New Voucher Funding Opportunities (FUP Vouchers and Mainstream Vouchers)

There are currently two open notice of funding opportunities (NOFAs) for new vouchers for PHAs: Family  Unification Program Vouchers and Mainstream Vouchers.

Family Unification Program Vouchers

Application Due Date: 7/24/18.

Amount: $30 million.

The Family Unification Program (FUP) allows PHAs to partner with Public Child Welfare Agencies (PCWAs) to provide housing choice vouchers to two groups:

  • Families for whom the lack of housing is a primary factor in the placement of the family’s child in out-of-home care (or the delay in discharge to the family from out-of-home care); and
  • Youth who are at least 18 and have not yet reached their 25th birthday, who left foster care (or will leave foster care in 90 days) and are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless.

This NOFA now requires that in addition to PHAs and PCWAs to being parties to a required memorandum of understanding (MOU), Continuums of Care (COCs) must also be a party to the MOU. Additionally, there is now a threshold to to prevent FUP low utilizers from receiving a new allocation of FUP vouchers, and the CoC must now contribute to the PCWA’s Statement of Need. Finally, in addition to definitional revisions, this NOFA incorporates HOTMA’s FUP related changes.

Relevant links include the following:

  • The FUP NOFA for FY 2017 and FY 2018 can be found here;
  • A sample FUP MOU can be found here; and
  • HUD’s FUP FAQ can be found here.

Mainstream (Section 811) Vouchers

Application Due Date: 6/18/18.

Amount: $100 million.

This NOFA provides funding for vouchers which must be used to assist non-elderly persons with disabilities and their families. The funding is provided to assist non-elderly persons with disabilities who are:

  • Transitioning out of institutional or other segregated setting;
  • At serious risk of institutionalization;
  • Homeless; or
  • At risk of becoming homeless.

The rating criteria for applications is the following:

  • PHA Capacity and Experience (60 points);
  • Leveraging Resources (30 points); and
  • Achieving Results and Program Evaluation (10 points).

Relevant links include the following:

  • The Mainstream NOFA can be found here;
  • HUD’s NOFA Summary Presentation can be found here;
  • HUD’s NOFA FAQ can be found here; and
  • Additional resources from the Technical Assistance Collaborative can be found here. [5/2/18 Edit – link corrected.]

Allocations for CPD Formula Programs Announced

HUD has announced its allocations for the Office of Community Planning and Development’s (CPD) formula programs, including: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), and the Housing Trust Fund (HTF). Allocations reflect the level of funding approved for your community.  Allocations can be found on HUD’s CPD Formula Allocations for FY 2018 website.

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HUD Posts 2018 CoC Registration Forms

HUD has posted it’s FY 2018 Continuum of Care (CoC) registration form to e-snaps with a submission deadline of 5:00 PM EDT on May 14, 2018. Collaborative applicants for CoCs that have changes from FY 2017 must complete the registration forms to access the Consolidated Application in the FY 2018 CoC Program Competition. This includes the CoC Application, the CoC Priority Listing, and project applications. If a CoC has no changes, they do not need to complete the registration, as HUD will move the previous year’s CoC registration information forward with no changes.

HUD also plans to release CPD Notice-18-06 “Applying to be a High Performing Community (HPC)” to the FY 2018 CoC Program Competition Funding Availability Page no earlier than May 2, 2018. The Notice will provide information applicants need to complete the 2018 Registration Process.

HUD Issues Memo on Delayed RAD Closings

Recently, HUD’s Office of Recapitalization (Recap) Director Tom Davis issued a memo announcing new guidelines for closing RAD transactions after issuance of the RAD Conversion Commitment (RCC). Once an RCC is issued, agencies undergoing RAD conversions have 90 days to close their RAD transactions unless granted an extension by HUD. Recap notes that they expect PHAs to be ready to begin the closing process once the RCC is issued, however, HUD notes that some agencies undergoing RAD transactions have not submitted their closing packages “in a timely manner” once the RCC is issued. According to Recap, this “unnecessarily diverts staff attention away from transactions that are ready to close.” As a result, Recap is now introducing a “more standardized framework for processing transactions with a delayed submission of the draft closing package” through a new “Delayed Submission” RCC status.

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HUD Releases Rent Reform Proposal

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its rent reform proposal earlier today–titled “Making Affordable Housing Work Act of 2018.” The President’s previously released proposed FY 2019 budget anticipated certain rent reform proposals, though at the time of the proposed budget’s release, these proposals were unknown. The Department has now released its proposal.

