link to page 1 link to page 1 
March 16, 2022
HUD Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and
Affordable Housing (RCB) Program
The Rural Capacity Building for Community Development
Grant Application Process
and Affordable Housing program (Rural Capacity Building
Application guidance for HUD’s RCB program is outlined
or RCB), administered by the U.S. Department of Housing
in the agency’s Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs),
and Urban Development (HUD) is one of several federal
which provide explanations of available grant funding,
programs that supports local housing and community
procedures, and deadlines. HUD generally releases RCB
development in rural areas. This In Focus describes the
NOFAs on an annual or bi-annual basis.
RCB program’s structure and provides an overview of
program funding.
HUD rates applications that meet the threshold
requirements on a 100-point scale. HUD assesses eligible
Program Structure and Administration
applications based on five core factors. As an example,
HUD awards RCB grants on a competitive basis to rural
Table 1 provides an overview of the core rating factors and
community development intermediary organizations
maximum point values outlined in the FY2019/FY2020
(primary grantees). The primary grantees then use the RCB
RCB NOFA. HUD will only consider applications from
funding over a four-year period to provide technical support
entities that meet the following requirements:
and financial assistance to rural community development
organizations, local governments, and tribal entities for
1. qualify as a national non-profit
capacity-building activities.
organization;
2. have no outstanding or insufficiently
Eligible Primary Grantees
resolved civil rights issues; and
HUD restricts primary grantee eligibility to certain
3. submit RCB applications in a timely
nonprofit intermediary organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-
manner, in accordance with the stated
exempt status. Eligible organizations must apply
deadline.
independently, rather than as a consortium. HUD requires
that organizations have a demonstrated record of
Table 1. RCB Application Core Rating Factors
accomplishment in relevant activities, within the previous
FY2019/FY2020
decade. Additionally, these organizations must serve in at
least seven of HUD’s ten regions. Figure 1 provides a map
Core Rating Factor
Maximum Points
produced by HUD, which illustrates the designated regions.
Soundness of Approach
37
Figure 1. HUD’s Regions
Capacity of Applicant and
32
Relevant Organizational
Experience
Achieving Results and
13
Program Evaluation
Need/Extent of the Problem
12
Leveraging Resources
6
Total Points
100
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
FY2019-FY2020 Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and
Affordable Housing Grants (RCB), https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/SPM/
documents/FY2019-FY%202020RuralCapacityBuilding_RCB.pdf.
Notes: Core rating factors and maximum point amounts may vary
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
across RCB NOFAs. This table provides an example of guidance from
HUD’s Regions, https://www.hud.gov/localoffices/regions.
the FY2019/FY2020 NOFA.
HUD may award preference points for applications that
propose activities aligned with certain priorities of an
administration. For instance, the FY2019/FY2020 RCB
program NOFA announced that applicants would receive
https://crsreports.congress.gov
link to page 2 HUD Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing (RCB) Program
up to two preference points for applications including
annual Transportation, Housing and Urban Development,
activities located in Opportunity Zones or Promise Zones,
and Related Agencies appropriations bills. This account
or projects carried out in partnership with Historically
also funds the Section 4 Capacity Building for Community
Black Colleges and Universities. Typically, preference
Development and Affordable Housing program and the
points are awarded exclusively to eligible applicants with
Self-Help and Assisted Homeownership Opportunity
core scores of 75 points or greater.
Program.
Eligible Beneficiaries
RCB Grant Awards
As mentioned above, the intermediaries (primary RCB
On January 5, 2021, HUD announced a total of $10 million
grantees) use RCB funds to provide financial and technical
in RCB awards for five national nonprofit organizations to
assistance for eligible beneficiaries. Potential grantees are
carry out program activities. These awards represented two
required to share the plans for their beneficiary selection
years of appropriated funds (FY2019 and FY2020). Under
process in their application proposal. HUD rates the
the combined FY2019/FY2020 grant awards, HUD set the
beneficiary selection process plans as a component of the
minimum grant amount at $1.25 million and the maximum
“Soundness of Approach” factor. Generally, RCB primary
at $3.25 million. When awarded on an annual basis, HUD
grantees can provide capacity-building support in the form
typically sets the minimum and maximum awards at $1
of financial and technical assistance to five types of eligible
million and $2.5 million, respectively.
beneficiaries:
Table 2 provides a breakdown of RCB grant awards of
1. rural housing development organizations;
FY2019 and FY2020 funds.
2. community development corporations;
Table 2. FY2019/FY2020 RCB Program Awards
3. community housing development
organizations;
Primary Grantee
Award Amount
4. local governments; and
Housing Assistance Council
$2.70 mil ion
5. tribal entities.
Rebuilding Together
$2.40 mil ion
In order to receive RCB support, beneficiaries must operate
in an eligible rural area and serve rural constituencies.
Minnesota Housing
$2.40 mil ion
Under the RCB program, rural areas are defined as Census
Partnership
Bureau-recognized statistical geographic areas with fewer
than 50,000 people. HUD has developed a web-based
Rural Community Assistance
$1.25 mil ion
“Rural Beneficiary Mapping Tool” to aid primary grantees
Corporation
in confirming beneficiary eligibility.
Technical Assistance
$1.25 mil ion
Col aborative
Eligible Activities
The RCB program supports the following activities for rural
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD
community development organizations, local governments,
Announces $10 Mil ion in Capacity Building Grants for Rural America,
and tribes:
https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/
HUD_No_21_001.
technical assistance including training and advice;
Notes: The list and number of grantees receiving RCB awards may
financial assistance such as loans and grants; and
vary from year to year. For a breakdown of RCB awards since
FY2012, see U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
other activities approved by HUD.
Capacity Building Programs, https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/
These activities—as carried out by primary grantees—
comm_planning/capacitybuilding/#rcb.
typically support operational and administrative capacity
needs of beneficiaries, related to organizational efforts such
Related CRS Products
as affordable housing development and job creation.
CRS Report R47045, Section 4 Capacity Building for
Community Development and Affordable Housing
Program Monitoring
Program, by Joseph V. Jaroscak
HUD requires that primary RCB grantees submit semi-
annual reports on project finances, implementation status,
CRS In Focus IF12038, Farm Bill Primer: Rural
and outcomes. Grantees submit these reports through the
Development Title, by Lisa S. Benson
Disaster Recovery Grant Reporting System, which tracks a
range of appropriated funds administered by HUD.
Joseph V. Jaroscak, Analyst in Economic Development
RCB Appropriations
Policy
Congress has provided HUD $5 million in RCB funds each
IF12060
fiscal year from FY2018 to FY2022 under the Self-Help
Homeownership Opportunity program account in the
https://crsreports.congress.gov
HUD Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing (RCB) Program
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12060 · VERSION 1 · NEW