fr-5600-n-32 2011-12 onecpd nofa final.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5600-N-32

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Fiscal Year 2011 and Fiscal Year 2012

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building under the Transformation Initiative

(“OneCPD” and “Core Curricula”); Request for Qualifications

A. Federal Agency Name: Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

B. Funding Opportunity Title: HUD Technical Assistance and Capacity Building (OneCPD).

C. Announcement Type: Initial Announcement.

D. Funding Opportunity Number: The funding opportunity number for this NOFA is

FR-5600-N-32. The OMB Approval Number for this NOFA is 2506-0192.

E. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 14.259

F. Dates: The application deadline date is March 15, 2012. Applications must be received by

Grants.gov by 11:59:59 p.m. eastern time on the deadline date. All information required to complete the application is in the FY2012 General Section and this NOFA. Applicants may download the application and instructions from the Grants.gov website at http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. Please carefully read HUD‟s Fiscal

Year (FY) 2012 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Policy Requirements and General

Section for Discretionary Programs, published on Grants.gov on September 19, 2011.

Applicants need to be aware that following receipt, applications go through a validation process in which the application may be accepted or rejected. Please allow sufficient time for this process by submitting early to ensure that you meet the timely receipt requirements.

G. Additional Overview Information: This NOFA is designed with two components:

OneCPD Integrated Practitioner Assistance System (OneCPD) and Core Curricula for Skills-

Based Training (Core Curricula).

1. OneCPD is a cross-program, assessment-based, and impact-focused delivery system.

OneCPD is intended as a collaborative effort among HUD, our state and local partners, including

Continuums of Care (CoC), and successful applicants focused on building the kind of grantee management systems and functional capacity necessary to successfully carry out comprehensive and sustainable “place-based” development and revitalization strategies. Just as importantly, OneCPD will allow grantees to showcase accomplishments by measuring not only the outputs of this technical and capacity building assistance but the outcomes and the impact on communities as well.

Through OneCPD, HUD can develop a new level of technical assistance and capacity building to meet the challenges facing federal funding recipients during the current nationwide http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp economic retrenchment. Many of HUD‟s state and local government grantees have lost some of the capacity, resources and skills necessary to administer CPD programs within the contexts of their local markets. Additionally, Continuums of Care (CoCs) across the nation must increase the capacity of their leadership, grantees and project sponsors to ensure effective and appropriate implementation of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by the HEARTH

Act. HUD‟s role in administering grants is two-fold: (1) build the capacity of grantees to support local decision-making with federal grants, and (2) conduct monitoring and oversight to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and to ensure appropriate use of funding. To address both purposes, OneCPD will focus on skills, planning, and innovation to build grantee capacity and help grantees comply with regulatory requirements.

The selection process under this NOFA may include providers with a broad range of skills and expertise as well as providers with more focused or targeted skills and expertise. Selected providers will work collaboratively in teams and will be deployed as HUD deems most necessary across the country to achieve these objectives.

To maximize the effectiveness of CPD TA delivery, up to $15 million in FY2011 and

FY2012 McKinney-Vento Technical Assistance funds (MV-TA), up to $1.4 million in HOME

Technical Assistance funds, and up to $89,000 in Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS

(HOPWA) Technical Assistance funds will be administered under the OneCPD model and will be awarded simultaneously with OneCPD funding under this NOFA.

2. The Core Curricula will support the development and delivery of core courses and topic-specific trainings to improve grantee skills in the areas of development finance, environmental review and compliance, asset management and preservation, and construction and rehabilitation management. In this NOFA, up to $995,000 will be awarded under Core Curricula, including up to $400,000 in Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly (Section 202) and Section 811

Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities (Section 811) programs technical assistance funding for the development of specific trainings within the development finance curriculum.

Activities under this NOFA will support achievement of goals and the use of strategies that were established in the HUD Strategic Plan, FY 2010-2015, as well as in related federal strategic efforts, including Opening Doors: The Federal Strategic Plan for Preventing and

Ending Homelessness, and The National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States.

FULL TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENT

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Program Description.

Through this NOFA/Request for Qualifications, HUD is announcing the availability of approximately $61.9 million to fund OneCPD and the Core Curricula. Up to $61 million is available for OneCPD and up to $995,000 for Core Curricula. All organizations experienced and successful in providing any of the items listed below are encouraged to apply:

Capacity building assistance in the areas of program design, technical execution, planning, financial management, and organizational structure.

Consulting on community development, affordable housing, economic development, housing and services for homeless persons and those at risk of homelessness, organizational management, financing and underwriting, construction and rehabilitation management, project management and strategic planning.

Facilitating and fostering local collaboration within local political structures.

Knowledge management including developing, hosting or managing of websites, blogs, help desks, information/call center, mailing lists, data tracking systems, etc.

