2021 Family Self-Sufficiency – Renewal NOFO | FR 6500 N 04

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR 6500 N 04

The 2021 Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Renewal NOFO is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designed to strengthen economic opportunity for families already receiving HUD housing assistance. The core purpose of the program is to help participating households increase earned income, build financial capability, reduce reliance on welfare assistance, and move toward long-term economic independence. Rather than providing direct cash assistance to families, the grant funding primarily supports the staffing capacity needed to run strong local FSS programs, especially through the salaries and training of FSS Program Coordinators.

Under this renewal notice of funding opportunity, HUD provides grants to Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) so they can employ and train FSS Program Coordinators who work with families served through the Housing Choice Voucher program, including both tenant-based vouchers and project-based vouchers (HCV/PBV), as well as families in Public Housing (PH). Coordinators are the operational backbone of the program: they help families set goals, connect to services and opportunities, and navigate the systems that can increase income and stability. This can include linking families to job training, education, childcare, transportation support, financial counseling, credit-building products, benefits counseling, and other community-based resources. The program is intentionally structured around local partnerships, meaning PHAs are expected to build strategies that reflect the job market, service network, and economic conditions in their communities.

A defining feature of FSS is the formal five-year Contract of Participation (COP) signed between the PHA and each participating family. This contract lays out the responsibilities of both parties and incorporates a training and services plan tailored to the family’s goals. The plan typically focuses on steps that lead to greater self-sufficiency, such as completing a credential, securing stable employment, increasing earnings, improving budgeting habits, and addressing barriers to work. The COP structure also underscores that FSS is not a quick intervention; it is meant to provide sustained, goal-oriented support over multiple years while families pursue meaningful income gains and stability.

The NOFO also emphasizes an important fairness requirement: PHAs are not allowed to restrict participation only to families deemed most likely to succeed. In practice, this means the program cannot be limited to “easier-to-serve” households and should remain open to eligible families who want to participate, even if they face significant challenges. That requirement reinforces the program’s equity focus and aligns with the broader federal goal of expanding economic mobility for households with the greatest need.

This funding opportunity is identified as a renewal, meaning it is intended to continue support for existing FSS coordinator positions and ongoing program operations rather than launch entirely new programs from scratch. The opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number FR 6500 N 04, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (now commonly referenced through related assistance listings) number 14.896, within the housing funding activity category. HUD anticipated making a large number of awards (expected awards: 700), reflecting the nationwide scale of FSS across many PHAs. The listed award ceiling is shown as 0 in the source data, which typically indicates that award amounts vary by formula or eligibility-based calculation rather than a single fixed maximum amount published in the notice summary.

Eligibility is summarized in the posting as “Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification),” but the program description makes clear that PHAs are the primary eligible applicants for this renewal funding, because the grant supports FSS coordinators serving HCV/PBV and Public Housing households. The notice also references a statutory change that potentially expands eligibility in the future, but it is not fully implemented yet (described below). Applicants would need to follow the NOFO’s eligibility instructions and documentation requirements to confirm whether they qualify under the renewal category and what conditions apply.

The notice also situates FSS within the legal and policy updates made by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (Public Law 115-174), enacted May 24, 2018. Section 306 of that law amended the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 to revise the FSS program in several ways, including changes related to program eligibility, escrow deposits, and supportive services. It also gives the HUD Secretary authority to establish a funding formula and expands potential eligibility for grant awards to private owners of project-based rental assistance (PBRA) properties. However, the NOFO explicitly notes that these statutory changes are not in effect until HUD issues implementing regulations. In other words, while the law signals a direction for future program administration, applicants and current grantees must still operate under the rules and requirements that are currently in force until HUD formally implements the changes through regulations.

Key administrative details in the source information include the posting date (creation date) of July 28, 2021, and an original application closing date of August 27, 2021, with the deadline listed as 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time. The funding instrument type is a grant, and the opportunity category is discretionary, meaning awards are made through a competitive or merit-based federal process under the NOFO’s criteria rather than through automatic entitlement.

In practical terms, this renewal NOFO is best understood as HUD’s mechanism for keeping local FSS programs staffed and functioning, so coordinators can continue providing structured, multi-year coaching and service linkage for HUD-assisted families. The program’s overall aim is straightforward: use stable housing as a platform, then pair it with coordinated services and goal-setting so families can increase earnings, strengthen financial resilience, and move closer to self-sufficiency over the five-year participation period.

• The US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the housing sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2021 Family Self-Sufficiency – Renewal NOFO" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 14.896.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 28, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 27, 2021 The application deadline is 115959 PM Eastern Standard time on. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 700 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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