CDBG Technical Assistance Workshop

1. CDBG Technical Assistance Workshop September 4, 2019 Presented by: St. Louis County Office of Community Development

2. Welcome! • Sign in and take a copy of the application packet. • Please silence phones. • We will not have a break, so feel free to excuse yourself if needed. • To ensure we cover everything we need to, please hold questions until the end. • Wifi: Select “AFIGUEST” and create an account.

3. Workshop Format • The headers on the slides correspond to page numbers from the application document • We’ll go through the document page by page and discuss items that need elaboration (although we will skip some pages) • Please follow along on the handout • There will be plenty of time for questions at the end!

4. Page 1 • New this year! App will not be considered if <$20K • VERY IMPORTANT! Applications must be complete and on-time. You will not be able to revise your application or submit additional attachments after the deadline.

5. Page 1 (continued) • You may submit these documents with your application or wait until you find out if you are receiving an award. Either way, it will not affect your application score.

6. Page 1 (continued) • At least one copy must have an original ink signature from the chief of your organization. • You are welcome to email a copy of your application packet in addition to (not instead of) submitting physical copies.

7. Page 2 • This year, applicants may submit one application for funds from both buckets, as long as it’s for the same activity.

8. Page 2 (continued) • New this year (but not really)

9. Low-Mod Clientele (LMC) Activities • Most public services are LMC • Eligibility is determined on an individual or household basis, rather than on an area basis • 4 methodsto verify eligibility • See pages 6 and 18 of application document

10. The 4 Methods • Income certification – Must use current HUD income limits • Proxy – Income already certified through a program that uses income limits at or below HUD’s • Nature and location – Justify that the activity will served a primarily low-mod clientele based on the nature and location of the activity • Presumed Benefit – Clientele must fall into one of 8 categories of people presumed by HUD to be LMI

11. 2019 HUD Income Limits • 80% AMI is generally used for LMC activities • Subrecipient agreement includes the complete HUD income limits with calculations for HHs of greater than 8 • The income limits are updated every year and take effect immediately

12. Page 7 • Eligible but the compliance can be very difficult to meet • Carefully consider the questions on page 7! • Program support is more likely to be funded than capital projects

13. Page 8 • All CDBG activities must meet a National Objective • This application process is not set up to award funds for urgent need activities, as funds typically are not available for several months or possibly a year.

14. Page 11 • Consumable supplies are an allowable cost if you can document they are integral to the activity; durable supplies (equipment) have additional requirements.

15. Page 13 • Turn on the Promise Zone layer, then type in an address to see if it is in the PZ. • You can also use this layer to see if an area is CDBG-eligible.

16. Page 15 • This year you can select both, as long as it is for the same activity.

17. Page 16 • This is typically used to determine the term of performance for the subrecipient agreement. • Note that we cannot reimburse for services that occurred in the past if eligibility was not properly documented.

18. Page 16 (continued) • Be as CONCRETE as you can! • New question this year. • “Nominal” fees permitted by HUD – can’t be so high it excludes LMI clients.

19. Page 17 • We receive many applications that describe the activity from a 10,000-foot view. This question is intended to give us the “ground-level” perspective. • We understand that you may not accomplish what you set out to do. What we’re looking for is a commitment being accountable, measuring your results and adjusting your approach as necessary.

20. Page 17 (continued) • Pick one type of service area boundary. • If it includes the words “listed below,” list all of the specific areas in the table. • See example above for ZIP codes.

21. Page 18 • Outputs are often used in the subrecipient agreement and to report accomplishments in HUD’s disbursement system. • Also measures impact or “bang for the buck”

22. Qualifying Physical Activities • Public improvements (streets, sidewalks, parks) are generally qualified under the national objective code Low-Mod Area (LMA) • Must be located in an area that is at least 51% LMI • County map has a CDBG-eligible layer so you can check this yourself • Demolition of derelict buildings is generally qualified under the national objective code Slum/Blight Spot • May be located in any area, regardless of LMI • Must document the specific conditions that make the building derelict If your activity doesn’t seem to be either LMA or SBS—or if you aren’t sure—let’s talk.

23. Page 18 (continued) • Mainly applies to activities on private property, such as demo • Site control can be established either by acquiring the property or through a condemnation process • The process of establishing site control can take a long time • Activities where site control has already been established will have an advantage • Acquisition is highly preferable to condemnation

24. Page 19 • Note this question is modified from last year. • It asks about the physical scope, but it’s also your chance to communicate your vision for this project. • For the environmental review we need to know the entire scope, not just the part you’re seeking CDBG funds for. • But we also need to know what specific part the CDBG funds will pay for. If that’s not clear in your budget, be sure to describe it here.

25. Page 19 (continued) • New question this year • We’ve now moved on to Strategy—everyone needs to complete the Strategy, Capacity and Budget sections.

26. Page 19 (continued) • We are not just looking at whether or not you have partners. We’re looking at whether the partnerships are strategic and appropriate. • If partnerships appear to be “in name only” or if it’s not clear what role the partners are playing, the application may not receive full points on this question. • On the other hand, if an application makes a convincing argument for having few or no partners, it could receive full points.

27. Page 20 • New question this year • This is an opportunity for activities that do not meet a community input priority to still earn points for being in a target area • Activities that do meet a community input priority can earn up to 13 points—10 for meeting a community input priority and 3 for being in a target area

28. Page 20 (continued) • Leave this blank if your activity does not meet a CIP

29. Page 22 • New question this year • Can still be funded if you haven’t worked with federal grants before • Due to timeliness deadline, we cannot let CDBG funds sit in our line of credit • Mitigating circumstances will be considered

30. Page 23

31. Page 23 (continued) Notes about the cost summary: • If you are using the “other” line items (highlighted on previous slide) be sure to describe them in the spaces provided. • The cost summary is the minimum requirement. We strongly recommend you include a more detailed activity budget that lists all sources and uses of the funds for the activity. CHECK YOUR MATH!!!

32. Page 24 – The Rating Sheet • You do not need to submit the sample rating sheet with your application • Conformance with Con Plan and Strategic Plan have been moved to threshold criteria—they are pass/fail this year • You may want to use this rating sheet to score your own application and identify areas where improvement may be needed • Applications are scored and ranked for discussion purposes, but final funding decisions may not perfectly correspond with rankings

33. Thank you!! Contact us: Kathryn Mayrose 314-615-4555 kmayrose@stlouisco.com Alex Durdello 314-615-8236 adurdello@stlouisco.com Emily Kamara 314-615-4427 ekamara@stlouisco.com Mitch Marku 314-615-4450 mmarku@stlouisco.com Nikki Thompson 314-615-2983 nthompson@stlouisco.com Christine Dorough 314-615-2986 cdorough@stlouisco.com

34. Questions?