FR-6500-N-05 FY21 ROSS NOFO.pdf

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Public and Indian Housing

Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinator Program

FR-6500-N-05

09/17/2021

Table of Contents Overview

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Program Description

B. Authority

II. Award Information

A. Available Funds

B. Number of Awards

C. Minimum/Maximum Award Information

D. Period of Performance

E. Type of Funding Instrument

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

B. Ineligible Applicants

C. Cost Sharing or Matching

D. Threshold Eligibility Requirements

E. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements Affecting Eligibility

F. Program-Specific Requirements

G. Criteria for Beneficiaries

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Obtaining an Application Package

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

C. System for Award Management (SAM) and Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number

D. Application Submission Dates and Times

E. Intergovernmental Review

F. Funding Restrictions

G. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

A. Review Criteria

B. Review and Selection Process

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

B. Statutory and Administrative, National and Department Requirements for HUD Recipients

C. Reporting

D. Debriefing

VII. Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

APPENDIX

Program Office:

Public and Indian Housing Funding Opportunity Title:

Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinator Program Funding Opportunity Number:

FR-6500-N-05

Primary CFDA Number:

14.870 Due Date for Applications:

09/17/2021 Overview The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issues this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to invite applications from eligible applicants for the program and purpose described within this NOFO. Prospective applicants should carefully read all instructions in all sections to avoid sending an incomplete or ineligible application. HUD funding is highly competitive. Failure to respond accurately to any submission requirement could result in an incomplete or noncompetitive proposal.

During the selection process HUD is prohibited from disclosing 1) information regarding any applicant’s relative standing, 2) the amount of assistance requested by an applicant, and 3) any information contained in the application. Prior to the application deadline, HUD may not disclose the identity of any applicant or the number of applicants that have applied for assistance.

For Further Information Regarding this NOFO: Please direct questions regarding the specific requirements of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to the office contact identified in Section VII.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement. The information collection requirements in this notice have been approved by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501- 3520). In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection displays a valid OMB control number. Each NOFO will identify its applicable OMB control number unless its collection of information is excluded from these requirements under 5 CFR part 1320.

OMB Approval Number(s):

2577-0229

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION.

A. Program Description.

1. Purpose A. Overview. The Resident Opportunity & Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinator (ROSS-SC) grant program is designed to assist residents of Public and Indian Housing make progress towards economic and housing self-sufficiency by removing the educational, professional and health barriers they face.

Self-sufficiency is defined as a household’s ability to maintain financial, housing, and personal/family stability. To achieve self-sufficiency, individuals in a household move along a continuum towards economic independence and stability; such movement is facilitated by the achievement of educational, professional, and health/mental health and financial empowerment-related goals. For the ROSS program, self-sufficiency is further defined as a resident’s ability to progress along the self-sufficiency continuum through training and the utilization of supportive services. In the case of elderly residents and residents with disabilities, self-sufficiency is further defined as the utilization of supportive services which enable them to age in place or remain living independently for as long as possible.

To help residents make progress towards self-sufficiency, HUD provides ROSS-SC grant funding to eligible applicants to hire a Service Coordinator who assesses the needs of Public and Indian housing residents and links them to training and supportive services that will enable participants to move along the self-sufficiency continuum. In the case of elderly residents and residents with disabilities, the Service Coordinator also links them to congregate and other supportive services which enable them to age/remain in place in addition to providing any desired training and supportive services which are made available to other residents. Through the ROSS-SC grant, HUD also provides funding flexibility to allow grantees to provide direct services where necessary to further support the work of the ROSS-SC and ultimately, the goals of the ROSS-SC program.

This place-based program targets the entire resident community within the project(s) to be served and aims to address the areas of need at both the community and individual level. The ROSS-SC must work with residents, PHA staff, local partners, and other stakeholders to develop local strategies to address the needs of residents and remove barriers so that residents make progress towards achieving economic and housing self-sufficiency.

ROSS-SC funds may only be used for the coordinator's salary and fringe benefits; travel and training expenses; and administrative costs including costs for direct services or for subcontracting for direct services. The ROSS-SC program is a cost-reimbursable grant which means that costs are reimbursed by HUD after they are incurred.

B. Core Functions of ROSS-SC Program.

1. Resident Needs Assessment: ROSS applicants/grantees must assess the needs of residents in the project(s) to be served to determine the critical needs that residents identify as barriers to achieving self-sufficiency. The results of the needs assessment are a key component of your application. A sample needs assessment is included with this NOFO at Appendix B.

2. Coordination and Direct Service Delivery: The role of each ROSS-SC shall be designed to meet the needs of both individual residents and the local community he/she will serve. The ROSS-SC must build partnerships with local service providers and other organizations in order to coordinate the delivery of services and to ensure that program participants are linked to the supportive services they need. The ROSS-SC must also assess any gaps in service delivery by existing partners/local service providers and may supplement these through subcontracts with other organizations possessing the expertise to fulfill the unmet needs of active ROSS participants. The ROSS-SC may also coordinate educational and/or community events that help residents achieve economic independence and stability.