Preparing policy guidance and tools or materials for HUD approval.

Evaluating program design and effectiveness.

Assessing performance measurement including establishing outcomes or benchmarks.

Analyzing social policy in context of local landscape for planning and program design.

Raising private equity investment, pre-development capital, preservation capital, or bank capital.

Workforce capacity and development for grantees.

Applicants for OneCPD funding are required to submit a single application regardless of the number of programs or areas of expertise for which they propose to provide technical and capacity building assistance. However, applicants for Core Curricula funding are required to submit a separate application for each curriculum for which they claim expertise. Eligible applicants seeking funding to provide assistance under both OneCPD and Core Curricula must submit a separate application for each. Awards made under this NOFA for both OneCPD and

Core Curricula will be administered under cooperative agreements with significant HUD involvement (see Section II.B).

HUD defines technical assistance as guidance which enables HUD‟s customers

(grantees, subrecipients, CHDOs or non-profit organizations, project sponsors, CoCs, etc.) and staff to overcome a lack of specific skills or knowledge of the associated HUD programs and, by doing so, results in the successful performance and compliance of those programs. Capacity building means assistance which increases the ability of program grantees and their partners to organize and independently undertake or expand affordable housing, community development, and economic development programs with funding provided under one or more HUD programs going forward.

1. OneCPD.

OneCPD is OneCPD will be centrally managed by HUD Headquarters with extensive involvement of the HUD CPD field offices in identifying grantees needing technical assistance and capacity building, participating in the review and recommendation processes for requests, participating in meetings and discussions with grantee, TA providers and other stakeholders, and reviewing reports and recommendations. All efforts under OneCPD are place-based (i.e., focusing resources from various programs in targeted locations in order to leverage investments), and focused on achieving measurable impacts on the ground. The following offices and CPD programs are included under FY2011-2012 OneCPD:

PROGRAM OFFICE PROGRAM(S)

Office of Affordable Housing Programs HOME, CHDO

Office of Block Grant Assistance CDBG

Office of HIV/AIDS Housing HOPWA

Office of Special Needs Assistance

Programs

Homeless Assistance Programs ( Continuum of Care, Emergency Solutions Grants and

Rural Housing Stability)

Office of Economic Development Economic development initiatives:

Brownfields Economic Development and

Rural Housing and Economic Development

Programs, Rural Innovation Fund program

Information about these CPD programs, including their missions, goals, and activities, can be accessed through the HUD web site at www.hud.gov.

a. Annual Priorities. The following information relative to priorities is provided for guidance purposes only. HUD expects to allocate approximately the percentages shown to the various types of technical assistance and capacity building functions, but reserves the right to make changes based on new information about grantee needs, market conditions, opportunities, and other factors relevant to the management of CPD programs.

Needs Assessments and Direct TA – 60%

Tools and Product Development – 20%

Group Learning Delivery – 20%

Across these priorities, McKinney-Vento TA funds awarded must serve eligible MV-TA beneficiaries, HOME TA funds awarded must serve eligible HOME TA beneficiaries and

HOPWA TA funds must serve eligible HOPWA TA as identified in Section III.C.1.

2. Core Curricula. This NOFA will provide funds to deliver, develop, and enhance core curricula in the following areas:

a. Development Finance, including skills necessary to review and understand pro formas and other analyses related to mixed-use projects, commercial real estate, homeownership and rental housing;

b. Environmental Review and Compliance, including the basic knowledge and skills to http://www.hud.gov/ perform environmental compliance required by Federal laws. It will cover all 18 different

Federal environmental laws, affecting State, local and tribal governments;

c. Asset Management and Preservation of HUD-Assisted Projects, including core skills related to the basic principles of property and asset management that are consistent across Public and Indian Housing (PIH), CPD and Office of Housing (Multifamily Housing); and

d. Construction and Rehabilitation Management, including the capacity and skills needed to hire and oversee consultants, perform appropriate oversight of the construction and rehabilitation of HUD-assisted units, ensure that housing inspectors are properly monitoring and reporting on the progress of the construction, ensure that housing constructed or rehabilitated complies with all applicable federal accessibility standards for persons with disabilities, and implement robust energy efficiency and green housing programs.

Awardees will work closely in conjunction with HUD program staff to address the skills-based training needs of PIH , CPD, and Multifamily Housing grantees and their program partners.

B. Authority. Both the OneCPD and Core Curricula programs are authorized under HUD‟s

Transformation Initiative, contained in the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Appropriations Act of 2011 (Pub. L. 112-10, approved April 15, 2011) and Department of

Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-55, approved Nov.

