FY 2021 Healthy Homes and Weatherization Cooperation Demonstration

HUD through this NOFO is interested in supporting demonstrations in up to 5 communities that provide housing interventions in lower-income households that are conducted jointly through the coordination of HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH)-funded Lead Hazard Reduction Healthy Homes programs (LHR/HH) and programs funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) to determine whether this coordinated delivery of services achieves cost-effectiveness and better outcomes in improving the safety and energy efficiency of homes.  The coordinated assessments and interventions are expected to provide additional benefits to households through the combined mitigation of health and safety hazards and improvements in energy efficiency and comfort.  These grants are intended to facilitate the leveraging of assets from both programs and support the exploration of different models of service delivery (e.g., recruitment strategies, partnerships).  HUD-funded programs identify and mitigate lead-based paint and other key residential health and safety hazards such as mold and moisture, pest infestation, poor indoor air quality, radon, and injury hazards. The DOE-funded programs conduct energy audits and implement energy conservation measures, while also conducting interventions to improve health and safety (e.g., improved ventilation, installing carbon monoxide and smoke detectors).

a. Goals and Objectives
The following are the major goals and objectives of this NOFO:
(1). Demonstrate effective strategies for coordination between Homes (LHR/HH) and Weatherization programs that maximize program efficiencies and benefits to occupants.
(2). Reduce Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) deferrals through coordination with LHR/HH programs.
(3). Demonstrate sustainable models of inter-program cooperation, including data sharing, reporting, and targeting/recruiting clients.
(4). Demonstrate effective models for the sustainable financing of coordinated healthy homes/weatherization interventions.
(5). Support the collection of data to evaluate the housing interventions conducted through inter-program coordination (e.g., program cost efficiencies that can be achieved, improvements in indoor environmental quality, improved health outcomes, additional safety benefits to households).

b. Additional Program Information

HUD’s OLHCHH is making available grant funds to up to 5 communities that are served by both a HUD-funded LHR/HH program and a DOE-funded WAP to demonstrate the potential advantages of the coordination of home intervention services.  The two programs are natural allies in that while having distinctly different missions, they both target low-income housing for the purpose of improving both housing quality and the safety and/or comfort of occupants.  Leveraging the assets and staff expertise of each program is expected to significantly increase the benefits to the occupants of target homes.

c. HUD  Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Programs with the Healthy Homes Supplement:
Since 1993, HUD’s OLHCHH has awarded grants to state and local government agencies to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately owned rental or owner-occupied housing.  The grants target lower-income households living in pre-1978 housing, with a focus on protecting young children (less than age 6) from lead exposure.  Starting in 2012, HUD has also made available “Healthy Homes Supplement” funds to Lead Hazard Control Program applicants to identify and mitigate non-lead health and safety hazards (e.g., mold, pests, carbon monoxide, radon, injury, and other hazards).

HUD currently offers three categories of lead hazard control grants: Lead Hazard Reduction grants (open to the largest range of applicants); Highest Lead-Based Paint Abatement Needs grants (for jurisdictions with at least 3,500 pre-1940 occupied rental housing units); and High Impact Neighborhoods grants (targets efforts in areas of no more than four contiguous census tracts that contain high concentrations of both pre-1940 housing and low-income families, and for which the prevalence of elevated BLLs are significantly higher than the state average. The High Impact Neighborhoods grant category is not being offered in FY 2021). These LHR/HH grant categories include optional Healthy Homes Supplement funding that can only be used in housing units targeted for lead hazard control interventions.

Income eligibility for housing units under HUD’s Lead Hazard Control Program differs for rental and owner-occupied housing.  For rental housing, at least 50% of the units must be occupied by or made available to families with incomes at or below 50% of the area median income (AMI), and the remaining units must be occupied or made available to families with incomes at or below 80% AMI, and in all cases, the landlord must give priority in renting assisted units, for not less than 3 years following the completion of lead abatement activities, to families with a child under the age of six years. Multifamily rental properties (properties with 5 or more units) may have 20% of the units occupied by families with incomes above 80% of AMI.

Funding of approximately $5,000,000 is available through this NOFO.   HUD expects to make approximately 5 awards from the funds available under this NOFA. 

Preference Points: This NOFO offers 2 points for either Opportunity Zones or Promise Zones.

Program Office: Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes

Funding Opportunity Title: Healthy Homes and Weatherization Cooperation Demonstration NOFO

Assistance Listing  Number: 14.901

FAIN (FR) Number:  6500-N-62

OMB Approval Numbers: 2539-0015

Estimated Opening Date: June 14, 2021

Estimated Deadline Date:  August 17, 2021

Program NOFO

FONSI