NOFA Funds Available for Homeless Housing

On November 22, 2013 HUD announced that $1.7 billion will be awarded for the development of programs to assist homeless people.  The Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Assistance Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) will provide funds for both permanent and transitional housing to the homeless, as well as services such as job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care.

Local programs can apply for Continuum of Care grants, which will be competitive.  HUD Secretary Sean Donovan made a point of saying that HUD has made great progress in reducing homelessness, especially among veterans and people who are chronically homeless.  “We shouldn’t be cutting our budget on the backs of the most vulnerable in our society. Investing in these programs is the right thing to do – not just for the lives it will save, but also for our economy”, said Secretary Donovan.

HUD’s most recent assessment, the Point-in-Time count, reported that since the Obama administration launched the Opening Doors program in 2010 chronic homelessness dropped 16%, homelessness among families decreased 8% and homelessness among veterans fell 24%.

This initiative was the country’s first strategic plan to end homelessness in America.  It is a coordinated effort across 19 federal agencies to end veteran and chronic homelessness by 2015, and to end homelessness among children, families and youth by 2020.

Project applications are available at www.hud.gov/esnaps.   If you need help with a grant application online training is available at www.hudhre.info/esnaps/.  Grant applications are due no later than February 3, 2014.