Purpose:
Through funding of national organizations with expertise in rural housing and community development, the Rural Capacity Building (RCB) program enhances the capacity and ability of rural housing development organizations, Community Development Corporations (CDCs), Community Housing Development

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Organizations (CHDOs), local governments, and Indian tribes to carry out community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low- and moderate-income families and persons in rural areas.

a.

Eligible Program Activities.

Funds may be used to provide the following services:
Training, education, support, and advice to enhance the technical and administrative capabilities of rural housing development organizations, CDCs, CHDOs, local governments, and Indian tribes, including the capacity to participate in consolidated planning, as well as in fair housing planning and Continuum of Care homeless assistance efforts that help ensure community-wide participation in assessing area needs; consulting broadly within the community; cooperatively planning for the use of available resources in a comprehensive and holistic manner; and assisting in evaluating performance under these community efforts and in linking plans with neighboring communities in order to foster regional planning; Loans, pass-through grants or other financial assistance to rural housing organizations, CDCs, CHDOs, local governments, and Indian tribes to carry-out community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low-income or low- and moderate-income families and persons by building the capacity of those eligible beneficiaries to serve rural communities over time.

Such other activities as may be determined by the grantees in consultation with the Secretary or his or her designee.

Program Priorities.

Activities undertaken as part of, or as a result of, capacity building efforts described in this section shall support the implementation of other HUD programs in rural areas, including, but not limited to, the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA), Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG), and the Continuum of Care program, in addition to issues related to sustainability and comprehensive neighborhood revitalization activities.

Through the eligible activities of this NOFA, grantees are encouraged to build the capacity of entities in rural areas that lack designated rural housing development organizations, CDCs or CHDOs and to ensure that those entities gain new access or expand existing access to federal funding.

Grantees are encouraged to align with and support projects that create opportunities for transformative revitalization and investments focused on job growth, economic recovery, and neighborhood revitalization.

Grantees are encouraged to consider how eligible beneficiaries may align investments with regional planning for sustainable economic development if such efforts are underway in a given jurisdiction.