18, 2011). The McKinney-Vento Act TA is authorized by the Department of Defense and Full-

Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (Public Law 112-10) and Section 405 of the

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (codified as amended at 42 U.S.C. 11361b). The

HOME TA funds available under this NOFA were recaptured between 2008 and 2011 and the

HOPWA TA funds available under this NOFA were recaptured in 2011. The Section 202 and

811 Technical Assistance funds are authorized by The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009

(Pub. L. 111-8, approved March 11, 2009).

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funds.

1. OneCPD. Up to $61 million is available through OneCPD. Within OneCPD, up to $15 million of McKinney-Vento TA (MV-TA), up to $1.4 million of HOME TA, and up to $89,000 in HOPWA TA is available. OneCPD funds are not designated as either national or local (Field

Office) technical assistance funds; nor are they designated for a specific CPD program.

2. Core Curricula. Up to $995,000 is available for HUD Core Curricula. Within Core

Curricula, up to $400,000 is available for course development and delivery of course(s) specifically for the Section 202 and Section 811 programs.

3. Additional funds may become available under this NOFA as a result of HUD‟s efforts to recapture unused funds or to utilize carry over funds or other appropriated funds; their use will be subject to statutory constraints. All awards are subject to the funding restrictions described in detail in Section IV, Subpart E of the General Section.

B. Type of Assistance Instrument. Both OneCPD and Core Curricula funds will be awarded under a Cooperative Agreement. All cooperative agreements will be guided by the following principles:

1. TA activities are administered by a Government Technical Representative (GTR) and

Government Technical Monitor(s) (GTM) at HUD Headquarters. Significant HUD involvement is required in all aspects of TA planning, delivery, and follow-up.

2. Awards will be for a period of 36 months.

3. HUD reserves the right to withdraw funds from any TA provider if HUD determines that: (a) the TA provider‟s performance is duly found to be substandard or unacceptable; (b) the need for a particular type of assistance is found not to be commensurate with the award; or (c) the need for assistance proves greater in areas not served by the TA provider. HUD will make this determination on a case-by-case basis and will provide a 30-day notice and a reasonable opportunity to respond.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants.

The chart below lists the eligible applicants for funding through OneCPD and Core Curricula. In accordance with the faith-based initiative, HUD welcomes the participation of eligible faith-based and other community organizations in these programs. Applicants should be aware that

HUD does not provide any funding to nor does it accept applications from individuals through its competitive NOFA process.

One of the goals of OneCPD is to increase the capacity of CPD‟s TA provider network that serves the needs of CPD and its grantees. It is critical that the TA provider network have sufficient capacity to address cross-cutting needs as well as very targeted and focused needs

Eligible OneCPD Applicants Eligible Core Curricula Applicants

A State or unit of general local government;

A HOME program participating jurisdiction

(PJ) (not for MV-TA or HOPWA TA);

A public housing authority;

A public or private nonprofit organization or intermediary, including educational institutions and area-wide planning organizations; or Indian tribes; and

For-profit organizations.

Public or private nonprofit organizations or intermediaries, including educational institutions and area-wide planning organizations; and

For-profit organizations.

while demonstrating diversity and cultural competence. Therefore, HUD applicants may elect to respond to this NOFA in one of the following ways:

1. Submission as a cross-program provider. Applicants in this category may expand their expertise by partnering with other organizations that bring additional subject matter expertise to the application by including subcontractors and/or consultants in the application.

2. Submission as a targeted topic or skill provider. This application category allows applicants to propose providing technical assistance in one or more targeted or focused areas instead of cross-program technical assistance and capacity building. Examples of targeted or focused technical assistance include, but are not limited to, energy efficiency, cultural competencies, organizational and change management, program-specific technical writing, information/call center management, web technology, social policy analysis, evaluation, data analysis and research, etc.

3. Submission as a cross-program and targeted topic or skill provider. This application category allows applicants to propose providing both cross-program and targeted or focused technical assistance.

Any organization submitting an application under this NOFA may not be included as a subcontractor or consultant in any other application. Subcontractors and consultants may be included in more than one application.

Since the diversity and intensity of activities carried out and work products developed under both OneCPD and the Core Curricula may be extensive, collaboration and coordination among providers is essential. For example, HUD may task two or more successful applicants to collaborate as a team in providing necessary direct technical and capacity building assistance to specific grantees or in developing products and tools or group learning materials. Furthermore, HUD may select a successful applicant to conduct overall coordination for the OneCPD TA network or Core Curricula providers.

Awardees tasked to provide technical assistance or capacity building to HOME and/or

CHDO grantees must have at least one (1) Certified HOME Program Specialist who has passed the Regulations Training exam with a score of 80 or higher available to conduct the work tasked, unless HUD determines that a HOME Certified Specialist is not necessary for the engagement.

The Certified HOME Program Specialist(s) may be in-house staff of the applicant, subcontractor staff or consultant(s).

