On July 19, 2024, the Department of Housing and Urban Development released the CoC Builds Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The purpose of this Letter of Interest (LOI) is to identify partners to submit, with Central MS CoC, a collaborative application to HUD for the following opportunity: to increase the number of permanent supportive housing (PSH) units dedicated to serve households experiencing homelessness with at least one family member who meets HUD’s definition of a medically diagnosed disability.
Prior to submitting an LOI, potential applicants should review the CoC Builds NOFO and this document to ensure their plan and project meet eligibility. Projects will be evaluated on their responses to the criteria below. Projects must agree to utilize Coordinated Entry (CE) as their sole source for client referrals and maintain client records in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) or a comparable database.
About this Funding Opportunity
CoC Builds is a highly competitive opportunity and Central MS 500 CoC is eligible to apply for up to $5 million ($3,500,000 for acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction; $1,000,000 in operational and supportive services; $500,000 in administration). The purpose of this LOI is to collect information from PSH project developers and owners who are interested in being included in the Central MS 500 CoC application that will be submitted to HUD, subject to approval from the governing body of Central MS CoC. To be eligible, applicants and projects must be able to meet the following program specific requirements:
- Applicants must be nonprofit organizations, units of local government, or tribal entities.
- Applicants must be seeking capital funding for the construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation of new PSH units.
- Projects must be located in the Central MS 500 CoC geographic area (Hinds, Madison, Copiah, Warren, and Rankin counties).
- Applicants must be able to demonstrate site control prior to the execution of the grant agreement.
- Applicants must be able to execute a grant agreement with HUD no later than September 1, 2025.
- Project must meet a 25% match requirement, which is defined as providing a minimum 25% of eligible activities funded by non-CoC sources, including administrative costs.
Eligible LOI responses will be reviewed and selected by the CoC review/rank committee for inclusion. The selected applicant will be asked to provide additional information for submission and the final proposal to HUD will be approved by the Central MS 500 CoC Board. The Central MS 500 CoC application will be evaluated in a nationwide competition and selected for funding by HUD. Questions about the LOI or the CoC Builds funding can be directed to Melvin C. Stamps at mstamps@centralmscoc.org
Key dates:
October 1, 2024 - LOI Guidelines Released by Central MS 500 CoC
October 14, 2024 - LOI due to Melvin C. Stamps at mstamps@centralmscoc.org by 3:00 p.m. CST
Other Important Information:
Please submit a narrative (not to exceed five pages, excluding attachments) that addresses the following items:
- Readiness for funding opportunity: please identify who will develop, own, manage, and provide services at the development. Describe your experience and the experience of project partners in developing supportive housing, your background in managing and maintaining those units, and experience providing services in PSH.
- Project Plan: describe the location of the project; the number of PSH units in the development; the total number of units in the development; progress made to date on securing funding and developing units; and the timeline for construction, staffing, and occupancy for the PSH units.
- Resource needs: describe all committed and anticipated capital sources that will fund the development of your project and demonstrate your current gap to developing the supportive housing. Additionally, identify the rental assistance source you anticipate using in the development and indicate whether it has been committed to the project. ** Please attach a copy of your development budget, including sources**
- Community and Capacity: Describe the population you plan to serve, how the project will address racial equity and/or target an underserved population, and how the project has been informed by individuals with lived experience
- Partnerships with housing and healthcare: Describe the relationship your project has with housing authority(ies) and healthcare organizations and if you can demonstrate formal partnerships for project-based vouchers in the project or healthcare services. **If feasible, please include a copy of your partnership agreements, contracts, or MOUs with healthcare organizations, rental assistance commitment letters or other documentation that demonstrates formal partnerships with these entities**.
- Attachments: If available, please attach your supportive services plan, supportive services budget, supportive services Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), management plan, and operating budget.
Please attach with your LOI, a verification of the applicant’s nonprofit, local government or tribal entity eligibility.
Please submit your LOI no later than October 14, 2024, by 3:00 PM CST, via email to mstamps@centralmscoc.org
