HUD Seeks Comment on New Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Program for Disabled and Low-Income Veterans

On July 12, the HUD Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing HUD’s intention to develop a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Disabled and Low-Income Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program (Program), which was authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Pub. L. 113–291, approved December 19, 2014), as amended. HUD is also seeking input from interested parties and stakeholders to inform the development of the NOFA so that the funds are “used efficiently and fulfill the statutory purpose.” 

The goal of the Program is to address the housing needs of veterans. Statute requires HUD to work in consultation with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to “establish and oversee a pilot program to award grants to qualified organizations to rehabilitate and modify the primary residences of disabled and/or low-income veterans.” Funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 through a set-aside located in HUD’s Self-Help and Assistance Homeownership Opportunity (SHOP) account, the Program NOFA will make up to $5.7 million available to be competitively award through single grants of up to $1 million.

Eligible grantees are nonprofit organizations that provide nationwide or statewide programs that primarily serve veterans or low-income individuals. Grants may be used to modify or rehabilitate eligible veterans’ primary residences (at no cost to the veterans or at a cost that is no more than 30 percent of the veterans’ incomes spent on housing costs during any month) or to provide grantees’ affiliates with technical, administrative, and training support in connection with those services.

Please note that this notice is a request for public comment, not a solicitation of applications. The deadline to submit comments is September 11, 2017.