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Housing and Community Development
February 2000
 
In this Issue...
 
HUD Issues FY2000 SuperNOFA
 
 February 28, 2000
 
Henry J. "Hank" Brothers- Washington
Stephen Niles - Washington

On Thursday, February 24, 2000, HUD issued its FY 2000 Super Notice of Funding Availability - the "SuperNOFA" - for Housing, Community Development and Empowerment Programs and Section 8 Housing Voucher Assistance. The SuperNOFA announces the availability of over $2.4 billion in HUD program funds covering 39 grant categories within programs operated and administered by HUD. The SuperNOFA, a 670+ page document, is anything but an "easy read" - but it represents a potentially valuable resource of funds for both private and public parties interested in undertaking housing and community development activities. Following is a brief summary of some of the SuperNOFA's more salient features.

The SuperNOFA provides for funding to applicants on a competitive basis of a number of different programs and activities. This funding includes, among others:

  • Over $513 million for HOPE VI Revitalization Grants and $50 million for HOPE VI Demolition Grants
  • $850 million for Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance (i.e., Supportive Housing, Shelter Plus Care, Section 8 Mod Rehab SRO)
  • $426 million for Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly
  • $109 million for Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities
  • Over $90 million for Section 8 Vouchers for Persons with Disabilities
  • Over $195 million for various Economic Development and Empowerment Activities (e.g., Resident Opportunity and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) Program, Economic Development Initiative, Brownfields Economic Development Initiative, Self-Help Homeownership Program, Youthbuild and Rural Housing and Economic Development Program)
  • $67 million for Lead Hazard Control Activities
  • Up to nearly $23 million for Community Development Technical Assistance

Applicants may request funding under more than one program. To do so, however, applicants must pay careful attention to the various deadlines imposed under the SuperNOFA - they are not all the same.

The SuperNOFA provides detailed instructions regarding the application submission requirements as well as the evaluation and selection process. Information regarding the statutory and so-called "threshold" requirements are set forth in the SuperNOFA. For example, the HOPE VI portion of the SuperNOFA states specifically what is required to earn maximum points in certain categories, and, in some cases, states what lower number of points will be awarded if the application falls short of the highest performance level. In addition to the instructions in the SuperNOFA, applicants will be required to strictly adhere to the requirements in "application kits" which HUD will shortly make available to applicants and other interested parties.

Only if an application passes the threshold tests will it be evaluated and ranked. In general, and subject to some program-by-program modifications, each application submitted pursuant to the SuperNOFA will be evaluated under the following five "standard" rating factors: (I) Capacity of the Applicant and Relevant Organizational Staff; (ii) Need/Extent of the Problem; (iii) Soundness of Approach; (iv) Leveraging Resources; and (v) Comprehensiveness and Coordination.

An initial review of the HOPE VI requirements of the SuperNOFA reveals that HUD has continued to tighten up its application requirements and fine-tune its approach to social goals. The application submission requirements, as mentioned above, are quite detailed and complex; it is important to make every effort to receive maximum points in all categories and sub-categories. Also, throughout the SuperNOFA, HUD presses applicants to integrate their activities with other community endeavors. For example, it is very important for a HOPE VI application team to coordinate with the community's existing Consolidated Plan, and applicants are "strongly encouraged" to leverage HOPE VI funds with CDBG funds. Finally, HUD emphasizes that applications will be stronger if they evidence participation in certain policy initiatives - including new programs designed to promote energy efficient housing (PATH) and to "Bridge the Digital Divide."

Please be advised that this Alert is not intended to provide an all-inclusive summary of the SuperNOFA or to discuss the legal issues involving the SuperNOFA or the programs to be funded thereunder. If you would like any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact any member of our Housing and Community Development Group.