Community Housing Development Organization Grants
Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO)
The City of College Station distributes no less than 15% of each year's HOME grant allocation to non-profit agencies that meet the definition of a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO). CHDO's must have, as one of their goals, the provision of affordable housing. The make-up of the CHDO's Board of Directors must meet specific HOME requirements to be eligible for funding.
If your organization is interested in becoming one of College Station's CHDOs eligible for affordable housing grants, please contact the Community Development office at (979) 764-3570.
Leveraged Housing Development Program
The Leveraged Housing Development Program is designed to provide affordable housing opportunities, economic development opportunities, job creation, and/or services provided to a limited clientele through a variety of activities that are intended to benefit low- to moderate-income residents in the City of College Station. The basic goals of the Leveraged Housing Development Program are:
- To provide affordable housing opportunities for low-income and special needs households;
- To preserve and expand the supply of decent housing available to low-income and special needs renters; and
- To create sustainable, mixed-use developments which provide both decent rental housing and jobs for low- and moderate-income persons.
An eligible development may include owner- or renter-occupied, single-family or multi-family housing units and may include the acquisition, new development, or substantial rehabilitation of housing. To qualify for new development or substantial rehabilitation assistance, multi-family developments must have a minimum of eight (8) units.
College Station may periodically publish a Request for Proposal to invite interested, qualified entities to submit a proposal for an eligible Leveraged Housing Development within the City limits. The City may also accept applications for the Program outside the RFP process.
An example of a past Leveraged Housing Development is Santour Court (completed in 2006), single-family rental homes located in a southern College Station neighborhood. For more information, please contact the Community Development office at (979) 764-3570.
Contractors
Contractors must meet or exceed the following qualifications to be considered as an approved contractor for Community Development projects:
- Must not be included in the State of Texas and/or the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) lists of "Debarred Contractors"
- Must have satisfactory banking, credit and customer references
- Must be capable of obtaining all insurance and bonding requirements of the City's Risk Management Division/Fiscal Services Department
- Must prove satisfactory construction and/or remodeling expertise; including (but not limited to) knowledge and experience in the construction industry, acceptable management of subcontractors, and the ability to interpret construction plans, specifications and technical information
- Must be capable of being directed by, and complying with, federal regulations as managed through Community Development staff
- Must have successfully completed prior Community Development federally funded or assisted construction contracts with minimal or no complications (when applicable)
City of College Station Vendor Registration
Section 3
What is Section 3? Section 3 is a provision of the HUD Act of 1968 that helps foster local economic development, neighborhood economic improvement, and individual self-sufficiency. It requires that recipients of certain federal grants, to the greatest extent feasible, provide job-training, employment, and contracting opportunities for low- or very-low income residents. 24 CFR Part 135 establishes the standards and procedure to be followed in order to ensure that the requirements of Section 3 are met.
The City of College Station is committed to ensuring that employment, training, and other economic opportunities are made available through programs carried out with funds from the federal government through the implementation of the Section 3 program. Contracts awarded for construction utilizing federal resources will, to the greatest extent feasible, require contractors to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran's or familial status, or economic status and to take affirmative action to ensure that both job applicants and existing employees are given fair and equal treatment.
The City implements this Section 3 policy through the awarding of contracts to contractors in an effort to create employment and business opportunities for the lower income residents and business concerns of the College Station-Bryan MSA.