Veterans_Housing_Rehabilitation_and_Modification_Pilot_Program-FR-6600-N-39.pdf

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Community Planning and Development

Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program

FR-6600-N-39

08/24/2022

Table of Contents Summary

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 Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

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. Administrative, National and Department Policy Requirements and Terms for HUD Recipients Financial Assistance Awards

C. Reporting

D. Debriefing

VII. Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

APPENDIX

Program Office:

Community Planning and Development Funding Opportunity Title:

Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program Funding Opportunity Number:

FR-6600-N-39

Assistance Listing Number:

14.278 Due Date for Applications:

08/24/2022 Summary The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Strategic Plan sets the direction and focus of ourprograms and staff to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality, affordable homes for all.

HUD's Strategic Goals

HUD’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan lays out this administration’s strategy for ensuring everyone has an affordable,healthy place to live. Over the course of the next four years HUD will pursue two overarching priorities focused on increasing equity and improving customer experience across all HUD programs. Five strategic goals undergird the Plan as follows:

Strategic Goal 1: Support Underserved Communities Strategic Goal 2: Ensure Access to and Increase the Production of Affordable Housing Strategic Goal 3: Promote Homeownership Strategic Goal 4: Advance Sustainable Communities Strategic Goal 5: Strengthen HUD’s Internal Capacity

The five goals of the FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan present the core vision of what we hope to accomplish, the strategies to accomplish those objectives, and the indicators of success.

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 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):

2506-0213

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION.

A. Program Description.

Purpose

The purpose of the Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program (VHRMP) is to explore the potential benefits of awarding grants to nonprofit organizations to rehabilitate and modify the primary residence of veterans who are low-income and have disabilities. The funds made available under this program will be awarded competitively.

A number of America’s veterans who are low-income and have disabilities are in need of adaptive housing to help them regain or maintain their independence, are unable to fund significant home repairs, or are burdened by utility costs. In partnership with the U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs, HUD designed the VHRMP to test a new approach to address these challenges in accordance with section 1079 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291, §1079, enacted December 19, 2014, as amended by Public Law 114-92, §1081(b)(4), November 25, 2015). The VHRMP provides competitive grants of up to $1 million each to nonprofit organizations that provide nationwide or statewide programs that primarily serve veterans and/or low-income individuals. The grants may be used to modify or rehabilitate eligible veterans’ primary residences or to provide grantees’ affiliates with technical, administrative, and training support in connection with those services. The performance goals and required output and outcome measures for these grants are discussed in section VI.C.6 of this NOFO.

In the FY 2022 competition of VHRMP grants, HUD will award up to $10,445,980 with $4 million in funding provided under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117- 103, approved March 15, 2022) as well as $4 million in funding provided under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, approved December 27, 2020), $1 million in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-94, approved December 20, 2019), and $1,445,980 in remaining VHRMP funding provided under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141, approved March 23, 2018).

Changes from Previous NOFO.

The following change has been made to Section III. Eligibility Information, C. Cost Sharing or Matching: Matching contributions being provided by the grant recipient must be evidenced with written documentation of the cash and/or in-kind contribution sources and amounts in the application. Each matching contribution that is to be made by an affiliate or other third party https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-1320?toc=1 must be evidenced in the application by a Letter of Firm Commitment that meets the definition found in Section I.A.3.b (Program Definitions) of this NOFO.

The following language has been added to Section IV. Application and Submission Information, B. Content and Form of Application Submission: Documentation of matching contributions being provided by the grant recipient must be evidenced with written documentation of the cash and/or in-kind contribution sources and amounts in the application.

Each matching contribution that is to be made by an affiliate or other third party must be evidenced in the application by a Letter of Firm Commitment that meets the definition found in Section I.A.3.b (Program Definitions) of this NOFO.

The following changes has been made to Section V. Application Review Information, A.

