Gather your core youth community team, including young people, and take the following steps:

  1. Download and review the rating factors from last year’s NOFA: Complete this ahead of time and review as a team. Everyone should be on the same page.
  2. Brainstorm potential answers: Bullets are fine. Simply identify how well you will be able to answer each question.
  3. Identify and evaluate the gaps: Take note when the community doesn’t currently have the capacity or experience to fully answer a question. Compile the gaps and evaluate each one based on answers to the following questions:
    1. What would it take to add the capacity or gain the experience necessary to fill the gap?
    2. Can we fill the gap within the 60 to 120 days of a HUD grant competition?
    3. Would the benefits of applying on-time outweigh the pain it might cause?
  4. Decide whether to Go, or Go Slow: Decide to “Go” and apply if you can confidently address most of the rating factor questions and answer “Yes” to the final two gap questions in Step 3. If not, “Go Slow,” and fill in the identified gaps at your own pace.
    Create a plan with a defined timeline.

Read the full article on the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program by Matthew Aronson at National Alliance to End Homelessness