3. Case Management/Coaching: The ROSS-SC program must provide general case management to residents which includes intake, assessment, education, and referral to service providers in the local community and/or subcontractors.

4. Resident Engagement: Grantees must find creative ways, including identifying local partners, to engage residents and Resident Associations in activities that help build organizational capacity and leadership; this can include supporting resident-led projects that address the needs of the community. This should include consulting the Resident Association(s) in the development(s) served by the ROSS-SC grant.

5. Evaluation: Grantees must regularly monitor and evaluate the progress of participants, the quality of services delivered by partners and subcontractors, and the overall success of the program. Regular monitoring and evaluation will help grantees make any necessary changes to improve the implementation of their program during the course of the grant.

6. Reporting. Grantees must submit an annual report to HUD. The annual report is due October 30th of each year. Final reports are due 90 days after the grant term ends.

C. Area of Need(s). Applicants must choose from the areas of need below to indicate which areas their ROSS-SC will focus on. The area(s) of need selected by the applicant must be supported by the results of the resident needs assessment administered in the communities the applicant proposes to serve. Please see Section III.F.11.

Digital Inclusion Education Elderly/Persons with Disabilities Employment Financial Literacy Health & Wellness Re-Entry Substance Abuse

D. Coordination with Other HUD Programs with Services or Service Coordination.

Grantees that are located in a jurisdiction receiving multiple sources of HUD funding (from the programs listed below) to serve the same population or geographic area, should coordinate among those programs, where appropriate, so as to leverage shared resources, avoid duplication of services, and improve access and service delivery to participating families. These programs are: Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS), Jobs Plus, Choice Neighborhoods, Elderly/Disabled Service Coordinators, HUD-VASH, Family Unification Program (FUP) vouchers, Multi- Family Service Coordinators, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA), Continuum of Care programs and/or other special use housing assistance that includes supportive services or service coordination. A PHA that administers both FSS and ROSS-SC programs and uses a single Program Coordinating Committee for both programs is an example of effective coordination. Coordination between programs should be conducted by and between program coordinators and/or other program management staff.

2. Changes from Previous NOFO.

Though some of these changes were made under prior NOFOs, they may be unfamiliar to FY18 renewal applicants.

a. Provision of Direct Services. ROSS-SCs primary role is to assess residents’ needs and link them to local service providers that can meet these needs through existing programs. However, where gaps exist in local service providers’ capacity or area of focus, grantees may either provide direct services themselves, or use grant funds from the administrative budget to subcontract for the provision of direct services to support residents’ needs. Direct service provision must be tied to the findings of the Resident Needs Assessment and must be provided to active ROSS participants (defined as residents with an assessment). As this is a new eligible use of ROSS funds, HUD will evaluate the implementation of this provision and reassess this eligible use of funds for future NOFOs. Please see Section III.F. Program Specific Requirements for more information.

b. Salary Increase for ROSS-SC Position. Under this NOFO, HUD will fund up to $72,000 for the annual ROSS-SC salary. This maximum and all salary requests must be supported by salary comparability information. If salary comparability information is missing from your application, it cannot be requsted during the cure period, please see sections II.C.1 and IV.B.2.c.for more information.

c. Digital Inclusion as an Area of Need. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the fundamental need for Internet connectivity, computer devices, and related training programs in public and Indian housing communities. ROSS-SCs may establish programs to assist residents connect to affordable Internet and computer devices, and the training to use them. Please see Section III.F. Program Specific Requirements for more information.

d. New Flexibilities in the Use of Administrative Expenses to Support Resident Outcomes. ROSS participants may incur costs associated with a new job, such as child care or transportation. Similarly, they may incur costs associated with adult education or job training. Such costs may be reimbursed for active ROSS participants on a limited basis. Please See Sections III.F. Program Specific Requirements and IV.F. Funding Restrictions for more information. The purpose of this newly added flexibility is to help residents overcome initial barriers to success.

e. Letter of Support for Joint Applications. Two or more eligible organizations may collaborate to submit a joint application for proposed grant activities. However, joint applications must designate a lead applicant. The PHA (or other applicant type) listed first on both the SF424 and HUD-52768 will be considered the lead applicant. Lead applicants must obtain a letter of support from each joint applicant they intend to serve. The letter of support must be signed by an authorized representative of the joint applicant’s organization. This is a threshold requirement. Please see Section III.D for more information. In the case of joint applications from resident associations and PHAs, the PHA, its instrumentality or affiliate may not also serve as the Contract Administrator.

