5800 N 24 Jobs Plus Pilot 10.7.14 FINAL.pdf

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Public and Indian Housing

Jobs Plus Pilot Program

H04396 Stamp

FR-5800-N-24

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview

Funding Opportunity Description.I.

Award Information.II.

Eligibility Information.

A. Eligible Applicants.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching.

C. Other - (if applicable).

III.

Application and Submission Information.

A. Obtaining an Application Package.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission.

C. Application Submission Dates and Times.

D. Intergovernmental Review.

E. Funding Restrictions.

F. Other Submission Requirements.

IV.

Application Review Information.

A. Review Criteria.

B. Review and Selection Process.

C. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates.

V.

Award Administration Information.

A. Award Notices.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements.

C. Reporting.

VI.

Agency Contact(s).VII.

Other Information.VIII.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Public and Indian Housing

Initial

FR-5800-N-24

14.895 December 17, 2014

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 more information, please see the FY14 Notice of the Department’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 NOFAs for Discretionary Programs also known as the annual “General Section” to all of HUD’s program Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA).

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 competitive grant programs including this NOFA.

Applicants must meet all of the requirements of the General Section in addition to the requirements of this NOFA to be considered and to receive funding. The full title of the General Section is General Section for Fiscal Year 2014 Discretionary Programs. It can be found on Grants.gov and on HUD's Funds Available webpage at 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 and Requirements.

Program Office:

Funding Opportunity Title:

Announcement Type:

Funding Opportunity Number:

Primary CFDA Number:

Due Date for Applications:

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

1. Purpose of the Program

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 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.

These grants will employ several principles of the President’s Job Driven training checklist 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 are the jobs 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 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 (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 organization and community and faith based organizations.

2. Background

HUD, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (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 related to the demonstration in 2005 and 2010.

The evaluation endeavored to identify and document the most promising approaches to increasing employment among families in public housing. Each evaluation showed continued positive effects for residents when the program was well implemented. More information on the findings of such studies can be found at http ://www .mdrc .org/proje ct /jobs -plus -community -revit alization -initi ative -publi c -housi ng -famil ies #featu red c ontent and the Jobs Plus “How To” Guide- Helpi ng Publi c Resid ents Find and Keep Jobs .

3. Jobs Plus Requirements

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

1. Employment-Related Services

2. Financial Incentives - Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard (JPEID)

3. Community Supports for Work

Of these three components, the Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard (JPEID) must be funded by Jobs Plus appropriations. The remaining two components, including the staffing, services, administrative and technical assistance expenses of the Jobs Plus Pilot, may be paid for by funding made available from the ROSS program, the remaining Jobs Plus funding, and/or in-kind services provided as match or leverage.

To support these components, all applicants must establish and maintain a working relationship with a local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and/or a local American Job Center (formerly known as One-Stop Center) and submit an MOU reflective of this relationship and the roles and responsibilities between the two entities with their application. (see Thresholds section)

1. Employment-Related Services

Successful applicants must partner with the Department of Labor Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) and American Job Centers (AJCs) to offer multiple employment-related services for residents with a range of employment needs.

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 and pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships 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 and case managers typically work in American Job Centers across the country and provide workforce development expertise.

Job developers work directly with the business community to identify and create employment opportunities. In addition, if they are not AJC staff, they act as liaisons with local employment agencies such as DOL’s WIBs/One Stop and Job Plus participants. Job developers may be grantee staff or WIB/AJC staff who are experienced in using labor market information to assist individuals in career planning activities. The job developer should also be well versed in assisting individuals in obtaining appropriate employment.

Case managers and training staff work one-on-one with participants to guide them through the employment process and help participants develop skills which will advance their current employment or achieve other employment related goals. In addition, they facilitate linkages to supportive services such as transportation, child care, health and mental health and other services that support continued employment.

Case managers may be grantee staff or staff provided by other Jobs Plus partners. Case managers should have the ability to assess residents' skills and challenges and then develop an Individualized Training and Services Plan (ITSP) for each resident. The ITSP will be used to establish participants’ employment goals and service strategies, and track their progress.

