A total of $2.5 million will be awarded this year to 25 local non-profit organizations that make a meaningful difference in meeting the affordable housing needs in communities served by TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®.

The theme of this year’s competition is Affordable Housing for Seniors; which will seek the creation of safe, clean, physically accessible housing for older persons (aged 55 and over).  Access to clean, safe affordable housing throughout the TD Bank footprint affects thousands of low- and moderate-income senior citizens who cannot afford a place to live.

With the leading edge of the baby boom reaching retirement age(65 and over population projected to climb to 73 million by 2030 – an increase of 33 million in just twenty years) and many retirees unable to recover from the economic malaise in place since the Great Recession, the need for safe, clean, physically accessible, affordable housing is expected to sharply increase.  High housing costs force a third of those aged 50 and over and 70% of those aged 80 and over to spend more than 30 percent of their existing income on housing that may or may not fit their needs. In many cases the existing units of affordable housing are in need of upkeep, maintenance and energy efficient upgrades.

This year’s competition seeks to focus on initiatives that will provide Affordable Housing for Seniors through the creation of new sustainable units that provide safe affordable housing for today and tomorrow’s senior citizens.

Applications for funding must focus on:

Preservation/Rehabilitation/Expansion of viable existing affordable housing properties:  This may include the redesign, reconfiguration and or re-use of existing space in affordable housing properties to create increased quality and quantity of affordable housing units for senior citizens (aged 55 and over).  Upgrades to systems, structure and efficiency of properties to preserve and prolong their use will be considered.
 
Focus on Senior Citizens:  Housing programs and services that address the unique needs of senior citizens in urban, suburban, and rural communities will be viewed favorably.  This may include but is not limited to access to healthcare and medical services, public transportation, shopping, and recreational facilities as well on site services (elder care, exercise/fitness programs, community rooms, etc.) that would be attractive and supportive to senior citizens and their families.

Utilization of abandoned properties to create new units of affordable housing:  In urban, suburban and rural areas, the utilization of underused or abandoned properties to provide permanent or interim housing for low- and moderate- income individuals provides a tremendous opportunity to reverse neighborhood and community decline.

Special consideration will also be given to those initiatives that focus on energy efficiencies to be realized through foundation funding.

Applications must meet the following guidelines:

·       Applicant organization must be tax-exempt under IRS Code 501(c) (3) or must be a state/local government entity;

·       Housing units or properties to be improved must be located in a TD Bank, N.A. metro market area;

·       Applicant organization must not discriminate on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, age, sex,  sexual orientation, sexual identification,  marital status, family status, veteran status, disability or other characteristic protected by law.

·       Applicant organization must have a history of developing, maintaining and/or providing affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families or individuals

·       Applicant organization must be able to show the impact they have made to affordable housing efforts in their community;

·       Applicant organization must show fiscal responsibility and ongoing viability;

·       All housing units or properties to be improved or developed must be for and occupied by low- and moderate-income families or individuals;

·       Applicant organizations seeking funds for the creation of new units must, if ground breaking has not already occurred,  break ground for those units sometime during the period from the receipt of the funds (November 2015) through December 2016;

·      Applicant organization must be current on all outstanding debt obligations, utility payments and taxes, there can be no unsatisfied judgments/liens for which the applicant is liable;

·      Applicant organization must be able to quantify the impact of their proposed affordable housing project;

·      Applicant organization must not have any pending legal actions against it.

Applications will only be accepted through the TD Charitable Foundation’s online application system and should be submitted by 4:00 p.m. (EST) on September 4, 2015.  Paper applications will not be accepted.

Notification of awards will be made by mid November 2015.

The online application and additional information about the Housing for Everyone grant competition are available at www.tdbank.com (click on ‘Our Community’).