HLC0000123 Q-A.pdf

Notification of Funding Availability (NOFA) regarding

Individual Homelessness System One Time Cost Grants

COMMBUYS Document Number: HLC0000123

BID Number: BD-27-1076-OCDDE-HS003-133443

A Bidders Conference was held on October 7. You can view a recording of the conference at this link.

Questions and Answers Questions that have been submitted multiple times appear only once in this document.

Table of Contents:

Click the link below to be taken to its section:

Questions about staff, staffing, and staff training

Questions about eligible activities and costs

Questions about site improvements

Questions about Responding to the NOFA

Questions about HMIS

Questions about Granting and Payment Processes

Slides from the Bidders’ Conference https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v8w1Ahgf3T4nOALSPny2qJXldrB1svls/view?usp=sharing

Questions about staff / staffing / and staff training

Are subcontractors, such as a third-party project manager, considered an allowable expense? If there are subcontractors engaged, will a sealed bid process be required? Subcontractors and subrecipients are allowed, though the grantee is directly responsible to the Commonwealth for the completion of contracted activities. A sealed bid process for identifying subcontracts is not required by HLC for this NOFA.

Are there any credentials or specific training required for those who staff an overnight facility that does not serve year-round or full-time as an overnight shelter? Yes. The Scope of Services articulates the specific training needs of staff in §V.7.d and V.7.g.

Are there any vendor, cost, procurement, prior-approval, or documentation requirements specific to contracted staff training beyond the requirements contained in the NOFA? No.

The Scope of Services lists a number of stabilization services that must be offered or referred. If an organization is serving as a daytime warming center, and as a back-up/overflow overnight shelter, is it sufficient for it to refer clients to the primary applicant that does offer all of the stabilization services listed, if it only offers a couple of them itself? Yes.

Questions about eligible activities and costs

Can this grant be used to cover costs for hotel stays to add winter capacity? Yes.

Is food and transportation for clients being sheltered in hotel settings eligible? Yes.

Can this be used for staffing costs associated with temporary spikes in capacity during particularly inclement weather – including overtime? Yes. HLC would want you to be able to explain your methodology for estimating what those costs would be in your proposal.

Under Attachment 1 to HLC0000123, “Staff Training” is included as a Supportive Services budget category. May a respondent use that category to engage a third-party training vendor for one-time, project-specific onboarding and safety readiness of employees assigned to newly funded or formerly unfunded seasonal shelter or warming-center capacity? The contemplated training would include de-escalation, situational awareness, workplace-violence prevention, recognition of escalating behavior, incident response, supervisor escalation procedures, and staff safety protocols directly related to operation of the funded seasonal capacity. Yes.

If eligible, should contracted training costs be reported under “Staff Training,” or under another budget category? Staff Training.

Can funds be used for extra food / clothing / transportation vouchers prior to the end of the contract be eligible expenses? Not likely. The intent of these grants is to increase shelter capacity.

Purchasing material items for specific clients would not likely increase capacity. If your response can demonstrate how these sorts of purchases WOULD increase capacity, HLC would consider the proposal.

Can you confirm the budget is for expansion only? Grant funds must be used for activities that will increase the number of funded beds in overnight or warming shelters.

Is there a cut-off for cold temperatures to activate winter shelter? HLC does not prescribe temperature triggers for shelter. Some programs may provide intermittent shelter when the weather is inclement. We allow those programs to define inclement for themselves. You’ll have to estimate the number of nights you expect the weather to fit that definition to calculate your budget in the proposal.

Though there are several individuals who utilize our program, some of the women who enter the program are fleeing from domestic violence or sexual abuse and their children are fleeing with them. Would this disqualify the program from being categorized as "individual"? Fleeing domestic violence does not preclude a person from accessing the shelter or services funded under this grant.

However, clients being accompanied by children may not be served. This NOFA is specifically designed to fund projects serving households without children.

Our region does not have a facility to accommodate a warming center. Can we use funding from this grant to pay for gift cards to restaurants so people can go in and have a warm meal? No.

Can we use grant funds to provide meals on days we have access to a church for people to do laundry? No. Meals served would be eligible only if that warming center / laundry space was an overnight warming space.

Is there a minimum grant size? No. If you need a small amount of money to increase shelter or warming center programming capacity – even if by one bed, we will consider the proposal and make awards if it is competitive.

If you offer a warming center is that for 24 hours, or can you offer beds at night and daytime warming only? Both Warming Centers and Emergency Shelters MUST be open at night in order to receive funding. They may also be open during the day. Please see Section II of the NOFA for greater clarity, but the distinction between the two is that an emergency shelter provides facilities for sleeping in the form of beds or cots or mats, and warming centers do not.

