10 jobs plus pilot program nofa final 7.29.15.pdf

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Public and Indian Housing

Jobs Plus Pilot Initiative

FR-5900-N-10

H04396 Stamp

FR-5900-N-10

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Funding Opportunity Description. I.

Award Information. II.

Eligibility Information.

Eligible Applicants. A.

Cost Sharing or Matching. B.

Other. C.

III.

Application and Submission Information.

Obtaining an Application Package. A.

Content and Form of Application Submission. B.

DUNS Number and SAM Registration. C.

Application Submission Dates and Times. D.

Intergovernmental Review. E.

Funding Restrictions. F.

Other Submission Requirements. G.

IV.

Application Review Information.

Criteria. A.

Review and Selection Process. B.

Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates. C.

V.

Award Administration Information.

Award Notices. A.

Administrative, National and Departmental Policy Requirements. B.

Reporting. C.

VI.

Agency Contact(s). VII.

Other Information. VIII.

Appendix. IX.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Public and Indian Housing

Initial

FR-5900-N-10

14.895 September 28, 2015

This Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) announces the availability of funding of approximately $24 million for the Jobs Plus Pilot program for Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to develop locally-based approaches to increase earnings and advance employment outcomes for Public Housing residents. The NOFA will fund initiatives to improve employment and earnings outcomes for Public Housing residents through supports such as work readiness, employer linkages, job placement and financial literacy. Of the $24 million available, $9 million is made available from the ROSS appropriations to support the services element of the Jobs-Plus Pilot program.

To help applicants with the electronic application registration and submission process, the Department advises applicants to use the checklists, user guides, and other help features located at SAM.gov and Grants.gov websites. Both websites provide access to instructions and answers to frequently asked questions which are updated periodically.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct questions regarding the specific program requirements of this Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to the agency contact identified in Section VII. Please direct questions regarding the FY 2015 General Section to the Office of Strategic Planning and Management, Grants Management Division, at (202) 708-0667 (this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access these numbers via TTY by calling the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

Additional Overview Information

1. Incorporation of the General Section. HUD publishes a General Section each fiscal year that contains mandatory requirements for all applicants to HUD’s various competitive grant programs, including this NOFA. Applications must meet all of the requirements of the General Section in addition to the requirements of this NOFA to be considered and potentially receive funding. The full title of the General Section is the General Section to the Fiscal Year 2015 NOFAs for Discretionary Programs. Copies are available at Grants.gov or HUD's Funds Available page, http: //portal.hud.gov /hudportal /HUD?src= /program_offices /administration /grants /fundsavail.

2. OMB Approval Number(s): 2577-0281

I. Funding Opportunity Description.

A. Program Description.

Program Office:

Funding Opportunity Title:

Announcement Type:

Funding Opportunity Number:

Primary CFDA Number:

Due Date for Applications:

http://www.grants.gov http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/administration/grants/fundsavail http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/administration/grants/fundsavail

1. Purpose.

The purpose of the Jobs Plus Pilot program is to develop locally-based, job-driven approaches to increase earnings and advance employment outcomes through work readiness, employer linkages, job placement, educational advancement, technology skills, and financial literacy for residents of public housing. The place-based Jobs Plus Pilot program addresses poverty among public housing residents by incentivizing and enabling employment through earned income disregards for working families, and a set of services designed to support work including employer linkages, job placement and counseling, educational advancement, and financial counseling. Ideally, these incentives will saturate the target developments, building a culture of work and making working families the norm.

The Jobs Plus Pilot program consists of the following three core components:

Employment-Related Services Financial Incentives – Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard (JPEID) Community Supports for Work

In addition to these components further defined below, applicants are encouraged to develop key partnerships to connect participants with any other needed services to remove barriers to work. An Individualized Training and Services Plan (ITSP) should be developed for each participant to establish goals and service strategies, and to track progress.

These grants will employ several principles of the President’s Job Driven Training checklist (available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/ready_to_work_factsheet.pdf) to ensure that public housing residents are connected to a program that is using evidence-based practices that work for job seekers and employers.

Labor Market Data: Successful programs will first consider the data in their local community – where the jobs are and what industries offer the most opportunities for residents to achieve long-term employment and progression along a career pathway.

Career Pathways: Successful programs will also promote a seamless progression from one educational stepping stone to another and across work-based training and education, so individuals are obtaining new training and credentials.

Work Experience: Successful programs will support learning opportunities with employers – including on-the-job training, internships and pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships – as training paths to employment.

Access to Training: Successful programs will break down barriers to accessing job-driven training and hiring for any public housing resident who is willing and able to work, including access to job supports and relevant guidance.

Key Partnerships: Finally, a successful Jobs Plus Pilot program is collaboratively designed and implemented by high-performing local housing authorities, residents of public housing developments, Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) and American Job Centers (AJC's, also known as One Stop Career Centers), local businesses and employers, and other organizations that provide supportive services within that community.