Grantees are also encouraged to establish organizational partnerships for high quality referrals to community-based services that are primarily provided by other providers, to address barriers to work for program participants, as identified through the development of the ITSP, such as domestic violence counseling, health and mental health services, and linkages to other public benefits.

2. Financial Incentives – Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard (JPEID)

A key feature of Jobs Plus is that it provides financial rent incentives to residents participating in the program to "make work pay.” Grantees must implement the Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard (JPEID) for allprogram participants. Rent incentives through the JPEID will be reimbursed to the PHA via Jobs Plus appropriations. Applicants should be sure to account for these costs in your 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.

2(a) Eligibility. All targeted residents in a Jobs Plus development are eligible to receive the JPEID benefit, but 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.

2(b) Term Length. The JPEID is in effect for a continuous period of the Jobs Plus grant, beginning when a participant first increases earned income over baseline.

2(c) Disregarded Amount. The JPEID excludes 100 percent of incremental earned income for the entire period of the Jobs Plus program.

Calculation of the JPEID. Once the JPEID is triggered, baseline income will not change for the duration of the term of the grant (so participants who enroll early may benefit from the JPEID for longer than residents who enroll later.) To facilitate reimbursements for rent revenue losses due to the JPEID, grantees must calculate and document a participants’ Family Rent both with and without the JPEID and be able to provide these calculations to HUD as a requisite for drawing reimbursement funds. The difference between the two amounts is the value of the JPEID. 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 what the overall financial impact of an increase in earned income and the JPEID will be. Further guidance on JPEID will be available at the time of the award.

In addition to facilitating the JPEID, it is expected that grantees will encourage residents to take advantage of other financial work incentives they may be entitled to such as the earned income tax credit (EITC).

3. Community Support for Work

Leadership, resident participation and empowerment and building relationships – between residents and from the development into the community – that will lead to sustained support for work during and beyond the period of the Jobs Plus program are key functions of community support for work.

A robust engagement strategy for involving the residents of the targeted development is critical to the success of these grants. Engagement is more than signing up. Creating a working community requires sustained involvement in the program and ultimately ownership of the program yielding 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 on the employment spectrum – from unemployed individuals with no work history, through working (but likely underemployed) families with a substantial work history. Outreach should also be tailored to different audiences within the development(s), including young adults, women, middle-aged adults, parents, older adults, etc. Unless targeting only one particular sub-group, the application narrative should include strategies to target this wide range of potential participants, as well as strategies for retention of all types of program participants.

These strategies should include the use of residents as Community Coaches. Community Coaches can perform a variety of activities, including marketing the various aspects of the Jobs Plus program, getting information about job opportunities into the informal flow of information among resident social networks in the development(s) and helping to shape program offerings and outreach efforts based upon their intimate knowledge of the needs and strengths of the community. The application narrative should include how the Community Coaches will be recruited, trained, compensated, and included in the structure of the program.

Other Requirements

Collaboration 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 .workforce3 one .org/view/50014 17448 28540 9284 /info The toolkit provides several models for partnership that prospective applicants may want to consider.

In addition to strengthening program planning and implementation, cooperation among Jobs Plus program partners will also help to minimize “red tape” for participants seeking work-related supportive services and ultimately lead to the sustainability of the program.

Applicants must describe formal partnerships (defined as partners that will receive reimbursements for services provided under this grant) and informal partnerships (defined as partnerships that will not receive reimbursements for services provided under this grant). For each partner identified, applicants must describe the nature of the partnership (formal or informal), 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 that formal partners will receive. Applicants are asked to demonstrate how they currently engage, and/or plan to engage, with local partners and other important local stakeholders and the system of accountability between Jobs Plus program partners that will be in place to ensure outcomes.

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 services agencies that can either provide 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).

