2027 Municipal Impact Fund

The Municipal Impact Fund (MIF) is designed to provide municipal partners with the capacity-building resources necessary to plan for, implement, and expand local affordable housing initiatives throughout Wake County. The program seeks to strengthen collaboration among local governments, support municipalities within Wake County in evaluating and addressing their housing needs, and enhance the overall effectiveness of affordable housing efforts across the County.

Proposers can request up to **$250,000** of County funding. Municipalities will be required to contribute matching funds equal to the amount of County funding.

Proposers must be municipal governments in Wake County, North Carolina: the City of Raleigh or the Towns of Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon.

Projects should increase municipal capacity to meaningfully support housing affordability. Municipalities can propose Technical Assistance projects to evaluate housing needs or to create affordable housing plans, policies, and programs; they can also propose Capital projects that directly support creating or preserving affordable housing through land acquisition, infrastructure installation, or housing rehabilitation.

Wake County has identified four tiers of eligible activities based on funding priorities. Tier 1 is for the development of local affordable housing plans. Municipalities proposing activities that fall under Tier 2, 3, or 4 must have an affordable housing plan that has been formally adopted by its governing board to be considered for award funding. Eligible activities defined within these tiers include both Technical Assistance projects and Capital projects.

Technical Assistance Projects

Development of affordable housing plans, development of housing needs assessments/housing studies, integration of housing objectives into municipal land use and economic development plans, designing housing programs, analysis of sites for developability, pre-development costs such as engineering studies and design for affordable housing development on publicly owned land, administration of a pilot housing program, training and educational opportunities for staff or elected officials.

Capital Projects

Site acquisition for affordable housing or shelter projects, shelter construction or renovation, site improvements for housing or shelter projects, infrastructure improvements for housing or shelter projects.

All projects must align with priorities identified in a local affordable housing plan (or must be for the creation of an affordable housing plan), benefit low- to moderate-income households or communities, and demonstrate reasonable feasibility. [...] All projects must meet the minimum score threshold to be awarded funding, regardless of project type.

All MIF funds allocated through this funding round must be expended by **June 30, 2028**.

**Submission method:** Proposers must submit their response through the Wake County Bonfire Portal. The County must receive proposals no later than **2:00 PM on January 7, 2027**. Late responses, regardless of delivery means, will not be accepted. Fax or email responses will not be accepted.

Proposers may submit up to two proposals for this award period.

A team of Wake County employees will evaluate and score all proposals received in response to this request. All projects will be evaluated on a scale of 100 points, and a minimum score of **70** will be required for consideration.

• Programmatic Alignment: 30 points
• Project Preparedness: 40 points
• Project Impact: 30 points

Finalists will present to Wake County's Affordable Housing Advisory (AHA) Group at an in-person meeting.

A Funding Agreement will be required between the proposer and Wake County. [...] Contract start: July 1, 2027.

All proposed responses to the RFP shall remain valid for a period of not less than ninety calendar days from the due date of this RFP.