Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants

The Rural Capacity Building program enhances the capacity and ability of rural housing development organizations, Community Development Corporations (CDCs), Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), local governments, and Indian tribes (eligible beneficiaries) to carry out affordable housing and community development activities in rural areas for the benefit of low-income families and persons. The Rural Capacity Building program achieves this by funding National Organizations with expertise in rural housing and rural community development who work directly to build the capacity of eligible beneficiaries.

Only National Organizations that are 501(c)(3) nonprofits, other than institutions of higher education, can apply for RCB funding.
For the purpose of the RCB program, a National Organization must be a single organization that has experience conducting RCB eligible activities with RCB eligible beneficiaries within the last ten years in at least seven Federal HUD regions. Having relevant experience working in one state in a HUD region is sufficient for counting that region towards the seven-region minimum. Federal regions are described on HUD’s website at: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/localoffices/regions .

RCB program Eligible Beneficiaries are limited to a local organization serving rural areas that are one of the following types of organizations: - Rural housing development organization, - Community Development Corporation (CDC), - Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), - Local government, and/or - Indian tribe. RCB program Eligible Beneficiaries must serve rural areas. Eligible Beneficiaries in the RCB program are not Eligible Applicants for the RCB program. By definition, RCB Eligible Beneficiaries are not eligible to apply to this RCB NOFO; National Organizations are the only organizations that can be deemed to be Eligible Applicants by successfully meeting the requirements of a National Organization established in Section I.A.4 and Section III.C of this FY 2018 RCB NOFO. Only Eligible Applicants can apply to HUD directly for RCB program funds through this NOFO. Successfully funded RCB program National Organizations are required to work with Eligible Beneficiaries with their RCB program grant award.

Based upon the requirements published in the Program Section of the RCB NOFO, respondents are notified of acceptance or rejection. Upon selection, the applicant and HUD shall negotiate and execute a grant agreement.