f. HUD-52768. This is the primary application form and continues to be a required document that all applicants must complete and submit. This mandatory form is now an electronic fillable form on www.grants.gov. This form has been revised to require input of salary comparability information. This form is also used to submit required match information. See section IV.B.2.c of this NOFO for instructions on completing this form. This form is considered a threshold requirement.

g. Determination of Need. Under this NOFO, applicants are no longer required to identify a minimum of ten need categories. Instead, this NOFO specifies eight areas of need upon which an applicant can choose to focus its efforts. The areas of need that an applicant proposes to focus on must be based on the findings of the resident needs assessment. HUD will use the areas selected by the applicant to evaluate the progress of each grantee. Please note that HUD has included digital inclusion and substance abuse categories as areas of need in this NOFO. See paragraph g below and sections III.F.2.a and III.F.11 for more information.

h. Resident Needs Assessment. All applicants are required to administer a resident needs assessment showing the needs of at least 20% of the resident population residing in the developments the applicant proposes to serve. The applicant must describe the results in their application narrative. The results of the resident needs assessment must inform the applicant's selection of which area(s) of need they choose to address. A sample resident needs assessment is provided with this NOFO under Appendix B. See section III.F.2.a for more information.

i. Rating Criteria. All applicants must submit a narrative addressing rating criteria. Applicants will be reviewed for past performance and capacity using a point system. Each applicant will need a minimum of 30 points to be eligible for funding. See section V.A for more information.

j. Current Nonprofit Status. All Resident Associations (RA) and Nonprofits must either be a locally-incorporated nonprofit organization or a federally-designated 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization by the application deadline of this NOFO. All renewal applicants must certify that their nonprofit status is current and in good standing on the HUD-52768 application form. All new applicants that are RAs and Nonprofits must submit a copy of the 2019 or 2020 Federal Annual Information return submitted to the IRS (for 501(c)(3) applicants) or for locally-incorporated nonprofit organizations, the 2019 or 2020 submission of the state or tribal equivalent annual return. If no annual return exists, the new applicants must submit other documentation that verifies the non-profit status is active and in good standing. See section IV.B.1.d for more information. Additionally, pursuant to 24 CFR 5.109(l)(5) (published December 17, 2020 at 85 Fed. Reg. 82315), if an entity that holds a sincerely held religious belief that it cannot apply for a determination as an entity that is tax exempt, the entity may provide evidence sufficient to establish that the entity would otherwise qualify as a nonprofit organization.

k. Narrative Requirement for All Applicants. In the past, HUD required that only new applicants submit a narrative. Under this NOFO, all renewal and new applicants must submit a narrative statement in order to be eligible for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 ROSS funding. See section V.A for more information.

http://www.grants.gov

l. Narrative Requirement for Tribes and TDHEs Designated as High-Risk. In addition to meeting the requirements outlined above, a high-risk tribe or TDHE applicant must submit a detailed narrative that clearly addresses the corrective actions that have been put in place in response to any special conditions outlined by the Area ONAP pursuant to 2 CFR 200.208.

Failure to demonstrate the corrective actions taken will result in the applicant's ineligibility for funding. This narrative may not exceed 5 pages (Times New Roman Font size 12, double spaced, one-inch margins) and is in addition to the narrative requirements outlined in section V.A.

m. NAHASDA-assisted units. The term "NAHASDA-assisted unit" for the purpose of this NOFO and determining eligibility for ROSS-SC positions, is being clarified to mean NAHASDA-assisted rental unit.

n. Training and Travel Costs. In prior NOFOs, applicants could request up to $2,000 in training/travel costs per year for each coordinator. Under this NOFO, applicants can request up to $2,500 per year for each service coordinator. See section IV.F.3 for more information.

o. Administrative Costs. The maximum funding for administrative costs will be no more than 10% of the combined requested salary/fringe and training/travel amounts per ROSS-SC position.

For example, if an applicant requests $223,500 for salary/fringe and training costs, then the applicant can request up to 10% of $223,500 ($22,350) for administrative costs. See section IV.F.4 for more information

p. Direct Services. Grantees may use their administrative funds to cover the provision of direct services that cannot otherwise be fulfilled by local service providers. Such direct services must be based on the findings of the Resident Needs Assessment and may only be provided to active ROSS participants.

q. Unexpended Balance Threshold. Renewal applicants (see definition) that have an unexpended balance of 60% or more of their FY18 ROSS funds by the application deadline are ineligible for FY21 ROSS funding. In addition, previous ROSS-SC grantees that received ROSS-SC funding prior to FY18 are ineligible for FY21 ROSS funding as new applicants if they have a remaining balance of 40% or more of their pre-FY18 ROSS-SC grant(s). See definition of “new applicants.” See also section II.C.2.a for more information.

