Note: The information in this article was updated on November 6, 2025 to reflect finalized allocation amounts for each investment area. Estimated investment amounts were communicated in October 2025 without taking into account funding for CRP staffing infrastructure and a tribal set-aside.
As we prepare for the next phase of the Community Reinvestment Program (CRP), we want to extend gratitude to the hundreds of community members, partners and organizations who shared their time, insights and experiences with us. Whether you participated in a listening session, completed a survey or offered feedback through other channels, your voice helped shape our approach for the 2025–2027 investment cycle.
Upcoming funding opportunities
The Community Reinvestment Program (CRP) received $60 million for 2025–2027—including $50 million in new funds and up to $10 million in reallocated funds from the previous biennium. Per legislative direction, funds will be distributed in alignment with the 2023–2025 investment areas.
- Commerce is directed to distribute funds for the program areas listed in RCW 43.79.567: Community reinvestment account, in similar proportions to the 2023-2025 investment areas.
- The legislature also defined by-and-for organizations, for the purposes of CRP. This includes, but is not limited to, those operated by and for Black, Latine, Native American, Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
Economic Development – Housing and Workforce Strategies – $35.2 million
- Workforce Development: $14.5 million
- These investments are administered by the Employment Security Department in partnership with Local Workforce Development Councils.
- Homeownership and Assets: Currently estimated $17.6 million
- A competitive funding opportunity will be released in early 2026. More information to come sooner towards the release.
- Small business technical assistance: $2.5 million
- These investments are administered through Commerce’s Small Business Resiliency Network.
Violence Prevention – $7 million
- Violence prevention funding will be locally controlled and administered by Local Advisory Teams (LATs). Commerce will begin with a competitive funding opportunity to establish Local Advisory Teams, which is estimated to be released in late 2025.
- The Local Advisory Teams will make funding recommendations, shifting decision making to the local level for local solutions.
Reentry Services – $2.2 million
- A competitive funding opportunity for reentry services grants will be released later this fall.
Legal Assistance – $1.8 million
- A competitive funding opportunity will be released in Fall 2025.
Community feedback highlights
Throughout Summer 2025, we heard from community, partners, previously funded entities and organizations that applied for CRP funding but were unsuccessful.
- Economic development – Housing: Many CRP communities are unable to qualify for a home purchase due to large amounts of debt. Consolidation can be difficult due to low credit scores, low-income levels and high interest rates. Removing debt with the purchase of a home allows the homebuyer to enter homeownership without financial strain that leads to foreclosure.
- CRP will maintain supporting debt consolidation to open new doors for community members.
- Economic development – Workforce Development: The CRP workforce development program was very successful because of its ability to leverage partnerships and systems with ESD, Workforce Development Councils (WDC) and the Washington Workforce Association. The WDCs also varied in their readiness and capacity to reach priority communities. Workforce Council could benefit from stronger connections with Local Advisory Teams.
- Commerce will implement a Protocol for Culturally Responsive Organizations to identify opportunity areas for improvement and support.
- Violence prevention: Violence prevention strategies can benefit from being locally driven to ensure efforts are culturally appropriate and responsive to community needs. Local Advisory Teams allocated some of the violence prevention funding in 2023-2025.
- With the success of this model, CRP will move the full violence prevention investment category to local advisory team control.
- Reentry services: The CRP reentry services team held regional convenings for all 40 funded organizations to meet, collaborate and share best practices. This worked extremely well, but the organizations could have benefited from earlier connections.
- The team will continue this work by creating earlier opportunities for collaboration.
- Legal assistance: There was a lack of systemic capacity to take on the record vacatur work as outlined in the original CRP plan. This required CRP to pivot with this investment area. There were additional challenges related to monitoring and evaluating impacts. Each subgrantee’s scope of work varied, making reporting, data collection and tracking challenging.
- Over the next two years, Commerce will create clearer accountability structures – from the beginning of the contract. They will also provide grantees with additional support and technical assistance.
General program design feedback
- There is a need for ongoing capacity-building investments, technical assistance and support for grassroots organizations. Suggestions include providing resources for grant management, data collection and leadership development.
- The community has asked for more transparency in funding decisions and addressing systemic barriers to funding opportunities.
- Community members should continue to be involved in evaluating the use of CRP funds. This will ensure CRP remains community driven.
- We’ve been asked to maintain partnerships with community foundations. Local foundations were able to leverage trusted relationships to distribute funds quickly and equitably. Their funding application processes were also simpler and more accessible.
Local Advisory Teams feedback
- Continue to ensure Local Advisory Teams are diverse, represent the communities they serve and operate transparently. LATs should foster collaboration across sectors and ensure resources reach those facing the greatest barriers.
- Give LATs real decision-making power rather than just advisory roles. Clear guidelines on roles, responsibilities and conflict-of-interest policies are essential to maintain trust and avoid symbolic participation.
- Provide adequate support, training and compensation for LAT members to participate fully. This includes resources for training, facilitation and administrative support to avoid overburdening community leaders.
Read the community feedback report
Thanks to people like you, the CRP team is ready to start implementing its programming for the next biennium. Stay tuned to our mailing list for future updates from the crew and upcoming funding opportunities.
And if you would like to get in contact with us, please visit CRP’s contact form (via Smartsheet)! We will get back to you as soon as we can.
In solidarity to create a better Washington for all,
The Community Reinvestment Program