The Rental Housing Development (RHD) Program assists eligible housing organizations, including Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), with funds to develop affordable rental housing. For-profit corporations may partner with the above-mentioned groups or apply directly for RHD funds.
The funds must serve households at or below 60% of the County Median Income (CMI). Projects receiving HOME funds are subject to rent limitations for a specified period of time. Funds may be used for acquisition, rehabilitation, and new construction activities. The HOME RHD Application and Guide are available below. Application submissions will be accepted on the 1st Monday of each month commencing February 3, 2025. These rounds are open to all eligible housing organizations, including Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs). Those applying as a CHDO must submit full certification documentation at the time of application.
This program is part of the Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources, Wisconsin Department of Administration. It is federally funded through HUD’s Home Investment Partnerships Program.
Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO)
A Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) is an official designation of selected private nonprofit housing development corporations that meet requirements set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at the time they apply for funding under the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME). The CHDO designation may provide particular benefits to the organization as it develops and/or operates housing. An organization, which is designated as a CHDO can potentially qualify for special project funds, operating funds, and technical assistance support associated with a project funded under the State’s HOME Program, and may be eligible to retain project proceeds.
To qualify as a CHDO, an organization:
Must have in its charter, resolutions, or by-laws, a statement that among its purposes is the development of decent housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income persons.
Must be community-based and have representatives of low-income community residents making up at least one-third of its governing board.
May be created by a public body provided the nonprofit is not controlled by the public body, therefore, no more than one-third of the board may be public officials.
Must meet requirements to maintain accountability to low-income community residents.
Must have a demonstrated history and capacity for carrying out housing development in the geographic area that the organization serves.
For Homebuyer development, the CHDO is considered a "developer" and must own, develop, and sell the new housing including arranging, financing, and is responsible for construction.
A non-profit interested in being designated as a CHDO needs to submit the required documentation to verify legal status, organization structure, capacity, and relationship to for-profit entities at the time they apply for HOME funds.
Manual
RHD HOME Program Guide 2025.pdf
RHD Application 2025 Reference Guide.pdf
Forms and Reports
2023 RHD Application + Environmental Review Portion *Both online forms must be submitted via ACCESSgov for the application to be considered.
RHD Application Form 9 Rental Housing Spreadsheets
RHD Activity Set-Up Report
RHD Payment Request Form
RHD Completion Report
RHD Compliance Report
Semi-Annual Data Report (MBE/WBE, Labor Standards Enforcement, and Section 3)
RHD In-Service Report
Monitoring Plan
Monitoring FAQ Sheet
