Fairfax County is making approximately $2.5 million in supplemental Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to eligible affordable housing providers in need of financial assistance due to the unexpected loss of rental income during the Coronavirus Pandemic. The funding, coming through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was authorized as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and must be spent specifically for the prevention of, preparation for, and response to the Coronavirus and benefit low- and moderate-income households.
Providers must complete and submit an application and supporting documentation to the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development. There are anticipated to be several rounds of funding. Applications for the first round are due by 4 p.m., June 15, 2020. The first round of funding is prioritized for nonprofit providers. For-profit affordable housing providers may be included in subsequent rounds of funding.
ELIGIBILITY
Funding is limited to nonprofit affordable housing providers with active Fairfax County / Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) loans – FCRHA Blueprint, CDBG and HOME) on properties which serve households with incomes at or below 60% the Area Median Income. Grant funds will be prioritized to providers with must-pay debt service on the property. Eligible tenant households qualifying a provider for grant assistance must have:
Incomes at or below 60% AMI based on family size;
Experienced a loss of income directly related to COVID-19 which results in their inability to pay rent; and
Requested rental assistance or relief from the provider.
Ineligible tenant households are those:
with a tenant-based voucher (Section 8, HOME TBRA);
residing in project-based voucher projects, including properties converted from public housing under the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD); and
receiving other government-based or other rental assistance
PARAMETERS FOR ASSISTANCE
CDBG regulations require that:
rent assistance may only be provided for an eligible tenant for up to 3 months total;
payments will be made directly to Providers on behalf of the household;
assistance amount is based on overall COVID-19-related household needs, as determined by Providers and may retroactively cover past due rent payments incurred starting from April 1, 2020; and
CDBG-CV funds must work in alignment with other available programs and Providers must ensure CDBG-CV does not duplicate other funding sources.
Questions?: Please email Michael.Pearman@fairfaxcounty.gov with questions pertaining to funding or the application process.