Capacity Building, Outreach and Support Program (CBOS)

Everyone needs a safe and affordable place to live, and Commerce is committed to ensuring fair and equitable access to resources that support housing development.

In Washington as in other places, some groups face more challenges than others. 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

Commerce’s Capacity Building, Outreach and Support (CBOS) team is working to expand the capacity of organizations new to housing development, so that they may serve communities that are historically underserved. The program offers predevelopment technical assistance tailored to the needs of each organization and when available, predevelopment financial to organizations that serve underserved communities.

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 our By and For Organization Assessment form.

Predevelopment technical assistance

Commerce staff and consultants are available to work with groups to plan successful projects focused on developing housing for underserved communities.

Technical assistance activities vary based on the needs of each organization and community, but 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 any questions you may have to our inbox at HTFCapacityBuilding@commerce.wa.gov.

Predevelopment grant funding

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.

CBOS is not currently offering predevelopment funding. Please check back for details on how to apply for future opportunities. 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.

Resources