New Jersey Dept Of Community Affairs

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), a state government entity operating as the Division of Community Affairs within the State of New Jersey, functions as a federal grant recipient and pass-through administrator distributing housing, homelessness, energy assistance, and community development funding to local governments, nonprofit organizations, and community action agencies across New Jersey. The DCA does not compete for federal contracts; it operates exclusively in the grant-recipient role, administering formula grants and project grants on behalf of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Treasury.

The DCA's federal footprint centers on HUD housing and homelessness programs. The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development accounts for 358 of 445 total awards (80% of the portfolio), funding permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, homelessness prevention, and community development block grants. Representative recent awards include a $4.4 million Lead Hazard Reduction Grant (CFDA 14.900) awarded March 16, 2026, to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in privately-owned rental and owner-occupied housing in low-income and minority neighborhoods through March 16, 2030; a $3.475 billion Emergency Solutions Grant (CFDA 14.231) awarded December 11, 2025, supporting street outreach, emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, and homelessness prevention through December 10, 2027; and a $5.386 billion HOME Investment Partnerships Program award (CFDA 14.239) also dated December 11, 2025, expanding affordable rental housing supply through September 30, 2034. Multiple Continuum of Care Program awards (CFDA 14.267) total over $2.7 million statewide, supporting permanent housing, transitional housing, supportive services, and homeless management information systems.

HHS Administration for Children and Families contributes the second and third largest customer bases. The DCA received a $51.295 million Community Services Block Grant (CFDA 93.569) on October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027, distributed to 24 sub-recipients including community action agencies (The Jewish Renaissance Foundation, Burlington County Community Action Program Inc., Northwest New Jersey Community Action Program Inc.) and county social service departments, funding employment assistance, education, housing support, emergency assistance, and healthcare access for low-income households. A separate $248.489 billion Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program award (CFDA 93.568) dated October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027, distributes heating and cooling assistance to 32 sub-recipients across New Jersey counties, with sub-awards issued between December 26, 2025, and April 7, 2026.

The Department of Energy funds weatherization and energy-code adoption. The DCA received a $13.571 billion formula grant (CFDA 81.117) on January 1, 2025, to adopt and update New Jersey's energy codes including provisions for net-zero energy construction, implementing the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code and ASHRAE Standard 90.1. An earlier Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program award (CFDA 81.116) dated July 1, 2022, provided $87.212 billion to weatherize 6,516 units through contracted sub-recipients, with a completion target of June 30, 2029.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Public and Indian Housing Office funds Family Self-Sufficiency Program coordination. A $108,546 award dated January 1, 2026, supports FSS coordinators serving residents of public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and project-based rental assistance properties, with the DCA maintaining minimum participation thresholds of 25 families per coordinator through December 31, 2026.

Award activity has declined from 26 in 2022 to 7 in the first six months of 2026, while the combined obligated dollar total across 445 awards reaches $10.58 billion. The DCA's customer base spans 13 federal agencies, though HUD's Community Planning and Development office represents over 80% of awards by count and dominates the dollar portfolio through large formula grants. Twenty-three awards reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, creating renewal and recompetition cycles in 2027 and 2028 across housing, homelessness, energy assistance, and community services block grant programs. The DCA operates as a child entity of the State of New Jersey, headquartered at 101 South Broad Street, Trenton, and distributes federal resources statewide to local implementation partners without serving as a prime contractor on federal procurement vehicles.