Review Criteria-Rating:

1. Rating Factors, Rating Factor 3 - Soundness of Approach (35 points), c. Outreach is now worth 12 points (orginially worth 10 points) and d. Section 3 Compliance is now worth 3 points (originally worth 5 points). The d. Section 3 Compliance language now reads, "Your work plan must describe your strategy for hiring Section 3 workers, providing training opportunities to Section 3 workers, and awarding contracts to Section 3 business concerns that provide economic opportunities to Section 3 workers residing within the service area or the neighborhood of the project and YouthBuild programs."

Rating Factor 4 - Leveraging Resources (10 points): Points for this factor will be awarded based on the satisfactory provision of evidence of leveraging and financial sustainability, as described above, and the ratio of leveraged funds to requested VHRMP funds as follows:

1. Leveraged funds equal 50 percent or more of requested VHRMP funds = 10 points;

2. 40-49 percent = 8 points;

3. 30-39 percent = 7 points;

4. 20-29 percent = 6 points;

5. 9-19 percent = 5 point;

6. Less than 9 percent = 0 points

2. Other Factors, Preference Points: Preference points are now offered for Climate Change and Environmental Justice, in addition to Promise Zones and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. HUD may award no more than four total preferences points for a combination of any of the four (4) preferences. Each preference is worth up to two

(2) points. For example, points may be awarded for Environmental Justice and Climate Change, or for Promise Zones and HBCUs.

Definitions.

a. Standard Definitions

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) means taking meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination to 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 opportunities, 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 program participant’s activities and programs relating to housing and urban development.

Assistance Listing number refers to the publicly available listing of Federal assistance programs managed and administered by the General Services Administration, formerly known as the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). Assistance Listing is a unique number assigned to identify a Federal Assistance Listings, formerly known as the CFDA

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 for 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 above and 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. 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.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-91 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR031321e29ac5bbd/section-200.331 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200

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.

Expanded Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) An AOR is a member of your organization authorized by the EBiz POC to submit applications in Grants.gov on behalf of the organization. An applicant user with the Expanded AOR role is authorized to submit any applications on behalf of the organization and has privileges that allow the user to modify organization-level settings in Grants.gov.

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

1. Grants;

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 and voluntary contributions; and

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

11. Federal financial assistance does not include amounts received as reimbursement for services rendered to individuals as described in section 200.502(h) and (i). (2 CFR 200.1)

Federal award, has the meaning, depending on the context, in either paragraph (i) or (ii) 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, and this https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F/subject-group-ECFRfd0932e473d10ba/section-200.502 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 http://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200

NOFO, 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 in 2 CFR 200.1.

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.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, defines an HBCU as: “…any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary of Education to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation.” HBCUs offer all students, regardless of race, an opportunity to develop their skills and talents.

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.

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.

Promise Zones (PZs) are high poverty communities where the federal government partners with local leaders to increase economic activity, improve educational opportunities, leverage private investment, reduce violent crime, enhance public health and address other priorities identified by the community. See Promise Zones.

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. See 13 CFR Part 121.

Standard Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) An AOR is a member of your organization authorized by the EBiz POC to submit applications in Grants.gov on behalf of the organization. An applicant user with the Standard AOR role can only submit applications when they are a Participant of that workspace.

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 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/field_policy_mgt/fieldpolicymgtpz https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-121?toc=1 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 the 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 from a federal awarding agency.

System for Award Management (SAM) is 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 at https://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 (UEI) means the identifier assigned by SAM to uniquely identify business entities.

Program Definitions.

(1) Affiliate – (1) a local public or private nonprofit housing organization which is a subordinate organization (i.e., chapter, local, post, or unit) of a central organization and covered by the group exemption letter issued to the central organization under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a local public or private nonprofit housing organization with which the applicant has an existing relationship (e.g., the applicant has provided technical assistance or funding to the local housing organization); or (3) a local public or private nonprofit housing organization with which the applicant does not have an existing relationship, but to which the applicant will provide necessary technical assistance and mentoring as part of funding under the application.

(2) Eligible veteran – The term "eligible veteran" means a veteran as defined by 38 U.S.C. 101 who is low-income and has a disability as defined under Section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. 12102).