r. Reduced Awards. HUD reserves the right to adjust requested funding amounts downward, as determined necessary by HUD, at its sole discretion, based on an applicant’s demonstrated financial need, capacity, and prior performance. See section II.C.2.b for more information.

s. Grant Term. The term of the FY21 ROSS grant is 36 months from the effective date of the grant agreement. See section III.F.10 for more information.

t. Non-Site Based Resident Associations. These applicants must include a letter of support from the Public Housing Authority they intend to serve. See section III.D.4.

u. Maximum Number of ROSS-SCs per application. In past NOFOs, applicants based their request for ROSS-SCs on the number of occupied ACC/NAHASDA-assisted units in the PHA's/Tribe/TDHE's entire portfolio by September 30 of the preceding year. Under this NOFO, applicants must base their request for ROSS-SCs on the number of occupied ACC/NAHASDA-assisted rental units as of the application deadline of this NOFO only in the properties the applicant intends to serve. See Sections II.C and III.F.4 for more information. NOTE: The NAHASDA-assisted units that can be counted to determine eligibility for ROSS-SC positions must be rental units. This is a change from prior years.

v. Eligible Public Housing Units. Under this NOFO, "Public Housing projects" include public housing developed through any of the development means described in 24 CFR 905.600(b), including conventional and Mixed-Finance public housing. In addition, the NOFO clarifies that applicants may not apply to serve units currently being served by ineligible applicants, including but not limited to FY18 or FY19 ROSS grantees. See Section III.G for more information.

w. Eligibility of PHA Affiliates or Instrumentalities with Nonprofit Status. PHA affiliates or instrumentalities, as defined in PIH Notice 2011-47 (extending PIH Notice 2007-15), that are nonprofit organizations are prohibited from applying for funds under this NOFO if the PHA they intend to serve is applying for funds, or would not be an eligible applicant either because the PHA has a current ROSS grant (funded with FY19 or FY20 funds) or because the PHA has a high unexpended balance of a prior ROSS award. However, if such an entity is eligible to apply, it may only submit one application on behalf of their PHA.

Similarly, PHAs are prohibited from applying for funds under this NOFO if their PHA affiliate is applying for funds or would not be an eligible applicant either because the PHA affiliate has a current ROSS grant (funded with FY19 and FY20 funds) or because the PHA affiliate has a high unexpended balance of a prior ROSS award. See "Program Definitions" in Section I.A.4 for more information about the definition of a Nonprofit Organization.

x. Resident Association Definition. A Resident Association (RA) must exclusively consist of persons residing in public housing or NAHASDA-assisted rental housing (including board members) and must exclusively represent residents residing in public housing or NAHASDA-assisted rental housing. RAs must also be either a locally-incorporated nonprofit organization or a federally-designated 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization by the application deadline of this NOFO. For the purposes of this NOFO, a RA does not include a nation-wide or nationally-based resident organization (e.g., National Resident Organization (NRO)). See Section I.A.4 for more information about the definition of Resident Association.

y. Minimum Qualifications for Service Coordinators. A description of the minimum qualifications required for Service Coordinators is being reintroduced. See "Program Definitions" in Section I.A.4 below for more information.

3. Definitions.

a. Standard Definitions

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) means taking meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination, that overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity based on protected characteristics. Specifically, affirmatively furthering fair housing means taking meaningful actions that, taken together, address significant disparities in housing needs and in access to opportunity, replacing segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns, transforming racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity, and fostering and maintaining compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws. The duty to affirmatively further fair housing extends to all of a program participant’s activities and programs relating to housing and urban development.

Assistance Listings means a unique number assigned to identify a Federal Assistance Listing, formerly known as the CFDA Number.

Federal Financial Assistance means assistance that entities received or administer in the form of:

1) Grant;

2. Cooperative agreements (which does not include a cooperative research and development agreement pursuant to the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986, as amended (15 U.S.C. 3710a));

3. Loans;

4. Loan guarantees;

5. Subsidies;

6. Insurance;

7. Food commodities;

8. Direct appropriations;

9. Assessed or voluntary contributions; or

10. Any other financial assistance transaction that authorizes the non-Federal entity's expenditure of Federal funds.

b. Federal Financial Assistancedoes not include:

1. Technical assistance, which provides services in lieu of money; and

2. A transfer of title to federally owned property provided in lieu of money, even if the award is called a grant.

Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is the person authorized to submit applications on behalf of the organization via Grants.gov. The AOR is authorized by the E-Biz point of contact in the System for Award Management. The AOR is listed in item 21 on the SF- 424.

Consolidated Plan is a document developed by states and local jurisdictions. This plan is completed by engaging in a participatory process to assess their affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven, place-based investment decisions with funding from formula grant programs. (See 24 CFR part 91 HUD’s requirements regarding the Consolidated Plan and related Action Plan).