Other suggested partners include higher education institutions, philanthropic organizations, human service agencies, vocational rehabilitation agencies, business-related and other non-profit organizations and community and faith based organizations.

Background

HUD, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the MDRC, through a public-private partnership, designed and supported the Jobs Plus program model between 1998 and 2003. HUD has issued two separate evaluation reports on the demonstration, in an effort to identify and document the most promising approaches to increasing employment among families in public housing. Each evaluation showed ongoing positive effects for residents when the program was well-implemented and included the three core elements. More https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/%20docs/ready_to_work_factsheet.pdf http://www.mdrc.org/project/jobs-plus-community-revitalization-initiative-public-housing-families#overview information on the findings can be found at http://www.mdrc.org/project/jobs-plus-community-revitaliza tion-initiative-public-housing-families#overview.

Employment-Related Services

Successful applicants must partner with the Department of Labor Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and American Job Center (AJC)/One-Stop in their area to offer multiple employment-related services for residents with a range of employment needs. Local Labor Market Information (LMI) should be used both for initial planning and analysis of which employment opportunities are most available locally, as well as for monitoring ongoing trends.

Program services provided on-site should include, but need not be limited to, the following:

Career exploration/job readiness workshops Job search and job placement assistance Work experience including on-the-job training, internships, pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships (HUD encourages opportunities for residents to be paid while training whenever possible) Facilitated connections to education and training opportunities Rapid re-employment assistance in the event of job loss Proactive post-placement job retention support and career advancement coaching Access to computers, phones, fax, and copy machines and other supplies, for participants’ employment-related uses as well as adequate training on how to use these technologies

To facilitate these employment services, applicants may consider having dedicated, on-site, workforce system staff to perform job developer and case manager functions. Job developers work directly with the business community to identify and create employment opportunities and act as liaisons with local employment agencies. Case managers work one-on-one with participants to guide them through the employment process and help them achieve employment-related goals.

Financial Incentives – Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard (JPEID)

Successful applicants must also implement a financial incentive to program participants, known as the Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard (JPEID). This component will neutralize any rent increase due to rising income for Jobs Plus participants, removing a major disincentive to employment. Rent incentives offered through JPEID will be reimbursed to the PHA via Jobs Plus appropriations, and should be included in the program budget. Any other compensation to the PHA for lost rent revenues, such as by the standard EID calculation in the Operating Fund, will be offset manually to prevent overpayment of HUD funds to grant recipients. Further guidance will be available at the time of the award.

All residents in a Jobs Plus development are eligible to receive the JPEID benefit, but in order to access JPEID they must sign up for the Jobs Plus program even if they do not actively participate in other Jobs Plus Activities. Residents who previously used up some or all of their lifetime EID eligibility are eligible to receive the full JPEID benefit.

Disregarded Amount. The JPEID excludes from the Family Rent calculation 100 percent of incremental earned income for the entire period of the Jobs Plus program.

Calculation of the JPEID. Once the JPEID is triggered for a family, their baseline income will not change for the duration of the term of the grant (so participants who enroll early may benefit from the JPEID longer than residents who enroll later.) To facilitate reimbursements for rent revenue losses due to the JPEID, grantees must calculate and document each participant’s Family Rent both before and after the inclusion of any incremental earned income. The difference between these two rents is the amount to be reimbursed to the PHA through JPEID. These calculations must be provided to HUD when drawing reimbursement funds.

http://www.mdrc.org/project/jobs-plus-community-revitalization-initiative-public-housing-families#overview http://www.mdrc.org/project/jobs-plus-community-revitalization-initiative-public-housing-families#overview

As with any government benefit, an increase in earned income may result in the reduction or loss of other benefits that an individual was previously receiving. Grantees, through case management or other means, must be prepared to help residents understand the overall financial impact of an increase in earned income and the JPEID. It is also expected that grantees will encourage participants to take advantage of other financial work incentives they may be entitled to, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

Community Supports for Work

Successful applicants will incorporate a robust engagement strategy for involving the residents in the targeted development and creating a working community. Engagement is more than signing up – sustained involvement in the program leading to residents' ownership of their own growth and experiences, as well as that of peers, will yield continued benefits for both participants and future residents of the development beyond the grant period.

Program outreach should be directed towards residents at all points along the employment spectrum – from unemployed individuals with no work history to working underemployed families with substantial work history. Unless an application specifies that the applicant will target a limited sub-group, the application narrative should include strategies to target this wide range of potential participants, as well as strategies for retention.

One key strategy for retention should include the use of residents as Community Coaches. Community Coaches can market the various aspects of the Jobs Plus program, disseminate information about job opportunities and programs via resident social networks in the development, mentor specific individuals or groups who enroll in Jobs Plus, and help shape program offerings and outreach efforts based on their intimate knowledge of the needs and strengths of the community.

