Q and A for PON.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 18 KB Posted
- Attached to
- DOER PON-ENE-2023-017 Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Decarbonization Grant Program Amendment
- Solicitation number
- BD-24-1041-ENE01-ENE01-95811
- Issued by
- Suffolk County, Boston City, Massachusetts
About this file
This document is a Q&A related to a Program Opportunity Notice (PON) issued by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) for the Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Decarbonization Grant Program. The PON is open to mixed-income development projects that seek to implement energy efficiency measures and decarbonize heating, cooling, and/or hot water systems. The program allows for flexibility in the timing of grant fund awards, with funds being provided in a milestone-based reimbursement format rather than all upfront. Eligible projects must have a portion of their units dedicated to affordable housing for low- or moderate-income residents, with a higher percentage of affordable units scoring more favorably in the evaluation criteria.
The Q&A provides clarification on several key aspects of the program, including the definition of a "unit" for the purposes of the grant, the ability to use the grant funds as matching for other federal funding sources, and the fact that there is no waitlist or presumption of funding for projects that were not selected in the first round. The PON emphasizes the importance of a thorough and well-defined scope of work in the application, while also noting that technical assistance may not be available before or after an award.
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Text version
12.20.23
| Contact | Subject | Question | Answer | |
| 1 | Drew Vernalia/Common Ground Development Corporation | Grant Funding Timing | Will the grant funds be awarded under contract before the project starts, after substantial completion, and/or will there be a requisition process during the project, which may coincide with the regular required reporting? | There is flexibility on the precise timing of when the funds can be awarded. But at minimum funds will need to be awarded at intervals related to reimbursements of work done and costs incurred in a milestones format. Funds cannot be provided all at once or at the very beginning of the project before costs have been incurred. |
| 2 | Sara Barcan/Homeowner's Rehab, Inc. | Project Size | Mixed adaptive reuse/new construction project - only four of the units are in the adaptive reuse (out of a total of 29). Is this an appropriate size for this program? | Only the portion of a proposal that includes existing or adaptive reuse are eligible for funding consideration, not newly constructed units. A multifamily retrofit projects of four units can apply for this opportunity. |
| 3 | Sara Barcan/Homeowner's Rehab, Inc. | Renewable Energy | If electricity generated from Solar PV is shared project-wide but located on the new construction portion, is that sufficient? | Yes, if the solar is being utilized for the retrofit portion of a project as well as the new construction it is eligible. |
| 4 | Laura Leacu/Hebrew SeniorLife | Qualification | We have a mixed income development consisting of 63% affordable units made up of very low, low and moderate income units at 50%, 80% and 100% respectively. The balance of the units, 37% are market rate. Given the mix of units, would the development qualify for the decarbonization grant? | Mixed income projects can apply. The number and percentage of affordable units is an evaluation criteria for project review and projects with more affordable units will be scored more favorably. See section 5 - C of the PON. |
| 5 | Laura Leacu/Hebrew SeniorLife | Scope | How much detail in terms of scope would we need to include or will there be some form of technical assistance to solidify the scope in the event of an award? | Reasonableness, completeness, and thoroughness of the scope of work and project plan for the project is one of the evaluation criteria. See section 5 - C of the PON. An incomplete or otherwise unsettled scope is likely to score lower. Technical assistance may be available, but there is no guarantee for it at this time either before or after an award. |
| 6 | Laura Leacu/Hebrew SeniorLife | Funding availability | Are there any applicants on a waitlist for these funds? In other words, how many applicants from the first round were not awarded funds and are they first in line for these funds? | There is no waitlist for funds. Projects that were not accepted in the first round can resubmit for the second round but there is no presumption or guarantee of funds for those resubmitting. |
| 7 | Stephanie Schweitzer-Dixon/Mental Health Association, Inc | Definition of a Unit | How is a unit defined for the purposes of this bid project? We have many homes that are large homes with multiple bedrooms in them. Will these houses qualify for renovations and upgrades under this program with each bedroom qualifying as a unit? | A unit is defined as a complete discreet residential unit. Multiple bedrooms in the same single residential home is still defined as a single unit. |
| 8 | Stephanie Schweitzer-Dixon/Mental Health Association, Inc | Matching requirements | If we receive federal funding to do renovations and upgrades in the form of a grant that requires matching funding, can we use this grant as a matching requirement? Is it just the ARPA funding category that is federal funding or are all categories federal funding? | The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are the only federal sources for this grant. There should be no other limitations around braiding or matching funds from federal sources. Leveraging other funding sources is a evaluation criteria for project review, with projects that are taking advantage of more funding opportunities outside of this grant likely to be scored more favorably. See section 5 - C of the PON. |
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