HUD's Office of Affordable Housing Programs administers three separate programs designed to make safe, quality housing available to low-and moderate-income households. While HUD does not make direct grants to tenants, homebuyers, or homeowners, affordable housing funds are provided to states, units of local government and nonprofit organizations. Click on any of the following links for information about how to receive affordable housing assistance from HUD in your community.

The HOME Program helps to expand the supply of decent, affordable housing for low and very low- income families by providing grants to States and local governments called participating jurisdictions or "PJs". PJs use their HOME grants to fund housing programs which meet local needs and priorities. To find out about how to apply for HOME assistance in your community, contact the designated office nearest your community.

SHOP provides funds for non-profit organizations to purchase home sites and develop or improve the infrastructure needed to set the stage for sweat equity and volunteer-based homeownership programs for low-income families. National and regional nonprofit organizations or consortia with experience in using volunteer labor to build housing may apply. Follow these links for information about current SHOP grantees: Habitat for Humanity; Housing Assistance Council; ACORN Housing Corporation; Community Frameworks, and PPEP Microbusiness and Housing Development Corporation.

The Homeownership Zone program allows communities to reclaim vacant and blighted properties, increase homeownership, and promote economic revitalization by creating entire neighborhoods of new, single-family homes, called Homeownership Zones. Communities that apply for HOZ funds are encouraged to use New Urbanist design principals by providing for a pedestrian-friendly environment, a mix of incomes and compatible uses, defined neighborhood boundaries and access to jobs and mass transit. There have been two competitive funding rounds, one in federal fiscal year 1996 (FY 96) and one in federal fiscal year 1997 (FY 97). No further funding has yet been made available for this program.

HUD also provides general homebuyer assistance for first-time homebuyers, including housing counseling.