Recently, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the availability of at least $80,681,000 for the Community Compass TA Program and capacity-building activities for HUD’s customers. This program is focused on solving complex housing and community development challenges by equipping HUD customers with the knowledge, skills, tools, and systems to implement agency programs and policies successfully, according to a HUD release.
The goal of empowering communities is to sustain program implementation over the long term.
Eligible applicants include:
- State and local governments
- Special district governments
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofits
- Private institutions of higher education
- For-profit organizations
- Small businesses
This funding comes through HUD’s two-year Community Compass Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). This is a two-year NOFO; therefore, HUD will use 2022 and 2023 funds to make awards to successful applicants.
“As HUD’s integrated Technical Assistance (TA) and Capacity-Building initiative, Community Compass is designed to help HUD’s customers navigate complex housing and community development challenges,” the release stated. “This initiative equips customers with the knowledge, skills, tools, capacity, and systems to implement HUD programs and policies successfully and sustainably.”
Eligible applicants for this NOFO will apply to serve as HUD TA Providers under the Community Compass Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Program. HUD will use qualifications and experience as a basis to assign projects based on community needs, and TA providers will work on projects identified by HUD – with the assistance of HUD staff where needed. This funding is not for TA providers to work independently on firm-specific, independent projects.
HUD is seeking TA providers that will take a localized, holistic approach to technical assistance, working across sectors and building local capacity to implement HUD programs. HUD expects technical assistance providers to have experience partnering with local community-based organizations and to satisfy specific technical assistance assignments, as well as increase local capacity and support equitable engagement and outcomes.