The City of Austin has announced new Displacement Prevention initiatives that aim to assist households vulnerable to displacement due to increasing housing costs.
Managed by the Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) and funded by the City’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF), the initiatives take a multi-faceted approach with programs that support individuals and provide opportunities for community groups to receive support for efforts that directly address the issues of gentrification and displacement.
The first initiative in the Displacement Prevention Portfolio to be rolled out in 2020 is a solicitation for $750,000 over three years for Tenant Stabilization Services that invites non-profit organizations to help tenants with housing stability services, such as rental assistance and eviction prevention support.
In the coming months, more Displacement Prevention initiatives that support individuals will be announced, including an online search tool for income-restricted housing, a public education campaign for homeowners dealing with aggressive house flippers, a pilot Preference Policy program to help families return to former neighborhoods, and a geographically-focused home repair initiative for households at risk of displacement.
The displacement prevention initiatives that support the community began in November 2019 with the Displacement Mitigation Accelerator Grant Competition spearheaded by the City’s Innovation Office which provided $100,000 to community-based organizations that offered innovative solutions to prevent displacement. Funding totaling $300,000 will also be awarded in the coming weeks to community development organizations that applied for the Capacity Building Grants that were announced in December 2019.
Initiatives in the Displacement Prevention Portfolio will evolve to be responsive to continued community feedback and ongoing program evaluation, which will measure effectiveness of preventing households from being displaced from neighborhoods experiencing various stages of gentrification in accordance with the Austin Strategic Direction 2023.
Tenant Stabilization Program Applicant Eligibility
To be considered eligible for the Tenant Stabilization Services funding, applicants must:
1. Apply in partnership (two or more organizations applying together),
2. Be non-profit organizations with a 501(c)3 status,
For the COMPLETE LIST of program eligibility and requirements, please review the Notice of Funding Available and Application.
AHFC reserves the right to waive any minor informality in any application or solicitation procedure (a minor informality being one that does not affect the competitiveness of the application). AHFC will score, rank applications and fund the highest-ranking non-profit partnership(s).
Successful applicants will be responsible for the marketing of available services, administration of funds, provision of services reporting, and approval of income-eligible tenants. Service activities will be monitored and approved by AHFC.
Tenant Stabilization Program Application Process
A full Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) describing the application process, and the complete Application, are available on the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development website. NOFA packets may also be obtained between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM, Monday through Friday, at the AHFC office at 1000 East 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Austin, TX 78702.
Applications received will be reviewed and scored on a competitive basis. To be considered, applications must be complete, contain all the required documentation and meet the criteria as stated in the NOFA and Application (including scoring criteria).
A non-mandatory pre-submittal meeting will be held at 1:30 PM on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at the AHFC offices, 1000 East 11th Street, Suite 400A.
Sealed applications are due prior to 3:00 PM Tuesday, April 21, 2020 to the AHFC offices, 1000 East 11th Street, Suite 200. Applicants shall submit one (1) original signed application and five (5) copies of the application with all supporting documents.
Questions may be directed to Alan Fish at 512-974-3188 or by e-mail at alan.fish@austintexas.gov