Can grant funds be used to support costs associated with shelters currently operating in overflow?

If overflow capacity is unfunded then you can apply for funds to support that.

If we are funded for more capacity than we can fill, will we have to repay the grant? No. You will only be allowed to bill for actual costs, and since you will have incurred those actual costs, there won’t be anything to be repaid.

Can one-time funds be used to support transition costs for a new permanent shelter (like Liberty Street) opening this winter, or must projects be strictly “seasonal” and temporary in nature? If your new shelter adds capacity, then the cost of transitioning to it would be eligible.

Can a division of state government be also considered a provider? Such as county sheriff's departments? No – eligible respondents are municipalities or nonprofits (including faith based organizations.)

Can we expense transportation to send guests to other services or other shelters if we are full? Yes.

Just verifying, expenses cannot occur before the contract start date? Correct.

Can we use the funds to leverage other benefits, EOHHS health related social needs (HRSN)? Yes

If the modifications were to comply with the facility location rules and regulations because the facility is embedded in a non shelter environment, how would we communicate that. Describe it in your narratives. You can also include information in your letter of transmittal.

Can permanent staff be funded as part of a general ramp-up to support temporary shelter capacity?

So long as they are working to support the people in your expanded capacity.

Must the funds absolutely be spent by 4/30/2027? Yes.

Are funds only permitted to be spent on individuals (i.e., and not other family groupings)? Funds may be spent to provide eligible services to any household without children. This can include family households that are made up entirely of adults.

Are chest freezer and refrigerators, food vouchers, and food boxes allowable expenses?

Refrigerators and freezers that can be shown to increase the number of people being provided with emergency shelter or warming center access may be used so long as they do not exceed $50,000.

Likewise, food boxes given to persons utilizing your emergency shelter or warming center space are also allowable. Food vouchers may not be billed to the grant.

Are there limits around how much rent EOHLC will reimburse for this grant? No, though the amount of the request divided by the number of people served each night is a factor in response scoring.

A potential site wants us to pay for a security guard and cleaner as part of our agreement. The would like to hire them security and cleaner directly. Would we include those costs as rent paid to our landlord, or break those down in our application? Either way is fine. Breaking it down makes it clearer why your rent is so expensive, but your proposal will not be judged on the cost of your space alone. The final cost per person per night is the primary fiscal measure we will be looking at for scoring purposes

If a shelter would only allow expanded numbers of people on days when the weather is particularly bad (to be specified), is that allowable and how should that be captured and budgeted into a proposal? Some programs may provide intermittent shelter when the weather is inclement. We allow those programs to define inclement for themselves. You’ll have to estimate the number of nights you expect the weather to fit that definition to calculate your budget in the proposal.

What are the meal requirements for people who are housed through hotel stays? The Emergency

Shelter Program Appendix portion of the scope of services included on COMMBUYS states in section 4a, “The Contractor shall make available at least one onsite meal or arrange for at least one offsite meal to be provided, to each Client per day. Additional meals are strongly encouraged whenever possible.”

We currently run an Emergency Response Program offering unsheltered individuals hotel rooms (2 beds/room), food and water during extreme weather conditions (20 degrees or less for two days is the criteria). Could we expand this program to include nightly shelter from Nov 1 through April 30 and possibly make the criteria extend to warmer temperatures, but still use the Hotel model? [The agency] provides food and water for each individual in the hotel rooms for each night. Yes.

Would we have to provide shelter every night from Nov 1 though April 30? The contract will be for November 15th through April 30. You may operate intermittent shelter. Please see answers to questions about estimating budget for intermittent cold weather shelters elsewhere in this document.

Is hiring a security guard company for a warming center considered an indirect cost? No.

Is a computer to collect data and client information an eligible cost? Yes.

If our proposal is utilizing a rotating set of different churches, is the cost of a trailer to move the beds and other materials from one site to the other eligible? Yes, though we might question purchasing a trailer for this. Given that this is likely to only happen a few times during the course of the winter, we would recommend renting a trailer as opposed to purchasing it.

Is liability insurance an eligible cost? Yes – in so much as you can attribute costs directly to the project.

The submission checklist identifies with the correct BID number and Document number but has the title “Sponsor Based Transitional Re-Entry Housing Program” should we use that checklist? Yes, Questions about site improvements

When using funding from these grants to create additional winter capacity, may we serve people we’re already working with in that capacity? Can we create a non-congregate site and move people we think would do well from our existing congregate site into the new non-congregate and then backfill the congregate? Yes.

Can this funding be used for facility improvements such as showers or laundry facilities that will allow us to serve more people in a new site we’re hoping to move to? The new site will serve more people. Non-capital Facility improvements that will increase shelter capacity are eligible

For facility improvements, does there need to be a minimum lease term? No – BUT be aware that proposals will be considered within the context of cost per person per night. Proposals that will be very expensive for short-term gain will be compared with those that are less expensive, or longer term.

