Foreclosure Response and Neighborhood Preservation

Although public attention to the foreclosure crisis has waned in the last three years, the need for intervention is still great. In Bay Area communities such as Antioch and Richmond, foreclosure rates are still far above historical norms, with 50 to 70 Notices of Default filed per 1,000 homes*. Oakland’s foreclosures have yet to peak; 1 in every 284 housing units received a foreclosure filing in June 2011**.  

The foreclosure crisis has been particularly devastating for low- to moderate-income families, especially people of color and immigrants. The Center for Responsible Lending reports that these populations were disproportionately targeted for subprime loans, and that Latino and African American borrowers experience foreclosures at twice the rate of non-Hispanic white homeowners***. The impact on communities is all too well known: neighborhoods falling into disrepair, tenants evicted as their landlords default, declines in property tax revenues forcing cuts to critical services, and harm to the health, stability, and economic future of affected families.

The Foreclosure Response and Neighborhood Preservation grantmaking program supports projects and initiatives that help families avoid displacement, protect family and community assets, and preserve and stabilize neighborhoods. We will also support the preservation of existing affordable housing.

* Association of Bay Area Governments, Bay Area Economic Outlook, 2010-2011. 

** http://www.realtytrac.com/trendcenter/ca/oakland-trend.html

***  Debbie Gruenstein Bocian, Peter Smith, Ginna Green, Paul Leonard. Center for Responsible Lending, “Dreams Deferred: Impacts and Characteristics of the California Foreclosure Crisis.” August 2010.

Objectives and Strategies

Objective One: Foreclosure response and asset preservation

To prevent foreclosure displacement and preserve wealth in lower-income and communities of color by supporting efforts that help families and individuals stay housed and avoid or recover from foreclosure.

Strategies will support efforts to:

• Provide direct foreclosure prevention, mitigation, and recovery services including mortgage counseling, legal assistance, family support services, and information and referral for both renters and homeowners.
• Coordinate and integrate foreclosure mitigation programs; raise awareness of the effects on foreclosure on health, community safety, and family well-being; and address the disparate impact of foreclosures on people of color, children and youth, special needs populations, and immigrants.
• Promote safe and responsible homeownership and asset-building through pre-purchase counseling and education and access to fair lending products.
• Provide assistance to renters who have been directly or indirectly impacted by foreclosures, by supporting tenant education, services, and advocacy, and direct assistance to displaced tenants of foreclosed properties.
• Support policy advocacy for financial institution accountability, tenant protections, and foreclosure mitigation, including the implementation and enforcement of the Home Affordability Mortgage Program, the California Keep Your Home Program, and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Objective Two: Neighborhood stabilization and innovation

To support the rehabilitation and reuse of foreclosed homes, encourage reinvestment in hard-hit communities, preserve existing affordable housing, and expand innovative housing options for lower-income populations.

Strategies will support efforts that:

• Promote neighborhood stabilization efforts including acquisition and rehabilitation of foreclosed homes as affordable properties.
• Improve affordability, habitability, and sustainability of existing affordable homes through weatherization and energy efficiency retrofits.
• Promote and scale alternative models of housing as a response to foreclosure, including cooperative and community wealth-building strategies such as shared housing, limited-equity housing, and community land trusts.
• Support policy and advocacy that promotes innovation, collaboration, and increased resources for housing preservation, rehabilitation, and retrofitting, and for neighborhood stabilization.

• Target and reach lower-income communities, communities of color, immigrants, refugees, and other populations that have borne the disparate burden of discriminatory practices and disinvestment.
• Reflect a high degree of collaboration and integration with other nonprofits, public entities, and the private sector.

This priority area is not intended to fund:

• Services and programs meant to assist individuals in immediate crisis or facing homelessness (see our Safety Net grantmaking program).
• Emergency housing or short term homeless shelter (see our Safety Net grantmaking program).
• Ongoing efforts to produce new units of affordable rental housing (see our Community Development program area).

Funding Criteria

Please note that is not an open call for proposals. Only invited organizations may apply.
Grant funds will be awarded on a competitive basis. Applications will be evaluated based on one or more of the following criteria:

• The proposal is consistent with the Foreclosure Response objectives and strategies noted above.
• The program or initiative demonstrates potential for deep impact or broad scale.
• The program or initiative targets and reaches lower-income communities, communities of color, immigrants, refugees, and other populations that have born the disparate burden of discriminatory practices and disinvestment.
• Geographic areas and populations served reflect those of highest-need and/or most limited resources and services. Statewide or national programs and initiatives will be considered, but must be based in and have impact in one or more of the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, or San Mateo.
• The program or initiative reflects a high degree of collaboration and integration with other nonprofits, public entities, and the private sector.
• The program description is clear and demonstrates a clear link among the proposed needs, outcomes, and activities.
• The applicant organization demonstrates capacity to successfully carry out the proposed initiative or program.

How to Apply

Please note that is not an open call for proposals. Only invited organizations may apply.
Grant funds will be awarded on a competitive basis to invited organizations. In order to be considered for funding, invited organizations must submit a full grant proposal and all of the requested materials through The San Francisco Foundation’s online grant application system, Grantee Center.

Timeline

The application cycle closed on Friday, September 9, 2011.
Applicants will be notified by November 18, 2011, and the grant start date will be December 15, 2011. Grants will range from $30,000 to $50,000.

Questions

For more information, or questions about this grantmaking process, please contact Vanitha Venugopal at vxv@sff.org or 415.733.8522.