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

Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate in their NOFA application how the partners intend to structure the governance of the proposed partnerships. Governance includes identifying who will have the authority to make day to day decisions about the staffing of the program, how policy decisions about financing and support will be made, and who will be responsible for coordinating successful working relationships between partners. In addition, grantees will be required to track residents’ participation in program services and provide individual and aggregate reports to HUD and should include in their partnership agreements mechanisms to obtain information critical to this tracking from partner agencies.

Eligible Activities

Eligible Activities include:

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 proving Jobs Plus-related services) 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.

Rent incentives Technical assistance/Consultants 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 pilot program.

B. Authority.

Funding for this program is authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, Pub. L. No. 113-76, 128 Stat. 5, enacted January 17, 2014.

II. Award Information.

A. Available Funds.

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

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 FY14 for Jobs Plus and an additional $9 million made available from the FY14 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. 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: $10,000 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: 04/01/2015 Estimated Project End Date: 03/31/2019 48-month project with four 12-month budget periods

Additional Information on Project 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:

Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Additional Information on Eligibility:

Eligible applicants are 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

Minimum development size of 250 households (excluding elderly-only households) At least 50 percent of the households (excluding elderly-only households) contain no member showing earned income in PIC Because Jobs Plus is a place-based program, units to be served must be within a ¼ mile radius of each other. This requirement may disqualify developments on the Eligible Development list if the AMP is for scattered sites that are not within the required radius.

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.

NOTE: HUD will review no more than one application for each eligible PHA.

Non-profit organizations, resident associations, and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply for funding under this NOFA.

Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement HUD does not award grants to individuals nor will HUD evaluate an application from an ineligible applicant. Additionally, if for-profit firms are eligible they are not allowed to earn a fee (i.e., make a profit from the project).

In accordance with 2 CFR 25.200, all applicants must have an active Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number (www.dnb.com) and have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov) before submitting an application. Getting your DUNS number and SAM registration can take up to four weeks; therefor, you should start this process or check your status early.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching.

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

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

All applicants are required to have in place a firmly committed match contribution equivalent to 25 percent (25%) 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 providers listed as providing match/leverage are required to provide a letter attesting to match/leverage signed by a person authorized to make the commitment. Applicants who do not demonstrate the minimum match will not receive further consideration for funding.

C. Other.

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;

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

1. General Section: Threshold Requirements. Please note that the requirements listed in Section III.C.2 of the General Section ("Threshold Requirements") apply to this NOFA unless otherwise specified below.

a. 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. General Section: Compliance with Nondiscrimination and Other 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.

a. 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.

(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/offic es /fheo /partn ers /FHIP/fhip .cfm (FHIP) and www .hud .gov/offic es /fheo /partn ers /FHAP /agenc ies .cfm (FHAP).

3. General Section: Policy Priorities/Other Requirements.The goals and design of the Jobs Plus Program meet the priority of promoting economic development and economic resilience. Therefore applicants do not need to provide additional language addressing this NOFA policy priority.

Also, please note that the requirements listed in Section III.C.4 of the General Section ("Other Requirements") apply to this NOFA unless otherwise specified below.

a. No Debarments and/or Suspensions. Applicants should note that this requirement, which is listed in Section III.C.4.c of the General Section does not apply directly to eligible applicants under this NOFA.

However, no person employed by or contracted with the applicant that appears on the Excluded Parties Listing System (EPLS) may be paid pursuant to funding under this NOFA. For access to the EPLS, see https ://www .sam .gov/porta l/SAM /. Grantees should review the EPLS system prior to employing or contracting with grant funds.

b. Conducting Business in Accordance with Ethical Standards/Code of Conduct. Applicants shall continue to maintain a written code of conduct in the PHA administrative plan that prohibits the solicitation or acceptance of gifts or gratuities, in excess of a nominal value, by any officer or employee of the PHA, or any contractor, subcontractor, or agent of the PHA. The PHA’s administrative plan shall state PHA policies concerning PHA administrative and disciplinary remedies for violation of the PHA code of conduct. The PHA shall inform all officers, employees, and agents of its organization of the PHA’s code of conduct.

