Jobs Plus Initiative | FR 6100 N 14

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR 6100 N 14

The Jobs Plus Initiative (Jobs Plus Pilot) is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) discretionary grant program designed to raise employment and earnings for residents of public housing using a place-based, development-wide strategy. The central idea is to reduce poverty by making work pay and making employment the norm within targeted public housing developments. Instead of focusing only on individual participants in isolation, the model aims to "saturate" a development with incentives, services, and peer-driven encouragement so that more residents connect to jobs, keep jobs, and move up to better-paying work over time.

At the heart of the opportunity are three required, tightly connected components that grantees must implement together. First are employment-related services delivered with strong involvement from the local workforce system. Second is a financial incentive that removes a common work disincentive in subsidized housing: rent increases that happen when income rises. Third are community supports that build sustained resident engagement and a culture of work, recognizing that outreach and peer networks can be as important as formal training or placement programs.

On employment-related services, grantees are required to partner with the Department of Labor workforce structure in their area, specifically the local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and the American Job Center (AJC)/One-Stop system. The program expects applicants to use Local Labor Market Information (LMI) both to plan services around real hiring demand and to track changing job trends during implementation. Services are intended to be accessible on-site at or near the public housing development and should include a wide menu: career exploration and job readiness workshops, job search and placement support, work experience opportunities (such as on-the-job training, internships, pre-apprenticeships, and Registered Apprenticeships), connections to education and occupational training, rapid re-employment help after job loss, and post-placement retention and advancement coaching. The grant also emphasizes practical access to technology: computers, phones, and basic office equipment for job search activities, paired with training so residents can actually use those tools effectively. Many applicants are encouraged to station dedicated workforce staff on-site, such as job developers who cultivate employer relationships and identify openings, and case managers who provide one-on-one guidance as residents set goals and navigate barriers.

The financial incentive component is mandatory and is called the Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard (JPEID). This feature is meant to neutralize rent increases that would otherwise occur when residents start working more hours or earn higher wages. Under JPEID, 100 percent of a participant's incremental earned income is excluded from the Family Rent calculation for the full term of the Jobs Plus grant. In practice, once a household triggers the JPEID, their baseline income for rent-setting purposes is locked in for the duration of the grant, meaning earlier enrollees can benefit longer than those who enroll later. Importantly, every resident in a Jobs Plus development is eligible for JPEID, but they must enroll in Jobs Plus to receive it, even if they do not participate in other program activities. Residents who have already used some or all of their regular lifetime Earned Income Disregard (EID) are still eligible for the full JPEID benefit under Jobs Plus. HUD reimburses the Public Housing Authority (PHA) for the rent revenue that is not collected because of the JPEID, and those reimbursement costs must be built into the program budget. Grantees also have to calculate and document each participant's rent before and after the incremental earned income is disregarded, and provide those calculations to HUD when drawing reimbursement funds. Because higher earnings can affect other benefits (for example, SNAP or TANF), the program expects grantees to help residents understand the full financial picture and to connect them to other work supports when applicable, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

The community supports for work component is about sustained engagement and resident ownership, not just sign-ups. Applicants are expected to reach residents across the full employment spectrum, from people with little or no work history to underemployed workers who are already employed but need advancement. Unless the applicant explicitly proposes to focus on a narrower subgroup, the plan should address broad outreach and retention strategies. A highlighted approach is using residents as Community Coaches. These coaches help spread information through trusted social networks, promote job openings and program offerings, mentor peers who enroll, and give real-time feedback so the program fits local needs and strengths. The goal is to create a self-reinforcing environment where working and pursuing training becomes visible, normal, and supported within the development.

Partnerships are treated as essential to delivering the full Jobs Plus model. Beyond the required connection to WIBs/AJCs, applicants are expected to coordinate with local welfare agencies, employment and training organizations, vocational training providers, community colleges and universities, and supportive service agencies that can provide direct services or strong referral pathways. For each partner, the application must spell out what the partner will do, what services they will provide, and whether they will receive any grant funds or contribute services in-kind. HUD expects grantees to leverage services already available in the community and use grant dollars primarily to fill gaps, either because a service does not exist locally or the existing capacity is not sufficient to meet resident needs. Examples of supportive services that may be funded or coordinated include child care and after-school programs, transportation assistance, financial literacy training, legal services such as expungement support, domestic violence prevention services, supports for formerly incarcerated or returning citizens, life skills programming, and other locally relevant employment supports.

Operationally, the opportunity emphasizes individualized planning and tracking through an Individualized Training and Services Plan (ITSP) for each participant. The ITSP is meant to document goals, map services and strategies, and track progress over time, which aligns with the program's emphasis on advancement and retention rather than one-time placement. The model is grounded in earlier demonstrations supported by HUD, the Rockefeller Foundation, and MDRC from 1998 to 2003, with HUD evaluations indicating positive resident outcomes when the three core elements were implemented well and together.

From the funding notice details provided, this opportunity is a HUD discretionary grant in the housing activity category, listed under CFDA 14.895, titled "Jobs Plus Initiative" (Funding Opportunity Number FR 6100 N 14). The award ceiling is $3,700,000, with an expectation of 5 awards. The original posting timeline noted a creation date of September 15, 2017 and an original closing date of November 17, 2017, with electronic applications due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline. Eligible applicants are listed as "Others" with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the full notice, but the program design and requirements clearly anticipate Public Housing Authorities leading the effort, coordinating grant-funded services and the JPEID reimbursement process while anchoring partnerships with workforce and community service systems.

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development in the housing sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Jobs Plus Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 14.895.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 15, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 17, 2017 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,700,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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