FY2022 Special NOFO Application

LAST UPDATED: Friday, August 19th, 2022

Description

MS Balance of State CoC is accepting applications for a special 2022-2023 Continuum of Care funding cycle. Through this Special competition, HUD will award funding to communities to implement coordinated approaches — grounded in Housing First and public health principles — to reduce the prevalence of unsheltered homelessness, and improve services, health outcomes, and housing stability among highly vulnerable unsheltered individuals and families. HUD expects applicant communities to partner with health and housing agencies to leverage mainstream housing and healthcare resources. This funding will fund projects that have beginning dates in 2023 and continue through 2026.

Agencies will have the opportunity to submit projects for two funding opportunities through this Special NOFO: (1) Unsheltered Homelessness Set Aside and (2) Rural Set Aside. CoCs may apply for projects under one or both funding opportunities as follows:

Unsheltered Homelessness Set Aside. Projects included in this funding opportunity may serve any geographic area within the CoC and must meet all eligibility and quality threshold requirements established in this Special NOFO. A CoC’s maximum award amount for this funding opportunity is described in Section III.J of the NOFO.
Rural Set Aside. Projects included in this funding opportunity must serve geographic areas that meet the definition of “rural area” as defined in Section III.C.2.k of the NOFO and meet all eligibility and quality threshold requirements established in this Special NOFO. CoCs whose geographic areas do not include any rural areas are not eligible for funding under this funding opportunity. A CoC’s maximum award amount for this funding opportunity is described in Section III.J of the NOFO.

Projects applying for funding are subject to a review that will be conducted which may include surveying community partners and/or site visits.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR FUNDING

To be considered for funding, applicants must have at least 1 year of data in the MS Balance of State AWARDS HMIS, providing services to victims of domestic violence, then participation is with non-identifying information in a comparable database, or meet HUD’s new project capacity threshold. Also, all CoC application submissions must be in conformity to the CoC’s system-wide written program standards (click to view the standards).

POLICY PRIORITIES

MS Balance of State CoC will follow HUD’s policy priorities currently found in the FY2022 Special NOFO:

Unsheltered Homelessness. Unsheltered homelessness is continuing to rise in many areas of the country and recent analysis of homelessness data shows that people experiencing unsheltered homelessness report significantly greater health challenges and experiences of trauma and violence than their sheltered peers. These challenges often begin before they lose their housing. This NOFO supports this highly vulnerable population by supporting CoCs in their efforts to identify people living in unsheltered situations, including encampments, and connects them with health and housing resources.
Unsheltered Homelessness and Individuals and Families Experiencing Homelessness with Severe Service Needs in Rural Areas. Rural areas often lack the resources and infrastructure for providing homeless services and permanent housing. Additionally, rural areas often require unique strategies to solve challenges specific to their geography. To support CoCs in their efforts to end unsheltered homelessness in their rural areas, this NOFO targets resources to rural areas and provides additional eligible activities to address some of the unique needs of rural areas.
Providing Assistance on Tribal Lands. Indian Reservations and Trust Lands may be all or part of a CoCs’ geographic areas, and Indian Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities are eligible recipients of CoC Program funds. This NOFO provides additional incentives for creating projects that serve individuals and families in geographic areas that have high levels of homelessness, housing distress, or poverty, and are located where CoC services have until now been entirely unavailable, such as, for example, Trust Lands and Reservations.
Involving a Broad Array of Stakeholders in the CoC’s Efforts to Reduce Homelessness. Ending homelessness cannot be achieved by homeless service organizations alone. It requires coordination with a variety of other stakeholders, including affordable housing developers, mainstream service providers, the business community, victim service providers, political leaders, and healthcare providers. This NOFO supports and encourages CoCs to invite a variety of stakeholders to develop and implement a CoC Plan to Serve Individuals and Families Experiencing Homelessness with Severe Service Needs.
Advancing Equity. In nearly every community, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color as well as individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ and individuals with disabilities are substantially overrepresented in the homeless population. HUD is emphasizing system and program changes to address equity within CoCs through identifying and addressing the needs of subpopulations who are disproportionally more likely to experience homelessness, such as the populations identified above, and other populations who are disproportionately more likely to experience homelessness.
Use a Housing First Approach. Housing First prioritizes rapid placement and stabilization in permanent housing and does not have service participation requirements or preconditions.

