Duncan’s pursuit of the dollars drew criticism from some RRHA residents and advocates, who said the housing authority had not done enough to seek out feedback from Gilpin residents before moving forward.

HUD shared that assessment, according to a scorecard it sent the housing authority in September along with a rejection letter dated Sept. 19.

RRHA’s grant application received three of nine possible points for resident and community engagement. It also received two of 10 possible points for “likelihood of implementation,” including zero of four possible points for local government support.

Duncan said Mayor Levar Stoney and then-Chief Administrative Officer Selena Cuffee-Glenn backed RRHA’s bid for the funding. RRHA’s application included a letter of support from Richmond Public Schools and the city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, but not one from Stoney, Cuffee-Glenn or the City Council.

Overall, the housing authority’s application received 41 of 102 possible points. Duncan said RRHA officials would confer with HUD representatives about how the agency can be more competitive for the grant in the future.

“This does not mean we won’t apply again next year,” Duncan said.

HUD received 20 applications, according to a letter notifying Duncan of the rejection. It awarded $5.15 million to four localities and their respective housing authorities: Huntsville, Ala.; Omaha, Neb.; Rome, Ga.; and Trenton, N.J.