NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Barbara Johnson, Program Officer
Email: barbaraj@nwmf.org
August 21, 2024 (Bemidji, MN) – The Northwest Minnesota Continuum of Care is seeking letters of intent from nonprofits, local and tribal governments, and others about potential supportive housing projects to inform an application for funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s recently announced CoCBuilds program.
HUD has announced that $175 million is available through first-of-its-kind funding for new construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation to increase the number of permanent supportive housing units through one-time awards to recipients utilizing the continuums of care (CoC) programs as the collaborative applicant.
The Northwest Minnesota CoC (NWCoC) is eligible to apply for up to $7 million in grant funding through this program. Barbara Johnson, the NWCoC coordinator, is requesting that any nonprofit, local or tribal government, tribally designated housing entity, and public housing agencies that intends to seek funding under this program write a letter of intent and sent it via email to barbaraj@nwmf.org by Aug. 28. Submission of a letter of intent does not bind a potential applicant but informs the NWCoC as to the degree of interest.
Funding details
The funding is intended will enable communities to develop new units of rental housing with supportive services for people experiencing homelessness.
Permanent supportive housing is non-time-limited rental housing in which supportive services are available to assist individuals or households in which at least one member has a disability and who are experiencing homelessness. Supportive housing addresses both the immediate need for housing and the underlying factors contributing to homelessness, leading to better outcomes for individuals and communities alike.
Through the CoCBuilds initiative, CoCs are encouraged to leverage awarded funds for construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation of new supportive housing units with other funding sources, maximizing the amount of housing available to meet the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. In addition to funding the creation of new units, up to 20 percent of each award may be used for other eligible CoC program activities associated with supportive housing projects, including supportive services and operating costs (which are renewable).
All application materials, including the instructions and package, are available online at www.nwmf.org/where-we-help/homelessness/nwcoc/resources/ or www.hud.gov/program_offices/cfo/gmomgmt/grantsinfo/fundingopps/CoCBuilds”