HUD THRESHOLD REQUIREMENTS

Applicant has active System for Award Management (SAM) registration with current information. To register for SAM, see instructions here.
Applicant has valid Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number in application. To apply for a DUNS number, see instructions here.
Applicant has no outstanding delinquent Federal debts– it is HUD policy, consistent with the purposes and intent of 31 USC 3720B and 28 USC 3201(e), that applicants with outstanding delinquent federal debt will not be eligible to receive an award of funds unless: (a) A negotiated repayment schedule is established and the repayment schedule is not delinquent, or (b) other arrangements satisfactory to HUD are made before the award of funds by HUD.
Applicant has no Debarment and/or Suspensions from doing business with the Federal Government.
Disclosed any violations of Federal criminal law.
Submitted the required certifications as specified in the FY22 Competition NOFO
Demonstrated the population to be served meets program eligibility requirements as described in the Act, and project application clearly established eligibility of project applicants. This includes any additional eligibility criteria for certain types of projects contained in the FY22 Competition NOFO.
Agreed to participate in the Continuum of Care’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
(If renewal project application) Met HUD expectations, including: (a) applicant performance met the plans and goals established in the initial application,(b) the applicant demonstrated timeliness standards for grant being renewed and expenditure of grant funds, (c) the applicants performance in assisting program participants to achieve and maintain independence living and records of success
Met financial expectations as set forth by HUD including (a) Registering for the electronic Line of Credit Control System (eLOCCS – see registration instruction here) (b) Having Accounting Software (c) Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) (c) Annual A-133 audits (d) and other requirements as set forth by HUD
Demonstrate Project is Consistent with Jurisdictional Consolidated Plan(s). The Balance of State CoC’s coverage area be viewed here: https://msbos.org/coverage-area/

Eligible Project Types

Projects included can only be:

Permanent Supportive housing projects that will serve 100% chronically homeless families and individuals
Rapid re-housing projects that will serve homeless individuals and families coming directly from the streets or emergency shelters, and includes persons fleeing domestic violence situations and other persons meeting the criteria of paragraph (4) of the definition of homelessness. This includes unaccompanied youth.
Joint transitional housing (TH) and permanent housing-rapid rehousing (PH-RRH) component projects that will serve homeless individuals and families including those fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking (see NOFO for further details).
Dedicated HMIS project (for the HMIS Lead only)
Continuum of Care Planning (for Unsheltered Homelessness Set aside only)
UFA Costs (for Unsheltered Homelessness Set aside only)

INSTRUCTIONS

All project applications must be completed in e-snaps, the electronic grants management system used by HUD’s Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS). If you are new to the system, click the links below to access and register for e-snaps.

e-snaps – Homepage
If you do not have an e-snaps user account, select “Create a Profile” from the e-snaps log-in page.

A separate application must be completed in the system for each project submission, with the following attachments:

Most recent APR (if applicable)
Most recent A-133 Audit or certified Financial Statements
Copy of BoS Membership Certificate indicating HMIS compliance (apply here)
Copy of Agency Code of Conduct

NOTE: This application is to only ensure that projects meet the minimal threshold requirements of the CoC. If the application meets the minimal requirement the applicant will be included in the CoC Competition for rating and review. Applicants will receive written notice that their project has been accepted and will be ranked as part of the CoC Consolidated Application, or that their application has been denied and the reason for denial.

The letter of intent deadline is Thursday, September 1st, 2022. Application deadline is Friday, September 16th, 2022 at 11:59PM. Questions about the CoC’s Application process can be directed to the CoC Director Hannah Maharrey (hmaharrey@msbos.org).

SUPPORT DOCUMENTS

COMPETITION TIMELINE

Date	Event
Monday, August 22nd, 2022	Public Notification of the FY2022 Special NOFO and Funding Competition
Friday, August 26th, 2022	FY2022 Funding Competition Office Hours (Online)
Thursday, September 1st, 2022	Deadline for Letters of Intent to Apply for Special NOFO Competition
Friday, September 16th, 2022	Deadline for FY2022 Special Project Application in eSnaps
Thursday, September 22nd, 2022	FY2022 CoC Special Funding Competition Rank and Review
Monday, October 3rd, 2022	Notification of Applicant Rejection/Reduction, and Rankings
Friday, September, 30th, 2022	Special NOFO Application Due