Related Information Technical Assistance About HBCU HBCU NOFA

What is the purpose of the HBCU program?
To help HBCUs expand their role and effectiveness in addressing community development needs in their localities, including neighborhood revitalization, housing, and economic development, principally for persons of low- and moderate-income, consistent with the purposes of Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended.

Who is eligible for an HBCU grant?
Colleges and universities that meet the definition of HBCUs as determined by the U.S. Department of Education in 34 CFR 608.2 in accordance with that Department's responsibilities under Executive Order 13256, dated February 12, 2002, are eligible for funding under the HBCU program.

When is the application due date?
July 2, 2008. Applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov by 11:59:59 p.m. eastern time on the deadline date.

What is the funding amount for HBCU?
Approximately $9 million has been made available for FY08.

How is the funding being allocated?
Approximately $1 million will be made available to fund First Time HBCU applicants. In addition, approximately, $8 million will be made available to fund Previously Funded HBCU applicants.

How are "First Time" and "Previously Funded" applicants defined?
Beginning in FY08, HUD now defines "Previously Funded" as any applicants that received funding in FY 1999 through FY 2007. If an applicant has received a grant prior to these years, they should respond to this factor as a "First Time" applicant.

What is the maximum amount an institution can request?
New for FY08, an applicant can request up to $700,000 for a 3-year grant performance period.

What are eligible activities?
Examples of activities that generally can be carried out with these funds include, but are not limited to:

• Acquisition of real property.
• Clearance and demolition.
• Rehabilitation of residential structure, including lead-based paint hazard evaluation and reduction, and making accessibility modifications in accordance with the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and visitability modifications in accordance with the policy priorities described in the General Section.
• Acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or installation of public facilities and improvements, such as water and sewer facilities and streets compliance with accessibility requirements such as those under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990.
• Special economic development activities described at 24 CFR 570.203 and assistance to facilitate economic development by providing technical or financial assistance for the establishment, stabilization, and expansion of microenterprises, including minority enterprises.
• Assistance to community-based development organizations (CBDOs) to carry out neighborhood revitalization, community economic development, or energy conservation projects, in accordance with 24 CFR 570.204. This could include activities in support of a HUD-approved local entitlement grantee, CDBG Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy (NRS) or HUD-approved State CDBG Community Revitalization Strategy (CRS).
• Public service activities such as those general support activities that can help to stabilize a neighborhood and contribute to sustainable redevelopment of the area, including but not limited to such activities as those concerned with employment, crime prevention, childcare, healthcare services, drug abuse, education, fair housing counseling, energy conservation, homebuyer downpayment assistance, establishment of Neighborhood Networks centers in federally assisted or insured housing, job training and placement, and recreational needs.
• Direct homeownership assistance to low- and moderate-income persons, as provided in section 105(a)(25) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.
• There is a maximum allowance for administrative cost. Up to 20 percent of the grant may be used for payments of reasonable grant administrative costs related to planning and executing the project (for example, preparation/submission of HUD reports). Detailed explanations of these costs are provided in OMB circular A-21, Cost Principles for Educational Institutions, that can be accessed at the White House website at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index.html.
• Fair housing services designed to further the civil rights objectives of the Fair Housing Act by making all persons, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and/or disability aware of the range of housing opportunities available to them.