HUD opportunity calls for change in approach
Local project applications are due July 21.
The deadline is fast approaching for parallel competitive grant opportunities from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Anchorage organizations intending to submit proposals for either the general Continuum of Care competition or the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program opportunity must do so by Tuesday, July 21, 6 p.m. Applications and all the resources can be found here. Questions? Reach out to grants@aceh.org.
The Anchorage region, known as the AK-500 Continuum of Care, has the potential for $5.8 million in core program funds for everything from permanent housing to treatment to employment supports. More than $720,000 in additional funds is available for new Anchorage projects in the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program.
Continuums of care, or CoCs, cover geographic regions and include shelters, housing providers, outreach teams, domestic violence providers, youth providers, supportive services, faith-based providers, healthcare partners, people with lived experience, local government, individuals and others.
HUD does not usually fund each organization in isolation. Instead, HUD asks the CoC to organize the community, decide local priorities, review project applications, rank them, and submit one combined application to HUD. For the Anchorage region, the team at the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness coordinates project applications, the ranking process and the collaborative communitywide application.
With this funding opportunity, HUD is moving away from Housing First and permanent housing programs and toward time-limited transitional housing and supportive services. HUD has encouraged faith-based organizations and those that have never received funding to apply. Its priorities are: Ending the crisis of homelessness on our streets, prioritizing treatment and recovery, advancing public safety and promoting self-sufficiency. These grants could shift how communities use federal homelessness dollars away from long-term supports toward focused, short-term help.
To help potential grantees create strong proposals, ACEH has been holding office hours and hosting technical assistance meetings. The final meeting for applicants is set for Friday, July 17, 1 p.m. The CoC then will shift into Rank and Review. The most highly ranked projects will become part of the communitywide collaborative grant application as we compete with other communities for funds.
Applicants whose projects move forward will need to submit their proposals in the HUD grant portal, e-snaps. The coalition will schedule additional technical assistance sessions to walk newcomers through the e-snaps process.
Timeline for this year’s HUD Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Anchorage Continuum of Care.