A. Purpose
On August 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Grants Competition. In addition, on June 22, 2022, HUD released a Supplemental CoC NOFO to Address Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness. At this time, the City of Durham's Department of Community Development (the Department), as the Durham CoC's Lead Agency, is soliciting pre-applications and full project applications from organizations that are interested in applying for funding in this Supplemental NOFO competition. At the same time, the Department is using this same website to accept full project applications from organizations that received approval earlier this year to submit full project applications for the annual CoC competition; only organizations that had a pre-application approved after a May 2022 submission are eligible to participate in the annual CoC grants competition in the Durham CoC.
HUD has informed the Department that the Durham CoC is eligible to apply for $2,062,266 in the Supplemental CoC NOFO to address unsheltered homelessness. The Durham CoC is NOT eligible to apply for $54 million set aside in the Supplemental NOFO competition to address rural homelessness. HUD will release the precise amount that the Durham CoC is eligible to apply for in the annual CoC competition later; the Department anticipates that the Durham CoC will be allowed to apply for between $1.75 and $2 million in the annual 2022 HUD CoC Homeless Grants Competition.
Organizations that submitted a pre-application for the annual CoC Homeless Grants Competition earlier and have been approved for submitting project applications in that competition ARE approved for submitting one or more project applications for the Supplemental CoC NOFO competition. Organizations that did not submit a pre-application earlier but are interested in the Supplemental CoC NOFO may participate in the Supplemental NOFO competition by submitting a pre-application and project application(s) at the same time. Projects and organizations MUST meet all Project and Organization Minimum Requirements included in the pre-application phase to be approved to apply for HUD CoC funding. Pre-applications that are incomplete or include inaccurate responses will be considered unacceptable and may result in an organization and its project application(s) being found ineligible for being recommended for CoC grant funding by the Durham Continuum of Care.
These are competitive grants processes. Organizations that submit pre-applications and project applications may not be recommended by the Durham CoC to HUD for funding in either the Supplemental NOFO or the annual CoC NOFO competition. Projects recommended to HUD for funding may not be awarded HUD funding. An organization that does not believe it was afforded an equitable opportunity to participate in the Durham CoC's grants competitions for the Supplemental CoC NOFO or the annual CoC Grants Competition may submit a "Solo Application" to HUD following the instructions HUD has provided in the applicable NOFO.
B. Schedule for the Submission of Pre-Applications and/or Project Applications for the Supplemental CoC NOFO to Address Unsheltered Homelessness
1. An application workshop was held for Durham organizations on July 8, 2022. A recording of this webinar may be viewed at www.durhamcoc.org
.2. HUD opened e-snaps for work on project applications on July 14, 2022.
3. Durham's Performance Management Committee will approve the Scorecard used to evaluate Project Applications on August 11, 2022.
4. The Scorecard will be uploaded to this website and posted at www.durhamcoc.org by the close of business on August 12, 2022. (This task has been completed. 8/12/2022.)
5. Project applications (and any required pre-applications) are due in this website by 3 PM on August 24, 2022.
6. A Scoring Subcommittee of the Performance Management Committee will evaluate Project Applications and develop funding recommendations by the close of business (COB) on September 7, 2022.
7. The Performance Management Committee will finalize its funding recommendations on September 8, 2022 and the Durham Continuum of Care Board, the Homeless Services Advisory Committee (HSAC), will consider the Performance Management Committee's funding recommendations and approve its funding recommendations on September 14, 2022.
8. Project applicants may appeal local funding recommendations by submitting a letter signed by the organization's Chief Executive Officer and addressed to the "Durham CoC Chair" and sent via email to durhamopeningdoors@durhamnc.gov by the close of business on September 23, 2022. The letter must state the reasons why the applicant believes the appeal should be granted.
9. The HSAC's Executive Committee will consider any local appeals and finalize Durham's project recommendations and rankings for this Supplemental NOFO by the close of business on October 3, 2022.
10. Any project applicant that believes it was not afforded an opportunity to particpate in the local competition in a fair and equitable manner may appeal Durham's funding recommendations to HUD via the Solo Application process described in the Supplemental NOFO.
11. Project applications, Durham's Collaborative Application , and Durham's project Priority Rankings are due to HUD via its e-snaps online application portal by 8PM on October 20, 2022.
C. Schedule for the Submission of Project Applications for the annual CoC Grants competition:
- HUD released the NOFO on August 1, 2022
- The Community Development Department will lead a virtual meeting to orient applicants to how this website will be used to submit applications for both the Supplemental NOFO and the annual CoC NOFO on August 10, 2022 at 3 PM. Registration for the meeting is required and may be completed at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rGyrphsESSquuH0-5OEUNA
- The Performance Management Committee will approve the Scorecard that will be used to evaluate New Project Applications for annual CoC funding on August 11, 2022.
- The Scorecard will be uploaded to the Library of this website and posted at www.durhamcoc.org by the close of business on Aug. 12, 2022. (This task has been completed 8/12/2022.)
- Project applications for the annual CoC competition are due in this website by 11:59 PM on August 31, 2022.
- A Scoring Subcommittee of the Performance Management Committee will evaluate Project Applications and develop funding recommendations by the close of business (COB) on September 7, 2022.
- The Performance Management Committee will finalize its funding recommendations on September 8, 2022 and the Durham Continuum of Care Board, the Homeless Services Advisory Committee (HSAC), will consider the Performance Management Committee's funding recommendations and approve its funding recommendations on September 14, 2022.
- Project applicants may appeal local funding recommendations by submitting a letter signed by the organization's ChiefExecutive Officer and addressed to the "Durham CoC Chair" and sent via email to durhamopeningdoors@durhamnc.gov by the close of business on September 20, 2022. The letter must state the reasons why the applicant believes the appeal should be granted.
- The HSAC's Executive Committee shall consider any local appeals and finalize Durham's project rankings for the annual CoC competition by September 27, 2022..
- Any project applicant that is not recommended for funding by the Durham CoC may appeal that decision to HUD via the Solo Application process described in the annual HUD CoC NOFO.
- Project applications, Durham's Collaborative Application and Durham's Priority Rankings are due to HUD via e-snaps by 8 PM on September 30, 2022.
D. Supplemental NOFO webinar/workshop
The Department conducted an optional virtual webinar/workshop about the Supplemental NOFO on July 8, 2022. A recording of this webinar is available at www.durhamcoc.org
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F. Review of Pre-Applications for the Supplemental NOFO
The Department welcomes pre-applications and applications for the Supplemental NOFO only from organizations that did not submit a pre-application earlier in 2022, but the Department reserves the right to reject any and all pre-applications for the Supplemental NOFO received from organizations that did not submit a pre-application in May 2022. The Department will notify organizations in writing via email by 4:30 PM on August 26 2022 whether a pre-application submitted concurrently with a project application is satisfactory. Projects that have not qualified initially will have until 4:30 PM on August 31, 2022 to provide a written appeal via email and additional documentation to establish that the organization is qualified to have its full project application(s) considered. Should theDepartment determine that the organization still has not satisfied the requirements to have its full CoC application considered, the organization shall have until September 5, 2022 to submit a second and final appeal in writing to the HSAC ExecutiveCommittee. The Executive Committee shall consider any appeal regarding a pre-application by the COB on September 9, 2022.