HUD has released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Jobs Plus program, in which the Department is making available at least $22.5 million, subject to FY 24 appropriations. The NOFO is limited to HAs with eligible public housing developments (see eligibility criteria below), and the maximum award amount varies from $1.6 to $3.7 million based on the size of the targeted development. Members should know that HUD has recently lowered the unit criteria for receiving an award, and as a result, more HAs are now eligible to apply.
Interested parties may submit applications through August 21, 2023. HUD has posted a brief program description and the full NOFO; additionally, the Department’s Jobs Plus program page has additional information. Members may submit questions to jobsplus@hud.gov.
Background
Jobs Plus allows HAs to target public housing developments with intensive employment-related services. The original Jobs Plus program operated from 1998–2003 at seven public housing communities; a long-term follow-up evaluation showed that the program resulted in higher earnings for participants where the HA fully-implemented the program. Since 2014, HUD has published near-annual NOFOs for Jobs Plus subject to appropriations.
The Jobs Plus program model comprises three elements, which include:
- Employment-related services, such as job training, job search skills, and employment placement; career counseling and coaching; assistance with barriers to employment (transportation assistance, childcare, training materials); and other related services.
- A rent incentive known as the Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard.
- Community support for work, which includes activities that promote a culture of work throughout the development to all residents—not just those who are enrolled in Jobs Plus.
Eligibility
HAs that operate public housing developments (AMPs) that meet the criteria below are eligible to apply for this NOFO. Both troubled and substandard HAs are eligible to apply; the NOFO states that HUD will consult with the agencies’ local Field Office to determine if the HA can implement the grant successfully.
Eligible properties (AMPs) must meet both of the following criteria:
- There must be at least 100 households where at least one resident is non-elderly (under the age of 65) and
- At least 40 percent of non-elderly households must report no earned income in PIC
Because HUD will utilize PIC data to determine eligibility, the Jobs Plus program must target all units in the AMP, not just specific developments or buildings. HAs should not apply for AMPs that include elderly housing units or other developments that are not assisted through the public housing program. Applicants may, however, propose to combine two AMPs in their application provided the combined entity meets the eligibility criteria above.
Applicants must also submit a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with their local Workforce Development Board/American Jobs Center (WDB, formerly known as Workforce Investment Boards or WIBs). HAs may also consider partnering with other local employment services, such as community colleges, job training centers, and GED providers.
Additional eligibility considerations include:
- HAs that received a Jobs Plus award in FY 19, 20–21, or 22 are not eligible for this NOFO.
- HAs that received a Jobs Plus award in FY 14–18 are eligible to apply; however, they may not apply to target a development that previously hosted a Jobs Plus program.
- HAs that have applied for the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) areeligible to apply, provided they have not received a RAD Conversion Commitment (RCC) before the application deadline. However, if the HA receives the RCC before the grant start date, the HA will have to forfeit the Jobs Plus award. Interested parties should consult the NOFO for additional guidance on Jobs Plus and RAD.