Contract means, for the purpose of Federal financial assistance, a legal instrument by which a recipient or subrecipient purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award. For additional information on contractor and subrecipient determinations see 2 CFR 200.331.

Contractor means an entity that receives a contract as defined in 2 CFR 200.1.

Deficiency is information missing or omitted within a submitted application. Examples of deficiencies include missing documents, information on a form, or some other type of unsatisfied information requirement (e.g., an unsigned form, unchecked box.). Depending on specific criteria, deficiencies may be either curable or non-curable.

Curable Deficiencies may be corrected by the applicant with timely action. To be curable the deficiency must:

Not be a threshold requirement, except for documentation of applicant eligibility;

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

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

Non-Curable Deficiencies cannot be corrected by an applicant after the submission deadline.

Non-curable deficiencies are deficiencies that, if corrected, would change an applicant’s score or rank versus other applicants. Non-curable deficiencies may result in an application being marked ineligible, or otherwise adversely affect an application’s score and final determination.

DUNS Number is the nine-digit Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Number

System identification number assigned to a business or organization by Dun & Bradstreet and provides a means of identifying business entities on a location-specific basis. OMB removed duplicate recipients based on recipient Data Universal Number System (DUNS) numbers, from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). At this time all Federal financial assistance recipients are required to register for DUNS numbers.

E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) A user registered as an organization applicant who is responsible for the administration and management of grant activities for his or her organization.

The E-Biz POC is likely to be an organization's chief financial officer or authorizing official. The E-Biz POC authorizes representatives of their organization to apply on behalf of the organization (see Standard AOR and Expanded AOR). There can only be one E-Biz POC per DUNS Number.)

Eligibility requirements are mandatory requirements for an application to be eligible for funding.

Federal award, has the meaning, depending on the context, in either paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition:

(1)(i) The Federal financial assistance that a recipient receives directly from a Federal awarding agency or a subrecipient receives indirectly from a pass-through entity, as described in 2 CFR §200.101; or

ii. The cost-reimbursement contract under the Federal Acquisition Regulations that a non- Federal entity receives directly from a Federal awarding agency or indirectly from a pass-through entity, as described in 2 CFR §200.101.

2. The instrument setting forth the terms and conditions. The instrument is the grant agreement, cooperative agreement, other agreement for assistance covered in paragraph

(2) of the definitions of Federal financial assistance in 2 CFR §200.1, or the cost-reimbursement contract awarded under the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

3. Federal award does not include other contracts that a Federal agency uses to buy goods or services from a contractor or a contract to operate Federal Government owned, contractor operated facilities (GOCOs).

4. See also definitions of Federal financial assistance, grant agreement, and cooperative agreement.

Grants.gov is the website serving as the Federal government’s central portal for searching and applying for Federal financial assistance throughout the Federal government. Registration on Grants.gov is required for submission of applications to prospective agencies unless otherwise specified in this NOFO.

Non-Federal Entity (NFE) means a state, local government, Indian tribe, Institution of Higher Education (IHE), or non-profit organization that carries out a Federal award as a recipient or subrecipient.

Opportunity Zone (OZs) are defined in 26 U.S.C. 1400Z-1. In general, OZs are census tracts located in low-income communities where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.

Point of Contact (POC) is the person who may be contacted with questions about the application submitted by the AOR. The POC is listed in item 8F on the SF-424.

Recipient means an entity, usually but not limited to non-Federal entities, that receives a Federal award directly from HUD. The term recipient does not include subrecipients or individuals that are beneficiaries of the award.

Small business is defined as a privately-owned corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship that has fewer employees and less annual revenue than a corporation or regular-sized business.

The definition of "small"—in terms of being able to apply for government support and qualify for preferential tax policy—varies by country and industry. The U.S. Small Business Administration defines a small business according to a set of standards based on specific industries.{e-CFR Title 13-Chapter I – Part 121}

Subaward means an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a beneficiary of a Federal program. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that pass-through entity considers a contract.

Subrecipient means an entity, usually but not limited to non-Federal entities, that receives a subaward from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a Federal award but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such award. A subrecipient may also be a recipient of other Federal awards directly for a Federal awarding agency.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=0ff5f0839abff4eec707b4478ed733c6&mc=true&node=pt13.1.121&rgn=div5&se13.1.121_1101

System for Award Management (SAM) means the Federal Repository into which an entity must provide information required for the conduct of business as a recipient. Registration with SAM is required for submission of applications via Grants.gov. You can access the website athttps://www.sam.gov/SAM/. There is no cost to use SAM.

Threshold Requirements are an eligibility requirement that must be met for an application to be reviewed. Threshold requirements are not curable, except for documentation of applicant eligibility and are listed in Section III.D Threshold Eligibility Requirements. Similarly, there are eligibility requirements under Section III.E, Statutory and Regulatory Requirements Affecting Eligibility.