Partnerships with Local Agencies

The comprehensive nature of the Jobs Plus Pilot model requires that PHAs establish partnerships with American Job Centers and other key social service agencies within the community. HUD and DOL have developed a toolkit and webinar which describes effective strategies for establishing partnerships between PHAs and WIBs/AJCs (see “From the Ground Up: Creating Partnerships between Public Housing Authorities and Workforce Investment Boards” at https://www.workforce3one.org/view/500141744828540 9284/info) The toolkit provides several models for partnership that prospective applicants may want to consider.

These partnerships will serve to strengthen program planning and implementation, as well as streamline access to services for participants. For each partner identified, applicants must describe the role of the partner agency and a description of the services to be provided by the partner agency, as well as the amount of grant funding (if any) that partners will receive. Applicants should demonstrate their ability to build collaboration among all partners, regardless of whether a partner will be receiving grant funding for their services, or if the services will be provided in-kind.

Partners should include:

Workforce Investment Boards/American Job Centers Local welfare agencies Employment and training organizations Vocational training providers Community colleges and four-year educational institutions Other supportive service agencies providing either direct services or referrals to services that are critical for supporting successful employment

In addition to employment, training and educational supports, grantees will have the flexibility to provide other supportive services based on resident needs and local capacity. HUD expects that all services that are generally available to residents of the community will be leveraged in-kind from partners. Grant funds should only be used to procure services that are not already available (either by service type or amount).

https://www.workforce3one.org/view/5001417448285409284/info https://www.workforce3one.org/view/5001417448285409284/info

Examples of the types of services that may be provided by grant funds, formal partners or the program’s referral network include but are not limited to the following:

Child care services and/or after school programs Transportation assistance Financial literacy workshops Legal services (e.g. expungement) Domestic violence prevention services Services for formerly incarcerated/returning citizens Life Skills Other applicable local business support

2. Changes from Previous NOFA.

The 2015 Jobs Plus Pilot program NOFA further defines and clarifies the application format and required attachments, without modifying the fundamental program design described in the 2014 NOFA.

Substantive changes are as follows:

The standard for size of eligible developments has been reduced from those with 250 non-elderly-only households to 200 non-elderly-only households. Non-elderly-only means households where at least one resident is under age 65.

The requirement of a map and units within a ¼-mile radius has been removed and the “place” requirement has been modified such that applicants may now apply to serve non-contiguous eligible developments. Applicants must provide information regarding place in the rating factors.

A general expectation of grantees has been added: If a PHA is a successful applicant for Jobs Plus funds, the PHA will be required to implement the full 48 month term of the grant at the public housing site(s) for which funds were awarded and commit to not engaging in any significant redevelopment that would result in resident relocation during the 48-month Jobs Plus implementation timeframe.

The required MOU between the PHA and the WIB/One-Stop must be specific to Jobs Plus and must be dated between the publication date and due date of this NOFA.

Scoring criteria have been elaborated.

3. Definitions.

a. Eligibility Requirements – Eligibility requirements are those requirements that must be met for an application to be eligible for funding. Deficiencies in meeting an eligibility requirement may be categorized as either curable or non-curable.

b. Threshold Requirement – Threshold requirements are a category of eligibility requirements. A threshold requirement is a requirement that must be met in order for an application to be reviewed.

Threshold requirements are not curable.

Threshold requirements are listed in Section III.C.2. of both the 2015 General Section and in this Program

NOFA.

Applicants must ensure their application package addresses all threshold requirements. Please check your application carefully!

c. Deficiency – Deficiencies are not the same as errors. Errors are never curable except as permitted under Section IV.C.2. Deficiencies are items of missing or omitted information within a submitted application.

Deficiencies typically involve missing documents, information on a form, or some other type of unsatisfied information requirement (e.g., an unsigned form, unchecked box, etc.). Depending on specific criteria, deficiencies may be either curable or non-curable.

d. Curable Deficiency – A curable deficiency is a specific type of deficiency that applicants may correct with timely action. To be curable the deficiency must:

– Not be a threshold requirement;

– Not influence how an applicant is ranked or scored versus other applicants; and

– Be remedied within the time frame specified in the notice of deficiency.

e. Non-Curable Deficiency – An applicant cannot correct a non-curable deficiency after the submission deadline. Non-curable deficiencies are deficiencies that if corrected would change an applicant’s score or rank versus other applicants. Non-curable deficiencies may result in an application being marked ineligible, or otherwise adversely affect an application’s score and final determination.

Eligible Activities

Eligible Activities include:

Hiring and compensating staff such as Service Coordinators or other service related personnel (salary and fringe of either Jobs Plus-specific staff or partner staff dedicated in whole or in part to providing Jobs Plus-related services).