Additionally, applicants awarded HOME TA funds must have at least 10 Certified

HOME Program Specialists who have passed the Regulations Training exam with a score of 80 or higher. The Certified HOME Program Specialists may be in-house staff of the applicant, subcontractor staff, and/or consultants.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching. None required.

C. Objectives and Eligible TA Activities

1. Objectives

OneCPD. OneCPD seeks to identify gaps in the knowledge and skills of grantees and raise grantees‟ capacity to enable them to create efficient, effective and compliant housing and establish community and economic development programs that are aligned with local market and community needs and raise capacity for oversight, guidance, and compliance monitoring. To achieve this goal, OneCPD will address the following key objectives:

a. Improve grantees‟ ability to assess conditions in the affordable segment of their local housing markets and commercial real estate markets, business and employment trends, and other public and private investments known to be underway in their areas;

b. Improve grantees‟ ability to design, implement, and leverage housing and community and economic development programs based upon an accurate assessment of their local markets and investment landscape;

c. Assist grantees in assuring timely and effective performance by grantees and their partners, as well as effective project tracking and monitoring methodologies;

d. Improve grantees‟ understanding of and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements; and

e. Foster innovation in housing and community and economic development program design, finance, and outcomes.

Under OneCPD, MV-TA funds will address the same five objectives for entities specified in Section 405 of the McKinney-Vento Act (i.e. grantees or recipients, project sponsors, and potential recipients and their respective Continuums of Care (CoCs) organized for the purpose of conducting community planning for the prevention and elimination of homelessness). HOME

TA funds will address the same five objectives for participating jurisdictions, their subrecipients and state recipients, and Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs). HOPWA

TA funds will address the same five objectives for HOPWA grantees and their subrecipients.

Core Curricula. The Core Curricula will develop and deliver core courses and trainings to improve HUD grantee knowledge and skills in the areas of Development Finance, Environmental Review and Compliance, Asset Management and Preservation, and Construction and Rehabilitation Management. In addition to grantees from the Office of Community Planning and Development, the target audience for the Core Curricula includes agencies and their partners that receive and administer funding from the Offices of Housing and Public and Indian Housing.

2. Eligible Activities:

In support of the above objectives, HUD will ask awardees to undertake a variety of technical assistance and capacity building activities. OneCPD awardees may be asked to conduct needs assessments or direct TA engagements, develop and deliver new training products, or to maintain and deliver existing products or conduct group learning sessions. Core

Curricula awardees may be asked to deliver existing core courses or develop or modify an individual training or certain sections of individual trainings. The following chart highlights the eligible activities with a non-inclusive list of examples under each. A more detailed narrative follows the chart.

OneCPD Core Curricula

Conduct Needs Assessments

Intensive on-site

Remote

Course delivery, development, or enhancement of one or more trainings under the following tracks:

Development Finance

Environmental Review and Compliance

Asset Management and Preservation of

HUD-assisted Projects

Construction and Rehabilitation

Management

Direct Technical Assistance and Capacity

Building Engagements

Comprehensive/intensive

Policy/protocols

Multi-stakeholder facilitation

Program/skills specific

Urgent need

Innovation-focused

Help Desks, Information/Call Center

Develop and Maintain Tools and

Products

CPD program performance reporting

Manage websites and portals

Toolkit development

Course development

Consolidated Plan Tool training

Technical writing/guidebooks

Research and evaluation

Self-Directed and Group Learning

Certification training delivery

Peer-to-peer learning

CPD systems training delivery (e.g.

e-snaps, IDIS, DRGR)

a. Eligible OneCPD Activities. For each of the following activities, HUD will be collecting and reporting performance data on the accomplishments achieved.

(1) Conduct Needs Assessments. Needs assessments of grantees will determine the nature and scope of technical assistance and capacity building needed. In some instances, self-assessment by the grantee or a field office assessment may provide a satisfactory basis for determining the scope and scale of technical and capacity building assistance. In other cases, awardees will conduct onsite or remote needs assessments to collect information about the capacity gaps of the identified grantee. The needs assessment will involve the use of multiple types of information collection and analysis to develop custom analytics, to quantify the impact of community and economic development initiatives, and to identify local market conditions so that program resources may be better targeted and leveraged. The culmination of an onsite needs assessment will be a detailed report and recommended scope of work.

(2) Deliver Direct Technical Assistance and Capacity Building. Based on needs assessments, awardees will be dispatched to work onsite and/or remotely with grantee staff

‟ Direct TA engagements will be prioritized based on criteria established by HUD. An engagement may consist of comprehensive TA, cross-cutting skills-based TA, TA that responds to an acute and urgent need, TA that is focused or targeted, or TA that supports and captures innovative practices. Direct technical assistance may also include the operation of one or more virtual help desks, or an information/call center to address questions and issues raised by grantees, other stakeholders and the general public.

