The Capacity Building, Outreach, and Support program seeks to help organizations that serve Washington communities gain access to funding to provide affordable housing.
While there are a number of organizations that have been working in this space for many years, Commerce acknowledges that new participants must be welcomed into the mix. New participants can bring fresh ideas, and correct inaccurate understandings of the needs of communities that have experienced systemic exclusion. This includes:
- Rural community members
- Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) community members
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other gender and orientation-diverse (LGBTQ+) community members
- Other historically marginalized groups
This list is in no way intended as being exhaustive, but reflects a developing understanding of the varied needs of Washington communities.
What do we mean by “capacity”?
Generally speaking, “Capacity” refers to the mix of skills necessary to run an organization effectively – including things like administration and accounting. In the context of Affordable Housing finance, it also includes an organization’s level of experience with:
- Administration
- Project management
- Capital development
- Public funds (including reporting and compliance)
In all cases, either you have the necessary experience, or you hire others that do have it. Some organizations have turned to “fiscal sponsorships” for help with administration, especially if the organization is new. Even well-established organizations very often hire Development Consultants for project management and capital development, and hire Property Management firms to handle reporting and compliance.
Pathways for engagement with CBOS
Education
CBOS staff are well-versed in the process of application to the funding sources managed by MHU – including the state Housing Trust Fund (HTF) and the Federal HOME and National Housing Trust Fund programs, and can answer many of the questions you may have. For the questions we can’t answer directly, we’re confident we know who to reach out to.
Connection
CBOS can help connect you with a consultant, but also hopes to help build relationships with organizations that will help Commerce be more transparent and accessible as both a funder and a partner
Funding
CBOS periodically will have funds available to offer directly to organizations to support their project development efforts, but also funds the delivery of technical assistance to organizations through contracted consultants.
By and For Organizations
We are particularly focused on serving organizations that arise out of such communities with the intention to service them–sometimes referred to as “By and For Organizations”. If you believe your organization could be designated a By and For Organization, please consider submitting the Commerce Housing Division’s By and For Organization Assessment form, linked below:
Applying for funding
Completing an application for capital funding can be a daunting prospect. The application itself is large and comprehensive, and can require a significant number of reports and other supporting documents. We try to schedule close to 90 days between the publication of our Notices of Funding Availability and the deadline for applications, but some supporting documents may need to be ordered far in advance to be available in time.
While the documents provided here are from a previous year, and are not valid for this year’s funding opportunity, we hope that having them as examples will help you make a significant start on your application.
- CFA Forms (Excel)
- CFA Sections (Word)
- MHU Checklist – State HTF (Word)
We have contracted with several Consulting firms to access project development and financing expertise, and can connect your organization to them if it can help with your organization’s needs.
Each of these firms can provide technical assistance based on the needs of your organization and community, which may include:
- Project planning
- Financing strategy
- Site planning and design
- Feasibility analysis
If you are interested in this program, complete our technical assistance inquiry form so that our team can connect you to the appropriate resource or consultant. You can also submit your questions to our inbox at HTFCapacityBuilding@commerce.wa.gov.
CBOS news
Make sure you understand what the requirements are around Prevailing Wage – getting it wrong can prove to be very costly. Click the link below for information on upcoming trainings being provided by staff at the Department of Labor & Industries (“L&I”).
Once there, enter “prevailing wage on public works” in the search box, located above the calendar. Then scroll down and click on “Sign Up” for the session you want to attend.
You can also also sign up to receive notifications and updates via emails by subscribing to our newsletter, located at the bottom of this page.
Direct appropriations
Projects are sometimes awarded funds directly by the Legislature, as provisos in the Capital Budget. These awards, referred to as “Direct Appropriations” (“DAs”), may be entirely for predevelopment, or may include predevelopment as part of a larger award. Because such awards are intended to cover costs incurred significantly in advance of a project achieving “fully funded” status, we will proceed with contracting them separately.
Resources
Commerce’s Federal Funds Grant Writing Assistance Program (FFGWAP) is hosting a series of free, in-person, full-day federal grant workshops in Western Washington and North Central/Eastern Washington this spring. These workshops will focus on topics across the federal grant lifecycle, covering core grant writing and administration strategies, and strategies for proposal design.