Providing services, such as job development and placement services, work readiness including assistance with purchasing books, training materials, uniforms, test fees, work-related tools, interview clothing, required immunizations or health testing (e.g. TB test) or other hiring pre-requisites, etc., education, job training and counseling, job search skills, tutoring, mentoring, literacy, financial literacy and/or coaching, computer and internet access/on-site computer labs and training on computer use and online technologies, counseling, work readiness health screening, transportation, and child care. (Services may be provided by the PHA or any partner/sub-contractor.)

Rent incentives.

Technical assistance.

Administrative costs such as rental of office space and related utilities, office supplies and equipment, postage, etc.

Lease or rental of space for Jobs Plus activities is an eligible use of administrative funds, but only under the following conditions:

The lease must be for existing facilities not requiring rehabilitation or construction except for minimal alterations to make the facilities accessible for a person with disabilities;

No repairs or renovations of the property may be undertaken with Jobs Plus funds; and Properties in the Coastal Barrier Resources System designated under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3501) cannot be leased or rented with federal funds.

Data collection/tracking and related software.

Staff training/development/conferences/participating in learning networks and associated travel.

NOTE: All program expenses must be approved by HUD and be within statutory and regulatory limitations (e.g., 2 CFR Part 200).

NOTE ALSO: HUD reserves the right to approve or disapprove any activity and may adjust grant budget amounts accordingly within individual grants and across this grant program.

B. Authority.

Funding for this program is authorized by the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, Pub. L. No. 113-235, enacted December 16, 2014.

II. Award Information.

A. Available Funds.

HUD is making available through this NOFA $24,000,000 for Jobs Plus Pilot Initiative.

Additional funds may become available for award under this NOFA as a result of HUD's efforts to recapture unused funds, use carryover funds, or because of the availability of additional appropriated funds. Use of these funds will be subject to statutory constraints. All awards are subject to the applicable funding restrictions described in the General Section and to those contained in this NOFA.

This includes $15 million appropriated in FY15 for Jobs Plus and an additional $9 million made available from the FY15 ROSS program appropriations to support the services element of the Jobs Plus program.

HUD will make the final determination regarding the amount from Jobs Plus and the amount from ROSS that will comprise each individual grant.

B. Number of Awards.

HUD expects to make approximately 8 awards from the funds available under this NOFA.

C. Minimum/Maximum Award Information.

Estimated total funding for the Jobs Plus Pilot Program is $24 million. Minimum award amounts are subject to budget request and maximum award amounts are $3 million.

Estimated Total Funding: $24,000,000 Minimum Award Amount: $1,000,000 Per Project Period Maximum Award Amount: $3,000,000 Per Project Period D. Period of Performance.

The grant term is 4 years.

Estimated Project Start Date: 01/01/2016 Estimated Project End Date: 12/31/2019 48-month project with four 12-month budget periods

E. Type of Funding Instrument.

Funding Instrument Type: Grant

All Jobs Plus funds will be provided through a Grant Agreement and HUD's Line of Credit Control System

(LOCCS).

F. Supplementation.

Not Applicable.

III. Eligibility Information.

A. Eligible Applicants.

Eligible applicants under this NOFA include:

Public Housing Authorities.

Additional Information on Eligibility:

PHAs that operate one or more public housing developments (as designated for asset management purposes) that meet the criteria outlined in this NOFA. A list of developments that meet the criteria is provided in Appendix B however, the mere appearance of a development on this list does not necessarily mean that the development is appropriate for a Jobs Plus program.

Criteria for Eligible Developments

Size: Minimum development size of 200 non-elderly-only households. Non-elderly-only means households where at least one resident is under age 65.

Unemployment: At least 50 percent of the households (excluding elderly-only households) contain no member showing earned income in PIC.

Place: Because Jobs Plus is a place-based program, units to be served must be contiguous unless good cause can be shown that the program will be successful in non-contiguous developments. A detailed description as to how the program will be run from one central location and remain accessible to all residents of non-contiguous developments will be required in the rating factors.

This requirement may disqualify developments on the Eligible Development list if the Asset Management Project (AMP) is for scattered sites.

Developments that belong to PHAs that are considered troubled in PHAS or are on the PHARS list or that are in receivership are not eligible to participate.

PHAs may propose to combine two or more developments to meet the criteria for eligible developments, subject to the following conditions:

Parts of developments cannot be combined. Only entire developments may be combined.

The combined developments must meet the criteria for size (see above) The combined developments must meet the criteria for unemployment (see above)

PHAs that have developments not listed on Appendix B that they believe, when combined, meet the criteria, may submit a request for review of eligibility.

PHAs that received a Jobs Plus Pilot Program grant in 2014 are not eligible for 2015 grant funds.