c. Environmental Requirements. In accordance with 24 CFR 58.34(a)(3)(4) and (9), 24 CFR 58.35(b)(2), and 24 CFR 50.19(b)(3)(4), (9), and (12), activities funded under this NOFA are categorically excluded from environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321) and are not subject to environmental review under related laws and authorities.

d. Limited English Proficiency (LEP). For assistance in ensuring that information regarding the Jobs Plus Pilot Program is available to LEP populations, successful applicants should consult the Final Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI, Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons published on January 22, 2007, in the Federal Register (72 FR 2732).

e. Physical Accessibility. Note that all meetings must be held and services provided in facilities that are physically accessible to persons with disabilities. Where physical accessibility is not achievable, successful applicants must give priority to alternative methods of product or information delivery that offer programs and activities to qualified individuals with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate in accordance with HUD’s implementing regulations for section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.§ 794) at 24 CFR part 8. In addition, all notices of and communications during all training sessions and public meetings shall be provided in a manner that is effective for persons with hearing, visual, and other communication-related disabilities or provide other means of accommodation for persons with disabilities consistent with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and HUD’s section 504 regulations. See 24 CFR Section 8.6.

4. Threshold Requirements

General Section: Threshold Eligibility Requirements. All applicants requesting funding under the Jobs

Plus program must be in compliance with the threshold requirements found in the FY2014 General Section Applications that do not meet one or more of these threshold requirements, and applications that were received after the deadline (see Section IV.C of the FY2014 General Section), will be considered ineligible for funding.

Non-General Section/Program Threshold Requirements.

1. 1. MOU. Applicants must establish and maintain a working relationship with 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 or. The MOU must identify roles and responsibilities of the signatory agencies.

2. Match. Applicants who do not demonstrate the minimum match will not receive further consideration for funding.

3. Rent Incentives . Applicants that request more than 60% of their grant be used for rent incentives will be rejected. For more information, please see Rating Factor 3c Soundness of Approach: Detailed Budget.

Other:

Corrections to Deficient Applications. Applicants will have 7 calendar days in which to provide missing information requested by HUD. Instructions on submission of cures for deficiencies will be provided by HUD. See Section V.B.2 of FY2014 General Section for additional information on the process to be followed for corrections to deficient applications.

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.

An applicant demonstrating good cause may request a waiver from the requirement for electronic submission. If you receive a waiver, 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:

Anice Chenault Email: JobsPlus@hud.gov

Waiver requests must be submitted no later than 15 days prior to the application deadline date. The subject line of the email message should be FY 2014 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.

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html mailto:JobsPlus@hud.gov

B. Content and Form of Application Submission.

To assure you have the correct Application Package and Application Instructions, you must check that the CFDA number, the Opportunity Title, and the Funding Opportunity Number on the first page of your Application Package match those listed in the Overview of this NOFA. Your application will only be considered for the competition indicated on your submission.

Forms and Other Application Submission Information

(See also "Guidance for Locating and Completing Forms," below the chart)

Item Description/Special Instructions

Form SF_424 - Required

This is the Standard Federal form "Application for Federal Assistance." See Section IV.B.2.b of this NOFA ("SF_424") for more information. HUD may contact an applicant to clarify items on this form, and will be treated as a curable deficiency (see Section V.B.2 of this NOFA (Corrections to Deficient Applications) for more information).

HUD_2993 - If applicable.

This is the "Acknowledgment of Application Receipt" and is only applicable if a waiver of the electronic application requirement is granted for the applicant.

NOTE: HUD does not anticipate approving any waivers.

SF_LLL - If applicable.

This is the "Disclosure of Lobbying Activities" form. This form is only applicable if your agency has used or intends to use non-federal funds for lobbying activities. . See Section IV.B.2.c ("SF-LLL") of this NOFA for more information.

