Monday, April 30, 2012

Write A Grant For Free Housing

The Federal HUD website is a great resource for housing assistance grants.


Federal and state governments have stepped up grant provisions to help people deal with the tough economic conditions. In the case of assistance for housing, financial aid is available for everything from home repair and renovation to buying a home. You need not be intimidated by the grant proposal process, though. It is not necessary for you to be a trained granter writer in order to successfully write a grant for free housing. Anyone with satisfactory writing skills and the ability to do research can create an effective grant proposal.


Instructions


1. Find the grant opportunity that best fits your needs by searching online for "housing grants". The U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website is an excellent resource for this, but you can also do a search for housing grants in your state. Some individual states have grant opportunities that might not be listed on the federal site.


2. Read carefully through the guidelines or policy memo for the grant you want to apply for. It is important to make sure that you qualify for the grant according to the policy and that you understand all of the requirements for submitting an application, including the deadline for submission and any limitations on funding or purchasing amounts.


3. Write the proposal, sticking to the guidelines outlined in the policy memo. You will have to address the need, how the funding of your request fits in with the objective of the grant opportunity, an evaluation plan that will show that the need has been met and a budget that justifies the amount of money you are requesting.


4. Submit your proposal to the agency or office indicated in the guidelines, preferably prior to the deadline. Many agencies require electronic submissions, but even a submission done through a website can take some time, so it is a good idea to try to have your submission ready before the actual deadline, in case any difficulties occur.







Tags: grant opportunity, grant proposal, housing grants, policy memo