NOFA Release
Thursday, February 29, 2024

Public Meeting #1: Cornhill Neighborhood Association – MidUtica Community Center, 40 Faxton Street, Utica, NY 13501
Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at 6:00 PM

Public Meeting #2: West Utica Neighborhood Association - Irish Cultural Center, 623 Columbia Street, Utica, NY 13502
Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 6:00 PM

Public Meeting #3: East Utica Concerned Citizens - Perretta Twin Towers, 509 Second Street, Utica, NY 13501
Monday, April 1, 2024, at 6:00 PM

Proposal Submission Deadline:
Friday, April 5, 2024, by 12:00 PM

Website
City of Utica Community Development Programs

Background
This Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) announces the availability of federal funding for the Program Year (PY) April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025, for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Programs.

The CDBG Program is funded and regulated at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered locally by the City of Utica, through the City’s Department of Urban & Economic Development. The CDBG Program is authorized under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. The regulations implementing the CDBG Program are located in 24 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 570.

The Emergency Solutions Grant Program is authorized under the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act) which amended the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in order to engage the homeless living on the street, improve the number and quality of emergency shelters, provide operating assistance to those shelters and essential services to shelter residents and to prevent increases in the homeless population.

The HOME Investment Partnership Program is authorized under Title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to expand the supply of decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing for very-low and low-income citizens.

The goals of these programs are in accordance with the City’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan as well as with the 2024 – 2025 Annual Action Plan, which is being developed and seeks the development of a viable urban community through implementation of the following National Objectives:

1. Assistance to persons of low- to moderate-income

A. Safe and decent affordable housing

B. A suitable living environment

C. Expanded economic opportunity

2. Aid in the elimination of slums and blight

The information and application that follows is specific to agencies and organizations that are interested in applying for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. For more information on applying for funding through the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program or the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program, please contact Michael Peek, Housing Development Specialist via e-mail to mpeek@cityofutica.com or via phone to 315-792-0181.

Eligibility Information
Incorporated nonprofit agencies that primarily serve low and moderate-income Utica residents are eligible to apply. Proposals must meet a CDBG National Objective to be considered for funding.

CDBG Program Funding
The total amount of CDBG funds awarded to the City for Program Year 2024 - 2025 is estimated to be $2,603,833 based on 2023 – 2024 funding levels. CDBG program funds are not anticipated to be available until August 2024 at the earliest. As CDBG funds are made available on a reimbursement basis, potential applicants should plan accordingly for the delay in approval and release of the funds by the federal government after the official April 1, 2024 start of the program year.
CDBG regulations specify the types of eligible uses of CDBG funds and establish funding limits for certain types of activities:

• No more than fifteen (15%) percent of the total grant, including estimated program income, (estimated $364,142) can be spent on Public/Human Services

• Twenty (20%) percent of grant may be used for the City’s administrative costs (estimated $485,523)

• At least 70% of the available funds must be used for activities benefiting low- to moderate-income persons

Questions
Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Patti DeCarr at 315-792-0181 or via e-mail at pdecarr@cityofutica.com.