HUD may contact an applicant to clarify items on this form, and will be treated as a curable deficiency (see Section V.B.2 of this NOFA ("Corrections to Deficient Applications") for more information).

HUD_2880 - If applicable.

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.

HUD_96011 -

Required.

This is the "Third Party Documentation Facsimile Transmittal" form and it MUST be used as the cover sheet for any faxes submitted in conjunction with an electronic application. This form must be included in the application even if faxes are not sent. See Section IV.B.2.e of this NOFA ("HUD_96011") for more information.

Map of Units in Target Population

All applicants must include a map showing the minimum number of eligible households within a ¼ mile radius. Scale and radius must be marked on the map.

This may be requested as a deficiency, however, if not provided, the application may not be considered for funding.

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 deficiency.

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 requested as a deficiency. Your application will be reviewed based on the material submitted.

Executive Summary

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

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 commitment letters

See Rating Factor 4 for instructions

Letter for Promise Zones Bonus Points

If applicable - see General Section for more information

2. Guidance for Locating and Completing Forms.

Guidance for Locating and Completing Forms

a. 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 2014 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.

Forms for your package include the HUD standard forms outlined below:

C. Application Submission Dates and Times.

Application Deadline.

Submit your application to Grants.gov unless a waiver has been issued allowing you to submit your application in paper form. Instructions on submitting your application to Grants.gov are contained within the Application Package you downloaded from Grants.gov.

The application deadline is 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern time on December 17, 2014.

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

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

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 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. If your application was “rejected with errors” and you do not correct these errors, HUD will not review your application. If your status is “validated” your application will be forwarded to HUD by Grants.gov.

Grace Period for Grant.gov Submissions: If your application is received by Grants.gov before the

Grace Period for Grant.gov Submissions: If your application is received by Grants.gov before the deadline, but is rejected with errors, you have a grace period of one day beyond the application deadline to submit a corrected application that is received and validated by Grants.gov. Any application submitted during the grace period that does not meet the criteria above will not be considered for funding. There is no grace period for paper applications. See the General Section for more information about the grace period.

If you are required to submit supporting documentation you may either scan and attach these documents to your electronic application package or submit them via fax. If supporting documents are submitted by fax, you must use the HUD-96011 Facsimile Transmittal Form as a cover page; this form is located in your Application Package. You must send any faxes to the toll-free number 800-HUD-1010. If you cannot access the toll-free number or experience problems using that number you may use 215-825-8798 (this is not a toll-free number). If you or any other parties submitting documents for this application do not use the form HUD-96011 that came with your application as the fax cover page, the documents cannot be matched to the application. Consequently, these documents will not be considered when the application is evaluated. Additionally, if your fax machine creates a cover page, you must turn this feature off.

Amending a Validated Application: If you resubmit an application that was previously validated by Grants.gov, all documents faxed in support of the application must be faxed again using the form HUD-96011. You must fax the materials after the resubmitted application has been validated by Grants.gov. All faxed materials must be received by the applicable deadline.

D. Intergovernmental Review.

This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.

E. Funding Restrictions.

Ineligible Activities.

Funds under this Jobs Plus NOFA may not be used for performance of routine PH or HCV program functions.

F. Other Submission Requirements.

Lead Based Paint Requirements

Not Applicable.

V. Application Review Information

A. Review Criteria.

A.1. Rating Factors.

Threshold Requirements. Applicants that meet all of the General Section and Non General section threshold requirements listed on this NOFA will be eligible to be scored and ranked, based on the total number of points allocated for each of the rating factors described below in this section.

Award Factors. Each of the factors is weighted as indicated by the number of points that are assigned to

it. The maximum score that can be attained is 100. Applicants should be certain that each of these factors is adequately addressed. To the extent feasible, include all the needed information with the response to each rating factor. If the response to a particular rating factor cites information provided in the response to another factor, clearly indicate where the information is located so that the information can be easily located by the reviewer. In order to be awarded full points for each rating factor, you must provide easily located by the reviewer.