Home Investment Partnership

The City of Trenton uses HOME funds for a variety of housing activities, according to local housing needs. Eligible uses of funds include tenant-based rental assistance; housing rehabilitation; assistance to home-buyers; and new construction of housing. HOME funding may also be used for site acquisition, site improvements, demolition, relocation, and other necessary and reasonable activities related to the development of non-luxury housing. Funds may not be used for public housing development, public housing operating costs, or for Section 8 tenant-based assistance, nor may they be used to provide non-federal matching contributions for other federal programs, for operating subsidies for rental housing, or for activities under the Low-Income Housing Preservation Act.

All housing developed with HOME funds must serve low- and very low-income families. For rental housing, at least 90 percent of the families benefited must have incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income; the remaining 10 percent of the families benefited must have incomes at or below 80 percent of area median income. Home-ownership assistance must be to families with incomes at or below 80 percent of the area median income. Each year, HUD publishes the applicable HOME income limits by area, adjusted for family size.

HOME-assisted rental units must have rents that do not exceed the applicable HOME rent limits. Each year, HUD publishes the applicable HOME rent limits by area, adjusted for bedroom size. For projects with five or more HOME-assisted rental units, 20 percent of the units must be rented to very low-income families.

HOME-assisted home-buyer and rental housing must remain affordable for a long-term affordability period, determined by the amount of per-unit HOME assistance or the nature of the activity. HOME-assisted home-buyer housing is also subject to resale or recapture requirements.

The City of Trenton provides a 25 percent match of their HOME funds. The City of Trenton must also set aside at least 15 percent of their allocations for housing to be owned, developed, or sponsored by community housing development organizations.

For the period between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, the City anticipates receiving $743,213 in HOME funds.