Neighborhood Stabilization Program-Funding Resource for Continuums of Care

In early October HUD annouced $3.92 billion in community allocations for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Foundations that are involved with their communities efforts to end homelessness are encouraged to pass the following information on to local developers and homeless service organizations.

According to HUD, their community based allocations for the NSP are worth taking advantage of:

"Because most communities' special needs housing resources are tied up in renewals of existing projects, NSP offers an unparalleled opportunity to fund new projects. For NSP grantees, funding special needs housing projects that provide permanent supportive housing will help them meet the 25/50 targeting requirement. There are many possible models that communities could use. For example, an NSP grantee could acquire and rehabilitate a single-family or multi- family home and 'dispose' the property to a nonprofit. Alternately, vacant property could be redeveloped into permanent supportive housing units for persons with special needs."

25% of the funding must be used to house persons at or below 50% of the area median income (AMI). Projects are encouraged to include individuals and families who are homeless, those living with HIV/AIDS and low income veterans. Community plans (submitted in the form of an amendment to the local Community Development Block Grant Action Plan) are due to HUD on December 1 - therefore it is important to get involved quickly.

HUD will provide additional information via the NSP website as it becomes available.

Housing is the Key

Promote housing-based solutions, with access to appropriate services, that are integrated in to our communities as the primary investment for ending homelessness.

Examples of Housing Solutions:

Logan Place - Portland, Maine - serving chronically homeless individuals

1811 Eastlake - Seattle, Washington - serving chronically homeless alcoholics

Solid Ground Supportive Housing Program - Chicago, Illinois - serving homeless youth

Legion Woods - New Haven, Connecticut - serving homeless veterans and chronically homeless individuals

Examples of Housing Developers Who Are Part of the Solution

Avesta Housing - Portland, Maine

East Liberty Development - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation - Boston, Massachusetts

Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation - San Francisco, California

Questions for Discussion:

Do you have other examples of housing solutions that are working in your community?

What are your thoughts on what works to integrate affordable housing into a community?

Recruit partners and make deals

Initiate and engage in collaboration and strategic partnerships among funders, local policy makers, business leaders, and government, as well as advocacy, housing, and service providers.

Do you have an example of an effective collaboration that you've been part of that has resulted in a reduction of homelessness in your community?

In what ways have you engaged in collaboration with the communities that you fund?

Think Upstream

Support effective prevention programs and strategies, such as effective discharge planning, employment training, substance abuse counseling, and family reunification efforts.


Examples of programs with effective prevention strategies

Victory Programs - Boston, Massachusetts

Central City Concern - Portland, Oregon

Downtown Emergency Service Center - Seattle, Washington

Housing Works - New York City, New York