Homeless Services Network, Central Florida Commission on Homelessness announce HUD CoC Builds funding opportunity

Release date: Aug. 19, 2024

Submissions due to application@hsncfl.org no later than Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at 5 p.m.

For the first time, HUD has published a CoC Builds Notice of Funding Opportunity. This unique grant will support capital costs associated with a project that will provide housing for people referred through the Continuum of Care’s Coordinated Entry (CE) process. For Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, those referrals will most likely be for people experiencing chronic homelessness, so applicants are advised to apply for projects accessible to that population.

You can review the full NOFO here.

Some highlights of the NOFO and an Aug. 14, 2024, HUD webinar on the program include:

• The Central Florida Commission on Homelessness is eligible to submit one, and only one, application. That application can be for up to $7.5 million.

• Applicants may include local governments, special districts, public housing authorities, and nonprofits.  Other eligible applicants are outlined on page 17 of the NOFO.  

• IMPORTANT NOTES: For-profit developers cannot apply. A non-profit applicant cannot name a for-profit as a sub-recipient. A non-profit applicant can have a for-profit development contractor if the selection process complies with the Office of Management and Budget Super-Circular requirements. 

• HUD anticipates making only 25 awards across the country, and HUD's scoring will favor projects that have site control, secured funding, etc.  A project currently under development that is expanded or adjusted to accommodate the requirements of this NOFO, with set-aside units exclusively for Coordinated Entry referral, is likely to be favored by HUD in the selection process.

• Project start date should be no later than Oct. 1, 2025, and end date should be no later than Oct. 1, 2030.

• HUD has encouraged conversion of existing structures, especially hotels and office buildings.

• The project applicant must demonstrate experience with at least four projects of similar scope and size.

• The project applicant must demonstrate experience managing at least four projects with tenants who had experienced homelessness.

The application process:

• Interested applicants will submit a completed application as outlined in the HUD NOFO to application@hsncfl.org no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4. 

• HSN will facilitate a review/scoring process in which applications are reviewed by neutral parties.

• The Central Florida Commission on Homelessness Managing Board (CoC Board) will approve the selection of one project for the CoC to submit to HUD on behalf of the CoC FL-507 region. The application must be submitted by HSN as the region's CoC lead agency no later than Nov. 21, 2024.

• Although HSN is required to submit the application on behalf of the CoC, any contract with HUD on this program will be directly with the applicant and not with HSN.

Interested parties are encouraged to read the NOFO and watch the CoC Builds webinar hosted on Aug. 14 once HUD has published the recorded video. (This post will be updated with the link once it’s available.)

Since this is HUD's first NOFO of this type, HSN anticipates that additional guidance may be published prior to the application deadline and shared with CoC lead agencies. Interested parties are also encouraged to notify HSN of their interest by sending an email to application@hsncfl.org with the subject line “CoC Builds Interested Party” so that HSN can keep all potential applicants updated with relevant information.

Please feel free to reach out to application@hsncfl.org if you have any additional questions.