(3) Develop Tools and Products. Tools and products will be developed to assist CPD grantees and other partners to understand complex CPD program statutes and regulations, as well as the other Federal requirements (e.g., Davis-Bacon) that often apply to these programs. These products might take the form of web-based trainings and webinars that address the constantly changing needs of grantees and program requirements. Tools and product development may also include the creation of templates, desk guides, and toolkits that improve the management and operations of grantee programs, the development and administration of websites, evaluation, and performance measurement. Where appropriate, CPD program and other Federal requirements will be integrated into comprehensive products that will serve the technical assistance needs of a broad range of program partners. All products and tools developed will comply with Section 508 accessibility requirements.

(4) Deliver Self-Directed and Group Learning Sessions. Like all aspects of the proposed

OneCPD approach, group learning is intended to increase capacity and close competency gaps of participants by equipping them with the necessary program knowledge and skill sets needed to administer and manage CPD programs. Specifically, group learning may take three forms:

(a) Introductory Program Learning. Each CPD program will develop and offer an introductory program on the statutory and regulatory requirements of the individual CPD programs. There is a continual need for basic program training to address frequent turnover at the grantee level. The courses will be targeted to grantee staff with limited experience or knowledge of CPD programs. The introductory program learning is necessary to build the foundation for the more advanced program completion certification;

(b) Instruction on the Administration and Management of CPD Programs. To ensure that grantees and their program partners possess the essential knowledge and management skills needed to effectively carry out CPD programs, assistance through OneCPD will be used to develop and deliver guidance on topics that cut across CPD programs, such as: subsidy layering, energy efficiency, financial management, property management, non-profit management, affirmatively furthering fair housing, other civil rights and accessibility requirements, and the

Uniform Relocation Act; and

(c) Program Certification. TA providers may be asked to develop certification programs for grantee staff administering CPD programs. The certification program will involve classroom instruction, group exercises, and active group discussions. Certification will only be conferred upon those individuals who have completed the course of study and passed the exam.

(d) Peer-to-Peer Assistance. In some instances, TA providers may be asked to facilitate peer-to-peer exchanges for grantees with similar local market contexts, challenges and opportunities, and community needs.

b. Eligible Core Curricula for Skills-based Training Activities. This round of HUD‟s Core

Curricula will continue to advance the development finance and underwriting, environmental review, asset management, and construction and rehabilitation management skills required of grantee staff as they implement HUD‟s programs. While FY2010 funds were awarded to develop core courses for each curriculum, FY2011 funds will focus on the delivery and enhancement of the core courses as well as the development of the topic-specific trainings for each curriculum. Core course material will be at the beginner or introductory level; generally, the core course is a prerequisite for enrolling in topic-specific trainings. HUD will work with providers to establish standards for the award of certificates of completion to successful graduates of each core curriculum. The trainings will not be restricted to any one HUD program or grantee/administrator type to allow for a diverse audience of grantee staff with backgrounds in

CPD, Housing, and PIH programs. Consequently, in addition to acquired skills, participants will be exposed to other HUD programs active in their area, and encouraged to cooperate with others in parallel lines of work who are serving the community. For instance, public housing agency staff wishing to develop new low-income housing opportunities would benefit from information and training on real estate financing. Applicants for funding for the Core Curricula may be asked to undertake the following activities:

1. Modify or enhance course content and build on existing training materials where available and appropriate;

2. Create and determine appropriate training modalities to deliver the course material (e.g., web-based, on-site, self-paced, instructor-led, etc.);

3. Deliver a pilot for each of the products developed;

4. Participate in regular course development and „train-the-trainer‟ sessions with HUD staff on the content and delivery of all Core Curricula activities; and

5. Deliver all or parts of the Core Curricula, as requested.

The following are the current Core Curricula tracks. Applicants should address their qualifications for delivering and enhancing core courses and developing topic-specific courses that teach the topics and skills in the descriptions below:

(1) Development Finance Core Curriculum. The Development Finance curriculum focuses on various aspects of development finance related to implementation of HUD programs, such as

CDBG, HOME, FHA Multifamily and Single-Family, Section 108 Loans, HOPE VI and Choice

Neighborhoods. Applicants will be asked to develop specialized trainings that address the following financing topics: understanding business finance, financing economic development, commercial real estate finance, financing mixed-use projects, for-sale homeownership housing, multifamily rental housing, and mixed-finance supportive housing. In addition, trainings will be offered to help grantees understand and use tools that promote sustainable development.

Applicants will be expected to develop coursework that will be of such content and rigor to enable participants to review proposed projects, understand and evaluate the elements present, and determine the nature and scope of the elements of the deal that need further information in order to complete the review. Applicants should address the following topics and trainings.

