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Office of Technical Assistance (OTA)

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We lead the Department’s strategy and implementation for HUD Technical Assistance (TA) funds including promoting, planning, and administering TA and capacity building activities to help HUD grantees and partners. These funds are awarded through three Notice of Funding Availability (NOFAs): Community Compass, Distressed Cities, and Thriving Communities.

Through our TA programs, we partner with other federal agencies and sometimes deliver TA on their behalf, through interagency agreements. We have done this with Treasury for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, HHS Center for Disease Control for COVID mitigation, and Department of Justice with Violence Against Women (VAWA) technical assistance.



OTA mission icon
OTA vission icon
OTA roles icon



Mission

OTA’s mission is to integrate resources, innovate holistic technical assistance design, and provide unmatched customer service to meet the cross-cutting and unique needs of HUD communities.

Vision

Deliver TA that is effective, timely, and innovative which empowers communities in achieving holistic outcomes and fosters partnerships at all levels of government.

Roles

  • Deputy Assistant Secretary – Leads the Office of Technical Assistance to ensure effective TA delivery that improves outcomes for HUD partners through the work and lens of each of the three divisions. Serves as the Cooperative Agreement Officer (CAO) for HUD TA awards and delegates specific administrative and technical functions to the Government Technical Representatives (GTR) on cooperative agreements and activity work plans.

  • Division Directors
    • Award Management Division Director — Manages TA cooperative agreements by providing direct fiduciary and programmatic oversight of the funds including implementation of TA delivery strategies. This division oversees TA demand by managing incoming TA requests and issues assignments to the appropriate TA provider, then oversees the implementation plan, performance, funding, and closeout of each engagement.
    • Risk and Performance Management Division Director — Assumes responsibility for developing and performing risk assessment, developing the monitoring protocols for HUD TA, creating performance outcome measurement framework for HUD TA programs, and analyzing performance of the TA program at large as well as individual TA award recipients. This team also manages the systems and data for HUD TA programs.
    • Planning and Coordination Division Director — Leads the Departmental planning, forecasting, and need management for HUD TA programs. This team also informs the development of budget, the solicitation of TA providers through biannual NOFO development and publication, and manages the competitive award process. This team interfaces within HUD and across other federal agency partners to leverage best practices and foster innovation in TA program design and implementation.

  • Government Technical Representative (GTR) - partners with Program Office subject matter experts, called Program Office Technical Assistance Coordinators/Program Managers, (POTACs) or Government Technical Monitors (GTMs).

We Partner with the following HUD Program Offices:


  • Office of Community Planning and Development
  • Office of Housing
  • Office of Public and Indian Housing
  • Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes
  • Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
  • Secretarial and Administrative programs and initiatives (including VAWA)


TA Programs



Community Compass icon

HUD’s Community Compass initiative funds technical assistance (TA) and capacity building activities for HUD’s customers, including grantees, public housing authorities, and tribes. Managed by the Office of Technical Assistance, Community Compass is an innovative, outcome-focused approach and a collaborative effort among HUD, its customers, and the organizations providing TA and capacity building on behalf of HUD.


Distressed Cities Technical Assistance icon

The Distressed Cities Technical Assistance (DCTA) program is designed to build capacity of local governments experiencing economic distress and assist local governments and their nonprofit partners in alleviating persistent poverty in specific areas (census tracts). Through DCTA, HUD provides technical assistance directly to entities serving smaller communities with populations under 50,000.


Thriving Communities Technical Assistance icon

HUD’s Thriving Communities Technical Assistance (TCTA) program will help local governments ensure housing needs are considered as part of their larger infrastructure investment plans while also supporting equitable development in disadvantaged communities. TCTA is designed to support the coordination and integration of transportation and housing in infrastructure planning and implementation.


Eligible TA Activities

  • Needs Assessments
  • Direct Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Engagements
  • Development of Products and Tools
  • Self-Directed and Group Learning
  • Knowledge Management
  • Data Reporting, Analysis, and Management
  • NAHASDA Allocation Formula Administration and Negotiated Rulemaking Support


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