Can grant funds be used for recent upgrades? No. Grants will be cost reimbursement, which means we will reimburse the grantee for expenses incurred during the grant period. The grant period will not begin until November 15.

Questions about Responding to the NOFA

How should the application be submitted? E-mail it to HLC at EOHLCindividualshelter@mass.gov.

It is not necessary to submit in COMMBUYS

Should an agency that is trying to have different efforts submit a single application or separate ones for each effort? HLC would prefer fewer responses. However, we will issue one contract per response. If there are administrative reasons that you need to separate those out, you may submit separate responses. Alternatively, if it is easier to submit multiple responses but you would prefer a single contract, please advise us of that when you are awarded. For single responses with multiple sites, HLC IS asking for a distinct budget attachment for each site

May we submit our response before October 16? Yes.

Is it acceptable to bundle 2 types of projects (e.g. funding for hotel stays and for a congregate shelter expansion) in the same proposal? Yes.

Can more than one proposal be submitted for the same geographic area? Yes. By the same provider, or in collaboration with other providers are both acceptable.

Is there a limit on the amount you can request? No. Note that we are attempting to increase capacity statewide so are not likely to fully fund responses that request disproportionate amounts of available funds

On the Cover tab of the budget attachment there is a drop-down menu for project model. We are planning on requesting some support staff costs for 7 weeks for winter overflow at (our) shelter as well as hotel costs for overflow … seasonal shelter. Could you confirm if Seasonal Shelter would be the correct model? Yes. Seasonal Shelter is the correct choice in this example.

Since this isn't an annual contract [should we] reduce the salary or the FTE to make the total amount requested work? Yes. Please keep the FTE column accurate, but adjust the salary column so that when multiplied by the number of FTEs, the result in the Total Column is the amount you are requesting for each position.

The NOFA narrative response questions are all really programmatic, focusing on the services, outreach, populations served, etc. Where should we put narrative information on what we are proposing and the level of expansion? Section V.B of the NOFA indicates that page two of your mailto:EOHLCindividualshelter@mass.gov narrative response should be used for the scope of services narrative. This is where you can describe what your proposal is.

Appendix B states that 1 page shall be devoted to:

• Letter of Transmittal

• Scope of Services

• Experience

• Capacity

My question is, as long as the full narrative section does not exceed 5 pages, may the particular sections be longer or shorter than 1 page? No – each section has a one-page limit. Do your best to describe within that limit.

Can we submit just one of the three suggested documents (e.g. CAPER) as verification of our compliance with entering client level data into HMIS? Yes

To whom should the letter confirming our participation in HMIS be addressed? You can address it to Gordon Calkins, Director of Individual Homelessness at EOHLC.

Does an organization that is not the lead applicant need to submit all the forms, i.e., authorized signatory, standard contract, W-9, etc. Our organization will be a sub-recipient if the grant is awarded to our lead applicant. No, those documents are only required of the organization that will directly have the contract with HLC.

Section VI C 1 The evaluation criteria includes “proposed outcomes” but Appendix B, scope of services does not mention outcomes as a part of that response. By “proposed outcomes”, HLC actually means outputs. The number of people you’re proposing to serve, the types of services you’re proposing to offer, etc.

The proposed program is contracted through the Boston CoC, but is located in Weymouth. Which is considered the host municipality? Weymouth

If applying to set up a new winter shelter, do we need to have a specific site identified at the time of our application? No, but you WILL need to have a site identified and available for the grant period prior to contract execution.

The NOFA describes priority regions. Our proposal will be for outside those regions. Will projects not located in a listed priority region be funded? Priority regions indicates areas of the Commonwealth where there is greater need. We are more likely to fund larger or multiple responses from those areas. However, there is need everywhere and projects not included in a priority region may be funded.

On the Excel Budget template, there are not enough lines in the payroll section. There are lines for 11 different positions. Noting that each line is for a position as opposed for an employee. That said, if you have more than 11 positions that you want to include, combine positions with similar rates into the same line and list them both in the position title cell for that line.

Will responses from multiple respondents for the same community be considered? Yes, if there is sufficient need and the responses are coordinated in such a way as to support a cohesive effort for the geographic area being served.

In section C Evaluation Criteria for Scope (d), there is a reference to interdisciplinary case conferencing for those experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the community and also a reference to it in Appendix B Experience (page 3): could I get a definition of interdisciplinary case conferencing (for example, would it refer to behavioral health, substance use providers, and other referral partners)? Interdisciplinary Case Conferencing is defined in “§I Definitions” of the NOFA.

