In an effort to preserve and create affordable rental units, Arundel Community Development Services, Inc. (ACDS), on behalf of Anne Arundel County, is making federal HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funding, County General funds, and Anne Arundel County Affordable Housing Trust Funds available for the development and redevelopment of affordable rental housing units.  ACDS seeks qualified nonprofit and for-profit development partners to submit a Pre-Application. Pre-Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed by ACDS staff and the ACDS Development Committee for consideration.

Applications must meet basic threshold criteria as described under the Threshold Requirements and Priority Checklist section to be considered.  Reservation of funds will be prioritized to the degree that project proposals are ready to proceed and meet the stated ACDS and County priorities.  All else being equal, ACDS will prioritize projects that:

• include units that serve very low income households;
• provide permanent and/or transitional supportive housing for persons/households that (i) include a Veteran; (ii) are experiencing homelessness; (iii) are returning from incarceration; and/or (iv) are fleeing domestic violence or are victims of human trafficking;
• meet existing zoning requirements;
• are located within a state designated Community of Opportunity;
• are sited in an area that has a Transit Score above 70;
• exceed minimum UFAS standards and provide more accessible units than required;
• for projects serving seniors, incorporate accessibility components or design features that allow residents to more easily age in place;
• provide comprehensive tenant services above the minimum requirement;
• includes development team members that are Minority Business Enterprise or Women Business Enterprise firms; and/or
• have as a Managing General Partner an experienced nonprofit.

A full commitment of funds is subject to:

• the timely submission of a full Rental Housing Development Application and all required attachments by the Owner/Developer Applicant;
• completed underwriting analysis demonstrating the project has an unmet funding need; and
• the availability of funds at the time analysis is completed and the approval of the ACDS Board of Directors.

Please note submitting this Pre-Application and receiving an invitation to complete a full application should not be construed as a commitment of funds. Also, if you are seeking a letter of support that can be used as a soft commitment leveraging local funds in conjunction with an application for financing, the Pre-Application must be submitted no later than three months prior to the application due date. 

PRE-APPLICATION & APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants interested in applying for Rental Housing Production Program (RHPP) through ACDS should complete and submit a Pre-Application Form and the required attachments which are listed below.  It is strongly advised that potential project sponsors/applicant contact ACDS at lbanks@acdsinc.org to set up a time to discuss the proposed project. Prior to the meeting, the applicant should review the Rental Housing Production Program Guidelines and submit a draft Pre-Application.

Staff will meet with the ACDS Development Committee to review the proposed project and determine the extent to which the project is eligible for funding and the extent to which it meets ACDS and County priorities.   Based on this review, priorities and funding availability, ACDS will determine if the project is approved to proceed with the County’s application process.

If you are invited to apply, you will be asked to complete this application and provide the required attachments. Additionally, a letter of financial support from ACDS may be provided for the State’s competitive funding process after your Pre-Application has been reviewed.  As noted above, if you are seeking a letter of support that can be used as a soft commitment leveraging local funds in conjunction with an application for financing, the Pre-Application must be submitted no later than three months prior to the application due date. Do not complete the full application unless you have gone through the Pre-Application process as described above.

Multifamily projects take a considerable amount of time and effort to develop.  The process of pre-development, in addition to applying for and being approved for State, federal, local, and private funding can take anywhere from a year or more to complete.  Applicants should allow adequate time and ensure they can meet all requirements before pursuing RHPP funding.  Please refer to the attached Rental Housing Production Program Guidelines for guidance on what is required for approval.