FY21 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants NOFO | FR 6500 N 38

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR 6500 N 38

The FY21 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants NOFO (Funding Opportunity Number FR 6500 N 38) is a discretionary grant program from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designed to help communities plan for major, long-term neighborhood change. Rather than paying for construction or service delivery right away, these planning grants fund the upfront work needed to build a strong, community-backed roadmap for revitalization. The central product of the grant is a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategy called a Transformation Plan, which is intended to guide decisions, partnerships, and investments over time.

The opportunity is structured around three core goals: Housing, People, and Neighborhood. On the Housing side, the planning effort centers on the revitalization of public housing and/or other HUD-assisted housing units, with an emphasis on improving quality, stability, and long-term viability. The People goal focuses on improving outcomes for the residents and families who live in the target housing and surrounding area, such as through coordinated supports that strengthen economic mobility and overall well-being. The Neighborhood goal addresses the broader community conditions around the assisted housing, aiming for a healthier, safer, and more opportunity-rich neighborhood through coordinated improvements and resource alignment. HUDs intent is that communities do not treat these as separate tracks; the Transformation Plan is meant to tie them together into one coherent strategy.

Eligible applicants include a range of local and housing-focused entities: county governments; city or township governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The notice also indicates that additional applicant types may be eligible as described in the programs eligibility clarification section. The program is fundamentally place-based and partnership-driven, so applicants typically need to demonstrate the ability to convene public, private, and nonprofit partners and to incorporate resident input into the planning process.

Funding is provided as a grant, with an award ceiling of $450,000 per award. HUD anticipated making about 11 awards under this funding round. The funding activity category is housing, and the listing is associated with CFDA number 14.892. The opportunity was created on May 12, 2021, and the original application closing date was July 13, 2021, with the deadline specified as 11:59:59 PM Eastern time.

In practical terms, this NOFO is best understood as planning support for communities that want to coordinate housing redevelopment or rehabilitation with broader neighborhood investments and measurable improvements in residents lives. The Transformation Plan is intended to become the guiding document that aligns stakeholders around shared priorities, identifies needs and assets, sets goals and strategies across housing, services, and neighborhood conditions, and positions the community to implement revitalization in a more organized and fundable way over the years that follow.

• The US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the housing, opportunity zone benefits sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY21 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants NOFO" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 14.892.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 12, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 13, 2021 The application deadline is 115959 PM Eastern Standard time on. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $450,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 11 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for FR 6500 N 38

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