Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) - FY 2024
| Agency: | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development |
|---|---|
| CFDA: | 14.023 |
| Federal FON: | FR-6800-N-98 |
| Office: | Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) |
| Multipart Grant: | No |
| Next Due: | 10/22/2024 (Multiple) |
|---|---|
| Solicitation Date: | 08/13/2024 |
| Match Required: | Recommended |
| Match Type: | Cash/In-Kind |
| Actual Funds: | $100,064,100 (Estimated) |
| Award Range: | $1,000,000 (Min) / $7,000,000 (Max) |
| Number of Awards: | 30 (Estimated) |
Summary:
The purpose of this program is to empower communities that are actively taking steps to remove barriers to affordable housing and seeking to increase housing production and lower housing costs over the long term. Barriers to affordable housing may take the form of restrictive zoning designations, land use policies, or regulations; discretionary, costly, or prolonged procedures; deteriorating or inadequate infrastructure; lack of neighborhood amenities; neighborhood opposition to new or affordable housing; or challenges to preserving existing housing stock such as increasing threats from natural hazards, redevelopment that reduces the number of affordable units, displacement pressures, or expiration of affordability requirements. Award recipients may use funding to further develop, evaluate, and implement housing policy plans; improve housing strategies; and facilitate affordable housing production and preservation.
The goals of this program include:
- Elevating and enabling promising practices dedicated to identifying and removing barriers to affordable housing production and preservation, while preventing displacement, including through rewarding jurisdictions that have enacted law and regulations that will lead to more affordable housing production and preservation
- Institutionalizing state and local analysis and implementation of effective, equitable, and resilient approaches to affordable housing production and preservation
- Providing technical assistance to help communities better identify barriers to affordable housing and implementing solutions to address such barriers
- Affirmatively furthering fair housing by addressing and removing barriers that perpetuate segregation, barriers that inhibit access to well-resourced areas of opportunity for protected class groups and vulnerable populations, and barriers that concentrate affordable housing in under-resourced areas
- Facilitating collaboration and harnessing innovative approaches from jurisdictions, researchers, advocates, and stakeholders
Applicants are expected to align their application to the following applicable strategic goals and objectives from the funding agency's FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan:
- Strategic Goal 1: support underserved communities, including the following objectives:
- 1A: advance housing justice
- 1B: reduce homelessness
- 1C: invest in the success of communities
- Strategic Goal 2: ensure access to and increase the production of affordable housing, including the following objective:
- 2A: increase the supply of housing
- Strategic Goal 3: promote homeownership, including the following objective:
- 3A: advance sustainable homeownership
- Strategic Goal 4: advance sustainable communities, including the following objectives:
- 4A: guide investment in climate resilience
- 4B: strengthen environmental justice
Eligible activities include:
- Planning and policy activities supporting affordable housing
- Development activities
- Infrastructure activities
- Preservation activities
Refer to pages 17-20 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding eligible activities.
Each activity, other than general administration and planning, must meet one of the following Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) national objectives:
- Benefiting low- and moderate-income persons
- Preventing or eliminating slums or blight
- Meeting other community development needs having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community, and other financial resources are not available to meet such needs
The funding agency encourages applicants to outline and discuss how their proposed activities will advance equity, locate affordable accessible housing near transit and bolster access to services and opportunities, increase community resilience and mitigate the effects of natural and environmental hazards, and develop and preserve affordable housing in accordance with input from community members and other stakeholders.
Applicants are required to hold at least one public hearing to solicit public comments on the application submission and one hearing before submitting a substantial amendment request. Refer to pages 59-61 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding public participation requirements.
An optional webinar is scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.
Last Updated: April 04, 2025
Eligibility Notes:
Eligible applicants are:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs)
- Multijurisdictional entities
For the purposes of this program, a multijurisdictional entity refers to any association of local governments or public agencies which are bound by collective agreement such that the funding agency determines that the entity is authorized and has the administrative capability to carry out the activities under this program and on behalf of its member jurisdiction(s).
Applicants that applied to this program in FY 2023, including those that received an award, are eligible to reapply.
Additional points will be awarded during the application evaluation process to applicants that primarily serve a priority geography, as defined on page 13 of the FAQ file. Refer to the PriorityGeographies file for a spreadsheet listing priority geographies.
Applications that address a wider geographic scope will also be more highly rated during the application evaluation process.
The funding agency will prioritize applicants that demonstrate:
- Progress and a commitment to overcoming local barriers to facilitate the increase in affordable housing production and preservation, primarily by having enacted improved law and regulations that the funding agency reasonably expects to preserve or produce new housing units
- An acute need for housing affordable to households with incomes below 100 percent of the area median income (AMI)
The funding agency will also prioritize applicants that demonstrate a commitment and ability to identify and remove barriers to:
- Expanding affordable housing in a manner that promotes desegregation
- Expanding affordable housing in well-resourced areas of opportunity for protected class groups that have systematically been denied equitable access to such areas
- Deconcentrating affordable housing and increasing housing choice
No more than one application will be accepted per applicant; however, applicants may propose multiple activities within a single application.
