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Middle Income Workforce Housing
Investment Fund (MWHF)

Established under the Middle Income Workforce Housing Investment Act (LB866, 2020), the Middle Income Workforce Housing Investment Fund (MWHF) supplies matching grants to non-profit development organizations that administer local workforce housing investment funds. MWHF funds are awarded for investment into Nebraska’s older urban and higher-minority neighborhoods in Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy counties.

Eligible Workforce Housing Projects include:

Construction of new owner-occupied housing that has an after-construction appraised value of at least $125,000 and not more than $330,000.
Owner-occupied housing units for which the cost to substantially rehabilitate exceeds 50% of a unit’s before-construction assessed value. After construction, appraised value must be at least $125,000 and not more than $330,000.
Upper-story housing for occupation by a homeowner.
In all cases, housing must not be a beneficiary of federal or state low-income housing tax credits, Community Development Block Grant funds, HOME Investment Partnerships funding, National Housing Trust Funds, American Rescue Plan Act funds, or funds from the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Eligible Areas

Projects must take place within the City of Lincoln or a qualified census tract in Douglas or Sarpy counties as described in 26 U.S.C. 42(d)(5)(b), as such section existed on January 1, 2022.

Eligible Grantees

Grantees, who are approved by the Department of Economic Development director, must be non-profit development organizations that administer or intend to administer a workforce housing investment fund and currently invest in MWHF eligible activities. The organization must have an active board of directors with expertise in development, construction and finance

Grants

Through the fiscal year 2022-23, grants shall be awarded on a competitive basis until grant funds are no longer available. The 2022 Application Guidelines are now available below under Application Guidelines. Letters of Intent are required and due by April 7. A template is included in the Application Guidelines. Full applications are due May 5, 2023.

No more than $5,000,0000 may be awarded to any one non-profit development organization over a two-year period and through fiscal year 2022-2023.

Matching Funds

MWHF applications require a minimum of $0.50 per dollar, (i.e. 50% of requested award) match. Matching funds can be dollars contributed by individuals, businesses, foundations, local and regional political subdivisions, or other non-profit organizations into a single investment fund, administered by the eligible nonprofit development organization.

Awards

Competitive awards from the MWHF will be evaluated on demonstrations of:

Need for additional owner-occupied housing needs as identified by a recent housing study or letter from the city planning department;
A neighborhood or community that has a higher-than-state average unemployment rate;
A neighborhood or community that exhibits a commitment to growing its housing stock;
Projects that can reasonably be ready for occupancy in a period of 24 months;
The ability to grow and manage a workforce housing investment fund.