If a PHA is a successful applicant for Jobs Plus funds, the PHA will be required to implement the full 48 month term of the grant at the public housing site(s) for which funds were awarded and commit to not engaging in any significant redevelopment that would result in resident relocation during the 48-month Jobs Plus implementation timeframe.

PHAs that have more than one development already listed as eligible in Appendix B may apply to serve more than one of the eligible developments as long as they are contiguous or show in the application that they meet the required criteria for place (see above). No Request for Review of Eligibility is required prior to submitting the application.

Process for Request for Review of Eligibility. In advance of submitting this grant application, applicants whose developments are not on Appendix B but who believe a combination of developments will meet eligibility requirements, must submit a Request for Review of Eligibility of their target developments. To be considered, applicants must submit a Request via email to JobsPlus@hud.gov that lists the development name and numbers (in the format found in Appendix B) that are proposed to be combined to meet the criteria for the Jobs Plus program. HUD will review the request using the same query of PIC data on the proposed combined developments to determine if the proposed developments meet the criteria for size and unemployment (see above) that were used to generate Appendix B. HUD will respond within five working days of receipt of the request. That response will be an eligibility approval, eligibility disapproval, or a request for more information. If more information is requested, HUD will respond within five working days upon receipt of the additional information. All initial Requests for Review of Eligibility must be received no later than 20 calendar days prior to the due date of this NOFA.

HUD does not award grants to individuals. HUD will also not evaluate applications from ineligible applicants.

All applicants must have an active Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number (http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform) and have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov) before submitting an application. Getting a DUNS number and completing SAM registration can take up to four weeks; therefore applicants should start this process or check their status early.

See also Section IV.B below for necessary content and form of the application.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching.

This Program requires an applicant to leverage resources through cost sharing or matching as described below.

Generally, federal sources are not allowed to be used as cost share or match unless otherwise permitted by a program’s authorizing statute.

All applicants are required to have in place a firmly committed match contribution equivalent to 25 percent of their total grant amount requested. Commitments beyond 25% will be considered leverage. The match/leverage may be provided as a cash or in-kind donation. All agencies listed as providing match/leverage are required to provide a detailed letter on agency letterhead attesting to match/leverage signed by a person authorized to make the commitment.

Match/leverage letters must contain:

Letterhead of contributing agency Signature of authorized individual at the contributing agency Total dollar value of commitment, per year of grant and overall For in-kind match, detailed calculations showing how the total dollar value was derived

For match based on participants served, the calculation should be: __residents x __ cost of program per resident per year x __ years of grant = total commitment For match based on staff/volunteer time, the calculation should be: __ hours per year x __ hourly rate x __ years of grant = total commitment For match based on a set resource, the calculation should be: __ monthly rate x __ months per yearx __ years of grant = total commitment

For cash match, the source of the funds must be clearly stated but calculations are not necessary Date between publication date of the NOFA and application date of the NOFA Explanation of how the contributed resource relates to the success of participants in the Jobs Plus program

Applicants proposing to use their own, non-Jobs Plus grant funds to provide match or leverage, in whole or in part, must also have a letter of commitment indicating the type of match/leverage (cash or in-kind), the source of the match/leverage, the value of the match/leverage, and how the match/leverage will be used.

PHA Operating and Capital Funds may be used as match, if used for purposes eligible under the respective program. Regular PHA staff time is not eligible to be used for match.

In-kind contributions may include, but are not limited to, items in the following list. All must be related to the activities of the Jobs Plus program.

The value of a building or space in a building donated for Jobs Plus purposes;

The value of a lease on a building or space in a building donated for Jobs Plus purposes;

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform http://www.sam.gov

The value of a lease on a building or space in a building donated for Jobs Plus purposes;

Other infrastructure for Jobs Plus purposes;

Time and services contributed by volunteers;

Staff salaries and benefits of service providers (PHA staff time may not be counted);

The value of supportive services provided by a partner agency

TANF:

Existing and newly generated TANF cash benefits (for individuals) will not be accepted as a resource for leverage.

Existing and newly generated non-cash services provided by TANF agencies may be accepted as a resource for leverage.

Wages projected to be paid to residents through jobs or projected benefits (e.g., health/insurance/retirement benefits) related to projected resources to be provided by the Jobs Plus program may not be counted.

If preferred, match commitments may be laid out in the MOU instead of a Match Commitment letter, but must contain all calculations described above. The letterhead requirement does not apply if match is detailed in the MOU.

Applicants that do not demonstrate the minimum match and attach corresponding match commitment letters will not receive further consideration for funding.

C. Other.

All applicants must also refer to Section III of the General Section for information on HUD-wide eligibility requirements. These requirements may determine whether your application is reviewed or make your application ineligible for funding.

Program specific eligibility criteria for this competition includes:

1. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements.

