Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants (RCB) | FR 6100 N 08

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR 6100 N 08

The Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants (RCB) program is a HUD discretionary grant opportunity designed to strengthen the on-the-ground ability of rural communities to plan, finance, and carry out affordable housing and broader community development work. Instead of funding individual local projects directly, the program funds national nonprofit organizations that already have deep expertise in rural housing and community development, and then relies on those national grantees to build the skills, systems, and long-term effectiveness of rural organizations and public entities. The end goal is practical: help rural areas better serve low- and moderate-income families and individuals by improving local capacity to develop housing, coordinate community development efforts, and compete more successfully for federal resources over time.

Eligible activities focus on capacity building in a hands-on, technical-assistance style. Grant funds can be used for training, education, support, and advisory services that improve the technical and administrative capabilities of rural housing development organizations, Community Development Corporations (CDCs), Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), local governments, and Indian tribes. This includes helping these entities participate effectively in consolidated planning processes, engage in fair housing planning, and contribute to Continuum of Care homeless assistance efforts. The assistance is meant to strengthen community-wide participation in assessing local needs, encourage broad consultation across residents and stakeholders, and support cooperative planning that uses available resources in a comprehensive and coordinated way. It can also include helping communities evaluate performance under these planning efforts and connect their plans with neighboring jurisdictions to support regional planning where that makes sense.

Beyond training and technical assistance, the RCB program also allows national grantees to provide loans, pass-through grants, or other forms of financial assistance to eligible rural beneficiaries. The intent of this funding is not just to pay for a single activity, but to build durable organizational capacity so rural entities can continue serving their communities over time. The Notice also leaves room for additional activities, as long as they are determined by the grantee in consultation with the HUD Secretary or the Secretary's designee, which gives the program some flexibility to respond to real-world rural conditions.

A major emphasis of the program is alignment with and support for other HUD programs operating in rural areas. Capacity-building work supported under RCB is expected to help rural communities implement programs such as Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA), the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program, and the Continuum of Care program. The opportunity also encourages work connected to sustainability and comprehensive neighborhood revitalization, signaling that HUD is looking for capacity-building efforts that contribute to long-term community health, not just short-term project delivery. Another stated priority is reaching rural places that do not already have established rural housing development organizations, CDCs, or CHDOs, and helping those areas gain new access, or expand existing access, to federal funding streams. In practice, that means strengthening the capacity of communities that are often least equipped to navigate federal requirements, develop competitive applications, or manage complex housing and community development projects.

HUD also encourages grantees to align capacity-building assistance with projects and investments that support transformative revitalization, job growth, economic recovery, and neighborhood revitalization. Where regional planning for sustainable economic development is already underway, grantees are encouraged to consider how rural beneficiaries can align their investments with those regional efforts, reinforcing the idea that housing, infrastructure, services, and economic development are interconnected and can be more effective when coordinated across jurisdictions.

From an eligibility and administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under CFDA 14.265 and is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Eligible applicants are nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), reflecting the program's intent to fund national nonprofit intermediaries that can deliver capacity-building services to a network of rural partners. The funding instrument is a grant, the opportunity category is discretionary, and the activity category is community development. For the posted competition details provided, the funding opportunity number is FR 6100 N 08, the posting creation date is September 28, 2017, and applications were due December 7, 2017 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time for electronic submissions. HUD anticipated making about four awards, with an award ceiling of $2,500,000 per award.

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants (RCB)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 14.265.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 28, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 07, 2017 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (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 $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for FR 6100 N 08

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