The annual re-certification period for Harris County certified CHDOs is currently underway. All re-certification applications must be submitted to our office no later than November 8, 2021, to allow adequate time for review.
Pursuant to recent regulation changes to the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), please review the HOME Final rule at https://www.onecpd.info/home/home-final-rule/highlights-of-the-changes-in-the-home-final-rule/. Most notable for CHDOs is the requirement regarding housing experience. The HOME Final Rule requires organizations to have paid employee staff with documented housing development experience to meet the capacity and experience requirements. To ensure compliance, and in addition to completing the recertification application, you will be required to submit the following:
- A current organizational chart with all paid staff and titles listed
- Resumes of all paid employee staff
Upon review and approval of the completed re-certification applications and applicable documents, CHDOs will be certified from December 1, 2021, thru November 30, 2022. If the re-certification application and applicable documents are not received by November 8, 2021, organizations will be required to complete a new certification application. Failure to recertify may cause your CHDO to be ineligible for Harris County’s CHDO set-aside funds and impact compliance for projects previously funded by the County.
*HCCSD will only issue CHDO certifications or re-certifications for CHDOs that have active/open projects with HCCSD or have submitted an application for a project that is selected for an award of HOME funding.
A CHDO is a private non-profit community-based service organization that develops affordable housing for the community that it serves. At least 15% of Harris County's HOME allocation is set aside for housing owned, developed or sponsored by CHDOs.
To be eligible, 501(c) organizations must:
- Be organized under state and local law;
- Have their purpose as providing decent and affordable housing to low/mod income persons;
- Provide no individual benefit;
- Have a clearly defined service area;
- Have an IRS non-profit status: 501(c)3 or 501(c)4;
- Have at least ONE YEAR of experience serving the community;
- Demonstrate staff capacity to carry out planned activities;
- Have financial accountability standards;
- Have 1/3 of their board members be residents of the low-income community or be low-income persons; and
- Have no more than 1/3 of their board members be from the public sector.
For more information on Harris County CHDO certification, contact the
Program Manager.
The United Way's Management Assistance Program Help for Non-Profit Organizations
