Capacity Building Program

The organization or Tribal Nation builds their own capacity to address root causes of housing challenges and housing disparities, build power in communities, and support inclusive and equitable communities.

Some examples include:

• Pilot projects to test creative solutions to housing challenges
• Building knowledge, strategies and partnerships to advance an innovative housing concept
• Community engagement, education and leadership development to facilitate community-led decision-making to meet a housing need

The organization or Tribal Nation builds capacity of others by providing pass-through grants or technical assistance in your area of experience and expertise. The purpose is to develop and strengthen the capacity of communities, stakeholders and organizations operating in housing planning, community and program development, and community engagement.

Some examples include:

• Community planning activities, such as convening a variety of local stakeholders to identify housing needs and priorities, inform them about development processes and creating a housing development plan
• Providing technical assistance to a community-based organization to increase organizational capacity to engage in housing development and planning activities through strengthening internal policies and technical skills
• Subgrants to hire a consultant for a housing-related need.
• Develop training and technical assistance on an innovative housing topic or strategy

Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, Tribal governments and Tribal Business Entities are eligible to apply.

Collaboration is welcome if the lead applicant is an eligible applicant. The lead applicant is the primary grantee. Additional partners are considered subgrantees or contractors.

Primary applicants cannot be:

• Non-Tribal governments entities, including
  • Federal organizations
  • State agencies
  • Local governments
• For-profit businesses
• Educational institutions, including
  • Postsecondary institutions
  • Public schools
  • Private schools
  • Charter schools
  • Other nonprofit education institutions

Eligible uses vary based on the program.

Organizational Building Capacity	Intermediate Building Capacity
Building knowledge, strategies and partnerships to advance innovative housing concepts	Develop training and technical assistance on a housing topic or strategy
Community engagement, education and leadership development to facilitate community-led decision-making about a housing need	Community planning activities, such as convening stakeholders to identify housing needs or create a regional market study
Partnership development and collaborations that build a network to advance equity and address housing needs	Providing technical assistance and pass-through grants to an organization to increase capacity or become certified as a Community Housing Development Corporation
Pilot projects to test solutions to housing challenge	Pass-through grants to hire consultants for a housing-related need

Ineligible uses include:

• Building operations, such as property management, front desk staff or security expenses
• Direct political activities, such as endorsing or campaigning for political candidates
• Direct services
• Housing development and pre-development costs
• Financial assistance to individuals, including rental assistance, affordability gap or downpayment assistance
• Providing homeownership counseling, financial coaching and foreclosure counseling to individuals
• Shelter planning or services
• Transitional housing planning or services