May 2026
- Register for the May 18 workshop in Lacy (waitlist only), 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Register for the May 20 workshop in Aberdeen (waitlist only), 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
June 2026
CBOS is happy to help spread the word about an exciting Capacity Building opportunity. LISC (the Local Initiatives Support Corporation), is offering a series of online sessions over the course of this summer to help organizations move their housing goals from exploration to solid planning.
Read on for LISC Puget Sound’s announcement and links to register!
LISC Puget Sound is excited to share that LISC Build: From Land to Housing Development will launch on June 11, 2026.
We are excited to now share this new series of learning opportunities to support organizations interested in affordable housing development. LISC Build: Housing & Community Development Learning Series, a structured learning platform designed to support organizations across Washington state at every stage of engagement with affordable housing and community development.
From Land to Housing Development is designed to guide participants from early-stage exploration to a practical understanding of how affordable housing projects take shape. This three-part series is open to all and intended for organizations and individuals interested in learning more about the affordable housing development process.
Sessions will take place from 9:00 AM–10:30 AM PST on the second Thursday of each month from June through August. While full participation is encouraged to follow the complete progression, attendees are welcome to join any sessions that fit their schedules.
Upcoming Series
- June 11 – Evaluating Housing Opportunities and Organizational Readiness
- July 9 – How Projects Move from idea to Feasibility through Partnerships
- August 13 – How Affordable Housing is Financed, including Capital Stack and Real-World Case Studies
Register for the series here: LISC Puget Sound Build: From Land to Housing Development- Three Part Series
Tax credits and CBOs
Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) are a powerful source for funding affordable housing projects, but if your organization is new to capital development, or you are simply considering a relatively small project (less than 20 units), they may be a poor fit for you.
One avenue for newer organizations to access LIHTCs is through the formation of partnerships with organizations that have a history of successfully securing LIHTC allocations. The Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC) has created a resource page for CBOs interested in forming such partnerships, available here:
- Housing Washington: In partnership with the Washington State Housing Finance Commission; Commerce; and Washington State Low Income Housing Alliance, this conference brings together affordable housing professionals striving to create and promote affordable housing solutions throughout the State. Recording of previous conference sessions are available.
- Grow America offers a six-part affordable housing development webinar series to assist housing developers with additional experience the tools to manage and comply with affordable housing process. The six-part training series includes session on understanding the development process; lending and underwriting; understanding the market; design and sustainability; gap financing; and LIHTC.
- Enterprise Community Partners offers a Housing 101 summary as part of its online toolkit for developing Housing and Education Partnerships. The toolkit itself is a wealth of information on how community groups can develop effective partnerships to advance their goals.
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFA) workshops
MHU annually hosts webinars to provide information on how to apply for the funding sources it manages, and has brought in guests to discuss programs that align with MHU’s goals. Please note that these webinars are not intended to provide training on how to develop a project, but to convey information about the application materials and process.
Please see the links below for a selection of the most recent webinars and their associated materials:
- HTF State Workshop, held on June 10 – watch the recording and view the slides on Box
- HTF Federal Specific Workshop, held on June 17 – watch the recording and view the slides on Box
- For housing providers seeking federal funds to serve all low-income community members.
- AHAH Specific Workshop, held on June 24 – watch the recording and view the slides on Box
- For housing providers who aim to serve low-income community members who have experienced chronic homelessness, via Apple Health and Homes initiative funding.
- IDD Specific Workshop, held on June 26 – watch the recording and view the slides on Box
- For housing providers who aim to serve low-income community members with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD).
- Tribal Specific Workshop, held on July 1 – watch the recording and view the slides on Box
- For housing providers who aim to serve low-income members of federally recognized Indian Tribes in the state of Washington.
- ESDS Specific Workshop, held on July 8 – watch the recording and view the slides on Box
Office hours Q&A
In 2025, MHU hosted several online “office hours” Q&A sessions. These were not recorded, but summaries of the questions asked and answers provided can be found on our Box website. Please review the 2025 application office hours QA documents (on Box).
Listening sessions
In December 2025, MHU hosted listening sessions to hear feedback from members of the affordable housing community regarding their experiences with multifamily housing pre-development. We intend to use this feedback to shape our future funding processes so they are more accessible for affordable housing developers.
View the recordings below to hear more from members of the affordable housing community:
In 2024, CBOS awarded over $2 million to a total of 12 organizations. These funds will help to further the design and development of the organizations’ projects and prepare them to submit applications for capital financing in future multifamily or homeownership funding rounds. View our news release for more details.