The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it will provide more than $3.1 billion in competitive funding to homeless services organizations across the country for supportive services and housing programs for people experiencing homelessness. This year’s funding opportunity makes available the largest amount of funding under the Continuum of Care program competition in history, reflecting the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment to tackling the nation’s homelessness crisis with the urgency it requires. Read HUD’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) here.
The FY 2023 competitive funding will be awarded through HUD’s Continuum of Care Program, the largest source of federal grant funding for homeless services and housing programs serving people experiencing homelessness. Nearly 400 Continuum of Care communities apply for the NOFO each year. HUD funds approximately 7,000 homeless services projects annually through the Continuum of Care Program, to nonprofit providers, States, Indian Tribes or Tribally Designated Housing Entities, and local governments.
As with prior NOFOs, Continuums of Care will have the opportunity to renew existing projects, apply for new projects, and to reallocate resources from lower-performing projects to better serve people experiencing homelessness. However, this year’s NOFO includes some new activities to address homelessness in rural communities and to ensure compliance with the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization Act of 2022.
Additionally, the NOFO contains explicit funding for (1) survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; (2) youth, and (3) people experiencing the unique challenges of homelessness in rural areas. The NOFO will provide at least $52 million for new rapid re-housing, supportive services, and other activities critical to assist survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Approximately $147 million is available for the competitive and non-competitive renewal and replacement of expiring Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) grants.
Specifically, HUD is seeking projects that:
- End homelessness for all persons experiencing homelessness;
- Place emphasis on racial equity and anti-discrimination policies for LGTBQ+ individuals;
- Use a Housing First approach;
- Reduce unsheltered homelessness and reduce the criminalization of homelessness;
- Improve system performance;
- Partner with housing agencies to leverage access to mainstream housing programs;
- Partner with health agencies to coordinate health and supportive services, including preventing and responding to future infectious disease outbreaks;
- Advance racial equity and address racial disparities in homelessness;
- Engage people with lived experience of homelessness in decision-making; and
- Support local engagement to increase the supply of affordable housing.
Applications for the FY 2023 CoC Program NOFO are due to HUD on September 28, 2023. Click here for additional information.