Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC) is pleased to announce the start of the winter 2024 affordable housing competition for rental projects. The ongoing need for more affordable rental housing in Massachusetts was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its wide-ranging effects -- in particular, on lower-wage earners, homeless families and individuals, and frail seniors. Every region of the state has significant need for more affordable rental housing designed to serve low- and moderate-income individuals and families. With resources available through this NOFA, HLC will fund hundreds of new affordable rental units and will help preserve existing affordable units. As it makes funding decisions under this NOFA, HLC will carefully evaluate the green, sustainable, and climate resilient aspects of every application to ensure that all projects selected for awards will help further the Commonwealth’s climate objectives. The deadline for submitting applications to the winter 2024 competition will be February 15, 2024. On or before February 15, 2024, HLC will accept applications from sponsors whose projects were approved in November 2023 through HLC’s pre-application process. Only projects with November 2023 pre-application approvals will be considered during the winter 2024 competition. All applications to the winter 2024 competition must be submitted on-line using HLC’s OneStop+ web-based application. Each sponsor will be limited to no more than two project applications for available resources. Please note: Sponsors of supportive housing projects typically are expected to apply to HLC’s fall 2023 supportive housing round rather than to the February 2024 round. It is of great importance to HLC to provide housing, not shelter, as a solution to homelessness. HLC’s resources are critically important to this effort. Consistent with the goal of eliminating homelessness in Massachusetts, HLC -- through this NOFA and the winter 2024 competition -- will give priority in funding to projects that provide affordable housing for homeless families or individuals.