Consistency with the Consolidated Plan and Analysis of Impediments (AI) to Fair Housing Choice. Under HUD’s regulations at 24 CFR 91.2(d), an applicant’s PHA Plan includes a certification by the appropriate state or local official that the PHA Plan is consistent with the applicable Consolidated Plan for the jurisdiction in which the PHA is located and must describe the manner in which the applicable contents of the PHA Plan are consistent with the Consolidated Plan. To the extent that the Jobs Plus Pilot Program is addressed or should be addressed in the PHA Plan, it must be certified to be consistent with the Consolidated Plan. Successful applicants will be required to include the Jobs Plus Program in the next amendment to the PHA Plan and that Plan must be certified to be consistent with the Consolidated Plan..

2. Threshold Requirements.

Only applications that meet all threshold requirements established in the General Section and Program NOFA will be evaluated. In addition to the threshold criteria outlined in the General Section, including the Resolution of Outstanding Civil Rights Matters (prior to application deadline), the following threshold requirements must be met:

A. MOU. Applicants must establish and maintain a working relationship with the local Workforce Investment Board and/or local American Job Center (formerly known as One-Stop Center). In order to meet the threshold requirement, the applicant must submit documentation of this relationship in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Housing Authority and the local Workforce Investment Board or American Job Center/One-Stop Center. The MOU must identify roles and responsibilities of the signatory agencies, and have been signed by all parties between the date of publication of this NOFA and the application due date. If there is an MOU already in place, the parties must execute an Addendum that specifically references the Jobs Plus Program, and meets the date requirements above.

B. Match. Applicants that do not demonstrate the minimum match through the attachment of detailed match commitment letters as described in this NOFA Section III.B will not receive further consideration for funding.

C. Rent Incentives. Applicants that request more than 60% of their grant be used for rent incentives will be rejected.

3. Compliance with Nondiscrimination and Related Requirements.

Please note that the requirements listed in Section III.C.3 of the General Section ("Compliance with Nondiscrimination and Other Requirements") apply to this NOFA unless otherwise specified below.

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. Applicants should note that this requirement, which is listed in Section III.C.3.b of the General Section, has been modified under this NOFA. Section III.C.3.b of the General Section generally requires applicants to submit a statement (unless otherwise stated in the program NOFA) describing how it is going to carry out the proposed activities in a manner that is in compliance with Section 808(e)(5) of the Fair Housing Act, which requires the Department to affirmatively further the purposes of the Fair Housing Act in its housing and urban development programs.

Applicants under this NOFA do not have to include a statement on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) in their application; instead, successful applicants are required to undertake the following AFFH activities:

(1) Ensure that each participant receives training and information on rights and remedies available under the federal, state, and local fair housing and civil rights laws and a copy of the housing discrimination complaint form.

(2) Ensure that each participant is told how to file a fair housing complaint and given the toll-free number for the Housing Discrimination Hotline: 800-669-9777, and the Federal Relay Service’s teletype service number for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who have speech disabilities: : 800-877-8339.

(3) Ensure that affirmative outreach is conducted to reach families in demographic categories that would ordinarily be least likely to apply for inclusion in this program without targeted outreach and/or would ordinarily be least likely to participate without special effort on the part of the PHA.

(4) Mobility Counseling: If the family is currently living in a high poverty census tract in the PHA’s jurisdiction, ensure that the family is provided with an explanation of the advantages of moving to an area that does not have a high concentration of low- and very low-income people and information on housing search and other geographic mobility services.

(5) Make available to all participants information on housing opportunities available throughout the region which will provide them with greater opportunities for employment, job training, highly ranked schools and varied cultural amenities, and how to access such opportunities through support organizations in the area.

(6) Seek out fair housing training that will assist the Jobs Plus personnel in fulfilling fair housing responsibilities. Fair housing training may be available through the local Fair Housing Initiatives Program

(FHIP) agency or the Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) agency. A listing of FHIPs and FHAPs can be found at www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/partners/FHIP/fhip.cfm (FHIP) and www.hud.gov/offices/fheo /partners/FHAP/agencies.cfm (FHAP).

4. Other Requirements.

This program has eligibility criteria for beneficiaries.

You must refer to Section III of the General Section for information on the following eligibility requirements. These requirements may, where applicable, determine whether your application is reviewed or make your application ineligible for funding:

Resolution of civil rights matters;

Compliance with nondiscrimination and other requirements, including but not limited to:

compliance with all applicable fair housing and civil rights laws;

affirmatively furthering fair housing;

Delinquent Federal debts Financial management systems that meet Federal standards;

Debarment and/or suspension from doing business with the Federal Government;

False statements;

Do Not Pay review and compliance with the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act of 2012;

Standards of ethical conduct/code of conduct;

Prohibition against lobbying activities; and Conflicts of interest

Technical Assistance. HUD encourages PHAs and partners to seek technical assistance in implementing a successful Jobs Plus program. Technical assistance is an eligible use of funds and should be accounted for in the budget; however HUD reserves the right to approve all technical assistance and providers for the PHA. Further guidance will be issued upon grant award.

