Jobs-Plus Pilot Initiative

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Public and Indian Housing Office is funding employment and case management services for public housing residents through the Jobs-Plus Pilot Initiative (CFDA 14.895), with the most recent grant awards issued on August 1, 2024. HUD posted a FY2026 Jobs Plus NOFO on April 22, 2026, with a FY2025 NOFO due December 29, 2025 still active.

The program funds employment-related services including work readiness, employer linkages, job placement, educational advancement, technology skills training, and financial literacy for residents of public housing. Recipients also implement financial incentives through Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard (JPEID)—a rent-calculation mechanism that disregards earned income—and community supports for work. Grantees conduct case management and develop Individualized Training and Service Plans (ITSPs) for each participant, with measurable outputs tracking enrollment in the earned income disregard, program engagement, service completion, and job placement outcomes. The program operates at target public housing projects (Asset Management Projects, or AMPs) nationwide.

HUD has awarded 95 Project Grants totaling $193.8 million federal dollars obligated since 2015, with the funding agency handling 100 percent of awards. Award activity has accelerated recently: HUD distributed 14 awards in 2024 after issuing only 4 in 2023 and 2 in 2022. Recent grant magnitudes range from $1.4 million to $3.7 million. Representative recent awards include $2.3 million to a Florida PHA (August 1, 2024), $1.6 million to a Virginia PHA (August 1, 2024), and $3 million to a Nevada PHA (August 1, 2024), all with completion dates of January 31, 2029.

Only public housing authorities (PHAs) operating public housing projects that meet size and unemployment criteria are eligible applicants. PHAs must have at least 200 non-elderly-only households (defined as developments where at least one resident is under age 62) at the target project, and at least 40 percent of households must report no earned income. Applicants must submit applications via Grants.gov. Non-performing PHAs may participate with HUD's determination that they can successfully implement the grant. Federally recognized tribes, tribally-designated housing entities, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, and individuals are ineligible. Applications follow 2 CFR 200 audit requirements, with recipients expending $750,000 or more in federal awards subject to single or program-specific audit.