General Housing Account Program – Capacity Building

The General Housing Account Program (GHAP) Capacity Building program provides grants, training, and technical assistance opportunities to help build capacity in individuals, organizations, geographic regions, and systems toward the development and sustainable operation of affordable multifamily rental housing. 

Background

Access to safe, affordable, stable housing is vital to improving the quality of life for Oregon's families and communities. Community-based nonprofit housing developers, local housing authorities, and Tribal Nation housing entities are uniquely positioned within their communities to support placemaking and provide culturally specific and responsive housing and resident services. Local governments also play an important role in facilitating the development and long-term viability of affordable rental housing projects. The GHAP Capacity Building Program was created to invest in the growth and development of our key partners and regional networks towards meeting Oregon’s immediate and long-term needs for safe, stable housing.

Program goals

• Increase housing production, preservation, and sustainability in regions and communities in Oregon with unmet needs through capacity building investments.
• Strengthen capacity of eligible entities and geographic areas in Oregon with high need for housing and limited local resources to meet shared affordable rental housing development and operating goals.
  

Current focus

• Workforce development for affordable rental housing (ARH) professions
• Culturally specific developer and sponsor organizations capacity building
• Rural regional and organizational capacity building

 Eligible entities

• Nonprofits
  
• Public Housing Authorities
• Tribal Nations and Tribally Designated Housing Entities
• Local Governments

Although these entities are all eligible to receive GHAP Capacity Building Funds, individual grant offerings may be designed to focus on only one or two of the eligible entity types and may include additional criteria related to OHCS goals and priorities. 

More information

• GHAP Capacity Building Framework 
  
• Capacity Building Program Fact Sheet
  
• GHAP Manual 
  
• 2024-2025 GHAP Capacity Building Framework Graphic
  
• 2022 GHAP Capacity Building Summary
  

ARH capacity building resources

Oregon Centralized Application Capacity Building Grants (ORCA CB Grants)

Opens for eligible groups*:

• Open Now
  
• Nonprofit Culturally Specific Emerging Developer and Sponsor Organizations
  
• Balance of State (Rural) Housing Authorities
  
• Federally recognized Tribal Nations
  

• Opens December 16, 2024
  
• Nonprofit Culturally Specific Emerging Developer and Sponsor Organizations
  
• Rural and Rural-Serving Developer and Sponsor Organizations
  
• Direct Referrals from OHCS Portfolio Stabilization
  
• Spring 2025
• Additional eligibility groups will be announced after review of available funds
  

*ORCA CB Grant application will remain open to prior eligibility groups.

The ORCA Capacity Building Grant (ORCA CB Grant) helps organizations that currently (or have taken documented steps to) develop, preserve, or operate affordable rental housing by providing funds for a variety of capacity building activities. Individual grants are for two years. Awards are typically $50,000-$75,000 per year. Grant activities should support the organization in advancing its mission related to developing and/or operating affordable rental housing.  The ORCA CB Grant application can be accessed through the ORCA Intake Form or you can Learn more about ORCA CB by clicking here.

• 2024 GHAP CB Framework_ORCA Presentation
  

Training and workforce investments

Expected Spring 2025

GHAP Capacity Building resources will be invested in contracts for Oregon-based training to stimulate growth and expansion of professional development programs for key roles within the ARH lifecycle and ecosystem. Needed training programs include:

• ARH developer
  
• Asset manager
• Culturally specific and culturally responsive property manager
• Other key ARH workforce roles (e.g. Minority-,Women-owned Emerging Small Business (MWESB) contractors).

Innovation and Regional Impact Grants

Expected Winter 2024/25

Innovation and Regional Support Grants will provide one-time resources for innovative solutions to capacity problems, projects that align with OHCS’ priorities and goals in housing development and operations, and capacity building projects with regional impact. The GHAP CB program will reserve funds annually to fund these opportunities and other agency capacity building efforts that are tied to delivery of OHCS ARH Division projects and programs.

Networking & Training Sponsorships

ARH Capacity Building is proud to offer sponsorship opportunities for networking and training events focused on strengthening housing development or portfolio management capacity. Priority will be given to events that align with one or more of the ARH Capacity Building Program focus areas: ARH professions workforce development, culturally specific organization capacity building, rural capacity building. If your organization is interested in requesting sponsorship for your event, please contact Kimie Ueoka, Sr. Capacity Building Analyst (Kimie.Ueoka@hcs.oregon.gov).

Recent offerings

ARH Partnership Grant

Application window is now closed.

Awards of $25,000 have been awarded to 21 organizations in late 2022 across the state to help fund capacity building in resident services. This is a two-year grant. Recipients are a mix of nonprofits and federally recognized Tribal Nations in Oregon that serve residents applying for or living in multifamily affordable rental housing. OHCS is currently actively working with and supporting each grant recipient.

Homeless Housing Response and Capacity Strengthening Grant

Application window is now closed.

GHAP CB grants have been paired with HOME American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) development funds within NOFA 2023-9: Homeless Housing Response and Capacity Strengthening Grant. OHCS awarded $7.5 million in HOME-ARP funds in January 2024 to Liberty Village Apartments located in Hermiston, which will focus on Veterans at risk of homelessness. $1.7 million has been awarded for seven rural housing organizations to help increase their capacity to address housing needs in their communities. The remaining HOME-ARP development funds will be reserved for two years for use by capacity-building grantees.

More information

For questions and more information, email Hcs.ghap.cb@hcs.oregon.gov.