In a press release accompanying the proposal, HUD states that “a simplified structure of ‘core rents’ that offers a more transparent and predictable rent calculation . . . is easier for both landlords and tenants to understand.” It also states that “HUD will . . . create a menu of ‘choice rents’ that PHAs and owners may implement to promote greater flexibility, local control, and self-sufficiency for non-elderly/non-disabled households.”

NAHRO staff is in the process of reading through the legislation and will provide additional information in the near future.

The full press release can be found here.

The full legislative text can be found here.

[5/1/18 – NAHRO members can find a full summary of the legislation here. (You must be logged in to view this page.)]

Share Your HUD Strong Families Initiative Events!

HUD Strong Families

HUD’s Strong Families Initiative builds upon HUD’s longstanding Father’s Day efforts to involve fathers in the lives of their children. This year HUD is expanding its focus to include mothers, children and parents of all kinds!

Join HUD Strong Families by hosting a resource event in your community anytime during the months of May or June! Your HUD Strong Families event can feature fun and useful activities from moon bounces and barbeques to reading booths, STEM workshops, digital literacy trainings, health clinics, and more!

Check out HUD’s latest Brief:  HUD Strong Families: Parenthood Edition!

Visit the Strong Families website to learn more:  www.hud.gov/strongfamilies.

Or directly register:  go.usa.gov/xndru

Questions?  Email HUD at:  Strongfamilies@hud.gov

TAC to Hold Mainstream Voucher NOFA Webinar

HUD recently issued a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for $100 million in new “Mainstream” housing vouchers for nonelderly people with disabilities.  Information on “Mainstream” Vouchers can be found on HUD’s Office of Housing Choice Vouchers page. The link can also be found below:

https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/hcv.

PHAs are eligible to submit applications; applications are due June 18th.  While not a requirement, HUD is providing points in this competitive process for applications that include partnerships between housing and services agencies, especially those that target housing assistance to assist people with disabilities who are transitioning out of institutional or other segregated settings, at risk of institutionalization, homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC)* and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) are sponsoring a webinar on Tuesday May 1 at 1:00 ET to provide additional information about this exciting opportunity. The webinar will review the NOFA requirements and provide PHAs with some strategies to identify service partners and establish partnerships to serve target populations.

The webinar is free of charge but you must register. To register, please click on the link below to provide us with your information via Survey Monkey.  Once the survey completes, click the “Continue” button where GoToWebinar will verify your information. Click “Register” and you are all set! Note that this webinar is specifically for PHAs.  For information about related webinars, please email: lsloane@tacinc.org.

Please email lsloane@tacinc.org by April 26 with any reasonable accommodation requests.

To register, please click on the link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VoucherMay1

*See www. tacinc.org for more information about TAC.

HUD Sends FSS Program Coordinator Funding Letter

Earlier today, HUD sent a Fiscal Year 2018 Family Self-Sufficiency Program Coordinator Funding Letter to PHA Executive Directors. The letter is meant to help “prepare for the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Family Self Sufficiency Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) competition.” The letter discusses Public and Indian Housing Information Center (PIC) data; the possible use of composite scores in funding determinations; and checking the System for Award Management (SAM) and DUNS status.

Click below to learn more.

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Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants NOFA Released

On April 10, HUD posted the FY18 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants NOFA to www.grants.gov.

HUD is making available up to $5,000,000 for Planning Grants, including Planning and Action Grants. Planning Grants are two-year grants that assist communities with severely distressed public or HUD-assisted housing in developing a successful neighborhood transformation plan and building the support necessary for that plan to be successfully implemented. Planning Action Grants are three and a half year planning grants that pair planning with action. According to HUD, ‘[t]hese actions improve neighborhood confidence, which in turn sustains the community’s energy, attracts more engagement and resources, and helps convince skeptical stakeholders that positive change is possible.”

Applications are due on Tuesday, June 12. Applicants must download the application package from the www.grants.gov site. Questions can be submitted to ChoiceNeighborhoods@hud.gov.

President Signs Executive Order on Work Reforms

Earlier today, the President signed an executive order on work reforms titled “Executive Order Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility.” The executive order is divided into five sections: purpose; policy; review of regulations and guidance documents; definitions; and general provisions. This blog post provides a summary of the executive order.

Click below to read the full post.

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