Complete this School Direct Costs Activity Application and the School Direct Costs Workbook if requesting a grant for direct construction costs. Attach all documents listed in the Required Documents section of the Single Family RFP Application Instructions. 

All new construction projects must incorporate visitability requirements into the home design. Review Section F – Visitability in this document for more information.

A. Project Information
1.	Organization Name:      

2.	Project/Program Name:      

3.	What type of organization is the Applicant?  
 School district
 Cooperative unit as defined in Minn. Stat. § 123A.24, subd. 2 
 Charter school
 Contract alternative school
 Tribal contract school
 Nonprofit organization contracted by one of the preceding entities

NOTE: organizations or individual schools that are not listed above are ineligible to apply.

4.	Funds provided for materials, supplies and contractor labor through this application must result in a home for an eligible owner-occupant, either by construction of a new structure or rehabilitation of an existing structure. Will the grant funds be used to construct or rehabilitate a home for an eligible owner-occupant? 		Yes    No 

Note: A “No” answer will render the request ineligible for funding.

5.	Briefly describe the proposed project, including the structure of the school program, whether it is a new or existing program and the type of home that will be constructed or rehabilitated. (2,000 character max)
     

6.	Describe the Applicant’s role in the project. (2,000 character max)
     

7.	What is the ownership structure of the proposed units? Check all that apply. If multiple ownership structures are included in this proposal, explain in question 5.
a.	Standard/fee simple 
b.	Community land trust   
c.	Cooperative   

8.	Select all applicable options for which the Applicant is requesting funds, and list or describe in detail the specific items or professional labor. 
a.	 Building materials (e.g., lumber, siding, etc.)	     	
b.	 Construction tools (e.g., saws, hammers, etc.)	     	
c.	 Contractor labor (e.g., plumber, electrician, etc.)	     

Target Area
1.	What Target Area(s) will the Applicant serve? List each neighborhood, city or county to be served.
     

Income Limit
1.	What is the Impact Fund area median income (AMI) to be served (up to 115% AMI)?    % AMI 

2.	What measures will the Applicant take to determine that prospective owner-occupants are eligible? NOTE: Owner-occupants must have an income at or below 115% AMI and must participate in a homeownership education counseling and training program.
     

3.	How will the home be conveyed to an eligible household (e.g., sale, auction, gift or other method)?
     
B. Organizational Capacity

1.	Over the past five years, how many home construction projects has the Applicant completed?      

2.	Describe the types of homes, structures or buildings the Applicant has constructed and how they compare to the proposed project. (2,000 character max)
     

3.	If the Applicant has not completed home construction projects in the past five years, explain how the Applicant has the capacity to complete the proposed project (e.g., training, new staff, partnerships, etc.). (2,000 character max)
     

4.	How many open School Direct Costs awards does the Applicant have, and will the Applicant be able to complete those open awards without future extension requests? Applicants with few or no open School Direct Costs awards will be viewed favorably.
     

Partnerships
1.	Will the Applicant partner with other entities to complete the proposed project?   Yes    No 
If no, proceed to Section C. Project Feasibility, if yes, answer the following questions. 

a.	What is the Applicant’s role in the proposed project? 
     

b.	List the names of each partner. 
     

c.	Explain the roles and responsibilities of each partner.
     

2.	Identify who will provide the services below and mark whether the entity is an unaffiliated entity. An unaffiliated entity is one that does not have a contractual or legal relationship with the Applicant. 

	Name of entity performing services	An unaffiliated entity 	
Real estate agent/brokerage services	     	 Yes      No	
General contractor services	     	 Yes      No	
Specialty contractor services	     	 Yes      No	
Architectural services	     	 Yes      No	
Energy audits/modeling	     	 Yes      No	
Lead hazard inspections	     	 Yes      No	
Material supply	     	 Yes      No	
Other. Describe: 
     	     	 Yes      No	
Other. Describe: 
     	     	 Yes      No	
Other. Describe: 
     	     	 Yes      No	

C. Project Feasibility 
Land Use
1.	How many lots have already been acquired?      

2.	If lots have not been acquired, describe the plan for acquiring lots and the anticipated timeline.      

3.	What land constraints or concerns (e.g., environmental conditions, land use constraints, etc.) are there, if any?
     

4.	Will any residents be displaced from their homes as a result of this project?   Yes    No  

a.	If yes, describe the situation and how the Applicant will minimize and manage displacement.
     

Long-Term Affordability
1.	Will the Applicant impose restrictions (e.g., deed restrictions, resale restrictions, etc.) for three or more years to enhance long term affordability?	Yes    No   

2.	If yes, for how many years will long-term affordability measures be enforced?    

3.	If yes, describe how will the Applicant enforce long term affordability. 
     

Leverage and Cost Containment
1.	Do leverage sources and requested Impact Fund dollars cover all funding gaps?   Yes    No 

a.	If no, explain the plan for addressing funding gaps.
     

2.	What types of in-kind contributions (e.g., donated materials, volunteer labor, etc.) has the Applicant secured, and what are the sources of the in-kind contributions?
     

3.	What types of regulatory incentives (e.g., fee waivers, expedited approvals and permitting, etc.) has the Applicant secured and what are the sources of the regulatory incentives?
     