(3) Equity- the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as, for example, Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

(4) Letter of Firm Commitment – A letter of firm commitment from an applicant’s partner organization by which the partner (a) agrees to perform an activity specified in the application,

(b) demonstrates the financial capacity to deliver the resources necessary to carry out the activity, and (c) commits the resources to the activity, either in cash or through in-kind https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ contributions. It is irrevocable, subject only to approval and receipt of an FY 2022 VHRMP grant. Each letter of commitment must include the partner organization's name and applicant's name, reference VHRMP, and describe the proposed total level of commitment and responsibilities, expressed in dollar value for cash or in-kind contributions, as they relate to the proposed program. The commitment must be written on the official letterhead of the participating organization, must be signed by an official of the organization legally able to make commitments on behalf of the organization, and must be dated no earlier than the date of publication of this NOFO. In documenting a firm commitment, the applicant's partner must:

1. Specify the authority by which the commitment is made, the amount of the commitment, the proposed use of funds, and the relationship of the commitment to the proposed investment. If the committed activity is to be self-financed, the applicant's partner must demonstrate its financial capability through a corporate or personal financial statement or other appropriate means; and

2. Affirm that the firm commitment is contingent only upon the receipt of VHRMP funds and state a willingness on the part of the signatory to sign a legally binding agreement (conditioned upon HUD's environmental review and approval of a property, where applicable) upon award of the grant.

(5) Low-income – The term “low-income" means not having income that is more than 80 percent of the median income for an area, as determined by the Secretary.

(6) Matching contributions - “Matching contributions” means contributions that meet the matching requirements in 2 CFR 200.306, which may include in-kind contributions but do not include leveraged resources, as described in section V.A.1 of this NOFO.

(7) Nonprofit organization – an organization that is –

1. Described in section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and

2. Exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.

(8) Primary Residence- "Primary Residence" means a single-family house, a duplex, or a unit within a multiple-dwelling structure that is the principal dwelling of an eligible veteran and is owned by:

1. The eligible veteran;

2. The eligible veteran’s spouse, child, grandchild, parent, or sibling;

3. A spouse of the eligible veteran’s child, grandchild, parent, or sibling; or

4. Any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the eligible veteran is the equivalent of a family relationship.

(9) Secretary – The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

(10) Section 3 Business Concern means a “Section 3 Business Concern” as defined by 24 CFR 75.5.

(11) Section 3 Project means a "Section 3 Project" as defined by 24 CFR 75.5.

(12) Section 3 Worker means a “Section 3 Worker” as defined by 24 CFR 75.5.

(13) Underserved Communities- populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, as exemplified by the list in the preceding definition of “equity.”

(14) Veteran – "Veteran" has the meaning given the term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.

(15) Veterans Service Organization – Any organization recognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the representation of veterans under section 5902 of title 38, United States Code.

Recognized VSOs include those organizations that are “federally chartered and/or recognized or approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.” For the directory of Veterans Service Organizations, visit https://www.va.gov/vso/.

B. Authority.

This NOFO is authorized by section 1079 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291, §1079, December 19, 2014, as amended by Public Law 114-92, §1089, November 25, 2015; 38 U.S.C.

2101) and is funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103, approved March 15, 2022) as well as the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, approved December 27, 2020), the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-94, approved December 20, 2019), and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141, approved March 23, 2018).

II. Award Information.

A. Available Funds Funding of approximately $10,445,980 is available through this NOFO.

Additional funds may become available for award under this NOFO. Use of these funds might be subject to statutory constraints or other requirements. All awards are subject to the funding restrictions contained in this NOFO.

B. Number of Awards.

HUD expects to make approximately 10 awards from the funds available under this NOFO.

C. Minimum/Maximum Award Information Estimated Total Funding:

$10,445,980 Minimum Award Amount:

$700,000 Per Budget Period

Maximum Award Amount:

$1,000,000 Per Budget Period https://www.va.gov/vso/

D. Period of Performance Estimated Project Start Date:

02/03/2023 Estimated Project End Date:

02/03/2026 Length of Project Periods:

36-month project period and budget period

Length of Periods Explanation of Other:

E. Type of Funding Instrument.

Funding Instrument Type:

G (Grant) III. Eligibility Information.

