The Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) is inviting applicants to apply for the Community Catalyst Grants-Capital Funding.
Donor Name: Department of Housing & Community Development
State: Maryland
City: Baltimore
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/12/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
Community Catalyst Grants are intended to:
- Value neighborhoods. Support community-based efforts that support residents as they take the lead in their communities’ redevelopment plans and projects.
- Promote equity and community development in long-disinvested neighborhoods. Funding emerging and established organizations in historically disinvested neighborhoods provides critical financial support to community-based initiatives that need it most.
- Be flexible. Applicants will identify their priorities for funds, whether it is increasing staff, retaining consultants, updating equipment, creating cooperative enterprises, or helping to finance a project that achieves a community identified need.
DHCD will be making up to $1.5 million available in Capital Grants for the acquisition, pre-development, development, construction, and/or renovation of (a) building(s). At least 55 percent of the total available Capital Grants will be awarded to projects in historically disinvested neighborhoods where Emerging organizations are playing a significant role in development efforts. Not more than 45 percent of the total available grant funds will be awarded to Established organizations.
CCG Capital Grants are intended to:
- Reduce blight in neighborhoods where blight removal will increase private market interest, create opportunities to attract new residents, support citywide planning initiatives, create a diversity of uses and enhance the quality of life for current residents.
- Encourage innovative energy-efficient technology.
- Support mixed-income housing.
- Stabilize housing for current homeowners that are part of planning initiatives or a middle market neighborhoods strategy.
- Strengthen the connection between health and housing.
- Provide gap financing, loan guarantees, or other financing that moves a project forward.
- Support projects that include community ownership and participatory decision making and benefit local and minority/women-owned business enterprises.
- Fund projects that will increase wealth building in disinvested communities.
Funding Information
Projects cannot exceed $4 million in Total Development Costs for the entire project. Due to limited funding, the maximum request for funds cannot exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00).
Grant Duration
All CCG Capital Grant funds must be spent within 24-months of executing a Funding Agreement with the Board of Estimates.
Eligible Uses of funds
CCG Capital Grant funds can be used to fund a variety of projects. The following examples of eligible uses of funds are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to represent a comprehensive list of activities:
- Pre-development costs including, but not limited to, studies, surveys, zoning changes and conceptual design and plans.
- Subordinate Financing.
- Carrying costs associated with a specific development initiative.
- Consultants and staff necessary to implement a specific project.
- Mixed-income housing with an emphasis on households who earn between 60-120 percent of the Area Median Income as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Renewal (HUD)
- Acquisition of non-City owned properties, stabilization or construction that is part of a larger development or revitalization initiative provided that the funded activity occurs within 18 months of executing a Funding Agreement with DHCD.
- New construction and/or substantial rehabilitation provided that the funded activity occurs within 18 months of executing a Funding Agreement with DHCD.
- Intervention strategies to address problem properties on otherwise stable blocks.
- Preservation of existing affordable housing in communities where significant investment is planned.
- Commercial tenant improvements to facilitate social distancing in commercial spaces.
- Revolving Loan or Strategic Acquisition Fund.
- Net Zero or other forms of environmentally sustainable construction.
- Rehabilitation and repair projects for homeowners to stabilize their homes.
- Projects that reduce the impact of environmental inequities.
- Bridge loans or temporary financing.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include community development corporations, umbrella organizations, neighborhood revitalization organizations, faith-based organizations, merchant associations and other organizations that have a valid 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) status or that have received a temporary determination from the IRS. Organizations that do not have a 501(c)(3) status can apply through an eligible applicant or a fiscal agent. Eligible applicants must provide proof of their business entity’s status of good standing with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) – proof can be provided as a timestamped screenshot of SDAT’s Business Entity entry for the applicant or a scanned copy of the Certificate of Status. DHCD reserves the right to require organizations with annual operating budgets of $100,000 or less, or who have been operating for 12 or fewer months to identify a fiscal agent or to partner with an eligible applicant. Applicants using a fiscal agent must include information describing their policies, procedures, and fee structure. Both the applicant and the fiscal agent must sign and return the Certification and Authorization to Submit form. In the event funds are awarded, DHCD will require an executed Memorandum of Understanding between the fiscal agent and applicant. For-profit developers may apply for a grant provided they are a co-applicant with an eligible applicant and the eligible applicant is playing a significant role in the project including equity participation and/or other comparable financial benefits.
For more information, visit DHCD.
