- October 31, 2024
- Greg Hettrick
Planting Seeds of Change: How FHLB Dallas’ New Programs are Supporting Affordable Housing and Economic Development
At the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas), we’re committed to addressing affordable housing and economic development needs across our communities. In 2024, we introduced three innovative pilot programs aimed at empowering community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and underserved populations like Native American and tribal communities. Through these initiatives, we’re helping bridge gaps in funding, expand access to housing and bolster economic growth in our District.
Our commitment to providing stable, reliable funding and access to our membership drives these efforts.
By engaging with housing leaders and community organizations, particularly with ties to Native American tribal housing entities and CDFIs, we sought to understand how best to support the specific needs of Native American communities and other underserved groups. The result is three impactful programs: the Native American Housing Opportunities (NAHO) Fund, the Community Building and Growth Grant (CBGG) and the Community Advancement Through New Opportunities and Partnerships Yielding Results (CANOPY) Fund.
Here’s a look at each of these transformative initiatives:
NAHO Fund:
The NAHO Fund was created to address the unique housing needs of Native American communities, providing a wider range of uses and greater flexibility compared to our Affordable Housing Program (AHP). This fund offers grants of $50,000 to $150,000 directly to tribal housing organizations and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs), helping them develop culturally relevant, community-led housing solutions. In its first year, the NAHO Fund awarded $1 million across seven tribal organizations, setting the foundation for sustainable housing solutions that will benefit tribal members for years to come.
CBGG:
Launched in March 2024, the CBGG focuses on supporting nondepository, mission-driven CDFIs that play a crucial role in affordable housing, small business development and economic growth in their communities. With monetary grants up to $500,000 for member CDFIs and $100,000 for nonmember CDFIs, as well as nonmonetary or expertise grants, the CBGG enables these organizations to overcome operational challenges. By providing both financial and technical resources, we’re helping CDFIs expand services, scale up operations and improve marketing and automation — enhancing their capacity to expand their reach and impact.
CANOPY Fund:
Our latest initiative, the CANOPY Fund, addresses the need for flexible, long-term financing to assist in the growth of economic opportunities and affordable housing in underserved and low- to moderate-income communities in our five-state District. This $35 million loan fund offers low-cost, unsecured loans with a term of up to 10 years, giving CDFIs the ability to undertake larger, impactful projects. By equipping CDFIs with the capital needed for long-term planning, the CANOPY Fund encourages projects that can create lasting change.
Looking Ahead
As we move forward, the initial success of these pilot programs has given us optimism for their potential to create lasting, transformative impacts. The NAHO Fund’s early achievements show the power of direct tribal funding, while the CBGG and CANOPY Fund provide crucial support to CDFIs as they grow stronger and expand their services.
Our commitment doesn’t end here. We’ll continue to monitor the progress of these initiatives, gather feedback and adapt as needed. These programs are more than financial support – they're about building partnerships, fostering innovation and creating opportunities where they're needed most.
