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Local homelessness council readies for HUD NOFO after federal office signals May 29 release
Summary
Council staff and the Performance Evaluation Committee warned members to prepare for a tentatively scheduled HUD Notice of Funding Opportunity on May 29 and reviewed contingency planning, performance rankings, and potential impacts if federal priorities shift away from permanent housing.
The Homeless Services Planning Council on Friday was briefed on an unusually early heads-up from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that it expects to release its next Notice of Funding Opportunity on May 29, council staff said.
Raquel, relaying the Performance Evaluation Committee report, told the body HUD has provided a tentative drop date and that Congress has mandated at least 60% of funding be renewal dollars for the upcoming NOFO. "They plan to actually drop it on May 29th," she said, adding that the requirement for at least 60% renewal funds is a congressional mandate and a change from prior cycles.
Why it matters: the committee said some local programs rely heavily on HUD renewal awards; a lower share of renewal funds or a cap on permanent-housing projects could put established projects and staff at risk. Raquel walked members through a packet that compares fiscal 2024–2025 awards, ranks projects by prior PEC scoring and identifies lower-performing projects that might be at risk of reallocation. She also noted the PEC will host interest sessions and maintain regular updates for the council during the NOFO season.
The PEC highlighted that in a prior NOFO litigation cycle HUD had broadly changed program priorities and capped certain permanent housing categories. "Last time a lot of the conversation was, 'If about 80% of our programs are permanent housing programs and the federal government is capping it at 30%, what's left?'" Raquel said, summarizing discussions by the committee.
Council members pressed staff on steps to influence federal partners and to prepare the city budget if federal awards shift. Councilmember Evans asked whether the council or mayor's office had engaged congressional representatives; Raquel said the mayor's office is coordinating with a DC firm and would relay updates to the council. Members also asked for transparency on which specific projects have low performance (materials show projects 14–18 as lower-ranked in the last cycle).
The committee flagged two immediate scheduling items: HUD's tentative application closing date in the packet is Aug. 26 (providing roughly three months for applications if the May 29 drop stands), and PEC plans to hold interest sessions and repeated briefings to coordinate local scoring, potential reallocations and agency capacity discussions. Raquel urged the council to expect ongoing NOFO-related agenda time over the next three months.
The council did not take a formal vote on NOFO policy at the meeting; it tasked the Performance Evaluation Committee and staff with ongoing coordination and outreach.