(a) Deliver: Introduction to Real Estate Finance and Underwriting (Core Course). This basic course teaches the fundamentals of real estate finance and underwriting of projects, including commercial, office, retail, and residential (for-sale homeownership housing and rental housing).

Course participants learn:

the terminology and fundamental concepts of real estate finance and underwriting;

how to review project development pro formas, sources and uses of funds statements, and other financing information for the project in order to determine the financial feasibility of the development proposal; and how to review operating pro formas and/or profit and loss balance sheets in order to understand and use the discounted cash flow and financial return analyses to evaluate the projected profitability and financial health of the project.

(b) Develop: Topic Specific Trainings

Understanding Business Finance and Introduction to Financing Economic Development.

This training will teach participants how to evaluate balance sheets and profit and loss statements, and projects that provide financing for business start-ups or business expansions. Course work will train participants to determine appropriate economic development financing mechanisms, roles of public assistance, deal structuring techniques, and evaluating projected business successes or failures.

Commercial Real Estate Finance (retail, office, and hotel). This training will provide skills to conduct an in-depth analysis of commercial real estate financing involving case study analysis; spreadsheet development and analysis; and in-depth understanding of all elements making up an operating pro forma, including financing, debt service coverage ratios, and returns on investment. It will also address the use of public financing and the structuring of deals involving public financing.

Multifamily Rental Housing Finance. This training will provide the skills necessary to conduct an in-depth analysis of the financing and development of rental property, as well as spreadsheet development and analysis. It will examine the criteria used by lenders and investors in evaluating projects, and methods to leverage private capital and additional public funds to fill financing gaps in rental housing projects.

Mixed-Use Project Financing. This training will provide the skills necessary to conduct an in-depth analysis of mixed-use commercial real estate projects with rental and/or for-sale housing as part of the same project. Topics covered will include: mixed-use rehabilitation and adaptive reuse projects; the real estate financing mix necessary for mixed-use projects; and public financing and deal structuring techniques used in conjunction with public financing.

For-Sale Housing. During this training, participants will learn the skills and techniques that successful housing development finance practitioners use to develop affordable for-sale housing. Coursework will include the elements that affect housing costs and the financing mechanisms used to create affordable housing and will also cover the pitfalls and possible safeguards to over-leveraged purchases.

Sustainable Development (one or more trainings). The purpose of this training will be to address combined housing and transportation expenditures when siting or financing

HUD-assisted housing. The training will cover the use of tools that analyze and promote location efficiency for use in siting decisions for housing and other community development projects. Participants would be trained to assess the impact of transportation costs on housing affordability and the appropriate use of green rating tools (such as

LEED ND or Enterprise Green Communities and other nationally or locally-recognized rating standards) that provide points for siting properties within proximity to transit and with improved access to employment, schools, amenities and services. Participants would also be trained on methods to address environmental justice concerns and, where applicable, methods to comply with HUD site and neighborhood standards.

Developing Permanent Supportive Housing for Very Low-Income Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (one or more trainings). This training is intended to improve the number and quality of approvable applications to the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the

Elderly (Section 202) and Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities

(Section 811) programs that incorporate additional sources of housing finance and to facilitate targeted assistance to vulnerable and at-risk elderly and persons with disabilities. The training will provide, enhance, and develop fundamental skill sets necessary for grantees to effectively participate in the reformed Section 202 and Section

811 programs. Under new statutory authority recently provided to HUD, state and local housing agencies can now receive delegated authority on a fee per service basis to underwrite, process, and monitor Section 202/Section 811 HUD funding invested into mixed-finance affordable housing properties. Additionally, state and local housing agencies may compete for funding under new Project Rental Assistance authority. This training will teach participants about the underwriting and monitoring responsibilities that state and local agencies may assume and will showcase current best models. Other topics include how state and local housing agencies can partner with local services agencies in

Section 202/811 projects and how state and local housing agencies can address the need for permanent supportive housing projects for seniors and persons with disabilities in

Consolidated or Qualified Action Plans.

(2) Environmental Review and Compliance Core Curriculum. Funding from the Core

Curricula program has been used to adapt interactive web-based environmental review training for CPD programs (developed under the OneCPD NOFA) to create a core course for grantees and administrators of other HUD-funded programs. The interactive course provides those entities with an introduction to the basic knowledge and skills necessary to perform environmental compliance reviews that allow HUD and its client governments to be in compliance with 18 Federal environmental laws affecting State, local and tribal governments.

Benefits of this curriculum include:

Improved quality of HUD-assisted projects as a result of taking environmental factors into the project.

Less delay in project execution and litigation for environmental compliance issues due to better planning of projects; less delay means lower costs of projects.

Professionalization of local governments‟ environmental planning staffs.

Improved capacity of local government staffs.

