HUD's FY2020 and FY2021 Distressed Cities and Persistent Poverty Technical Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) | FR 6500 N 54

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR 6500 N 54

HUD's FY2020 and FY2021 Distressed Cities and Persistent Poverty Technical Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is a discretionary HUD funding competition designed to expand technical assistance support for local governments and nonprofit partners working in communities facing long-term economic hardship. The core purpose is to help units of general local government (UGLGs) and their nonprofit partners strengthen their capacity to plan, coordinate, and carry out community and economic development work in places that qualify as either "distressed" or experiencing "persistent poverty," using the specific definitions laid out in the NOFO. Rather than funding construction or direct service delivery as the primary focus, this opportunity is centered on providing technical assistance, which typically includes hands-on coaching, problem-solving support, planning assistance, systems-building, and help improving program implementation and local outcomes.

Funding is offered through cooperative agreements, meaning HUD expects an ongoing, collaborative relationship with the awardees during the period of performance. HUD announced at least two awards using FY2020 funds, with up to $2.5 million available from that funding source, and additional awards using FY2021 funds, with up to $6.8 million available from that funding source. Across both funding sources, HUD anticipated making roughly three awards per source, for an expected total of about six awards. A major emphasis of the FY2021 portion is persistent poverty: at least $5 million of the FY2021 funding is reserved to assist UGLGs and nonprofit partners serving communities experiencing persistent poverty, ensuring a substantial share of resources is directed to places facing entrenched, multigenerational economic challenges.

Eligible applicants are organizations capable of delivering technical assistance at the scale and sophistication HUD is looking for. The eligible applicant pool includes nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status as well as nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (in both cases excluding institutions of higher education), private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. In practical terms, this means HUD is open to a wide range of technical assistance providers, including national or regional intermediaries, consulting and technical assistance firms, nonprofit capacity-builders, and university-affiliated entities, as long as they fit the eligibility categories and can demonstrate the ability to support local governments and their partners effectively.

The opportunity is cataloged under CFDA number 14.259 and spans multiple policy-relevant activity areas, including community development, disaster prevention and relief, employment and workforce-related efforts, health, and housing. That mix signals that the technical assistance HUD is seeking may be cross-cutting, helping communities integrate housing, economic development, resilience, and community well-being strategies rather than treating them as isolated initiatives. The overall award ceiling listed for the opportunity is $6.8 million, aligning with the FY2021 funding maximum described in the notice.

Administrative details provided for the competition include a funding opportunity number of FR 6500 N 54, with a posting (creation) date of June 17, 2021, and an original application closing date of July 29, 2021. The deadline was set at 11:59:59 PM Eastern time on the closing date. The administering agency is the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Overall, this NOFO is best understood as a capacity-building investment: HUD is selecting a small number of technical assistance providers and funding them at relatively high levels to deliver sustained, targeted support to distressed and persistently poor communities through partnerships with local governments and nonprofits.

• The US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the community development, disaster prevention and relief, employment, labor and training, health, housing sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HUD's FY2020 and FY2021 Distressed Cities and Persistent Poverty Technical Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 14.259.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 17, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 29, 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 $6,800,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for FR 6500 N 54

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