We have space to have up to 100 winter beds, but wanted to know if you would like us to submit 1 proposal for the 100 beds with an option to accept less, or to submit 2 separate proposals: 1 for 60 beds, and 1 for 100 beds? Or perhaps 1 proposal with all documents for the 100 beds, but an additional attachment for a budget for only 60 beds? Please do not submit two distinct responses if one of them is for a subset of beds covered by the other. Either of the other two strategies are fine.

If you’re concerned about the strategic sourcing team being confused, you can always be explicit on what you are submitting in your transmittal letter.

On the "Project Info" for the Budget, we are asked to select if this project is "formerly unfunded" or "new," but our project will cover both - formerly unfunded beds as well as new beds that we could bring online if funding allowed. How is this question best answered if we may only select one of the two options? You can either provide the answer that best descries the preponderance of units, or submit a separate budget attachment for both types of units

Is it a requirement that funded projects be stood up by November 15th? No. If you need a later start date, indicate so in the appropriate field on your budget template.

Can you describe the difference between an overnight shelter and a warming center? The fundamental difference is that shelters have beds or cots to sleep on and warming centers do not.

If we are proposing multiple sites with multiple budgets, would you like a summary budget of them all together? It is not necessary to submit both individual site budgets and a summary budget.

What if we are having difficulty getting a letter from the municipality? HLC will not fund a proposal in a community where the municipality does not support it. If the problem is that the municipality is unclear that we are only asking for their assent, you can ask them ask their questions of HLC directly.

Is there a cap on the size of proposals or on the cost per person per day? No, though bear in mind that we have $15M for the entire state, which will not likely be enough, and that projects are scored, in part, on cost effectiveness.

Can we reach out to you prior to submitting our proposal to ensure that it is in alignment with what you are looking for? No. HLC cannot provide individualized guidance for respondents during the procurement process.

What is the deadline for support letters from your municipality? Letters must be submitted with your response no later than 3pm on October 16th.

Would it be helpful to include in our response what category of homeless people we will be serving?

Yes. Include any specific subpopulation you intend to serve and the specialized services you will be providing right in the scope of services page you submit with your response.

Questions about HMIS

Do the HMIS data quality reports for submissions need to be for a specific period? Calendar year.

The NOFA requires that projects funded must participate fully in the HMIS system of the continuum of care in which the project is located. Our current does not. Will we be required to switch it? If the CoC in which the program is located has authorized you to keep your data in a different HMIS, that is acceptable. If they have not, you will need to switch it over. As a side note EOHLC’s monitoring processes now include confirmation with the CoC’s HMIS lead of ongoing compliance with HMIS requirements.

To whom should the letter confirming our participation in HMIS be addressed? You can address it to Gordon Calkins, Director of Individual Homelessness at EOHLC.

If we are only using the funding for facility improvements or material goods and not for services to the clients, what would the implications be for our need to participate in HMIS? Anyone served in the project being funded would have to be included in HMIS for the duration of the grant.

Our proposal would include several sites, and only one currently is registered to provide HMIS data.

Our organization as the lead on the proposal isn't yet but is ready and able to do all things necessary to comply. My question, in two parts is: Should each individual site be entering their HMIS data themselves and therefore be registered, or can we as the lead organization responsible for reporting be the ones that receive the information from each site and then report the HMIS data ourselves about each site? If we as the lead organization are able to report on all the site data, should it be aggregate or by individual site? HLC defers to the HMIS lead of the continuum of care in which the different sites will operate. If the HMIS lead allows the respondent to enter HMIS data for all the sites, that is okay with HLC. If the HMIS lead wants all the projects listed together, or all the projects listed separately, that is okay with HLC.

Questions about Granting and Payment Processes

What will be the start date of the grants? November 15th.

Is this for a one-time payment? No – these are cost reimbursement grants that will not be renewed.

You can incur costs throughout the grant period, make payments to multiple vendors and submit invoices to HLC monthly.

Will applications be reviewed on a rolling basis? No. Applications will all be reviewed in the week or two following the deadline, and scored comparatively with one another.

Will these one-time funds be added to the current Individual Shelter contract or will these funds be added as a separate component of this contract? Will these one-time funds be a separate EOHLC contract? Contracts for these funds will be separate from any other funding you have from EOHLC.

Does this grant permit pre-award cost? Grants will be cost reimbursement which means we will reimburse the grantee for expenses incurred during the grant period. The grant period will not begin until November 15.

Is the reduced time period to ensure timely reporting by the end of June? No. By ending the grants at the end of April, we’ll be able to fund more beds during the colder winter months.

Will there be a process used to address geographic equity? Yes

Will proposals receive partial funding? HLC may negotiate with respondents which may result in less funding than requested.

Slides from the Bidders’ Conference

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