The Federal government has many programs to assist in purchasing a home, preventing foreclosure, repairing homes affected by natural disasters, building prosperous communities and more.

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
  The Community Development Block Grant Program is a federal program that provides funding for housing and community development. The primary objective is to develop viable communities, provide decent housing and a suitable living environment, and to expand economic opportunities, principally for persons of low and moderate income.  Total allocation of (CDBG) funds can be reviewed in the 2010-2011 Broward Housing Council Annual Report, click here. 
  
  

• Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program(formerly Emergency Shelter Grants)
  The ESG Program is designed as the first step in Continuum of Care and provides homeless persons with basic shelter and essential supportive services.Total allocation of (ESG) funds can be reviewed in the 2010-2011 Broward Housing Council Annual Report, click here. 

• HOME: Home Investment Partnerships Program
  HOME is a federal program dedicated to affordable housing for low-income persons. HOME funds projects in rehabilitation, acquisition, new construction, home-buyer assistance and rental assistance. Total allocation of (HOME) funds can be reviewed in the 2010-2011 Broward Housing Council Annual Report, click here. 
  
  The HOME rule published on December 16, 2011 proposed to make the following changes to the existing HOME regulations: HOME Proposed Rule Summary of Changes.   A PowerPoint presentation of the rules set forth through 2012 appropriation bill for the HOME Program 2012 cycle is available by clicking here.
  

• Homeless Assistance
  If you are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, or know someone that is homeless, help is available. HUD, along with many other Federal agencies, funds programs to help persons who are homeless.

• Public Housing
  Public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single family houses to high rise apartments for elderly families. There are approximately 1.2 million households nationwide living in public housing units, managed by some 3,300 Housing Authorities. Households seeking public housing must apply for housing in the communities in which they are interested in living.
  

• Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program
  This is the federal government's major program for assisting very low-income families, elderly and disabled individuals to afford housing on the private market through various voucher options. HUD administers Section 8 funds to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) that deliver the vouchers to eligible families and individuals. The PHA directly pays the rental subsidy to the landlord and the residents pay the remaining difference. Information about the Housing Choice Vouchers Program, including eligibility requirements for both tenants and landlords’ residences, can be found from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• Section 8 Tenant-Based Housing Choice Voucher Program
  Tenant-based vouchers increase affordable housing choices for very low-income families ( i.e families with income below 50% of area median income). Families with a tenant-based voucher choose and lease safe, decent, and affordable privately owned rental housing that meets HUD's Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and has a reasonable rent as compared to other units in the area.

• Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program
  HUD provides funding to nonprofit organizations to develop rental housing with the availability of supportive services for very low-income adults with disabilities. The Section 811 program allows persons with disabilities to live in the community by increasing rental housing with supportive services available. HUD also provides project rental assistance; this covers the difference between the HUD-approved operating cost of the project and the amount the residents pay, usually 30 percent of adjusted income.

• Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program
  HUD provides capital advances to finance the construction, rehabilitation or acquisition with or without rehabilitation of structures that will serve as supportive housing for very low-income elderly persons, and provides rent subsidies for the affordable projects. The program expands affordable housing with supportive services for the elderly. The Section 202 program provides very low-income elderly with different options and supports activities such as: cleaning, cooking and transportation. Occupancy in Section 202 housing is for any very low-income household, consisting of, at least one person who is at least 62 years old at the time of initial occupancy.

• Shelter Plus Care (S+C)
  The Shelter Plus Care (S+C) Program provides rental assistance in connection with supportive services. The program provides a variety of permanent housing choices, accompanied by a range of supportive services funded through other sources.

• Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP1, NSP3)
  The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) provides targeted assistance to states and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties. Broward County Housing is the grantee for 18 cities in the amount of $17,767,589 under NSP1. Twelve of the largest municipalities in the County received their own allocation under NSP totaling approximately $52,771,285. The primary objective of this HUD Program is the development of stable urban communities characterized by the provision of decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expanding economic opportunities for individuals/households having low, moderate and middle incomes (120% of area median income and below). NSP accomplishes this by identifying areas of greatest need and providing grant funding for the following eligible uses: Financing mechanisms for purchase and rehabilitation of foreclosed homes; Purchase and rehabilitation of foreclosed or abandoned homes; Land banks for foreclosed homes; Demolition of blighted structures; Redevelopment of demolished or vacant properties.
  
  For Broward County the areas of greatest need are identified within eligible census tracks and block groups that can best demonstrate an impact and leverage these funds to the greatest extent possible. For a breakdown of the specific activities being undertaken by Broward County see the Broward County NSP1 Action Plan and NSP3 Grant Plan.
  
  If you would like to find out more about the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the states that offer funds to purchase homes, view HUDs NSP State and Local Action Plan. 
  
  
• Disaster Recovery Initiative (DRI)
  The Disaster Recovery Initiative (DRI) provides assistance to households following a natural disaster as declared by the President of the United States or Governor of the State of Florida.  DRI funds may be used for items such as, but not limited to: purchase of emergency supplies, to weatherproof damaged homes, interim repairs, payment of insurance deductible, security deposit, rental assistance, and other activities approved by Florida Housing.

CDBG-R Program Status Update
As of November 28, 2011, 83.12% of CDBG-R funds have been drawn down nationally. (In comparison, the drawdown rate one year ago was 53.90 %.) The median drawdown rate is 99.60%. Over $814 million of the $980 million has been drawn down.

• On a regional basis, the average drawdown rate is now over 77% among grantees in all HUD regions; regions I, II and X are over 90%.
  
• 551 grantees (out of 1167) are 100% drawn down. The State of Mississippi remains the largest 100% drawn grant. 111 more grantees are over 98% drawn.
  
• Only 65 of 1167 grantees (less than 6%) are below 50% drawn; these grants account for $48 million of the $142 million not yet drawn for the whole program. 16 of these are million-dollar-plus grants; see the table below for a listing.  Detroit remains the largest grant still under 50% drawn. All states are now over 50% drawn down.
  
• Seven grantees have drawn down less than 10% of their funds.  (See table below for a listing.)  (Greeley, CO has jumped from 2% to 80% drawn.)  New Orleans is the only million-dollar-plus grant still under 10% drawn.
  
• All but $21.8 million of funds have been funded to specific activities in IDIS.  Three grantees have still funded less than 25% of their funds to specific activities in IDIS: Downey, CA; Macomb County, MI; New Orleans, LA.

Expenditure Rates By Type of Grantee (as of 11/26/11)

Type of Grantee	Number of Grantees	Cumulative Drawdown Percentage	Number of Grantees with $0 Drawn	Number of Grantees less than 50%Drawn
Metropolitan Cities	936	80.57%	2	52
Urban Counties	174	81.26%	0	13
States	50	88.71%	0	0
Insular Areas	4	79.54%	0	0
Hawaii Nonentitled Counties	3	95.48%	0	0

        
             

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