Empowerhouse

Empowerhouse, a nonprofit organization based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, operates as a federal grant recipient delivering housing and domestic violence services to low-income populations and crime victims under HUD and Department of Justice grant programs. The organization functions as a prime grant recipient on 48% of its recent federal awards and as a sub-recipient on 52%, with all federal work flowing through civilian social-services and justice agencies rather than through federal contracting vehicles.

Empowerhouse's customer base concentrates heavily within HUD's Community Planning and Development office and DOJ's victim-services and domestic-violence response infrastructure. The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development accounts for twelve awards under the Continuum of Care Program (CFDA 14.267), which funds permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and supportive services for homeless individuals and families. The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Victims of Crime office accounts for eleven awards, predominantly domestic violence response work. The DOJ Office on Violence Against Women (four awards) and the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (three awards) round out the active set. Representative prime work includes a $187,758 Continuum of Care project grant from HUD awarded July 1, 2026, running through June 30, 2027, which delivers housing and supportive services in Fredericksburg; an Economic Development Initiative, Community Project Funding grant from HUD awarded February 17, 2023, with ultimate completion in August 2031; and a continuation grant under the Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking program (34 U.S.C. 10461–10465) from the DOJ Office on Violence Against Women, awarded October 1, 2022, running through September 30, 2026.

Empowerhouse's sub-recipient footprint centers on Virginia state administering agencies. The organization receives flow-through funding from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia Department of Social Services, delivering trauma-informed domestic violence advocacy, shelter services, court accompaniment, and crisis intervention. Recent sub-awards include a July 1, 2026, domestic violence services sub-grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services providing 24/7 crisis response and serving approximately 450 new survivors during the grant period, and a July 1, 2024, sub-award also from Virginia DCJS supporting domestic violence services to 1,300 victims with staff salaries, safety assessment, crisis intervention, and rural outreach.

Activity shows decline year over year — seven awards in 2024 declining to three in 2025 and two in 2026 — with only two awards reaching ultimate completion inside the next twenty-four months and therefore facing recompete. Combined dollars obligated across all awards total $5.1 million, reflecting Empowerhouse's role as a grassroots nonprofit service provider rather than a systems integrator or large-scale federal contractor.