A. Eligible Applicants.

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

Additional Information on Eligibility To be eligible for a VHRMP grant, each applicant must meet both of the following criteria: (1) The organization must be described in section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19)) and be exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code (26 U.S.C. 501(a)); and (2) The organization must provide nationwide or statewide programs that primarily serve veterans or low-income individuals.

B. Ineligible Applicants.

Individuals, foreign entities, sole proprietorship organizations, and other entities that do not meet the criteria in Section III.A of this NOFO are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.

C. Cost Sharing or Matching.

This Program requires cost sharing or matching as described below.

Recipients will be required to provide matching contributions as provided under section 1079(b)(6) of the Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. Specifically, each recipient must contribute towards the housing modification and rehabilitation services provided to eligible veterans an amount equal to not less than 50 percent of the grant award received. Recipients may meet this requirement through in-kind contributions. All matching contributions (including matching funds and in-kind contributions) must meet the requirements of 2 CFR 200.306. Matching contributions being provided by the grant recipient must be evidenced with written documentation of the cash and/or in-kind contribution sources and amounts in the application. Each matching contribution that is to be made by an affiliate or other third party must be evidenced in the application by a Letter of Firm Commitment that meets the definition found in Section I.A.3.b (Program Definitions) of this NOFO.

Leveraged resources, as described in Section V.A.1 of this NOFO, will not count as matching contributions.

D. Threshold Eligibility Requirements.

Applicants who fail to meet any of the following threshold eligibility requirements will be deemed ineligible. Applications from ineligible applicants will not be evaluated.

1. Resolution of Civil Rights Matters. Outstanding civil rights matters must be resolved before the application deadline. Applicants, who after review are confirmed to have civil rights matters unresolved at the application deadline, will be deemed ineligible. Their applications will receive no further review, will not be rated and ranked, and they will not receive funding.

a. Applicants having any of the charges, cause determinations, lawsuits, or letters of findings referenced in subparagraphs (1) – (5) that have not been resolved to HUD’s satisfaction before or on the application deadline date are ineligible for funding. Such matters include:

1. Charges from HUD concerning a systemic violation of the Fair Housing Act or receipt of a cause determination from a substantially equivalent state or local fair housing agency concerning a systemic violation of a substantially equivalent state or local fair housing law proscribing discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or familial status;

2. Status as a defendant in a Fair Housing Act lawsuit filed by the United States alleging a pattern or practice of discrimination or denial of rights to a group of persons raising an issue of general public importance under 42 U.S.C. 3614(a);

3. Status as a defendant in any other lawsuit filed or joined by the Department of Justice, or in which the Department of Justice has intervened, or filed an amicus brief or statement of interest, alleging a pattern or practice or systemic violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, the Americans with Disabilities Act or a claim under the False Claims Act related to fair housing, non-discrimination, or civil rights generally including an alleged failure to affirmatively further fair housing;

4. Receipt of a letter of findings identifying systemic non-compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974; or the Americans with Disabilities Act; or

5. Receipt of a cause determination from a substantially equivalent state or local fair housing agency concerning a systemic violation of provisions of a state or local law prohibiting discrimination in housing based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or lawful source of income.

b. HUD will determine if actions to resolve the charge, cause determination, lawsuit, or letter of findings taken before the application deadline date will resolve the matter.

Examples of actions that may be sufficient to resolve the matter include, but are not limited to:

1. Current compliance with a voluntary compliance agreement signed by all the parties;

2. Current compliance with a HUD-approved conciliation agreement signed by all the parties;

3. Current compliance with a conciliation agreement signed by all the parties and approved by the state governmental or local administrative agency with jurisdiction over the matter;

4. Current compliance with a consent order or consent decree;

5. Current compliance with a final judicial ruling or administrative ruling or decision; or

6. Dismissal of charges.

2. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. With some exceptions for federally recognized Indian tribes and their instrumentalities, the application must discuss how the applicant will carry out the proposed activities in a manner that affirmatively furthers fair housing in compliance with the Fair Housing Act and its implementing regulations. Applicants may propose activities that are consistent with their jurisdiction’s Analysis of Impediments (AI), an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH), or other means of fair housing planning that meaningfully supports their AFFH certification.

