Transforming Government

Removing Barriers

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Established: January 29, 2001

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) works to address America’s housing needs and develop healthy communities.  HUD seeks to ensure that all Americans have access to safe and decent affordable housing, and to enable more individuals and families to realize the American dream of homeownership. The Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives at HUD seeks to expand the role of faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) in this work, both by growing funded partnerships with FBCOs and also by strengthening independent efforts to address housing needs.

As a result, FBCO participation in major HUD programs has grown substantially.  For example, the number of direct nonprofit grantees of HUD's Continuum of Care program grew by more than 30 percent from 2003 to 2006, from 1,609 to 2,096. 

FBCOs play a particularly vital role in all of HUD’s homelessness programs. In fact, virtually all awarded grants have non-profit involvement, either as the grantee, the day-to-day operator (“sponsor”), or as a key partnering agency.

HUD expects to create 4,000 units of permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless in 2008 alone.  A significant majority of these units will be brought online through FBCOs.  Since 2003, HUD has provided funding for more than 35,500 new, permanent, supportive housing beds. 

In addition to being able to receive and operate HUD homeless grants, FBCOsare vital local stakeholders in how HUD’s homeless funds are to be used within a community.  HUD requires each Continuum of Care to list both faith-based and other community nonprofits that are key stakeholders in the Continuum of Care planning and grant process.  If FBCOs are not included, the application loses key points in the competition.   As a result, each community ensures that FBCOs are actively engaged as stakeholders in addressing homelessness.

HUD’s homelessness grant programs are resulting in positive outcomes:

• At least 71.5% of persons in HUD permanent housing remain for at least 6 months.

• At least 63.5% of persons who move from transitional housing will move to permanent housing.

• At least 19% of persons who exit HUD’s homeless projects will be employed.

To strengthen the work of FBCOs engaged in meeting their community’s housing needs, HUD has trained over 40,000 individuals from faith-based and community organization across the country at over 290 Art and Science of Grant Writing training workshops since 2004

• These two-day free workshops empower nonprofit organizations with the knowledge and skills to compete for public and private grants. During these sessions, potential grantees learn about organizational development, federal and nonfederal funding sources, and key components of writing a successful grant.

• With this knowledge and technical assistance, faith-based and community organizations are able to build their capacity and identify potential funding streams to better serve those in need in their communities.

HUD has also conducted 23 Unlocking Doors Initiative forums designed to highlight and promote successful local strategies for involving faith-based and community organizations in developing affordable housing plans and promoting homeownership. 

• These forums involve a roundtable discussion with an elite group of community leaders, bringing together the Mayor’s offices and their key community and faith partners for discussions that provide networking connections and immediate results that produce affordable housing opportunities.

Based on the analysis of the best practices within the selected cities, HUD informs Mayors across the nation about effective ways to replicate these leading best practices in their cities.