NOFA Housing Innovation Program
About the Program
The Housing Innovation Program offers a resource for eligible applicants to fund housing projects for which there is a lack of other funding sources and an unmet need. The intention of this program is to spur innovative housing projects and create an opportunity to test novel housing solutions. MFA hopes that this program is a chance for applicants to tailor responses to housing needs in their community. Further, MFA is looking to applicants to propose projects that may be scalable and have the potential to reach residents statewide.
Funding Source and Use of Addenda
The Housing Innovation Program may fund projects from a variety of funding sources, including but not limited to MFA’s Housing Opportunity Fund, the New Mexico Housing Trust Fund, and state and federal allocations. Thus, program parameters will be subject to the funding source regulations which are detailed in an addendum published on MFA’s website on this webpage.
MFA Point of Contact
Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact MFA staff prior to submitting an application to the Housing Innovation Program. Staff can be reached at housinginnovationprogram@housingnm.org.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, governmental housing agencies or authorities, regional housing authorities, governmental entities, governmental instrumentalities, tribal governments, tribal housing agencies, developers, builders, corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, joint ventures, syndicates, associations, or other entities that can assume contractual liability and legal responsibility by executing one or more written agreements entered into with MFA. Individual applicants are not eligible for the Housing Innovation Program.
Eligible Activities
The Housing Innovation Program funding may be used to assist in financing a wide range of activities, capital and non-capital projects, to provide affordable housing for which other funding is not available. MFA encourages contact and inquiries from potential applicants prior to and during application preparation to help assure that proposed activities are eligible.
Eligible activities for which an applicant may apply include, but are not limited to, costs of infrastructure and infrastructure purposes, financing in whole or in part through loans or grants, the costs necessary to support, operate or own affordable housing projects, the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, renovation, reconstruction, alteration or repair of residential housing, multi-family housing, congregate housing facilities, transitional housing facilities, or buildings for use as or that will provide affordable housing.
Examples of non-capital projects include, but are not limited to, housing counseling activities, such as support for housing choice voucher holders or support for homeownership sustainability, planning activities to evaluate local zoning and land-use policies that are barriers to housing development, housing stability services.
Refer to active NOFA for complete program details and refer to addendum for additional funding source requirements.
Documents
Housing Innovation Notice of Funding Availability
Housing Innovation Notice of Funding Availability Addendum 1