Contact Info
Overview
The Department of Community Development offers resources in support of Affordable Housing Development. The Housing Trust Fund Office coordinates the investment of federal resources and non-federal resources for the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing for individuals and families whose income is at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
These resources are available to all developers and neighborhoods and come in the form of soft, cashflow contingent loans. These funds can be used in support of multi-family rental projects and single-family for-sale projects.
Pre-Development Consulting
The City of Cleveland welcomes new developers to the City and encourages their participation in our communities. The City offers resources in support of various forms of market rate and affordable housing development in all neighborhoods. These resources can be difficult to access for new or unfamiliar developers. As such, the Department of Community Development will offer assistance and support to new developers seeking to use these funds.
Staff at the Department of Community Development can offer support in the following ways:
- Explanation of City Programs and Regulations
- Evaluation of Project Financials
- Evaluation of Building Plans and Design
- Regular consultation to track project development
Housing Trust Fund – Multi-Family Rental Program
This program supports housing development projects that will include affordable housing units that will serve low- and moderate-income households. Market-rate projects that contain affordable units are eligible and encouraged. A limited amount of the City’s HUD HOME funds will be allocated through an annual RFP, which describes project eligibility, application requirements, and the format for submitting proposals. A limited amount of CDBG Funds may also be available for projects that include housing and would benefit from HUD’s CDBG regulatory requirements.
This year, the City of Cleveland has allocated roughly $3.3M in funding to support affordable housing. The application for the Housing Trust Fund program is currently open and closes on July 1st, 2024 at 5 pm. For more information, please see the 2024 Housing Trust Fund Request for Proposals.
Before submitting your application, all applicants are required to request a meeting with URA compliance staff. To do so, please email Marc Foy and Patrick Metzger to request a meeting. Please copy Anthony Bango. This request must include the URA Proposed Project Information Form.
Editable List of 2024 HTF Application Questions
For Single-Family applications, please contact Anthony Bango directly for a copy of the 2024 HTF Workbook for Single-Family Projects.
Please note, that once submitting a proposal, you will receive an email from the Housing Development Office asking for the following attachments:
- Completed 2025 HTF Financial Analysis Workbook
- Developer Development experience , last 5 years of completed projects
- URA Forms 1-3
- URA GIN Form signed by existing Tenant and Tenant Roster. See Sample URA Form and Tenant Roster. (Occupied Projects Only)
- Market Study
- See Attachment E of the 2025 HTF RFP
- Entity Information including:
- Certificate of Good Standing
- Articles of Incorporation
- UEI Number
- Financial Statements (Audited and/or Tax Returns)
- See Attachment F of the 2025 HTF RFP
- Evidence of Site Control
- Cost Estimates or a Bid on a General Contractors letterhead
- Detailed Scope of Work and Project Specifications
- Green Building Plan, or, at minimum, proposal with scope from Green Building consultant which includes:
- Submittal to the Enterprise Portal, Architectural Drawings, Site Plans, Elevations, and Sections (as needed)
- Letter from project Architect indicating that the project will meet the updated version of 2021 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1-2019
- See Attachment L of the 2025 HTF RFP for alternative compliance pathways
- Architectural Drawings, Site Plans, Elevations, and Sections (as needed)
- Site Photos (all 4 Elevations) & Site Location Map
- Financing Commitment Letters or Applications for Funding (if not yet committed)
- Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan (Projects with 5+ units)
- Community Outreach Plan
- Letter of Support from a Local Community Development Corporation
- Continuum of Care Endorsement (Permanent Supportive Housing only)
- After Built/Rehab Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (subject to completion per plans and specifications on the basis of a hypothetical condition that the improvements have been completed)
- Phase I ESA (ASTM E1527-21)
- Paint Testing, Lead Risk Assessment, and Contractor RRP Certification (for pre-1978 rehabs only)
- See Attachment D of the 2025 HTF RFP
- HUD Site and Neighborhood Standards Determination
- See Attachment C of the 2025 HTF RFP for more information
- Capital Needs Assessment (for rehabilitation projects with 26+ units), Property Inspection List
- Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) Compliance Plan with Letter from General Contractor—on GC Letterhead—acknowledging that the cost estimates account for BABA compliance.
