PRO Housing Grant: What You Need to Know

The lack of affordable housing has become an escalating concern for communities nationwide. In response, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has introduced the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) grant.

What is the PRO Housing Grant?

The PRO Housing grant is a congressionally supported initiative to support communities actively taking steps to remove barriers that impede the creation and preservation of affordable housing options.

Through this initiative, HUD will make $85 million in competitive grant funding available.

Who is Eligible for the PRO Housing Grant?

Eligible applicants for the PRO Housing grant include local and state governments, Metropolitan Planning Organizations and multijurisdictional entities.

Eligible usage of funding includes proposals to:

• Streamline and modernize local permit processing, such as enabling one-stop or parallel-process permitting
• Leverage building codes to facilitate more affordable housing or otherwise reduce construction costs, including adopting or modifying model codes and standards (e.g., the adoption of the ICC/MBI standards to facilitate off-site construction or the International Existing Building Code® to ease reuse and repurposing of existing infrastructure)
• Address zoning and land use controls that limit housing development (e.g., by adopting the International Zoning Code®)  
• Harmonize land-use policies or building codes among adjoining municipalities and facilitate consistent regional development standards that streamline housing development

How to Apply for the PRO Housing Grant

The application process begins with a preview period where interested parties can access the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and application package materials on the HUD website.

Applicants are encouraged to review the requirements and assemble their applications promptly to allow for community input.

PRO Housing Grant: Important Dates

The deadline for submitting PRO Housing grant applications is October 30, 2023, at 11:59 pm ET on Grants.gov.

The preview of the NOFO is currently available on the HUD website, offering applicants a chance to review the document and seek clarification by submitting questions to CDBG-PROHousing@HUD.gov.

While the NOFO preview is subject to change, HUD intends to publish the final version on grants.gov in September 2023, allowing applicants to submit their proposals.

PRO Housing Grant Assistance and Resources

If you need help understanding how to prepare for the federal grant application process or assistance writing your grant, please contact Stella Carr at energygrants@iccsafe.org.  

To learn more about additional federal grant opportunities and how the Code Council can assist, click here.