Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program

The HOME program is a federal block grant program directed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is designed to create affordable housing for low-income households. The Montana Department of Commerce (MDOC) is responsible for the administration of HOME within the state of Montana. The MDOC provides HOME funding to community housing development organizations and units of local government throughout the state, with the exception of Billings, Great Falls and Missoula, which receive HOME fund allocations directly from HUD. An individual may not apply directly to the state HOME program.

The purposes of the Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program include expanding the supply of affordable housing, for low- and very low-income persons, improving the means of state and local governments to implement strategies to achieve adequate supplies of decent, affordable housing and providing both financial and technical assistance to participants to develop model programs for affordable, low-income housing.

HOME provides grant funds through noncompetitive and competitive processes, depending on the type of project, to qualified local governments, public housing authorities (PHAs) and community housing development organizations (CHDOs) to assist financing new construction and rehabilitation of homes and rental units, tenant based rental assistance (TBRA), and other eligible activities.

HOME grants are awarded once each year through a competitive application process to construct, acquire and/or rehabilitate rental housing, provide TBRA, or develop new housing for homeownership (including self-help programs). Successful grant applicants have included cities, towns, counties, public housing authorities, and community housing development organizations. (HOME Program Application Guidelines)

New in 2006, organizations prequalified by the Montana HOME program can access funds for homebuyer assistance and homeowner rehabilitation on a noncompetitive basis. (HOME Progam Single-Family Allocation Pilot Project)

For more information and assistance call the HOME Program at 406.841.2820.

PURPOSES AND GOALS

The HOME Program's purposes and goals are to:

--Expand the supply of decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing for very low-income and low-income Montanans;
--Mobilize and strengthen the abilities of units of local governments, public housing authorities (PHAs) and community housing development organizations (CHDOs) to implement strategies for achieving an adequate supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing; and
--Provide participating entities, on a coordinated basis, with various forms of federal housing assistance.

Montana Department of Commerce (MDOC) will focus on the following purposes and goals:

--Assist in preserving existing or constructing decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing in areas of greatest demonstrated need in the community and in the state of Montana, ensuring geographic distribution, both urban and rural, where and when possible, taking into consideration the historical information of the property and area, the current housing market, and the prospects for future demand.
-- In areas where greatest need is identified, give preference to those projects which provide the greatest number of qualified affordable units relative to the HOME funds allocated, while giving consideration to serving the lowest income Montanans, and where appropriate, providing mixed income housing.
--Make such units are affordable to households for the applicable period of affordability. Allocate only the minimum amount of HOME funds that MDOC determines to be necessary for the financial feasibility of the project and its viability as a qualified affordable housing project throughout the period of affordability.
--Assist in providing housing to meet the needs and priorities outlined in the state Consolidated Plan and its corresponding Annual Action Plan.
--Provide opportunities for local governments, PHAs and CHDOs to access the HOME Program on behalf of low- and very low-income residents.
--Encourage innovative approaches in planning, design, construction, energy efficiency and financing that are cost effective in providing affordable housing.
--Give preference to those applications that show a greater degree of readiness to proceed with the development.
--Allow applicants the ability to self-monitor their capabilities, based on geographic area, population, need and capacity.
--Maximize the investment of private capital to leverage HOME funds and use existing agencies and private sector mortgage financial institution resources, while retaining the affordability of housing with local and private investment.

In accordance with these stated purposes and goals, MDOC will not process any application that is not consistent with the purposes and goals of the HOME Program Application Guidelines and the state's Consolidated Plan.

MDOC will consider the capacity of the grantee, its management team, and the availability of contractors and subcontractors in assessing the viability of each proposed project.