Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants

The Rural Capacity Building program

The Rural Capacity Building program enhances the capacity and ability of rural housing development organizations, Community Development Corporations (CDCs), Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), local governments, and Indian tribes (eligible beneficiaries) to carry out affordable housing and community development activities in rural areas for the benefit of low- and moderate-income families and persons. The Rural Capacity Building program achieves this by funding National Organizations with expertise in rural housing and rural community development who work directly to build the capacity of eligible beneficiaries.

Only National Organizations that are 503(c)(3) nonprofits, other than institutions of higher education, can apply for RCB funding. For the purpose of the RCB program, a National Organization must be a single organization that has experience conducting RCB eligible activities with RCB eligible beneficiaries within the last ten years in at least seven Federal HUD regions. Having relevant experience working in one state in a HUD region is sufficient for counting that region towards the seven-region minimum. Federal regions are described on HUD's website at: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/localoffices/regions.

RCB program Eligible Beneficiaries are limited to a local organization serving rural areas that are one of the following types of organizations: - Rural housing development organization, - Community Development Corporation (CDC), - Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), - Local government, and/or - Indian tribe. RCB program Eligible Beneficiaries must serve rural areas. Eligible Beneficiaries in the RCB program are not Eligible Applicants for the RCB program. By definition, RCB Eligible Beneficiaries are not eligible to apply to this RCB NOFA; National Organizations are the only organizations that can be deemed to be Eligible Applicants by successfully meeting the requirements of a National Organization established in Section I.A.4 and Section III.C of this FY 2018 RCB NOFA. Only Eligible Applicants can apply to HUD directly for RCB program funds through this NOFA. Successfully funded RCB program National Organizations are required to work with Eligible Beneficiaries with their RCB program grant award.

Funds may be used to provide the following services: 1. Training, education, support, and advice to enhance the technical and administrative capabilities of rural housing development organizations, CDCs, CHDOs, local governments, and Indian tribes to serve rural areas, including building their capacity to participate in consolidated planning, as well as in fair housing planning and Continuum of Care homeless assistance efforts that help ensure community-wide participation in assessing area needs; consulting broadly within the community; cooperatively planning for the use of available resources in a comprehensive and holistic manner; and assisting in evaluating performance under these community efforts and in linking plans with neighboring communities to foster regional planning; 2. Loans, pass-through grants or other financial assistance to rural housing organizations, CDCs, CHDOs, local governments, and Indian tribes serving rural areas to carry out community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low-income or low- and moderate-income families and persons by building the capacity of those eligible beneficiaries to in rural areas. 3. Such other activities as may be determined by the grantees in consultation with the Secretary or his or her designee. Currently only RCB related Administration activities are eligible under this category. Assistance is restricted to the capacity building activities for eligible beneficiaries.

The performance period for the Rural Capacity Building grant is four years (48 months). Funds must be expended within four years (48 months) of the grant start date. Funds are available for draw down from HUD's Line of Credit Control System (LOCCS). Funding is committed through grant agreements and released to grantees as voucher reimbursements on a regular basis

The annual publication of HUD's Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing (RCB) NOFA details the submission requirements. Applications may be submitted in response to the annual publication of the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the RCB Program on Grants.gov.

Applications are reviewed according to the Threshold Requirements and Rating Factor requirements set forth in the RCB Program NOFA. Applicants are assessed for the organizations capacity, understanding of the capacity building needs of eligible beneficiaries, the soundness of their approach in their proposed RCB program, their commitment to leveraging other funding, and their performance evaluation plans and past performance on previous RCB grant awards.

Based upon the requirements published in the Program Section of the RCB NOFA, respondents are notified of acceptance or rejection. Upon selection, the applicant and HUD shall negotiate and execute a grant agreement.