Applicants with overlapping geographies are encouraged to partner on a single application, rather than submitting two competing applications.
Tribes, nonprofit organizations, and public housing authorities are not eligible to apply; however, they may partner with eligible applicants.
Previous award recipients include:
- City of Evanston (IL)
- City and County of San Francisco (CA)
- Lake Worth Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (FL)
- Denver (CO)
- Forth Worth (TX)
Refer to the Award file for additional information on previous award recipients.
Eligible Applicants:
Local GovernmentConsortia
State Government
Application Notes:
Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on October 15, 2024.
The due date for applications for applicants located in the areas of the Presidentially-declared disasters Louisiana Hurricane Francine, North Carolina Tropical Storm Helene, Florida Hurricane Helene, South Carolina Hurricane Helene, Georgia Hurricane Helene, Virginia Tropical Storm Helene, and Tennessee Tropical Storm Helene has been extended to 11:59 p.m. ET on October 22, 2024. Additional information is included in the DueDateExt file. To receive an extension, applicants must email the address provided in the Contact section.
Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.
Applicants located in the areas of the Presidentially-declared disasters Louisiana Hurricane Francine, North Carolina Tropical Storm Helene, Florida Hurricane Helene, South Carolina Hurricane Helene, Georgia Hurricane Helene, Virginia Tropical Storm Helene, and Tennessee Tropical Storm Helene that are unable to access the internet and/or do not have power may mail applications to the address provided in the Contact section.
Applications must include:
- SF 424
- HUD 424B
- HUD 2880
- SF LLL (if applicable)
- Certification regarding lobbying activities
- Federal assistance representations and certifications
- HUD 424 CBW
- Program certifications
- Narrative:
- Table of contents
- Narrative exhibits
- Attachments
- Letter or other documentation from the cognizant agency showing the approved federally negotiated indirect cost rate (if applicable)
- Maps, drawings, renderings, and other graphical representations (optional but encouraged)
- Leverage commitment letters (if applicable)
- Waiver requests (if applicable)
The narrative exhibits and attachments are limited to 40 pages in length, except for the documents listed on pages 29-30 of the NOFA file. The narrative must be formatted on standard-sized, numbered pages with at least one-inch margins on all side and must use Times New Roman font no smaller than 12-point. Leverage commitment letters must be on letterhead.
The following are required in order to submit an application:
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
- SAM (System for Award Management) registration
- SPOC (state Single Point of Contact) notification
Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam. Applicants in states participating in the SPOC program must contact the relevant SPOC listed in the SPOC file before applying.
Applicants are required to hold at least one public hearing to solicit public comments on the application submission and one hearing before submitting a substantial amendment request. Refer to pages 59-61 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding public participation requirements.
An optional webinar will be held for this program as follows:
August 21, 2024
3:00 p.m. ET
Registration: events.intellor.com
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Need (35 points)
- Soundness of approach (35 points)
- Capacity (10 points)
- Leverage (10 points)
- Long-term effort (10 points)
Refer to the NOFA file for additional application information.
| Match Required: | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Match Type: | Cash/In-Kind |
| Actual Funds: | $100,064,100 (Estimated) |
| Award Range: | $1,000,000 (Min) / $7,000,000 (Max) |
|---|---|
| Number of Awards: | 30 (Estimated) |
Match Notes:
Matching funds are not required for this program; however, additional points will be awarded during the application evaluation process to applicants that propose qualified financial leverage and provide the required firm commitments and/or supporting documentation to support each source of financial leverage. In addition to financial contributions, applicants may credit the dollar amounts of any non-financial contributions, such as donations of land or property, towards their percentage of leveraged commitments.
Other federal sources may be used as financial leverage only if a program's authorizing statute permits such use.
Funding from a prior award received through this program may not be used as leverage.
Funding Notes:
An estimated $100,064,100 is available to support approximately 30 awards ranging from $1 million to $7 million through this program.
The project period is six years and is expected to begin on February 10, 2025, and end on September 30, 2030.
Up to 10 percent of the total award amount may be used for general administrative costs and technical assistance.
