The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced a substantial funding opportunity for homeless assistance programs, earmarking $3.5 billion in grants available for the FY 2024 Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Competition. As reported on August 21, the Athens-Clarke County Housing and Community Development Department disclosed their role as the Collaborative Applicant tasked with submitting the CoC’s annual application, working jointly with the Athens-Clarke County Continuum of Care Governing Board (CoCGB).
Numbers are critical in this game of allocation: the Estimated Annual Renewal Demand (ARD) for the Athens-Clarke County CoC is posited at $943,659. This is joined by a series of potential bonus funds: $50,000 stands as the estimated DV bonus, and an additional $61,102 could come in as a CoC Bonus, with planning funds approximating another $50,000. However, as this data is sourced from a August 21 notice, HUD had yet to publish the final ARD figures for Athens-Clarke County—meaning these numbers are not set in stone.
In the race for these funds, eligible non-profit organizations providing services for the homeless in Athens-Clarke County are encouraged to apply. The Athens-Clarke County Housing and Community Development Department advises interested parties to refer to the comprehensive HUD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to understand the threshold criteria for funding eligibility. The applications for both New Projects and Renewal Projects are accessible via the HCD CoC website.
In line with HUD priorities, the CoC Project Review Committee will extend higher ratings to projects serving targeted demographics: chronically homeless individuals or families, homeless families and youth, and individuals with disabilities. Agencies are urged to focus on diminishing racial disparities and enhancing support for LGBTQ+ individuals. The committee is tasked with evaluating all applications and determining eligibility for inclusion in the funding lineup.
By the cut-off date on October 11, 2024, applicants will be notified by HCD if their project will make it into the consolidated application that Athens-Clarke County submits to HUD. For more information, Damario Squire or Lily Sronkoski can be reached at (706) 613-3155, lending a line to organizations ready to bring their commitment to the table in the shared fight against homelessness in Athens-Clarke County.