(a) Deliver: Introduction to Environmental Review Requirements for HUD programs (Core

Course). The course covers the basic requirements and skills needed to identify and analyze environmental conditions and determine any appropriate project environmental mitigation measures. Upon completion of the core course, it is expected that participants will:

Understand the basic principles behind HUD‟s environment rules and procedures; and

Be able to perform routine environmental compliance reviews.

(3) Asset Management and Preservation of HUD-assisted Projects Curriculum. This curriculum teaches basic principles of asset management that are consistent across PIH, CPD and

Housing (Multifamily). The trainings in this curriculum will provide, enhance, and develop fundamental skill sets necessary in order to develop long-term asset management strategies. It will assist grantees to successfully complete authorized conversions of public housing, and other

HUD-assisted programs to project-based rental assistance or project-based vouchers. The training is also quite applicable to asset management training needs in housing funded through both CPD and Housing (Multifamily) programs.

In addition, this curriculum will provide training to enhance the understanding of the strategies, rules and processes associated with preservation of affordable housing. The process surrounding preservation of HUD- assisted housing is complex and varies according to program type. Understanding the rules and strategies to employ in order to maintain and extend housing affordability is critical for owners and potential preservation purchasers. This curriculum includes separate core courses in asset management and preservation as well as additional topic-specific trainings.

(a) Deliver: Asset Management and Preservation of HUD-Assisted Projects (Core Course).

These courses teach basic principles related to asset management or preservation, including budgeting, replacement reserves, financial management, leveraging assets, recapitalization, rehabilitation, managing short and long term property maintenance needs and oversight.

(b) Develop and Deliver: Topic specific trainings related to asset management and preservation of HUD-assisted projects to be determined by HUD and selected TA providers, including specific trainings on leveraging capital and other topics that are relevant to Public Housing

Authorities converting properties through the Rental Assistance Demonstration.

(4) Construction and Rehabilitation Management Curriculum. The purpose of this curriculum is to help grantee managers understand what their agencies need to do in order to ensure proper management of new construction and rehabilitation projects. The curriculum will build grantee capacity and skills to: hire appropriate consultants to oversee the construction management and rehabilitation of projects assisted with HUD program funds, including housing and public works projects; ensure that appropriate inspections and monitoring of construction and rehabilitation projects are conducted; and ensure grantees are properly inspecting and monitoring the construction contractor.

(a) Deliver: Construction and Rehabilitation Management (Core Course). This training is directed at grantee staff performing oversight of construction projects (including small business contractors) and the rehabilitation of projects assisted with HUD program funds. This overview course provides introductory training for grantees to gain an understanding of what to focus on when performing oversight of construction management and rehabilitation of projects assisted with HUD program funds. It does not include detailed training in engineering and architecture, but covers codes and standards - including accessibility requirements under Section 504, the Fair

Housing Act, and Americans with Disabilities Act, property inspections, work write-ups, cost estimating, etc.

(b) Develop: Topic Specific Courses

Basic Activities of Rehabilitation: Overview of modifications typically made to units during rehabilitation, such as plumbing, heating and air conditioning, electrical, lead based paint, accessibility, and other indoor environmental issues beyond lead-based paint, moisture issues.

Construction Risk Management: Overview of risk assessment and cost assessment methodologies to mitigate accidents on construction sites and cost escalation. Topics include: how to perform a construction risk assessment and risk assessment plan to identify and mitigate the work-related risk factors that can cause accidents on construction work sites, how to prepare lifecycle costs based on good cost estimates, and how to identify and manage potential cost escalation factors.

Special Issues in Infrastructure Construction: Special issues related to non-residential construction management for infrastructure and commercial development, in both new construction and rehabilitation will be addressed.

The proposed courses will provide grantees with information on how to access and administer federal resources related to energy efficiency. The training will educate grantees on how to implement energy conserving operating plans including training on how to train residents to become more energy efficient. In addition, it will incorporate any statutory energy efficiency standards, U.S. Department of Energy standards and other HUD standards as applicable.

3. Threshold Requirements.

a. The applicant must meet the threshold requirements of the FY 2012 General Section, including the Civil Rights threshold in Section III.C.

b. Each applicant must qualify as an eligible applicant under this NOFA and must have met the timely receipt requirements. See the FY 2012 General Section.

c. No applicant may propose to provide assistance that is in violation of this NOFA, Section

VI.E. Funding Restrictions.

d. False statements or claims intentionally made in an application constitute grounds for denial or termination of an award, and may lead to penalties or prosecution as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.

e. To the extent that the applicant has experienced a recapture of funds under an open cooperative agreement or contract with a government entity in the last five (5) years, the applicant(s) must disclose this information and address how these issues were resolved. Failure to disclose past performance issues will result in disqualification.

f. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number Requirement. Refer to the FY2012 General Section, Section III.C.2.b for information regarding the DUNS requirement. Additional information on obtaining a DUNS number is available at http://www.hud.gov/grants/index.cfm. You will need to obtain a DUNS number to receive an award from HUD.

g. Central Contractor Registration Requirement. You will need to register or update a current registration in the Central Contractor Registration to receive funding from HUD. Information on

CCR registration is available at http://www.ccr.gov/Renew.aspx and http://www.ccr.gov/Help.aspx .

h. All applicants are required to submit an application summary (two-page maximum) with the http://www.hud.gov/grants/index.cfm http://www.ccr.gov/Renew.aspx http://www.ccr.gov/Help.aspx application as described in Section V below. Although this application summary will not be rated, the summary is a submission requirement for both OneCPD and Core Curricula.

i. The minimum score for an application to be considered for funding is 75 with a minimum of

45 points on Factor 1.

4. Program Requirements.

Applicants for OneCPD must follow all ten of the program requirements listed in paragraphs a through j below. Applicants for the Core Curricula are required to follow the requirements listed in paragraph a and paragraphs d through j below:

a. Demand-Response System. All successful applicants must operate within the structure of the

„demand-response system.‟ Under the demand-response system, HUD identifies technical assistance and capacity building needs and prioritizes them based on Departmental, programmatic and jurisdictional priorities. Successful applicants are then tasked with responding to identified needs. Successful applicants may not respond to direct requests for technical assistance from grantees or subgrantees. HUD is solely responsible for determining the entities to be assisted, the location, and the nature of the assistance to be provided, which must be part of an approved HUD TA plan for each engagement. Under the demand-response system, TA providers are required to:

(1) Promptly respond to requests for assistance from the GTM or GTR;

(2) When requested by a GTM or GTR, conduct a needs assessment to identify the type and nature of the assistance needed by the recipient of the assistance;

(3) Coordinate TA plans and activities with other providers that may offer additional expertise on a given topic, or that are currently active in providing assistance in a jurisdictional area, such as those providers funded under NSP TA, Section 4 TA, CD-TA, or McKinney-Vento TA; and

(4) Attend joint training sessions, workshops or conferences with other TA providers as may be requested by a GTM or GTR.

b. Needs Assessments of grantees will be conducted as prescribed by HUD.

c. Direct Technical Assistance and Capacity Building will only be conducted upon completion of a needs assessment and approval by HUD.

d. Tools and Products Development, either existing or developed under the award, must be approved by HUD before dissemination or use by TA providers. New courses must be accompanied by trainer notes so that HUD and other OneCPD providers may “step in” to deliver the trainings. Materials must be provided in electronic format and must be made available to the

GTM/GTR with sufficient time for review and concurrence from the GTM and GTR on the content and quality of the materials – i.e., typically 2 months prior to establishing a firm date for publication or posting, course delivery or group learning session.

e. Self-Directed and Group Learning deliveries must have prior approval from HUD

Headquarters. TA providers must arrange for joint delivery of the training with HUD participation when requested by the GTR, and send trainers to approved “train-the-trainers” sessions. Train-the-trainer sessions are intended to demonstrate to those who will be delivering the training the new materials that have been developed specifically for that course, the recommended structure of the delivery, and the training objectives to be achieved. The train-the-trainer sessions are not intended to train TA provider staff on program rules, requirements and regulations so will only be available to TA provider staff with adequate knowledge of the subject program(s). The cost associated with attending these required train-the-trainer sessions will be eligible administrative costs under the cooperative agreement executed with HUD.

f. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). Under Section 808(e)(5) of the Fair

Housing Act, HUD has a statutory duty to affirmatively further fair housing. Successful applicants will affirmatively further fair housing through activities as may be directed by HUD under the demand-response system. Applicants should indicate applicable fair housing expertise in the narrative submitted in response to the rating factors indicated in Section V.A. of this

NOFA and in the HUD40040.

The requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968

(Section 3) do not apply to funding under this NOFA since no Section 3 covered activity will be undertaken with these TA funds. This does not affect grantees‟ existing responsibilities to affirmatively further fair housing or provide training, employment, and other economic opportunities pursuant to Section 3 that result from their receipt of other HUD funding.

g. Additional Nondiscrimination Guidance. Please refer to the FY2012 General Section for additional nondiscrimination and civil rights guidance (Section III.C.5).

h. Environmental Review. Activities under OneCPD are categorically excluded and not subject to environmental review under 24 CFR 50.19(b)(9) or (13).

i. Effective Communication. Successful applicants shall take appropriate steps to ensure that all notices of and communication during all training sessions are be provided in a manner that is effective for persons with hearing, visual and other communications-related disabilities consistent with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. See 24 CFR 8.6.

j. Accessibility of Training Facilities. All TA providers and their subcontractors must use training facilities and services…