Data Sharing. Applicants must agree to share any and all data gathered as part of the Jobs Plus program with HUD or HUD designees upon HUD’s request. This includes, but is not limited to, data on program management, outcomes, participants and expenditures.

IV. Application and Submission Information.

A. Obtaining an Application Package.

An electronic copy of the Application Package and Application Instructions for this NOFA can be downloaded from Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html. Unless an applicant received a waiver for good cause, applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov except Continuum of Care applications. The Continuum of Care application is submitted through HUD’s e-snaps system.

An applicant demonstrating good cause may request a waiver from the requirement for electronic submission. Applicants that cannot submit their applications electronically and must seek a waiver of the electronic grant submission requirements must submit a waiver request so that the request is received at least 15 days before the application deadline. If HUD waives the requirement, your paper application must be received by HUD before the deadline of this NOFA. To request a waiver and receive a paper copy of the application materials, you should contact:

Email: JobsPlus@hud.gov http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/partners/FHIP/fhip.cfm%20 http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/partners/FHAP/agencies.cfm http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/partners/FHAP/agencies.cfm http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html mailto:JobsPlus@hud.gov

Email: JobsPlus@hud.gov

The subject line of the email message should be FY 2015 Jobs Plus NOFA Waiver Request. If an applicant is granted a waiver, then the approval will provide instructions for submitting paper copies to the appropriate HUD office(s). See Section IV.B of the General Section ("Paper Application") and Section IV.A.3 of the General Section ("Waiver of Electronic Submission Requirements") for more information.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission.

To ensure that the correct Application Package and Application Instructions are used, applicants must verify that the CFDA number and CFDA Description on the first page of the Application Package downloaded from Grants.gov, as well as the Opportunity Title, and the Funding Opportunity Number match the Program and NOFA to which they are applying. Applications will only be considered for the competition indicated in boxes 11, 12, and 13 on the SF-424 submitted in the application.

1. Content

Forms for your package include the forms outlined below:

Additionally, your complete application must include the following narratives and non-form attachments:

Other Application Submission Information

(See also "Guidance for Locating and Completing Forms")

Executive Summary Please include an Executive Summary of the proposed program. Please do not exceed three (3) pages

Jobs Plus Narratives As noted in the Jobs Plus NOFA, the written narrative must address the rating factors noted in Section V of the NOFA. Narratives are required for Rating Factor 1, 2 and 3. If narratives or other required submissions for the rating factors are missing from the application, they cannot be deemed a deficiency and requested. Your application will be reviewed based on the material submitted.

Map of Site Please include a map showing the layout of the proposed site to be served.

MOU between PHA and WIB and/or AJC/One-Stop

This is a required threshold. If it is missing from the application, it cannot be requested as a cure for deficiency.

Implementation Schedule

Part of Rating Factor 3

Detailed Program Budget

Part of Rating Factor 3 - Applicant’s own format

Jobs Plus Summary Budget

Part of Rating Factor 3 - Form provided

Budget Narrative Part of Rating Factor 3

Match/Leverage chart See Rating Factor 4 for instructions

Match/leverage commitment letters

See Section III.B - Match and Rating Factor 4 for instructions mailto:JobsPlus@hud.gov

2. Format and Form Narratives and other attachments to your application must follow the following format guidelines:

Applications must be submitted with the following attachments:

Executive Summary – file named PHA_Name_Executive_Summary. Not to exceed 3 pages.

Rating Factor 1 Narrative – Capacity. File named PHA_Name_Rating_Factor_1_Capacity, not to exceed 15 pages.

Rating Factor 2 Narrative – Need. File named PHA_Name_Rating_Factor_2_Need, not to exceed 5 pages.

Rating Factor 3 Narrative – Soundness of Approach. File named PHA_Name_Rating_Factor_3_Soundness, not to exceed 20 pages.

Map of Site – file named PHA_Name_Map.

Signed MOU between PHA and WIB – file named PHA_Name_MOU.

Implementation Schedule – file named PHA_Name_Implementation_Schedule. Not to exceed 5 pages.

Match Commitment Chart – file named PHA_Name_Match_Commitment_Chart.

Detailed Match Commitment Letters – ONE PDF file with all letters named PHA_Name_Match_Commitment_Letters.

Detailed Program Budget – file named PHA_Name_Detailed_Budget.

Jobs Plus Summary Budget – Excel file named PHA_Name_Summary_Budget.

Budget Narrative – file named PHA_Name_Budget_Narrative, not to exceed 5 pages.

