The HOME investment partnerships program (HOME) provides need-based formula grants to states and local governments that are used to fund activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating…

Federal Grant Award Summary

The City of Altoona Department of Planning and Community Development received a formula grant award of $266,494.73 on September 19, 2025, from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, under the Home Investment Partnerships Program (CFDA 14.239). This award will support affordable housing activities in Altoona, Pennsylvania through September 30, 2034. The HOME program provides formula-based funding to participating jurisdictions for a range of affordable housing initiatives including rehabilitation of owner-occupied housing, homebuyer assistance, acquisition and rehabilitation of rental housing, and tenant-based rental assistance to low-income households.

Under the HOME program requirements, all housing assisted with these funds must meet federal income targeting and affordability standards, with supported units remaining affordable to low-income households for 5 to 20 years depending on the specific activity type and level of HOME funding contributed. The City of Altoona has demonstrated consistent participation in this program since at least 2021, utilizing prior awards to undertake housing rehabilitation, homebuyer assistance initiatives, and rental assistance programs. The participating jurisdiction must maintain comprehensive records of program activities and affordability compliance for five years beyond the required affordability periods, as mandated under 24 CFR Part 91.

Activities

Home funds are used to finance a wide variety of affordable housing activities including rehabilitation of owner-occupied housing; assistance to homebuyers; acquisition, rehabilitation, or construction of rental housing; and tenant-based rental assistance. Projects that use home funding must meet certain income targeting and affordability requirements. Home assisted housing must also meet certain definitions of affordability and must continue to remain affordable to low-income households for 5, 10, 15, or 20 years depending on the type of activity for which funds are used and the amount of home funding contributed to the project. Participating jurisdictions (PJS) can undertake home projects directly or provide home funds to developers or owners of affordable housing or other partners. Home funds are typically provided as grants, various types of loans, loan guarantees to lending organizations, interest rate subsidies, or equity investments.

Expected outcomes

Based on the priorities identified in a five-year consolidated plan and annual action plan submitted to HUD, participating jurisdictions use home funds to acquire owner or renter occupied housing in standard condition to be occupied by low-income households; newly construct or rehabilitate affordable rental or owner-occupied housing, provide homeownership assistance to low-income homebuyers, and/or provide tenant based rental assistance to low-income households. By statute, each participating jurisdiction must reserve at least 15 percent of its home funding for projects owned, developed, or sponsored by community housing development organizations (CHDOS). Additionally, a participating jurisdiction may use up to 10 percent of its home allocation for program administration. The quantifiable results of this program change on a constant basis. However, they can be tracked via the home national production report. This monthly cumulative summary report of home data by federal fiscal year (FY) includes: allocations, commitments, disbursements, leveraging ratios, low-income benefit, committed funds by activity type, and home cost per unit by tenure and activity type. The monthly report can be reviewed at https://WWW.hudexchange.info/programs/home/home-national-production-reports/

Intended beneficiaries

All home assisted housing units must benefit households with incomes at or below 80 percent of area median income. Additionally, 90 percent of occupants of home assisted rental units and households that receive tenant-based rental assistance must have incomes at or below 60 percent of area median income. Home funds are often used to assist persons or households with special needs.

Subrecipient activities

The subrecipient activities are unknown at the time of award.