4.	What other cost containment measures will the Applicant take to reduce the total development cost (e.g., rigorous competitive bidding, use of own labor crews, below-market interim financing, etc.)? 
     

Infrastructure Financing										
Single Family RFP funds cannot be used to fund public infrastructure. Funds may be used to fund private infrastructure connecting the home to be developed to public infrastructure.

1)	Does existing infrastructure need to be extended more than 100 ft. to reach the lot(s)?    
	Yes    No  

a.	If yes, please explain.  
     

2)	Does public infrastructure have to be developed or extended prior to development of the proposed project? 	Yes    No 

a.	If yes, how will the public infrastructure development be funded and what is the expected timeline for development of the public infrastructure?
     

D. Community Need
1.	Describe the need for the specific school program and home to be constructed or rehabilitated in the Target Area(s) and how the proposal fills any gap in available resources. Include the impact on students and local housing needs. (2,000 character max)
     

2.	How does this proposal respond to the unique needs of diverse populations in the proposed Target Area(s) (e.g. racial and ethnic communities, communities, (dis)ability status, Veterans, family size, etc.)? (2,000 character max)
     
3.	A Cooperatively Developed Plan (CDP) is a community supported plan developed by a local unit of government or community group that encompasses multiple affordable housing and related service initiatives in a geographically defined area. 
a.	Is the proposed project a part of a CDP? 	Yes 	  No  

b.	If yes, include the specific CDP name and its geographically defined area(s).
     

E. Equity and Innovation
Before completing this section, refer to the following information:

•	Single Family RFP Application Instructions for funding priority guidance  
•	Minnesota Housing’s funding priority methodologies located on the Impact Fund webpage 
•	Minnesota Housing’s Community Profiles for Scoring in 2025 Consolidated RFP  Single Family Consolidated RFP Geographic Scoring Map

Equitable Access to Homeownership
1.	Provide the number and percentage of households the Applicant has served over the past five years that meet the criteria in the grid below:
	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	
% Indigenous, Black and Households of Color 	     	     	     	     	     	
% Households with a Person with a Disability	     	     	     	     	     	
Total # Households Served	     	     	     	     	     	

1.	Describe how the Applicant engages with a diverse range of clients within the Target Area.
     

2.	Describe the Applicant’s marketing efforts to diverse communities within the Target Area.
     

Business Entities Owned or Led by People of Color, Indigenous Individuals, and/or Women
1.	Is the superintendent, principal or equivalent of the Applicant entity any of the following?	
a.	Black or Person of Color			Yes    No 
b.	Indigenous Individual and/or Tribal Entity	Yes    No 
c.	Woman					Yes    No 

Serve Housing Needs Within a Community
1.	Universal Design/Accessibility: Will the Applicant complete at least one unit that meets the Universal Design Standards for new construction or Type A Accessible unit standards?	
Yes    No 

2.	Large Family Housing: Will the Applicant complete at least one unit with 4+ bedrooms and/or a unit with an accessory dwelling unit?	Yes    No 

3.	Senior Housing: Are there any features of the project designed specifically to enable seniors (those aged 62 years or over) to age in place?	Yes    No 

Homeownership or Financial Education and Counseling 
1.	Any owner-occupants of the home(s) constructed through this program must participate in the Homeownership Education Counseling and Training (HECAT) program. Will the Applicant require homebuyers to participate in the HECAT program?		Yes    No 

Workforce Training Programs
1.	Will the Applicant utilize any workforce training programs?   Yes    No 

Efficient Land Use
1.	Is the proposed housing being developed on in-fill lots or a new subdivision? 
In-fill lots    New subdivision 

a.	If the Applicant is proposing to develop a new subdivision, will the new construction units have an adverse impact on existing community services and utilities?   Yes    No 

b.	If yes, please explain.  
     

2.	Does the proposal minimize the loss of agriculture land and green space? 	Yes    No 

Advancement of Housing Innovation and Technology
1.	Will the Applicant use volumetric modular construction, cross-laminated lumber, panelized, robotics, 3D printing, and/or other innovative construction methods to construct homes?	
Yes    No  

a.	If yes, describe the technology and how it will be used, including how this technology will affect the cost of the project.  (2,000 character max)
     

F. Visitability Requirement
All new construction units must incorporate all of the following elements:

•	32-inch clear opening doorways throughout the unit; 
•	At least one no-step entrance; and 
•	A half bath, or larger bathroom, on the main level. 

1.	Will all New Construction units incorporate all three Visitability elements? 	Yes    No  

a.	If no, which Visitability elements are not included in the proposed units? 
     

b.	Explain why proposed units do not meet Visitability requirements? 
     

Failure to meet Visitability requirements may lead to project disqualification.

Note: Visitability Waivers may be requested for units selected for funding, however waivers may not be requested as a part of the application and are not guaranteed if an award is made. Blanket waivers will not be accepted. Waivers to the 32-inch clear opening doorways requirement will not be granted. 
G. Required Documents
Applicants must submit the required documents identified in the Single Family RFP Application Instructions in their original formats. If Applicants are unable to provide a required document, include a description as to why.  

Label documents with this file name format: “Organization_ Document Name. For example, organization “ABC School District” should save this document as “ABCSD_ SDC_Activity_Application.”