Housing and Community Development Alert:
The Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has an availability of funds under the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs to acquire, develop, and rehabilitate affordable housing.
Projects should align with the Communitywide Housing Strategic Plan, the 5-Year Consolidated Plan, One-Year Action Plan, the proposed Fairfax County Countywide Strategic Plan. The affordability is for at least 30 years.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is a flexible program that provides annual grants to eligible local governments and States to be used to address a wide range of unique community development needs, including affordable housing, fair housing and human services activities, that are primarily for the benefit of low- to moderate-income individuals and families. Learn More
The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) provides annual grants to be used to fund a wide range of housing activities, including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership, or providing direct rental assistance to low- to moderate-income individuals and families, as well as for fair housing activities. Learn More
The Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program aims to assist people with quickly regaining stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness. Funding may be used for the rehabilitation or conversion of buildings for use as emergency shelter for the homeless, for certain expenses for operating emergency shelters, for essential services related to emergency shelters and street outreach for the homeless, and for homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing assistance. Learn More
The funding typically available under this RFP is between $1 million and $4 million, and consists of CDBG and HOME funds (to include a subset of HOME funds reserved for Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs)).
An annual RFP is announced, typically in July or August, by Fairfax County HCD and final awards are approved by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA). A Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) is selected to review the proposals and provide recommendation to the FCRHA for funding at its annual December meeting.
To access CDBG and HOME funds, eligible applicants must have:
Eligible Projects include acquisition and/or rehabilitation for scattered-site rental (condominium, townhouse, single-family) and multifamily rental projects (30 units or less). Projects should align with:
Additional points are typically given to projects that include acquisition, development, and rehabilitation of affordable housing and serve households meeting one or more of the special needs criteria announced in each RFP (e.g., low- and moderate-income populations that are: ages 62 and older; youth transitioning out of foster care, ; experiencing (or at-risk) of homelessness; living with disabilities (physical, mental, or sensory); veterans; and survivors of domestic violence.
Additional points have also been given to projects that can be completed by the end of the current fiscal year (June 30).
This annual celebration in April provides an opportunity to reflect on the value that federal community development funds bring to communities throughout Fairfax County. Learn more.