If the applicant will carry out proposed activities in a jurisdiction with an accepted Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH), the proposed activities should be consistent with the AFH's fair housing goals and with fair housing strategies specified in the jurisdiction’s Consolidated Plan or Public Housing Agency Plan.”

3. Timely Submission of Applications. Applications submitted after the deadline stated within this NOFO that do not meet the requirements of the grace period policy will be marked late. Late applications are ineligible and will not be considered for funding. See Section IV. D. Application Submission Dates and Times.

4. The application must receive a minimum rating score of 75 points to be considered for funding.

5. HUD will only fund eligible applicants as defined in this NOFO under Section III.A.

E. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements Affecting Eligibility.

Eligibility Requirements for Applicants of HUD’s Grants Programs The following requirements affect applicant eligibility. Detailed information on each requirement is posted on HUD’s Funding Opportunities Page.

Active Prime and Sub Recipient registration with SAM.gov Outstanding Delinquent Federal Debts Debarments or Suspensions, or both Pre-selection Review of Performance Sufficiency of Financial Management System False Statements Mandatory Disclosure Requirement Prohibition Against Lobbying Activities In addition, each applicant under this NOFO must have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the Award Term in Appendix A of 24 CFR part 170 if the applicant receives an award, unless an exception applies as provided in 2 CFR 170.110.

https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/SPM/documents/EligibilityRequirementsGrantProgramsFiscalYear2022.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-25/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-170 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-170/subpart-A/section-170.110 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-170/subpart-A/section-170.110

F. Program-Specific Requirements.

Each recipient under the VHRMP shall modify or rehabilitate the primary residence of an eligible veteran at no cost to such veteran (including application fees) or at a cost such that the eligible veteran pays no more than 30 percent of his or her income in housing costs during any month. “Housing costs” means the total of any mortgage loan principal and interest, real estate taxes, and insurance for the residence, plus any loan principal and interest or other costs the eligible veteran must pay for the modification and rehabilitation.

Each recipient must use one of the following income definitions for all income determinations under VHRMP: annual income as defined at 24 CFR 5.609; or adjusted gross income as defined for purposes of reporting under the IRS Form 1040 series for individual Federal annual income tax purposes.

Grant awards under this NOFO will be subject to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 CFR Part 200, as may be amended from time to time.

Only housing that is the primary residence of an eligible veteran may be modified or rehabilitated under this program, and the eligible veteran or his or her family member must certify in writing that the veteran intends the housing to continue to be his or her primary residence for at least five years after the modification or rehabilitation is completed.

Each recipient must establish housing standards which require that all dwelling units rehabilitated and/or modified under the VHRMP program meet all applicable State or local building codes, ordinances, and requirements or, in the absence of a State or local building code, the International Existing Building Code of the International Code Council.

Awardees must ensure that all programs and activities undertaken as eligible activities comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Fair Housing Act, and their implementing regulations at 24 CFR parts 8 and 100, respectively. The home modifications shall be made accessible upon request of the beneficiary. If the accessibility features selected are covered by HUD's Section 504 accessibility standards, those features shall comply with the applicable Section 504 standards, although departures are permitted in order to accommodate a beneficiary's specific disability. HUD's Section 504 accessibility standards are the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS), and HUD's Deeming Notice available at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-05-23/pdf/2014-11844.pdf.

G. Criteria for Beneficiaries.

This program serves veterans who are low-income and have disabilities as defined by 42 U.S.C.

12102. A veteran is defined at 38 U.S.C. 101. For the purposes of the VHRMP, low-income veterans are veterans whose income does not exceed 80 percent of the area median income, as determined by the Secretary. The veteran must intend to continue making the unit their primary residence for at least five years after the modification or rehabilitation is completed.