Unique Entity Identifier means the identifier required for SAM registration to uniquely identify business entities.

4. Program Definitions

a. Contract Administrator is an overall grant administrator or a financial management agent (or both) that oversees the implementation of the grant and/or the financial aspects of the grant.

Troubled applicants and all RA applicants are required to submit a Contract Administrator Partnership Agreement (CAPA) with their application. If any applicant that is part of a joint application requires a Contract Administrator, the joint applicants must seek a Contract Administrator that is not part of their application. In the case of joint applications from resident associations and PHAs, the PHA, its instrumentality or affiliate may not also serve as the Contract Administrator. See section III.F.1 for more information.

b. Elderly person is any person 62 years of age or older.

c. Grant Term of the FY21 ROSS-SC grant is 36 months. If awarded ROSS funds, the grant term will start on the effective date of the grant agreement. HUD will allow grantees up to 60 days to begin implementation of their grant; therefore, the period of performance upon which the grantee will be evaluated is 34 months.

d. Indian Tribe is a federally-recognized or state recognized tribe as defined in section 4(13) of the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) 25 U.S.C. 4103(13).

e. Lottery means a random sample selection process, without replacement, through which each qualified applicant or qualified application has the same probability of being chosen. Once an applicant or application is selected from the pool, it will not be reintroduced to the pool when additional selections are made which will deliberately prevent selecting the same applicant or application a second time.

f. New Applicant is an applicant that has either never received ROSS funding or received ROSS-SC funding prior to FY18 and has an unexpended balance of less than 40% of its pre- FY18 ROSS-SC funds remaining by the application deadline. In addition, a joint application that has switched its lead applicant will also be considered a new applicant. FY19 and FY20 ROSS grantees will not be considered new applicants and are ineligible for FY21 ROSS funding. Note: funding from the Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) or Jobs Plus (JP) programs is not considered ROSS funding.

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/

g. Nonprofit Organization for the purposes of this NOFO refers to the following two types of organizations:

1. Locally Incorporated Non-profit Organization – A non-profit organization that has filed articles of incorporation with the state office (usually the Secretary of State or Attorney General) or tribal government responsible for incorporations and has been granted such status and has maintained this status by complying with state or tribal government requirements. Resident Association (RA) applicants, including tribal resident organizations, that are in the process of incorporating as a non-profit organization and have not been approved of such status by the time of the application deadline will not be eligible for a ROSS grant; or

2. Tax-Exempt Non-profit Organization is an organization that has been granted tax-exempt status by the IRS pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) before the deadline for submission of this application and is therefore exempt from federal taxation. For more information about tax-exempt status, go to irs.gov. Applicants who are in the process of applying for tax-exempt status and have not received this designation from the IRS by the deadline for submission will not be eligible, but may be eligible as a Locally Incorporated Non-profit Organization if they are a Resident Association and submit documentation attesting to having this status as of the application deadline.

Please see definitions of Resident Association and Tribal/TDHE Resident Group below for more information.

Notwithstanding the above definition, PHA affiliates or instrumentalities, as defined in PIH Notice 2011-47 (extending PIH Notice 2007-15), that are nonprofit organizations are prohibited from applying for funds under this NOFO if the PHA they intend to serve is applying, or would not be an eligible applicant either because the PHA has a current ROSS grant (funded with FY19 or FY20 funds) or because the PHA has a high unexpended balance of a prior ROSS award. However, if such an entity is eligible to apply, it may only submit one application on behalf of their PHA.

h. Non-Site Based Resident Association (RA) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization or a locally-incorporated non-profit organization of resident councils or resident management corporations representing multiple public housing projects at one or more PHAs. A non-site-based RA must adhere to 24 CFR 964.115 "Resident Council Requirements." All elected governing board members must be public housing residents. All PHAs to be served in the ROSS application must submit a letter of support signed by the Executive Director or other authorized representative, acknowledging that they have monitored the election process and that the RA is in good standing.

i. Person with Disabilities is a person who:

1. Has a condition defined as a disability in section 223 of the Social Security Act; or

2. Has a developmental disability as defined in section 102 of the Developmental

Disabilities Assistance Bill of Rights Act.

