The Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is a federal grant program through Housing and Urban Development (HUD) providing grant funds on a reimbursable basis to provide decent affordable housing to low-income households, expend the capacity of non-profit housing providers, strengthen the ability of state and local governments to provide housing, and leverage private-sector participation.
How can HOME be used? New construction Rehabilitation Downpayment assistance Rental assistance Site improvements Acquisition of property Relocation costs Project related soft costs Activities of Community Development Housing Organizations (CHDOs) Program administration, planning, capacity building (up to 15% of the budget)
How do these grants make a difference in our area? The HOME program serves the four county consortium of Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Madison Counties. The City of Asheville is the lead entity for the consortium and administers the HOME funds in the area. The City receives about $1.5 million each year. Much of this is sub-granted to non-profit agencies to increase the stock of safe, decent, affordable housing in our area. The City awards HOME funds based on housing needs from a Housing Needs Assessment which is used to form a Five-Year Consolidated Plan for housing priorities.
Federal Compliance Requirements Activities using HOME funds must meet a number of federal standards. HUD has produced a toolkit as a resource tool that will allow grantees to find information on financial management, environmental review, labor standards, acquisition, relocation and fair housing. Specific information about some of these federal requirements can be found at HUD.gov
HUD.gov Federal Compliance Information Environmental Review Davis Bacon and Labor Standards Equal Opportunity - Minority and Women Business Enterprises and Section 3 Accessibility for Disabled People Record-keeping and Reporting Acquisition and Relocation Regulations Lead-Based Paint Elimination Income Verification and Documentation Financial Assistance or Housing Client Public Service Client Avoiding Conflicts of Interest Purchasing Standards
Each year a HOME application workshop is held in December. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to attend. The exact workshop date and time are announced on the City of Asheville's Funding Programs webpage. Application and presentation materials from last year’s application process can also be viewed from the Funding Programs page. Ready? If your agency is ready to take the next step, you'll need to participate in a required webinar for HOME applicants. You will be asked to view the training video and submit your contact information to begin a new application and save your progress as you complete process.