A CHDO is a private nonprofit, community-based organization that has staff with the capacity to develop affordable housing for the community it serves. In order to qualify for designation as a CHDO, the organization must meet certain requirements pertaining to their legal status, organizational structure, and capacity and experience.

In order to count towards the 15 percent set-aside, a CHDO must act as the owner, developer, or sponsor of a project that is an eligible set-aside activity. These eligible set-aside activities include: the acquisition and/or rehabilitation of rental housing; new construction of rental housing; acquisition and/or rehabilitation of homebuyer properties; new construction of homebuyer properties; and direct financial assistance to purchasers of HOME-assisted housing that has been developed with HOME funds by the CHDO.