Please upload files in the above order onto Grants.gov. Alternatively, you may combine all narratives into one PDF and upload as one file, but a Table of Contents should be included with page numbers to reference each narrative section.

Narrative page limits assume 12 point Times New Roman font with double spacing and one inch margins.

Tables and budgets do not need to adhere to these standards. Only the information contained within the page limits for each narrative will be used for scoring that narrative.

Applications that are missing any of the following will be considered non-responsive to the NOFA and will not be considered for funding: Rating Factor 1 Narrative – Capacity; Rating Factor 2 Narrative – Need;

Rating Factor 3 Narrative – Soundness of Approach; Signed MOU between PHA and WIB; Implementation Schedule; Detailed Match Commitment Letters; Detailed Program Budget; Jobs Plus Summary Budget;

Budget Narrative.

Guidance for Locating and Completing Forms

a. General. Please note that the application consists of the "application download" and the "instructions download." Forms referred to as "electronic" are part of the application download in grants.gov, and forms referred to as "attachments" are part of the instructions download in grants.gov. Use only the forms included in the Grants.gov application download and instructions download for this funding opportunity to avoid using outdated forms. See Section IV.B.1.a of the 2015 General Section ("Application Download") for more information.

b. SF 424.

Boxes in yellow are mandatory fields.

Question 2 – All applicants should select the “new” box on question 2, “type of application.”

Question 5a – The Federal Identifier requested in 5a is the PHA number of each applicant PHA (e.g., MD035 or AK002).

Question 5b – You may leave this blank.

Question 8.d – When entering the applicant zip code in 8.d, enter the 9 digit zip code.

Questions 10, 11, 12 and 13 are pre-populated. Do not add or change anything.

Question 14 – You may leave blank and do not need to attach anything.

Question 15 – PHA discretion. Suggest using the name of your PHA and Jobs Plus.

Question 16 – If the location of the applicant’s office and the location of the program/project are within the same Congressional District, you should include the same answer for both parts.

Question 17 – use the dates indicated in the preamble of the NOFA or estimate.

Question 18 – Complete 18.a which will be the amount requested from HUD in this application. The dollar amount entered in 18.a must be the total requested under this NOFA. 18.b should reflect the total match and leverage that you and your partners are committing to the program. No funding amount should be reported in 18.b through 18.f. The total, 18.g will populate a cumulative figure.

Question 19 – Answer c. Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.

Do not add attachments to the SF_424. Use the Attachments Form in the electronic application to submit attachments.

c. SF-LLL. If this form is not applicable to your agency, do not include it in your submission.

d. HUD_96011. If faxes will not be sent with your application, enter "1" for the number of pages. See the 2014 General Section for more information.

e. HUD2880 Applicant Recipient Disclosure Report - the answer to Part I Thresholds Determination Question is "YES". The answer to Part I Threshold Question 2 is "YES" if you are applying for more than $200,000 in the first year of THIS APPLICATION. However, if the applicant identified in box 8a of the SF-424 is applying for other awards so the total is in excess of $200,000 then you must mark the box "YES".

Most applicants for Jobs Plus will answer "YES" to Part 1 Threshold Question 2. If you answered YES to Question 2, you must fill in the rest of the form (Parts II and III) even if the answers are "N/A". If you answer "NO" to EITHER QUESTION, you will not need to fill out the rest of the form, but you still must send it in. It will be considered signed as a result of your electronic application submission.

C. DUNS Number and SAM Registration.

Please refer directly to Section IV.C of the General Section, available at Grants.gov or HUD's Funds Available page, http:// portal.hud.gov /hudportal /HUD?src= /program_offices /administration /grants /fundsavail.

D. Application Submission Dates and Times.

The application deadline is 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern time on September 28, 2015.

Applications must be received no later than the deadline. Please refer to the General Section for more information about timely receipt of applications.

Submit your application to Grants.gov unless a waiver has been issued allowing you to submit your application in paper form or you are applying for the Continuum of Care program. The Continuum of Care application is submitted through HUD's e-snaps system. Instructions for submitting your application to Grants.gov are contained within the Application Package you downloaded from Grants.gov. Instructions for submitting your paper application will be contained in the waiver of electronic submission.

Your application must be both received and validated by Grants.gov. Your application is “received” when Grant.gov provides you a confirmation of receipt and an application tracking number. If you do not see this confirmation and tracking number, your application has not been received.

After your application has been received, your application still must be validated by Grants.gov. During this http://www.grants.gov http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/administration/grants/fundsavail http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/administration/grants/fundsavail process, your application may be “validated” or “rejected with errors.” To know whether your application was rejected with errors and the reason(s) why, you must log into Grants.gov, select “Applicants” from the top navigation, and select “Track my application” from the drop-down list. If the status is “rejected with errors,” you have the option to correct the error(s) and resubmit your application before the Grace Period ends.