HUD Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
The 2019 CoC funding competition officially opened July 3, 2019 with the publication of the HUD Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). This year’s NOFA is simpler than in year’s past, with the most notable change being HUD’s philosophy on Housing First. Some of you may know that housing first to HUD meant placing an individual or family immediately into housing regardless of their “housing readiness”, and providing supportive services throughout the housing stay. As per previous HUD guidance, lack of participation in those supportive services could not be grounds for penalty or removal from housing. As you can see by the excerpt below, HUD is “providing flexibility for housing first with service participation requirements.”
6. Providing Flexibility for Housing First with Service Participation Requirements. The traditional Housing First approach has two basic parts: First, individuals are rapidly placed and stabilized in permanent housing without any preconditions regarding income, work effort, sobriety or any other factor. Second, once in housing, individuals never face requirements to participate in services as a condition of retaining their housing. The first part, placement into permanent housing without preconditions, is an important priority to ensure that federal funds are allocated to providers that serve the most vulnerable homeless individuals. This NOFA maintains the commitment to unconditional acceptance of individuals into housing, especially for people with a high degree of vulnerability. At the same time, allowing service participation requirements once a person has been stably housed may promote important outcomes (e.g., employment, increased income, reduced substance use, and strengthened social connection), so this NOFA also provides communities and programs with flexibility, without penalty, to use service participation requirements after people have been stabilized in housing (consistent with 24 CFR 578.75(h)). (2019 HUD CoC NOFA Page 6)
Aside from that, the application provides opportunities for new projects through the CoC Bonus ($223,875), locally reallocated funds ($573,660), and the DV Bonus ($265,608); and allows for new Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Re-Housing, Transitional/Rapid Re-Housing, and Supportive Services Only – Coordinated Entry, as anticipated.
To start the local process, I have created and distributed an addendum to the existing Request for Applications (RFA). This addendum outlines the available funds and eligible project types, and re-opens the RFA to collect NEW CoC Project Applications. The RFA is attached or can be viewed here: https://www.leegov.com/dhs/funding/rfp. Please distribute far and wide!
The timeline for the 2019 CoC funding competition is as follows:
2019 CoC Registration Notice https://www.hudexchange.info/news/fy-2019-coc-program-registration-forms-available-in-e-snaps
Published January 31, 2019
2019 Lee County CoC Registration https://www.leegov.com/dhs/Documents/CoC/CoC%20Registration%20FY2019.pdf
Submitted February 5, 2019
2019 HUD CoC Notice of Funding Availability https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/5842/fy-2019-coc-program-nofa
Published July 3, 2019
Local Request for Applications for 2019 CoC New Projects (Addendum #1)<https://www.leegov.com/dhs/funding/rfp
Published July 5, 2019
OPTIONAL Pre-Application Meeting at Human and Veteran Services, 2440 Thompson St., Fort Myers, FL 33901
July 15, 2019
Deadline for Questions regarding Request for Applications
July 31, 2019
Response to Request for Applications Questions
August 2, 2019
Deadline for 2019 New Project Applications to be Submitted
August 9, 2019 before 5:00 pm
Performance Evaluation and Ranking Committee Meeting to Rank Projects
August 16, 2019 at 1:00 pm
CoC Governing Board Meeting to Review and Approve Projects to be Submitted to HUD
August 16, 2019 at 1:00 pm
Applicants Notified of Funding Decision
August 16, 2019 at 2:30 pm
CoC Application Published for Public Review
Priority Listing Published for Public Review
On or before September 25, 2019
HUD Deadline for Submission of the 2019 CoC Application
September 30, 2019 before 8:00 pm
