Meet with us to talk about your project! 

Schedule a time to meet with the program coordinator for this grant program to talk about the scoring criteria, funding opportunities and how your project fits in. Schedule a time here.

Affordable Homeownership

Focus on affordable homeownership opportunities

LCA participating communities can apply for grants to support affordable homeownership development, including acquisition and rehabilitation.  

The Affordable Homeownership program awards grants for projects that best meet the following two priorities:

  • Racial Equity Priority: create homeownership opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and other ethnic or racial groups that own homes at disproportionately lower rates than white households in the region; and
  • Geographic Choice Priority: create affordable homeownership opportunities in parts of the region where it is most challenging to do so.

Announcements

2024 LCA Program Overview Webinar

March 6th, 2024
1:00PM-2:00PM
Learn about all Livable Communities 2024 funding opportunities in this informational session with the grants team. The webinar will cover program details and changes for 2024, applications deadlines, scoring criteria and more.
Watch the webinar here

  • Local match no longer required. Awards are limited to 50% of the eligible project gap cost. Eligible activities are availble in the Eligible Activities tab or in the Program Essentials document. 
  • Revised scoring criteria language
  • Grant term now three years instead of two

Affordable Homeownership applications will be processed directly by the Metropolitan Council through the online platform WebGrants. To learn more about the process for application please visit our Apply to LCA page or see the Application Requirements tab below.

Match amount: None

Award limits: 50% of eligible project gap costs. Eligible activities are listed in the Eligible Activities tab or in the Program essentials document. 

Application Limits: None

Grant terms: Three years

Grant extensions: Up to two years

Excess Funding: If funding applied for or awarded through the Affordable Homeownership program is less than the funding available, the remaining funds may be made available for award through LCDA or LHIA programs.

Grant Type: Resimbursement for work completed during the grant term

$3,000,000 of funding available for 2024

Affordable Homeownership Timeline

September 3
Applications open
October 1
Applications close
December
Award decisions are made

The Affordable Homeownership program supports primarily hard costs related to the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing, including land acquisition. Homeownership grants cannot pay for work done before the grant was awarded, except for land acquisition. Acquisition can be reimbursed if the land was purchased within one year (12 months) of the award. 

Eligible Uses for Affordable Homeownership grants

  • Gap financing costs, including land acquisition
  • Property (structure) acquisition
  • Demolition
  • Site preparation (e.g., water, sewer, roads)
  • General construction/structural additions
  • Alterations and rehabilitation
  • Interior and exterior finishing
  • Roofing
  • Electrical, plumbing, and/or heating and ventilation

Ineligible Uses for Affordable Homeownership grants

  • Soft costs, or administrative overhead
  • Bonds and insurance
  • Legal fees
  • Permits
  • Travel
  • Grant/bid preparation costs
  • Cleanup/abatement costs
  • Resident services and/or operations

Project proposals that meet eligibility requirements are reviewed by a team of Metropolitan Council staff and be scored in the following three categories:

  • Program priorities
  • Equitable access
  • Affordability

The program scoring structure includes two steps:

Step 1: Scoring in step one evaluates the project location’s ability to achieve the program’s priorities of racial equity and geographic choice. A minimum score of 5 points, out of a maximum of 17, is required to move forward to Step 2. Council data is available through the Project Data Profile Tool to complete Step 1 scoring internally. The tool is based on census tract data, so you will need to have the specific project location to use the tool. 

 

Step 1: Scoring for Program Priorities

  

Racial Equity
Criteria
Points
Project is in a city with higher racial disparities in homeownership than the regional average 5
OR Project is in a census tract with higher racial disparities in homeownership than
the regional average		 3
Project is in a city with a higher share of Black, Indigenous, and other residents of color than the regional average 3
OR Project is in a census tract with a higher share of Black, Indigenous, and other residents of color than the regional average 2
Highest possible total for Racial Equity 8

Geographic Choice
Criteria
Points
Project is in a city with an average home sale price higher than what is affordable to a household earning 80% AMI 5
OR Project is in a city with an average home sale price higher than what is affordable to a household earning 60% AMI 3
Project is in a city where the share of single-family housing stock is higher than the regional average 2
Project is in a city with an affordable housing need less than 20 OR more than 50% of their need is in the 51-80% affordability level 2
Project is located in a city with a net fiscal disparity of $200 or more per household 1
Highest possible total for Geographic Choice 10
Highest possible score for both program priorities 
18
A minimum of 5 points would be required to ensure the project sufficiently addresses one or both program priorities
Step 2: Step two evaluates the individual project’s ability to achieve program goals; ensuring populations with lower homeownership rates than white residents have equitable access to the affordable homeownership opportunity that’s being funded, the proposal’s ability to meet unique local needs, and the proposal’s ability to provide deeper and/or longer affordability.
 

Step 2: Scoring for Equitable Access & Affordability

  

Equitable Access
Criteria
Points
Developer or program partner has a demonstrated record of serving Black, Indigenous, and/or other households of color in homeownership at rates equal to or greater than the city and or region’s homeownership rates for those same groups 3
Developer or program partner has current waiting list consisting of Black, Indigenous, or other households of color at levels equal or greater to the regional and/or city population 3
Project team includes a lender, realtor, or other homebuyer-facing team member that is reflective of the Black, Indigenous, or other households of color that have disparate homeownership rates in the region 2
Project will be made available to a first-generation homebuyers 2
Project addresses a need specific to the community in which the project is located, through financing marketing, design, size or other unique need 3
Project incorporates marketing efforts to affirmatively further fair housing 1
Other efforts as described by applicant that further equitable access to homeownership Up to 11
Total Possible for Equitable Access 25

Affordability
Criteria
Points
Project will be affordable to homebuyers earning less than 80% AMI 3
Project will remain affordable upon resale for more than 15 years 3
Total for Unique Needs & Affordability 6
Total Possible Points
57

After reviewing the funding availability, timeline, and eligibility sections please visit the Apply for LCA Grants page for details on how to apply for Affordable Homeownership grants. 

Required attachments:  

Is there a local match required for the Homeownership program?
No, there is no match required. Instead of a match, the awards will be capped at 50% of eligible project gap. 

If a developer can apply directly to the Affordable Homeownership prrogram, does the developer receive the grant award directly?
No. The funds will still be awarded to the government organization that is part of the project team. To make sure that the government organization supports a developer applying, the organization has to submit an Acknowledgement of Receptivity form. A sub-recipient agreement between the government partners and the development partner is highly recommended.

Who receives the grant if the project is in multiple cities or counties?
Multiple government organizations can and are encouraged to partner on applications. The team will need to decided on a single organization to receive the award. All organizations on the team should be included in the grant application.
 
Prefer a PDF document of the key program pieces?

The Program Essentials document has key dates, funding amounts, eligible activities and the scoring criteria.
Affordable Homeownership 2024 Program Essentials (PDF)

Affordable Homeownership Program Coordinator

Ashleigh Johnson (she/her)
[email protected]