Summit County CoC 2021 NOFO Pre-Application Process (HUD changed it to NOFO this year)

Project applications have been released in eSnaps and you are required to submit the applications 30 days prior to the NOFO application deadline on November 16, 2021. Please be sure to complete your applications and submit them in eSnaps by October 1, 2021. We will review project applications the week of October 4th and send any applications that need corrections back to your agency.

Please be sure to thoroughly review your applications in eSnaps. DO NOT go through the application and renew information from last year. All applicants are required to go through each question and make sure it is up to date with the HEARTH Act and compliant with CoC Priorities. Most importantly, every project application needs to add “Your Agency is a member of the Akron/Barberton/Summit County Continuum of Care and receives all client referrals from Centralized Intake in accordance with HUD Orders of Priority Notice CPD-016-11 and HUD requirements for Coordinated Entry CPD-17-01.” to their project description. Please be sure to review narrative for any possible barriers to your program (i.e., a participant has to be a client of your agency to be housed, a participant has to be sober, a participant has to be of certain sex, unless it is a shared bathroom facility, etc.). HUD has made it VERY clear that they WILL NOT award funding to project applications that aren’t compliant with the HEARTH Act. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE review your applications.

ALL RENEWAL PROJECTS MUST READ THE FOLLOWING:

Consolidation Project. Project applicants can consolidate two but no more than ten eligible renewal projects during the application process. The projects being combined during a grant consolidation will continue uninterrupted. To be eligible for consolidation, the projects must have the same recipient and be for the same component; and will only be funded in this Competition with FY 2021 funds (meaning no funds recaptured from prior years will be awarded to the project). See Section V.B.4.a.(7) of this NOFO for additional information.

ALL NEW PROJECTS MUST READ THROUGH THE NOFO AND THE FOLLOWING:

Coordination with Housing and Healthcare. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 directs HUD to provide incentives to create projects that coordinate with housing providers and healthcare organizations to provide permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing services. In the FY 2021 CoC Program Competition, CoCs may receive up to 10 bonus points on the CoC Application if the CoC Priority Listing includes new project applications

created through reallocation or the CoC Bonus that utilizes housing vouchers and healthcare provided through an array of healthcare services providers. See Section VII.B.6 of this NOFO for additional details.

Domestic Violence (DV) Bonus. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 provides up to $52 million for “rapid re-housing projects and supportive service projects providing coordinated entry, and for eligible activities that the Secretary determines to be critical in order to assist survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.” Additionally, up to $50 million is added to the amount from the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 as HUD did not conduct an FY 2020 CoC Program Competition, but instead only awarded eligible renewal projects. Therefore, the total amount of DV Bonus funding is $102 million which will be used for new DV-specific project applications where 100 percent of the participants are or will be survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. See Section II.B.11.e of this NOFO for additional information.

Below is the CoC review criteria for project applications. If you have any questions, please be sure to contact SCCoC Staff.

HUD expects each CoC to implement a thorough review and oversight process at the local level for both new and renewal project applications submitted to HUD in the FY 2021 CoC Program Competition. It has been HUD’s experience that many project applications contain information resulting in conditions on the grant; or for more serious infractions, a project application being rejected. Deficient project applications prolong the review process for HUD, which results in delayed funding announcements, lost funding for CoCs due to rejected projects, and delays in funding to house and assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness. CoCs are expected to closely review the information provided in each project application, including YHDP renewal or YHDP replacement projects, to ensure:

1. all proposed program participants will be eligible for the program component type selected, including YHDP renewal or YHDP replacement projects;

2.the information provided in the project application and proposed activities are:

1. eligible and consistent with program requirements in the Rule; or
2. eligible YHDP renewal or YHDP replacement projects (see Sections II.B.7 and V. B.3.g of this NOFO);
3. each project narrative is fully responsive to the question being asked and that it meets all the criteria for that question as required by this NOFO;
4. the data provided in various parts of the project application are consistent; and
5. all required attachments correspond to the list of attachments ine-snapsthat must contain accurate and complete information that are dated between August 17, 2021 and November 16, 2021.