way. Another emphasis is strengthening rural participation in HUD planning processes so rural needs are properly assessed and reflected, and encouraging regional planning connections so that smaller communities are not planning in isolation but are coordinating with neighboring areas where it makes sense.

Beyond training and technical assistance, the notice also allows for financial assistance and other related activities as determined by the grantee in consultation with HUD leadership or a designee. This language gives some flexibility for grantees to tailor capacity-building approaches to real conditions on the ground, as long as the focus remains on strengthening the capabilities of eligible rural beneficiaries to deliver affordable housing and community development outcomes.

From the source details provided, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number FR 6400 N 08 and CFDA 14.265, with the activity category identified as Community Development. The eligible applicant type specified is nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), which aligns with the program model of selecting national nonprofit intermediaries to provide capacity building services. The posting indicates an opportunity creation date of July 28, 2020, with an original closing date of September 28, 2020, and an application deadline set at 11:59:59 PM Eastern time on the closing date. HUD anticipated making about five awards, with an award ceiling of $3,250,000.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as an investment in the backbone of rural affordable housing and community development work: leadership, systems, planning capacity, governance, technology, stakeholder coordination, and performance management. The expected result is that rural organizations and public entities become better equipped to design and carry out effective housing and community development activities for low- and moderate-income residents, not just for one project cycle but in a way that improves their long-term ability to serve rural communities.

• The US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2019-FY 2020 Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants (RCB)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 14.265.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 28, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 28, 2020 The application deadline is 115959 pm Eastern Standard time on. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for FR 6400 N 08

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