Funds may not be used for:
- Activities that do not meet a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) national objective, as applicable
- Activities that are not eligible under Section 105(a) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, unless a waiver is obtained from the funding agency
- Activities that are not in compliance with applicable fair housing, nondiscrimination, labor standards, and environmental review requirements
- Activities carried out on or before the date of the award letter, except for eligible application preparation costs, including costs for planning and public outreach activities
- Activities to carry out the regular responsibilities of the unit of general local government or for buildings or portions thereof used for the general conduct of government
- Activities that result in a net decrease in allowable or actual housing construction
- Lobbying activities
For FY 2024, a total of $100,064,100 was distributed via 18 awards ranging from $1 million to $7 million through this program. For FY 2023, a total of $84,935,899 was distributed via 21 awards ranging from $1 million to $6.7 million. Refer to the Award file for details.
Contacts:
Kimberly Nash
(202) 708-3587
CDBG-PROHousing@hud.gov
Mailing Address
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Block Grant Assistance
451 7th Street, SW
Suite 7282
Washington, D.C. 20410
Contact Notes:
Questions should be directed to Kimberly Nash.
Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.
Applicants located in the areas of the Presidentially-declared disasters Louisiana Hurricane Francine, North Carolina Tropical Storm Helene, Florida Hurricane Helene, South Carolina Hurricane Helene, Georgia Hurricane Helene, Virginia Tropical Storm Helene, and Tennessee Tropical Storm Helene that are unable to access the internet and/or do not have power may mail applications to the address provided.
Files:
NOFA File: US18333_NOFA_FY2024.pdf (494.8 Kb)Application File: US18333_Application_FY2024.zip (663.3 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18333_Overview_FY2024.pdf (190.4 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18333_FactSheet_FY2024.pdf (860.4 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18333_StrategicPlan_FY2024.pdf (13.8 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18333_PriorityGeographies_FY2024.xlsx (3.7 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18333_FAQ_FY2024.pdf (333.8 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18333_WebinarPresentation_FY2024.pdf (4.1 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18333_WebinarPresentation2_FY2024.pdf (1.4 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US18333_DueDateExt_FY2024.pdf (304.0 Kb)
Award File: US18333_Award_FY2024.pdf (759.9 Kb)
Federal Forms:
SPOC (67.7 Kb)File Notes:
The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Application folder contains required forms for submission. The Overview file contains general program information, including information regarding an optional webinar scheduled for this program. The FactSheet file contains a fact sheet for this program. The StrategicPlan file contains the funding agency's FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. The PriorityGeographies file contains a spreadsheet listing priority geographies for this program. The FAQ file contains a list of answers to frequently asked questions regarding this program. The WebinarPresentation and WebinarPresentation2 files contain the presentation slides from webinars held for this program. The DueDateExt file contains the updated due date for applicants located in the areas of the Presidentially-declared disasters Louisiana Hurricane Francine, North Carolina Tropical Storm Helene, Florida Hurricane Helene, South Carolina Hurricane Helene, Georgia Hurricane Helene, Virginia Tropical Storm Helene, and Tennessee Tropical Storm Helene. The Award file contains information on previous award recipients. The SPOC file contains information on the state Single Point of Contact program. Additional program resources can be found online at www.hud.gov/program_offices.
April 4, 2025
Information regarding awards through this program has been released and appended to the Award file. A sample of award recipients has been added to the Eligibility section, and a brief summary of the awards has been added to the Financial section.
October 10, 2024
The DueDateExt file contains the updated due date for applicants located in the areas of the Presidentially-declared disasters Louisiana Hurricane Francine, North Carolina Tropical Storm Helene, Florida Hurricane Helene, South Carolina Hurricane Helene, Georgia Hurricane Helene, Virginia Tropical Storm Helene, and Tennessee Tropical Storm Helene. The Application and Contact sections have been updated accordingly.
September 16, 2024
The presentation slides from an additional webinar held for this program have been released and attached as the WebinarPresentation2 file.
September 11, 2024
The presentation slides from the webinar held for this program have been released and attached as the WebinarPresentation file.
Grant Keywords
Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing, HUD, CPD, PRO Housing, state government, local government, county, counties, city, cities, township, metropolitan planning organization, MPO, multijurisdictional entities, multijurisdictional entity, consortia, consortium, affordable housing, housing, affordable housing preservation, affordable housing production, plan, planning, policy, policies, preservation, preserve, development, housing development, infrastructure, economically disadvantaged, extremely low-income, low income, poor, poverty, underprivileged, underserved, underrepresented, very low-income, African American, American Indian, Asian American, Asian Pacific Islander, Black, disadvantaged, ethnic, Hispanic, indigent, Latino, minorities, minority, minority population, Native American, tribe, tribal, needy, people of color, race, fair housing, apartment, building, complex, condo, condominium, duplex, flat, home, house, residence, townhouse, unit, build, construct, construction, AMI, area median income, at-risk, impoverished, housing shortage, housing crisis, underemployed, unemployed, under-representedGrant Categories
Community DevelopmentHousing
Human Services