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-05-23/pdf/2014-11844.pdf

IV. Application and Submission Information.

A. Obtaining an Application Package.

Instructions for Applicants.

You must download both the Application Instructions and the Application Package from Grants.gov. You must verify that the Assistance Listing Number and Assistance Listing Description on the first page of the Application Package, and the Funding Opportunity Title and the Funding Opportunity Number match the Program and NOFO to which you are applying.

The Application Package contains the portable document forms (PDFs) available on Grants.gov, such as the SF-424 Family. The Instruction Download contains official copies of the NOFO and forms necessary for a complete application. The Instruction Download may include Microsoft Word files, Microsoft Excel files, and additional documents.

An applicant demonstrating good cause may request a waiver from the requirement for electronic submission, for example, a lack of available Internet access in the geographic area in which your business offices are located. Lack of SAM registration or valid DUNS/UEI is not good cause. If you cannot submit your application electronically, you must ask in writing for a waiver of the electronic grant submission requirements. HUD will not grant a waiver if the Applicant fails to submit to HUD in writing or via email a request for a waiver at least 15 calendar days before the application deadline. If HUD grants a waiver, a paper application must be received before the deadline for this NOFO. To request a waiver, you must contact:

Name:

Jackie L. Williams Email:

RHED@hud.gov HUD Organization:

ORHED

Street:

451 7th Street SW City:

Washington State:

DC DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Zip:

20410 Paper Applications: A paper application will not be accepted from an applicant that has not been granted a waiver of the electronic application submission requirement. If HUD has granted you a waiver, your paper application must be received by HUD on or before the application deadline date.

Facsimiles and Videos: HUD will not accept an application, third-party documents or other materials sent by facsimile (fax). Videos cannot be submitted via the Grants.gov system and will not be accepted as a separate submission. Any video submitted as part of an application will not be reviewed.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission.

You must verify that boxes 11, 12, and 13 on the SF-424 match the NOFO for which you are applying. If they do not match, you have downloaded the wrong Application Instruction and Application Package.

Submission of an application that is otherwise sufficient, under the wrong Assistance Listing and Funding Opportunity Number is Non-Curable unless otherwise stated under the Threshold requirements section.

1. Content.

Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission Requirement Notes/Description

HUD Applicant Recipient Disclosure Report (HUD) 2880 Applicant/Recipient Disclosure/Update Report

Submission is required for all applicants by the application due date.

Application for Federal Assistance

(SF424)

Submission is required for all applicants by the application due date.

Required for all applications.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SFLLL), if applicable

HUD will provide instructions to grantees on how the form is to be submitted.

If any funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this commitment providing for the United States to insure or guarantee a loan, the applicant shall complete and submit the SF-LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions.

Applicants must furnish an executed copy of the Certification Regarding Lobbying prior to award.

Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission Requirement Notes/Description

SF-424B Assurances for Non- Construction Programs

SF-424D (Assurances for Construction Programs)

HUD Form 424-CB: Grant Application Detailed Budget Form

The HUD Grant Application Detailed Budget Form is designed so that an application can be made for any of HUD's grant programs.

HUD Form 424-CBW: Grant Application Detailed Budget Worksheet

The HUD Grant Application Detailed Budget Worksheet is designed so that an application can be made for any of HUD's grant programs. It is used to provide detailed budget information regarding a proposed program. If the program requires for providing program activity information, it is necessary to use a separate HUD-424- CBW to provide information related to each program activity.

Additionally, your complete application must include the following narratives and non-form attachments.

An abstract or summary with: (a) the dollar amount requested, matching contributions (including matching funds and/or in-kind contributions), and leveraging, if applicable; (b) information that classifies your organization as a nonprofit organization that provides nationwide or statewide programs that primarily serve veterans or low-income individuals; (c) the approximate number of veterans your organization intends to serve using grant funds; (d) a description of the type of work that will be conducted, such as interior home modifications, energy efficiency improvements, and other similar categories of work; (e) a plan for working with the Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans service organizations to identify veterans who are not eligible for programs under chapter 21 of title 38, United States Code, and meet their needs; and (f) a plan of action detailing outreach initiatives. Please note that the abstract or summary is not rated.

