The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is set to provide more than $3.5 billion in competitive funding to homeless services organizations across the country.

“This year’s funding opportunity makes available the largest amount of funding in history under the Continuum of Care (CoC) program and reflects the Biden-Harris administration’s continued commitment to tackle the nation’s homelessness crisis with the urgency it requires,” said HUD acting secretary Adrianne Todman. “Nobody should have to live in their car or on the streets. These funds will provide shelter to Americans when they need our help the most.”

The CoC program is the largest source of federal grant funding for homeless services and housing programs serving people experiencing homelessness. Nearly 400 CoC communities apply, and HUD funds approximately 7,000 homeless service projects annually.

Projects are operated by nonprofits, states, Indian tribes or tribally designated housing entities, and local governments.For the first time, HUD is issuing a two-year CoC program notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) as authorized by the consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. Communities are only required to submit one CoC application that will be applicable for fiscal 2024 and 2025 funds. This change will streamline the application process and significantly reduce the administrative burden on applicants. Read HUD’s NOFO here.

HUD is also applying a first-of-its-kind cost of living adjustment to allow CoC budgets to better keep up with rising costs. This will provide additional pay and support for homeless assistance providers and improve overall service delivery for people experiencing homelessness.

“We don’t talk enough about the thousands of providers who work every day to end homelessness,” said Marion McFadden, principal deputy assistant secretary for community planning and development. “Our approach this year incorporates the feedback we received from providers to increase support for staff and reduce administrative burden by moving to a two-year application cycle so that staff can focus less time on paperwork needed to submit federal grant applications and more time on their core duties helping people experiencing homelessness.”

As with prior NOFOs, CoCs will have the opportunity to renew existing projects, apply for new projects, and reallocate resources from lower performing projects to better serve people experiencing homelessness.

The NOFO contains explicit funding for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; youths; and people experiencing the unique challenges of homelessness in rural areas. It will provide at least $52 million for new rapid rehousing, supportive services, and other activities critical to assist survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Approximately $188 million is available for the competitive and noncompetitive renewal and replacement of expiring Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program grants.

The deadline to submit CoC consolidated applications and project applications is 8 p.m. EDT on Oct. 30.