The term “person with disabilities” does not exclude persons who have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) or any conditions arising from the etiologic agent for http://www.irs.gov

AIDS. In addition, no individual shall be considered a person with disabilities, for purposes of eligibility for low-income housing, solely on the basis of any drug or alcohol dependence. Note that the definition of “person with disabilities” for certain program purposes (e.g., income determination, eligibility) under 24 C.F.R. 5.403 is different from the definition of “individual with disabilities” under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). For purposes of compliance with federal fair housing and nondiscrimination requirements under Section 504, the definition of “individual with disabilities” under 24 C.F.R. 8.3 will apply.

j. PHAS-Troubled applicant refers to a PHA that carries a designation by HUD as “troubled” under the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) on the national PHAS Operational List of Troubled PHAs as of the deadline date of the application. NOTE: In accordance with 24 CFR 902.66(a) a “high performance” or “standard performance” rating may be withheld, denied, or rescinded if the PHA demonstrates substantial evidence of noncompliance with civil rights, nondiscrimination and fair housing laws and regulations. Any applicant that is unsure of whether they are considered troubled by HUD should contact the Office of Public Housing in the local HUD field office/area and/or ONAP to determine their status. All troubled PHAs are required to submit a Contract Administrator Partnership agreement with their application.

k. Project is specific to PHAs. This term means a group of properties as defined in PIH Notice 2007-28, "Changes in the Project Numbering System and Process for Requesting Changes in Project Identifications." The term "new project number" will refer to the new project number that will be assigned to each Asset Management Project (AMP). Henceforward, the terms ‘AMP,’ ‘project,’ and ‘new project number’ will be synonymous. These projects are identified in PIC with 11-digit codes. For tribes/TDHEs previously funded through the United States Housing Act of 1937, a project is identified by the 11-digit project code. For tribes/tribally designated housing entities (TDHE) funded by NAHASDA, a project is identified by an official project name. If you are a tribe and there is not an official project name in use, develop a unique project identifier that can be used in this application and future applications.

l. Renewal Applicants are FY18 ROSS-SC grantees. However, FY18 ROSS-SC grantees that have an unexpended balance of 60% or more of their FY18 ROSS funds by the application deadline are ineligible for FY21 ROSS funding. In addition, if a joint applicant changes its lead applicant and is submitting their application as a renewal, the application shall not be considered a renewal. If an applicant is a new PHA with a new PHA identifying number and an ACC created by the consolidation of two or more divesting PHAs, the PHA's application shall be considered a renewal under this NOFO if at least one of the divesting PHAs had a ROSS Service Coordinators Program grant under the FY2018 ROSS-SC NOFO. To view a list of grantees under the FY18 ROSS-SC NOFO, applicants should review the “Previously Funded Report” available on this page https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/spm/gmomgmt/grantsinfo/fundingopps/fy21_ross.

If the number of ROSS-SCs for which an applicant is eligible has changed since its FY18 application, a renewal applicant is eligible to apply only for the number of ROSS-SCs for which it is currently eligible.

A renewal applicant may make changes from its FY18 grant as to budget, projects served, https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/spm/gmomgmt/grantsinfo/fundingopps/fy21_ross number of ROSS-SCs, type of population to be served (family and/or elderly/disabled residents), partners, and will be considered a renewal if it is applying to serve the same PHA(s) or Tribe(s) for which it was originally funded. NOTE: Joint applicants may not change their lead applicant if they wish to be considered under the renewal category.

m. Renewal Funding Category is reserved for renewal applicants. After the 25% Set-aside Category for Resident Associations is funded, eligible renewal applicants with FY18 ROSS grants will be funded. Applicants in the Renewal Funding Category have priority over applicants in the New Funding Category. NOTE: In order for a joint application that includes a resident association to be eligible for the 25% set-aside, the resident association must be the lead applicant. Please see section V.A.1.a for more information.

n. Resident Association (RA) must exclusively consist of persons residing in public housing or NAHASDA-assisted rental housing (including board members) and must exclusively represent residents residing in public housing or NAHASDA-assisted rental housing. RAs must also be either a locally-incorporated nonprofit organization or a federally-designated 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non profit organization by the application deadline of this NOFO. For the purposes of this NOFO, a RA does not include a nation-wide or nationally-based resident organization (e.g.

National Resident Organization (NRO).

To the extent these requirements are met, RAs may include but are not limited to any of the following types of resident organizations:

City-Wide Resident Councils;

Intermediary Resident Organizations;

Jurisdiction-Wide Resident Organizations (24 CFR 964.105);

Regional Resident Organizations;

Resident Councils (RC) (24 CFR 964.115);

Statewide Resident Organizations;

Site-Based Resident Associations; and Resident Management Corporations.