- Any other supporting documentation for Selection Scoring Criteria outlined in the 2024 HTF RFP
Cleveland Housing Investment Fund
Cleveland Housing Investment Fund (CHIF) is a collaborative initiative launched by the City of Cleveland, KeyBank, and the Cleveland office of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). CHIF aims to expand access to affordable housing and strengthen Cleveland’s neighborhoods, including middle market and opportunity neighborhoods. Together with funders and partners, CHIF is committed to creating vibrant communities through smart investments in Cleveland's housing market.
Here’s how CHIF is making an impact:
Affordable Housing Access: CHIF aims to increase the stock of for-sale and rental homes accessible to a range of Cleveland residents. By funding new construction and rehabilitation projects, CHIF seeks to expand affordable, stable housing options for essential workers, educators, and other community members.
Economic & Community Growth: Beyond housing, CHIF seeks to help energize communities by stimulating economic activity and enhancing neighborhood vitality, improving the overall quality of life for Cleveland residents.
Unlocking Opportunity: CHIF actively supports emerging developers, aiding those who have previously struggled to access capital to complete economic development projects. By increasing access to capital, CHIF seeks to unlock new opportunities for development city-wide that provides tangible benefits to Cleveland residents.
Additional information and guidance for developers seeking financing will be provided soon. In the meantime, interested developers may complete the Developer Inquiry Form.
For ongoing updates, please visit the LISC Cleveland website.
The investment pools sponsored by LISC are available only to eligible investors, are offered only pursuant to their official offering documents, and are managed by LISC Fund Management, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of LISC. LISC Fund Management is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration of an investment adviser with the SEC does not imply any level of skill or training. Please visit the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov to see LISC Fund Management’s Form ADV, which contains important disclosures, including further disclosures about material conflicts of interest, risks, and limitations associated with LISC Fund Management.
Single-Family Gap Financing
This program is for projects that will include affordable housing units that will serve low-and moderate-income households. Market-rate projects which contain affordable units are eligible and encouraged. A limited amount of the City’s HUD HOME funds will be allocated through an annual RFP, which describes project eligibility, application requirements, and the format for submitting proposals. A limited amount of CDBG Funds (up to $1 million) may also be available for projects that include housing and would benefit from HUD’s CDBG regulatory requirements. The maximum contract amount is up to $40,000.
The maximum contract amount is determined by project underwriting and subsidy layering guidelines for all HOME activities to determine the appropriate HOME investment. These guidelines require the examination of project sources and uses, cost and profit reasonableness, market demand, developer experience and capacity, and financial commitments. The City will forgive a portion of the Loan, not to exceed $30,000, in the amount the City determines is a gap between the final sales price of the Project Site to an approved homebuyer and the approved activity delivery costs, including an allowance for a developer fee, not to exceed ten percent (10%) calculated based on the direct construction.
Upon the sale of the Project Site, the Borrower must apply principal due to the City, in an amount not to exceed $10,000, against the agreed-upon sales price of the Project Site, as a homebuyer’s Second Mortgage, and have the Promissory Note, Second Mortgage Deed, and all other relevant Second Mortgage documents signed and recorded. The second mortgage amount is determined by the homebuyer’s income eligibility and the financing gap between the homebuyer’s first mortgage amount and the minimum homebuyer down payment of $500.
On Single Family Gap Financing Projects, the Borrower’s (Developer) Development Fee is not to exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the total project costs listed. The Development Fee is calculated on the total construction cost.
The Project must fully qualify as affordable housing, and therefore must satisfy the requirements of 24 CFR 92.254. Thus, among other requirements, the Property must be purchased by a homebuyer whose household qualifies as a low-income household which will maintain the Property as their principal residence throughout the affordability period. In order to maintain the Property as a principal residence, the buyer must reside at the Property at least 270 days per calendar year. The Borrower cannot earn a profit on the sale of the project site.