The Rural Capacity Building program enhances the capacity and ability of rural housing development organizations, Community Development Corporations (CDCs), Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), local governments, and Indian tribes (eligible beneficiaries) to carry out affordable housing and community development activities in rural areas for the benefit of low- and moderate-income families and persons. The Rural Capacity Building program achieves this by funding National Organizations with expertise in rural housing and rural community development who work directly to build the capacity of eligible beneficiaries.
RCB program funds are limited to capacity building activities that strengthen the organizational infrastructure, management, and governance capabilities of eligible beneficiaries serving rural areas. Through these activities, eligible beneficiaries increase their capacity to carry out community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low-income or low- and moderate-income families and persons in rural areas:
- Training, education, support, and advice to eligible beneficiaries to increase their capacity to carry out community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low-income or low- and moderate-income families and persons in rural areas. Support and advice includes types of technical assistance including but limited to conferences, toolkits, training materials and direct consultation. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, building the capacity of eligible beneficiaries to:
- Conduct an organizational assessment;
- Engage in strategic planning and Board development;
- Access and implement technological improvements;
- Engage with rural community stakeholders;
- Evaluate performance of current and planned rural community efforts;
- Plan for the use of available rural resources in a comprehensive and holistic manner;
- Participate in HUD planning efforts to ensure rural participation and the assessment of rural area needs; and
- Foster regional planning efforts by connecting local, rural community plans with neighboring communities.
2. Financial Assistance including pass-through grants, loans, or other financial assistance to eligible beneficiaries to increase their capacity to carry out community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low-income or low- and moderate-income families and persons in rural areas.
3. Such other activities as may be determined by the grantees in consultation with the Secretary or his or her designee.
Eligible Beneficiaries are limited to: A local organization, serving a rural area(s), of one of the following types: rural housing development organization, Community Development Corporation (CDC), Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), Local government, and/or Indian tribe.
Activities undertaken as part of, or as a result of, capacity building efforts described in this section should support the implementation of other HUD programs in rural areas, including, but not limited to:
- Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG),
- Indian Housing Block Grant,
- Indian Community Development Block Grant,
- HOME Investment Partnerships,
- Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA),
- Public Housing programs,
- Choice Neighborhoods,
- Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG), and the
- Continuum of Care program
Through RCB program activities, grantees are encouraged to align with and support projects that create opportunities for investments focused on job growth, economic recovery, and neighborhood revitalization. Additionally, 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 jurisdiction.
Approximately $10,000,000 was available in FY2020.