The NOFO will use “Resident Association” or “RA” to refer to all eligible types of resident organizations. All RA applicants must also submit form HUD-52753 “Certification of Election of Resident Council Board” and must indicate their RA type on the HUD-52768 “ROSS-SC Application Form.”

o. Resident Management Corporation (RMC) must consist of residents residing in public housing who propose to enter, or have entered into a contract to conduct one or more management activities of a PHA and meet the characteristics outlined in 24 CFR 964.120 including being a non-profit organization that is validly incorporated under the laws of the State in which it is located.

p. ROSS Participant. For purposes of reporting and tracking outcomes, a ROSS participant is defined as a resident who has been formally assessed by the ROSS-SC and who is actively participating in the program. In addition, direct services may only be provided to active ROSS participants.

q. Service Coordinator Qualifications – Minimum qualifications for a ROSS- SC include the following:

(1) College degree or significant relevant work experience. A Bachelor of Social Work or degree in Gerontology, Psychology, or Counseling is preferable; although any other completed college degree is fully acceptable. You may also consider individuals who do not have a college degree but who have an Associates degree or significant relevant work experience;

(2) Knowledge of procedures and eligibility for federal and applicable state entitlement programs; and legal liability issues related to providing Service Coordination;

(3) For applicants proposing to serve elderly residents, the ROSS-SC should possess knowledge of the aging process, elder services, disability services, drug and alcohol abuse by the elderly, and mental health issues;

(4) Two to three years' experience in social service delivery for low-income youth, adults, seniors citizens and/or people with disabilities;

(5) Demonstrated working knowledge of supportive services and other resources for youth, adults, senior citizens, and/or non-elderly people with disabilities available in the local area;

(6) Demonstrated ability to advocate, organize, problem-solve, and provide results for low-income families, the elderly, and/or individuals with disabilities; and

(7) Demonstrated ability to provide effective communications with individuals with disabilities and ensure meaningful program access for persons with limited English proficiency (LEP).

r. Site-Based Resident Association (or Local Resident Association) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization or a locally-incorporated non-profit organization representing a specific public housing project. A site-based RA may only apply for one ROSS-SC position. A maximum of three site-based RAs serving the same PHA may be funded through this NOFO.

s. Tribes and TDHEs Designated High Risk are Tribes and TDHEs that have to comply with any special conditions outlined by the Area ONAP pursuant to 2 CFR 200.208. Please Section V.A for more information.

t. Tribally Designated Housing Entity (TDHE) is an entity authorized or established by one or more Indian tribes to act on behalf of each such tribe as defined in section 4(22) of

NAHASDA (25 U.S.C. 4103).

u. Tribal/TDHE Resident Group refers to tribal/TDHE resident groups that are democratically elected groups such as tribe/TDHE-wide resident groups, area-wide resident groups, single project groups, or resident management corporations (RMCs). In order to be eligible for ROSS funding, these organizations must have either a state or tribal government designated incorporated nonprofit status or federally designated 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.

B. Authority.

ROSS is authorized under Section 34 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.1437z-6). Funding for this program is authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, approved December 27, 2020).

II. Award Information.

A. Available Funds Funding of approximately $ 35,000,000 is available through this NOFO.

Additional funds may become available for award under this NOFO, because of HUD's efforts to recapture funds, use carryover funds, or because of the availability of additional appropriated funds. Use of these funds is subject to statutory constraints. All awards are subject to the funding restrictions contained in this NOFO.

B. Number of Awards.

HUD expects to make approximately 125 awards from the funds available under this NOFO.

The chart below identifies the total funding available in the three most recent funding cycles and awards for each funding category.

Funding Year

Funds Available (Approximate)

Number of Awards

25% Set Aside for Resident Associations

Renewal New

2020 $35,000,000 146 $1,521,522 $20,788,820 $16,194,061 2019 $35,000,000 137 $1,141,702 $19,333,745 $17,509,276 2018 $35,000,000 118 $3,119,474 $18,069,168 $12,711,532 C. Minimum/Maximum Award Information Per the chart below, you must base your request for positions on the number of occupied ACC/NAHASDA-assisted rental units as of the application deadline of this NOFO in the developments that you are proposing to serve by the ROSS-SC. In order to be eligible for funding, all applicants must propose to serve a minimum of 50 units on the HUD-52768 (Part

II).

Number of PHA/tribe/TDHE Units Max # of ROSS-SCs Max Grant 50-1,000 1 $245,850 1,001-2,500 2 $491,700 2,501 or more 3 $737,550

1. Salary Comparability Information: Award amounts will vary depending on HUD’s evaluation of information provided in applicants' salary requests for the Service Coordinator positions. Applicants must request funding that is commensurate with local wages for professions comparable to that of a ROSS-Service Coordinator and submit salaries for three comparable positions from different employers by completing the HUD-52768 form. NOTE: A salary request will be considered commensurate if it does not exceed the average of the three salaries submitted for comparability purposes by more than 10%. We encourage applicants to use the CareerOneStop salary finder (https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Wages/find-salary.aspx), but this tool can only be used as documentation for one of the three comparable salaries. If applicable, an applicant may use the wages it pays its own workers in similar https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Wages/find-salary.aspx https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Wages/find-salary.aspx http://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/wages/find-salary.aspx), positions as another one of the comparable salaries it provides. Submission of salary comparability information is a threshold requirement. Please see Section IV.B.2.c for salary comparability information requirements.