Application Requirements

1. The scope of Program Services must be City-based.
2. Proposed program and activities must be of direct benefit to low- to moderate-income Utica residents or address the elimination of slum and blighted conditions.
3. Responders must be a legally constituted non-profit organization or government entity:
   • Must provide 501(c)(3) tax-exempt IRS status
   • Must provide current IRS Determination Letter
   • Must provide Articles of Incorporation
   • Must provide current Dun and Bradstreet Number
4. Responders must provide current documentation that it possesses adequate fiscal, management systems and legal certifications to implement the proposed project:
   • Must provide current 990’s
   • Must provide copy of Annual Report with Financial Data.
   • Must provide copy of last Independent Audit, results & copy of management letter.
   • Must provide copy of Affirmative Action Plan.
5. Responders must demonstrate a minimum of twelve (12) months previous experience as of the application deadline of Friday, April 5, 2024.
6. A qualified Fiscal Officer/Bookkeeper (preferably certified by AICPA) must be listed in the proposed budget and a resume included as part of the application.
7. Agencies that have not submitted performance reports and those with past compliance and performance problems will not be considered for funding.
8. Program activities must be available to serve all religious, race and ethnic groups, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Section 109 of Title I, of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.
9. Program activities must comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which states: “No qualified individual with handicaps can be excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of any activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
10. Program Activities should be designed to comply with Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) - 24 C.F.R. §576.407(b). Executive Order 13166 seeks to improve access to federally assisted programs and activities for individuals who, as a result of national origin, are limited in their English proficiency. Organizations shall take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to their programs and activities to LEP individuals, regardless of language spoken. Meaningful access may entail providing language assistance services, including oral and written translation, where necessary. Sub-recipients must follow the requirements outlined on 24 C.F.R. §576.407(b). HUD published Final Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Requirements Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against 5
    National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons in the Federal Register on January 22, 2007 (72 F.R. 2732).
11. Program activities must meet federal eligibility requirements of HUD regulations. For more information refer to www.hud.gov.
12. Proposed program must include a performance measurement system to track productivity, program impact and link goals with outcomes (the extent to which the activities produce the desired outcomes in the community or in the lives of persons assisted).

Category	Total Point Value
1. Problem and Need Statement	10
2. Does the proposal meet Priority Needs as identified in the draft City’s 2020 – 2024 Consolidated Plan?	25
3. Does the program scope and design reasonably link goals with outcomes?	10
4. Does the scope of proposed activities reflect a level of efficiency in terms of quantity, quality, and pace?	15
5. Can the results of the program and proposal be easily documented?	15
6. What other funds are being leveraged and how will the program be self-sufficient in the future? Is there a clearly defined plan for reducing reliance on future CDBG funding?	25
TOTAL POINTS	100

 

To be considered for funding, each application must include the following documents. Please check each box to indicate that the item is included in your submission.

If you need assistance, contact Patti DeCarr at pdecarr@cityofutica.com or call (315) 792-0181.

National Objective (For CDBG Proposals Only):
To be eligible to receive CDBG funding, all funded activities must meet at least one of the following national objectives (§ 570.200(a)(2)).

Check one (1) option from either A or B, not both.

HUD FY 2023 Low (80%) Income Limits for the Utica-Rome MSA*

FY 2023 Limits	1 Person	2 Persons	3 Persons	4 Persons	5 Persons	6 Persons	7 Persons	8 Persons
Low-Income (80% of MFI)	$47,750	$54,550	$61,350	$68,150	$73,650	$79,100	$84,550	$90,000

*FY 2024 Income Limits have not yet been announced but will supersede 2023 limits.

A separate narrative that addresses the following must be included in your proposal. Narratives must:

• Not exceed seven (7) one-sided pages
• Have a minimum of 1” margins
• Use Times New Roman with a minimum 12 point font size.

Applications that do not adhere to these requirements will not be considered for funding.

1. Activity Description
Provide a detailed description of the proposed activity to be funded that clearly specifies the location of the proposed activity and the clientele to be served by age, sex, race, or a different distinguishing demographic characteristic.

2. Activity Problem & Need Statement
Describe the community need to be addressed by the activity, including a description of the problem/need to be addressed by the activity and the manner by which the problem/need was identified.

3. Activity Goals
Describe in detail the anticipated goals of the proposed activity.

4. Activity Objectives, Outcomes, and Outputs
HUD has prescribed specific objectives and outcomes to be used for all CDBG-funded activities in order to standardize achievements at the local, state, and national-level. Please evaluate and describe your proposed activity according to the following definitions. Identify which objectives your activity will address, then identify the proposed outcome that your activity will achieve; please choose the best single objective and outcome. Bear in mind that, if funded, your information will be utilized in the preparation of the 2024 – 2025 Annual Plan and your accomplishments are required to be included in the quarterly and year-end progress reports and the City’s Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER). 

