Addressing the Housing Affordability Crisis Research Grant Program

The Addressing the Housing Affordability Crisis Research Grant Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is designed to fund high-quality research that enhances understanding of the drivers of housing affordability issues and informs policy responses. The grant is offered through HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) under opportunity number FR-6900-N-29R. This discretionary program provides cooperative agreements to eligible entities to conduct studies addressing critical topics related to housing affordability in the United States. HUD aims to support research in five defined areas: government-induced demand, immigration, financialization of housing, economic opportunity cost, and the effects of Opportunity Zones. These categories were selected to generate insights into the dynamics that affect home sales prices and rental costs, the use of housing as an investment vehicle, and the impact of public policies. Each funded research effort must produce initial products, such as briefs or toolkits, within the first 12 months, with the full period of performance ranging from 12 to 36 months. Cooperative agreements will include HUD’s substantial involvement, including approval of project design, data protocols, and deliverables. Approximately $10 million is available through this opportunity, sourced from FY 2024 and FY 2025 appropriations. HUD anticipates making between 5 and 40 awards, with each grant ranging from a minimum of $250,000 to a maximum of $2,000,000. No cost sharing or matching is required. Funding can be used for eligible research activities, regulatory compliance efforts (e.g., IRB reviews), dissemination, travel, and project management. However, funds may not be used for doctoral dissertation research, self-evaluation, or property rehabilitation. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including small businesses), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian-serving institutions. Individuals are not eligible. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time on July 24, 2025. Required application components include standard federal forms, a detailed budget, narrative responses to rating criteria, resumes, letters of commitment (if applicable), and supporting documents. The evaluation process includes threshold, merit, and risk reviews. Applications are scored based on contribution to research, soundness of approach, capacity of the research team, project management, and budget reasonableness. Awards are expected to be announced by September 15, 2025, with a project start date of October 1, 2025. For questions related to application requirements, applicants may contact Michael Stewart at researchpartnerships@hud.gov or 202-402-2258.

Strict page and formatting rules, HUD cooperative oversight expected, timely deliverables are emphasized, ensure IRB compliance if applicable.