Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Grant Program
The Resident Opportunity & Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinator (ROSS-SC) grant program is designed to assist residents of Public and Indian Housing make progress towards economic and housing self-sufficiency by removing the educational, professional and health barriers they face.
Self-sufficiency is defined as a household’s ability to maintain financial, housing, and personal/family stability. To achieve self-sufficiency, individuals in a household move along a continuum towards economic independence and stability; such movement is facilitated by the achievement of educational, professional, and health/mental health and financial empowerment-related goals. For the ROSS program, self-sufficiency is further defined as a resident’s ability to progress along the self-sufficiency continuum through training and the utilization of supportive services. In the case of elderly/disabled residents, self-sufficiency is defined as the utilization of supportive services which enable them to better age in place or remain living independently for as long as possible.
To help residents make progress towards self-sufficiency, HUD provides ROSS-SC grant funding to eligible applicants to hire a Service Coordinator who assesses the needs of Public and Indian housing residents and links them to training and supportive services that will enable participants to move along the self-sufficiency continuum. In the case of elderly/disabled residents, the Service Coordinator links them to supportive services which enable them to age/remain in place.
This place-based program targets the entire resident community within the project(s) to be served and aims to address the areas of need at both the community and individual level. The ROSS-SC must work with residents, PHA staff, local partners, and other stakeholders to develop local strategies to address the needs of residents and remove barriers so that residents make progress towards achieving economic and housing self-sufficiency.
ROSS-SC funds may only be used for the coordinator's salary and fringe benefits; travel and training expenses; and administrative costs. The ROSS-SC program is a cost-reimbursable grant meaning that costs are reimbursed by HUD after they are incurred.
Funding of approximately $35,000,000 is available through this NOFA. HUD expects to make approximately 120 awards from the funds available under this NOFA.
The NOFO has been modified as following:
Add the “as of September 30, 2020” in each of the sentences/sections identified below:
- Under paragraph p, in section discussing changes from prior NOFA (p. 7), can you add:
Under this NOFA, applicants must base their request for ROSS-SCs on the number of occupied ACC/NAHASDA-assisted units as of September 30, 2020 only in the properties the applicant intends to serve.
- Under II.C. Minimum/Maximum Award Information (p. 15)
Per the chart below, you must base your request for positions on the number of occupied ACC/NAHASDA-assisted units as of September 30, 2020 in the developments that you are proposing to serve by the ROSS-SC.
- Under III.F.4 Maximum Number of ROSS-SCs per application (p. 25)
- Applicants must base the request for ROSS-SCs on the number of occupied ACC/NAHASDA-assisted units as of September 30, 2020 in the project(s) the applicant intends to serve.
Under RF 2 for renewal applicants we add this bullet at the end (p. 46):
- “How the staffing at your agency, including your organization’s leadership, will support the ROSS program.” (This was in last year’s NOFA and was inadvertently taken it out, it is included in the RF for new applicants).
Under VI.A.1. Award Announcements (p. 51) This sentence has been added: “Once HUD issues the Notice of Award in Grant Solutions, grantees will have up to 30 days to accept their award. If grantees fail to do so, they may risk forfeiting their award.”
Preference Points: This NOFA is offering preference points for Opportunity Zones (OZ).
Funding Opportunity Number: FR-6400-N-05
Funding Opportunity Title: Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS)
Competition ID: FR-6400-N-05
CFDA No: 14.870
OMB Approval Numbers: 2577-0229
Opening Date: August 18, 2020
Deadline Date: November 19, 2020
Sample Needs Assessment (Appendix B)
FY17 ROSS Previously Awarded List
Agency Contact: Questions regarding specific program requirements for this NOFO should be directed to ROSS-PIH@hud.gov . Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number via TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339. Please note that HUD staff cannot assist applicants in preparing their applications.