2021 NOFO Resource Series

September 2, 2021  |  Publications

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) 2021 Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Continuum of Care program presents vitally important opportunity for homelessness response systems across the country. Not only is it a chance to secure needed funds for the government’s largest homeless program, but it also provides an important opportunity to review system and program performance, and to make changes that can create more effective systems.

The following resources are intended to help clarify what’s new in this year’s CoC Program NOFO, and provide guidance on the opportunities to complete a competitive application.

Seizing the Opportunities in the 2021 NOFO

Webinar recorded on September 9, 2021

Reading Materials to Get Started

What’s New in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

This NOFO (not a typo: the name has been changed from “Notice of Funding Availability” to “Notice of Funding Opportunity”) includes enough money to fund all existing programs, or, if the community chooses, to reallocate some of the money to better programs.

Taking Stock of Your System: 2021 Notice of Funding Opportunity

Knowing where you want to end makes getting started easier. We know where we want to be: ending homelessness for as many people as possible. The NOFO should be your guide on how to get there.

2021 NOFO: What Is HUD Looking For?

How can you advance your system through the NOFO process to adhere to your own goals, and make progress toward achieving HUD’s vision identifiable through the outlined priority areas? Think about where these investments are critically needed in your community.

Unsheltered Homelessness and the NOFO

People living unsheltered are confronted with unimaginable challenges every day and deploying effective programs to meet their diverse needs takes unwavering commitment and unyielding creativity.

The NOFO is Correct: Now is the Time to Make the Connection Between Housing and Behavioral Health

A coordinated and integrated approach with multiple service resources, including behavioral health supports, is an effective way to improve outcomes for vulnerable, unhoused people.

Serving Survivors: Using Domestic and Sexual Violence Bonus Funds and Other Resources Strategically

Projects stemming from Domestic Violence Bonus funds should advance your locality’s work to end homelessness for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

Making Lived Experience Count in Your NOFO Application

Knowing that there is a disproportionate representation of black people and people of color experiencing or at greater risk of facing homelessness, the best way to remedy this crisis is to meaningfully include the experts who have successfully navigated homelessness.

Racial Equity Materials

Analyzing Racial Disparities in the Homelessness System: We Need to Get Moving. The NOFO Tells Us How

Homelessness programs and systems have a significant and direct responsibility to ensure that they are not adding to the problem by having a disparate impact on people based on their race or ethnicity.

The 2021 NOFO once again incentivizes CoC’s to strengthen their systems by advancing racial equity and addressing racial disparities in homelessness. The Alliance has compiled several resources to help you align your organization with best practices in the field.

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