A. Objectives

Suitable Living Environment - Includes activities that benefit communities, families, or individuals by addressing issues in their living environment such as public services, emergency essential services, capital improvements, neighborhood revitalization, etc.

Decent Affordable Housing - Includes the wide range of housing programs possible under HOME, CDBG or ESG where the purpose of the program is to meet individual family or community needs and not programs where housing is an element of a larger effort (such as would be captured above in Suitable Living Environment).

Creating Economic Opportunities - Includes activities related to economic development, commercial revitalization, or job creation.

B. Outcomes

Availability/Accessibility - Activities that make services, infrastructure, housing or shelter available or accessible to low-income people, including persons with disabilities. Accessibility includes making the affordable basics of daily living available and accessible to low-income people.

Affordability - Activities that provide affordability in a variety of ways in the lives of low-income people; includes the creation or maintenance of affordable housing, basic infrastructure, or services such as transportation or daycare.

Sustainability - Promoting Livable or Viable Communities. Projects where the activity or activities are aimed at improving communities or neighborhoods, helping to make them livable or viable by providing benefit to low-income people or by removing or eliminating slums or blighted areas, through multiple activities or services that sustain communities or neighborhoods.

5. Activity Justification
If the proposed activity has been funded in previous years, include an explanation of the reasons supporting why continued funding is required.

6. Self-Sufficiency
Describe how your organization plans to make this activity self-sufficient; include identification of alternate funding sources or the possibility of partnering with other community organizations. If there is no plan to make the activity self-sufficient, explain the reason. In addition, if the organization requesting the funding has been funded consistently in the past, explain how continued funding will fund new activities. The City will give priority to those projects that fund new or expanded activities or services, as opposed to ongoing administrative costs.

7. Organization Description
Provide a listing of agency personnel and their titles that will be involved in the proposed activity. Also, list all Board members for the organization (voting and ex-officio). Identify any potential conflicts of interest. Finally, describe your organization’s current ability and qualifications to carry out the proposed activity.

8. Contingency Plan
In the event CDBG funds are not granted for this proposed activity, in whole or in part, or other funds anticipated to fund this activity are not received, describe the actions to be taken by your organization.

9. Activity Budget
Using the attached forms, provide details on the anticipated budget for the proposed activity. Note that one of the budget forms applies to proposed “construction” activities, while the second budget page applies to proposed “program” activities.

 

Applicants should be aware that construction projects will likely require compliance with federal Davis-Bacon wage requirements and budget accordingly.

1. Insert budget amounts for each applicable line item, including total amount, the amount for which CDBG funds are sought, and the amount to be funded with other funds.

2. For each line item, fill in the source of the leveraged funds if applicable. Each line item allows for up to three (3) different sources of leveraged funds. For each source of leveraged funds, the proposal must indicate the status of these funds, selecting from the following possible choices: Anticipated, Committed, In-Hand, Donated, or Requested.

Definitions – For the purposes of the application, Anticipated shall mean that your organization has some reasonable assurance that the funding will be received shortly; Committed shall mean that your organization has received a firm commitment from the source of said funds for the utilization of those funds for the intended purpose; In-Hand shall mean that your organization has received said funds and has ready access to those funds at the time of submission of this proposal; Donated shall mean that your organization will be utilizing donated materials, services, time or labor; Requested shall mean that your organization has submitted a request (i.e., grant application) for said funding, but has not received any indication of the likelihood of receiving said funds.

3. Construction budgets should include a line item budget for contingency; the contingency should be expressed as a percentage of the project cost that is then added to the project cost to arrive at a total project cost.

Please download the budget spreadsheet using the link, fill it out accordingly, and upload it back into the online application using the field below.

Program and Construction Budget

Note: The Program Budget is on Tab 1 | Construction Budget is on Tab 2

CERTIFICATION: I hereby certify that the information contained in this proposal is true to the best of my knowledge. I do hereby agree to comply with all requirements of HUD Regulation 24 CFR 570 and other applicable Federal Regulations.