The Springfield-Hampden County CoC held a bidders’ conference this morning for the FY2019 CoC Competition. The questions asked, and responses to the questions, are below.
MATCH
Q. If a Rapid Rehousing provider requires participants to pay money into a saving account as a program requirement, can these funds count as match?
A. Funds can only be used as match if they pay for items that are allowable expenses under the CoC Program grant.
Q. If more than one CoC program provider uses the same agency services for match (for example, employment services), can the CoC set a standard rate for the value of those services?
A. This question applies to use of third-party in-kind services as match. In the current grant year, there are no subrecipients using third-party in-kind services for match, so there are no common services to compare costs for across CoC programs.
When using third-party in-kind services as match, the services to be provided must be documented by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the recipient or subrecipient and the third party that will provide the services. Services provided must be valued at rates consistent with those ordinarily paid for similar work in the recipient‘s or subrecipient‘s organization. If the recipient or subrecipient does not have employees performing similar work, the rates must be consistent with those ordinarily paid by other employers for similar work in the same labor market. The MOU must establish the unconditional commitment, except for selection to receive a grant, by the third party to provide the services, the specific service to be provided, the profession of the persons providing the service, and the hourly cost of the service to be provided. During the term of the grant, the recipient or subrecipient must keep and make available, for inspection, records documenting the service hours provided.
RENEWAL
Q. Do renewal applicants just need to update and resubmit information in esnaps?
A. That is all that is required in esnaps. Be aware that there are additional documents which must be submitted to the City of Springfield Office of Housing prior to the RFP deadline—these are in addition to the esnaps submission, and are described in the Request for Proposals.
NEW/EXPANSION PROJECTS
Q. If an existing grant recipient wants to add more units, should they submit a new application for those units?
A. If an existing program wants to add more units of the same type as the current program, they should submit an application for an Expansion If the new program is different from the existing program, they should submit a New project application.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BONUS
Q. Can domestic violence bonus projects serve victims of sexual assault or sex trafficking?
A. These projects may serve victims of sexual assault or sex trafficking, as long as, at the time of entry to the program, the participant is fleeing or attempting to flee sexual assault or sex trafficking. Note that all persons served by Domestic Violence Bonus Projects must qualify under section (4) of the homeless definition, which requires that they be fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking (which HUD has clarified may include sexual assault or sex trafficking).
JOINT TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AND RAPID REHOUSING
Q. Does the Springfield-Hampden County CoC have any existing Joint Transitional Housing-Rapid Rehousing Programs?
A. No.
