REPORT TO THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
FEBRUARY 22, 2017
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Development and Resource Management Department
THROUGH: KELLI FURTADO, Assistant Director
Development and Resource Management Department
BY: Thomas Morgan, Housing Manager
Development and Resource Management Department
SUBJECT
Title
Workshop on the evaluation and scoring of applications for federal entitlement funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) related to the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 (FY 2018) Annual Action Plan
Body
RECOMMENDATION
There is no action required as this Item is a workshop.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A workshop to brief the Housing and Community Development Commission (HCDC) members on the methodology for evaluating and scoring FY 2018 applications received in response to the Consolidated Notice of Funding Availability (Consolidated NOFA) for federal entitlement funds, in preparation for the HCDC Applicant Presentation Public Hearing scheduled and noticed for March 22, 2017. Attached are the City’s Consolidated Plan Priorities and other materials and aids to be used by the HCDC in evaluating and scoring FY 2018 applications.
BACKGROUND
The City of Fresno is the annual recipient of federal entitlement funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These funds are provided through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME); the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS/HIV (HOPWA) programs. As a condition of receiving these funds, the City is required to prepare an Annual Action Plan detailing the uses of the federal dollars and the benefits to low and moderate income persons.
Citizen Participation
City staff began preparation of the FY 2018 Annual Action Plan by conducting Community Workshops on January 10, 2017 and January 17, 2017. The workshops provided basic information on the CDBG, HOME, ESG and HOPWA programs, the citizen participation process, and the steps and timeline for identifying and selecting activities for FY 2018 funding. These two workshops were followed by a Community Needs Public Hearing at the January 25, 2017 meeting of the HCDC. The process continued with the release of the Consolidated NOFA and Information Guide on February 10, 2017. CDBG, ESG and HOME applications will be due on March 3, 2017 and applicants will be asked to make oral presentations to the HCDC during a Public Hearing on March 22, 2017. The HCDC will review, evaluate and score CDBG applications. ESG, HOME, and HOPWA applications will be pre-scored by a committee of subject matter experts prior to HCDC review. ESG and HOPWA scoring will be conducted by a panel that has experience working with persons experiencing homelessness and/or AIDS/HIV, the results will be presented to the HCDC on March 22, 2017. HOME scoring results will be presented at a future to-be-determined date. (Note: HUD requires the completion of extensive due diligence and underwriting requirements prior to the City committing HOME funds). The HCDC will provide CDBG, ESG and HOPWA funding recommendations to the Mayor as part of the Annual Action Plan process. HOME funds will be set-aside for HOME eligible activities in the Annual Action Plan, but specific awards will be made following the completion of underwriting and due diligence.
FY 2014-2015 Federal Entitlement Funding
The City of Fresno expects to receive the following entitlement funding for FY 2018:
− CDBG: $6,330,331
− ESG: $565,293
− HOME: $2,192,795
− HOPWA: $387,290
Scoring Process
Subrecipients, City departments, and other public or private agencies, submitting applications have been invited through the Consolidated NOFA to present the merits of their respective projects to HCDC on March 22, 2017. A book of submitted applications will be provided to HCDC members prior to the March 22, 2017 meeting. Applicants will be eligible to receive up to 100 points on their CDBG applications. Prior to the March 22, 2017 meeting, Staff will have reviewed and evaluated the CDBG applications and determined threshold eligibility and provided a score of up to 20 points based on the qualifying criteria. The HCDC will review and evaluate the CDBG applications and score up to 80 points based upon the standards set forth. The signed and dated score sheets will be returned to the City’s Housing Division.
Attachments:
Exhibit A - Consolidated Plan Priorities
Exhibit B - Community Development Block Grant Program
Exhibit C - HOME Investment Partnerships Program
Exhibit D - Emergency Solutions Grant Program
Exhibit E - Housing Opportunities for Personas With AIDS/HIV Program
Exhibit F - CDBG Scoring Methodology and Sample Score Sheet