The 15-page narrative is rated.

Documentation of matching contributions being provided by the grant recipient must be evidenced with written documentation of the cash and/or in-kind contribution sources and amounts in the application. Each matching contribution that is to be made by an affiliate or other third party must be evidenced in the application by a Letter of Firm Commitment that meets the definition found in Section I.A.3.b (Program Definitions) of this NOFO. This documentation, which will not be counted in the 15-page limitation.

Documentation of funds pledged in support of Rating Factor 4 - "Leveraging Resources." This documentation, which will not be counted in the 15-page limitation, must be in the form of a "letter of firm commitment" as defined in Section I.A.3.b. (Program Definitions) of this NOFO.

A copy of your organization's IRS ruling providing tax-exempt status under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Fifteen-page Narrative response to Factors for Award as described in Section V. of this NOFO.

Environmental Assurance Statement that states the following: (Applicant) agrees to assist HUD to comply with 24 CFR part 50 and that it shall: (1) supply HUD with all available, relevant information necessary for HUD to perform for each property any environmental review required by 24 CFR Part 50; (2) carry out mitigating measures required by HUD or select alternate eligible property; and (3) not modify or rehabilitate property, nor commit or expend HUD or local funds for these program activities with respect to any eligible property, until HUD approval of the property is received.

2. Format and Form.

Narratives and other attachments to your application must follow the following format guidelines.

15 Pages maximum length of narratives

Double spaced 12-point (minimum) Times Roman font on letter sized paper (8 1/2 x 11 inches) with at least 1-inch margins on all sides

All pages of the application must be numbered sequentially.

The application must have a table of contents.

All applicants are required to respond to the following factors in their 15-page narrative (see Section V. of this NOFA for further details.):

Rating Factor 1 - Relevant Organizational Experience;

Rating Factor 2 - Need and Extent of the Problem;

Rating Factor 3 - Soundness of Approach;

Rating Factor 4 - Leveraging Resources; and Rating Factor 5 - Achieving Results and Program Evaluation.

Please note that although submitting pages in excess of the page limit will not disqualify your application. HUD will not consider or review the information on any excess pages, and if you place key information on those pages, you may fail to meet a threshold requirement.

C. System for Award Management (SAM) and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

1. SAM Registration Requirement.

Applicants must be registered with https://www.sam.gov/ before submitting their application.

Applicants must maintain current information in SAM on immediate and highest-level owner and subsidiaries, as well as on all predecessors that have been awarded a federal contract or grant within the last three years, if applicable. Information in SAM must be current for all times during which the applicant has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by

HUD.

2. UEI Requirement.

Applicants must provide a valid UEI, registered and active at /www.sam.gov/ in the application.

For more information, see: https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update.

The DUNS number remained the official identifier for doing business with the U.S. Government only until April 4, 2022. As of April 4, 2022, entities doing business with the federal government must use the Unique Entity Identifier created in SAM.gov.

3. Requirement to Register with Grants.gov.

Anyone planning to submit applications on behalf of an organization must register at grants.gov and be approved by the E-Biz POC in SAM to submit applications for the organization.

Registration for SAM and grants.gov is a multi-step process and can take four (4) weeks or longer to complete if data issues arise. Applicants without a valid registration cannot apply through grants.gov. Complete registration instructions and guidance are provided on grants.gov.

D. Application Submission Dates and Times.

Application Due Date Explanation The application deadline is 11:59:59 PM Eastern Standard time on

08/24/2022 Submit your application to Grants.gov unless a waiver has been issued allowing you to submit a paper application. Instructions for submitting your paper application will be contained in the waiver of electronic submission.

"Received by Grants.gov" means the applicant received a confirmation of receipt and an application tracking number from Grants.gov.