U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Community Compass Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Program

The Community Compass Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Program (Community Compass) is designed to help the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) customers navigate complex housing and community development challenges by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, tools, capacity, and systems to implement HUD programs and policies successfully and sustainably and provide effective administrative and managerial oversight of HUD funding.

Eligible activities for the Community Compass program are specified below. Successful applicants may be tasked to use one or more of these activities to provide technical assistance (TA) pursuant to the purposes of the Community Compass program.

1. Needs Assessments: Needs assessments are intended to help determine the nature and scope of TA and capacity building needed by HUD customers. Needs assessments may also assist customers with quantifying the impact of affordable housing and community and economic development or disaster recovery initiatives and identifying local market conditions so that program resources may be better targeted and leveraged.
2. Direct TA and Capacity Building Engagements: Direct TA and capacity building require working onsite and/or remotely with HUD’s customers to improve HUD program knowledge and staff capacity in one or more of the programs and/or cross-cutting issues.
3. Develop and Maintain Tools and Products: Tools and products developed will use adult learning principles to assist HUD customers with understanding existing, revised, or new program statutes and regulations, as well as other federal requirements that apply to these programs.
4. Self-Directed and Group Learning: Self-directed and group learning is intended to increase the capacity and close the competency gaps of participants by equipping them with the necessary program knowledge and skills needed to administer and manage HUD programs.
5. Knowledge Management: Knowledge management includes the development, operation, maintenance, and/or hosting of websites to support the TA, capacity building, and training needs of a diverse set of HUD’s urban, rural, and tribal customers.
6. Data analysis, reporting, and performance measurement: This activity includes TA and training that help customers analyze data and understand data trends; use data to inform and revise plans and strategies; use performance measurement and reporting tools; create data sharing partnerships and agreements; and collect, report, and use accurate and valid data on programs, activities, and beneficiaries.
7. Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) Allocation Formula Administration and Negotiated Rule-making and Consultation Support: Support for administration of the Indian Housing Block Grant Allocation Formula and related formula negotiated rule-making, including administration of the allocation formula, assistance with formula determinations, census challenges, notification letters, and data correction and reports, as well as consultation assistance for all negotiated rule-making with Indian tribes and any other required tribal consultation.
8. Administrative: Administrative activities are directly associated with overall award management and execution, including salaries and benefits of persons who support the execution of the award terms. Costs include preparing reports for submission to HUD, obtaining program audits, and general operating costs when billed direct.
9. Coordination: Coordination activities consist of services related to coordinating technical assistance with other selected applicants and planning technical assistance engagements, including data gathering, studies, and analysis, and the identification of actions that will implement such plans.

Amount: Funding of up to $73,500,000 is available to make up to 20 awards ranging from $250,000-$20,000,000 for a 36 month project period.

Eligibility: State governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; public and state controlled institutions of higher education; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS; private institutions of higher education; for profit organizations; small businesses; NAHASDA-eligible Indian tribes; Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs); national or regional organizations representing Native American housing interests; and Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Councils of Government, or other regional planning entities.

Link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=311298

This post was filed under: