Housing Stability Counseling Program
A federally funded program designed and administered by
NeighborWorks
®America
May 26, 2021
Page 1 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America Table of Contents
Purpose of Funding ... 2
Definitions ... 2
Funding Available ... 5
HUD-Approved Agencies/HUD-Certified Counselors ... 6
Eligible Applicants ... 7
Applicants with Multiple Affiliations ... 9
Eligible Activities ... 10
Application Summary and Scoring... 18
Funding Time Frame ... 21
Disbursement Schedule ... 22
Other Program Requirements ... 24
Post-Award Requirements ... 27
Exhibit 1: HSCP Targeting Methodology ... 29
Exhibit 2: HSCP Minimum HUD Approval Standards ... 43
Exhibit 3: Draft HSCP Client Level Data Reporting Requirements ... 44
Page 2 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America
Purpose of Funding
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2) into law, appropriating $100 million to the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, doing business as NeighborWorks® America (NeighborWorks), to fund the Housing Stability Counseling Program (HSCP). These funds are for housing counseling services, defined as (i) housing counseling provided directly to households facing housing instability, such as eviction, default, foreclosure, loss of income, or homelessness; (ii) education, outreach, training, technology upgrades, and other program related support; and (iii) operational oversight funding for grantees and subgrantees. With this Funding Announcement, NeighborWorks makes available up to $88.5 million in grant funds.
HSCP is intended to support the delivery of housing counseling services by HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Intermediaries, State Housing Finance Agencies, NeighborWorks
Organizations, and the housing counseling agencies with whom they subgrant or contract. Grant funds will be awarded to Applicants with demonstrated experience in providing housing
counseling services to households facing housing instability.
The statutory authority for HSCP mandates that a minimum of 40 percent of funds shall be provided to counseling organizations that target housing counseling services to minority and low-income populations facing housing instability or provide housing counseling services in
neighborhoods having high concentrations of minority and low-income populations. The statutory language that governs the program can be found at www.stablecommunities.org.
NeighborWorks reserves the right to amend the guidelines set forth in this Funding Announcement. Any questions about HSCP should be directed to [email protected].
The performance period for HSCP is from the date of grant agreement issuance through February 28, 2023. All HSCP funds shall be expended by February 28, 2023.
Definitions
1. Affiliate. An “Affiliate” is a Sub-grantee of a HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Intermediary (Intermediary) or State Housing Finance Agency (SHFA) which is incorporated separately from the Intermediary or SHFA. An Affiliate is: (1) duly organized and existing as a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization, (2) in good standing under the laws of the state of the organization, and (3) authorized to do business in the states where it provides or proposes to provide housing counseling services. For the purposes of this Funding Announcement, Affiliates are identified as “Sub-grantees.”
2. Applicant. ‘‘Applicant’’ refers to an Intermediary, SHFA or NeighborWorks Organization (NWO) with demonstrated experience in providing housing counseling services to households facing housing instability.
Page 3 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America 3. Branch. A “Branch” or “Branch Office” is an organizational and subordinate unit of an NWO,
or a Sub-grantee of an Intermediary or SHFA which is not separately incorporated or organized. For the purposes of this Funding Announcement, Affiliates are identified as “Sub-grantees.” 4. Contracted Counseling Entity. A “Contracted Counseling Entity” (CCE) is a Housing
Counseling Agency that a NWO has contracted with to deliver HSCP-funded housing stability counseling services, and which is accountable to the NWO Grantee for the use of the funds provided.
5. Demonstrated Experience (Revised 6/11/2021). "Demonstrated Experience" refers to an
applicant's successful and recent track record from November 1, 2019 to April 30, 2021 with providing housing stability counseling services for households facing housing instability such as eviction, default, foreclosure, loss of income, or homelessness. To qualify as having
demonstrated experience, an applicant and all sub-grantees or CCEs that will receive funding must have:
• Worked successfully with landlords, lenders and/or servicers, and with clients in threat of or facing eviction, foreclosure and/or homelessness; AND
• Documented counseling capacity, outreach capacity, past successful performance, and positive outcomes with documented counseling plans and housing stability counseling outcomes (e.g. landlord and rental agreements, loan workouts, loan modification agreements or foreclosure resolution outcomes); AND
• Certified that at least one of the following is true for it and each sub-grantee or CCE that will receive HSCP funding:
a) Has provided housing stability counseling services with documented action plans to at least 30 people in the past year (If less than 30 served, select this option if
the agency can’t certify to option b below). In the narrative section describing
past performance in the grant application, the agency can detail their experience serving clients even if it is less than 30). OR
b) 75% or more of its service area is in a rural area (if your organization is serving a community that is eligible for USDA Rural Development programs and services as of June 30, 2021, your organization may count that community as rural for the purposes of this application) AND it provided housing stability counseling which included documented action plans to at least 15 people during the past year or 10 people during the most recent quarter.
6. Grantee. ‘‘Grantee’’ refers to the Intermediary, SHFA, or NWO that applies for and receives a direct HSCP grant award.
7. Housing Counseling Agency (HCA). A “Housing Counseling Agency” or “HCA” provides housing stability counseling as a Sub-grantee or CCE of a Grantee. An HCA may have a main office, and one or more branch offices. The HCA is either a HUD-Approved Housing
Counseling Agency or meets the minimum standards, as identified by HSCP, to receive HUD approval (See Exhibit 2 for the HSCP minimum HUD approval standards).
Page 4 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America 8. Housing Counselor (Counselor). A “Housing Counselor” or “Counselor” is a professional
who will provide housing stability counseling and is a HUD-certified counselor or actively working towards HUD counselor certification. Applicants will be required to identify all counselors (directly employed by the Grantee, Sub-grantees and/or CCEs) and their HUD counselor certification status.
If the counselor is not HUD-certified by the HSCP application due date of June 30, 2021, the Applicant must identify trainings the counselor has or will take towards certification and the date during the HSCP performance period that the HUD certification exam will be taken. Grantees, Sub-grantees and CCEs must maintain an accurate record of each counselor’s HUD certification status throughout the HSCP performance period. Grantees are responsible for updating HSCP throughout the performance period of HUD certification status for counselors working on HSCP.
9. Housing Stability Counseling. “Housing Stability Counseling” for the purpose of this
Funding Announcement is housing counseling provided directly to households facing housing instability such as eviction, default, foreclosure, or loss of income that caused or could cause eviction, default, foreclosure or homelessness. Pre and post-purchase counseling is not an eligible counseling service for HSCP.
10. HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Intermediary (Intermediary). An “Intermediary” is a HUD-approved organization (Regional, National, and Multi-State) that provides housing counseling services directly and/or indirectly through its Sub-grantees, for whom it exercises control over the quality and type of housing counseling services rendered. Intermediaries (Regional, National, and Multi-State) must have received HUD approval by 8:00 p.m. EST on June 30, 2021 to be considered for funding.
11. Low-Income. A renter or homeowner is considered “Low-Income” if the household earns less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) based on the location of their primary residence. Each area’s AMI is calculated annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) based on household size and income. Area Median Income information can be found at www.huduser.gov AMI portal.
12. NeighborWorks Organization (NWO). A NeighborWorks Organization (NWO) is a chartered member of the NeighborWorks network. NWOs can apply for HSCP funds directly as stated in the authorizing legislation. NWOs rated “Vulnerable” may apply but will require an exception from their Regional NeighborWorks SVP to receive funds. NWOs rated “Provisional” are not eligible to apply.
13. Online Reporting System (ORS).The “Online Reporting System” is NeighborWorks’ online data collection and reporting system. HSCP Grantees will report client-level data and quarterly reports utilizing the ORS, which will be available October 1, 2021. NeighborWorks will provide an Excel template and Data Dictionary which must be followed to successfully report data into the ORS. Data can also be entered manually.
Page 5 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America 14. State Housing Finance Agency (SHFA). A “State Housing Finance Agency” or “SHFA” is the
public body or agency that is an instrumentality created by a specific act of a state legislature, empowered to conduct finance activities designed to provide housing and related services, for example land acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation, throughout an entire state. SHFAs may provide direct counseling services or sub-grant housing counseling funds to Sub-grantees within the SHFA's state, or both. “State” includes the states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
15. Sub-grantee. “Sub-grantee” refers to an organization (such as a Branch or Affiliate) to which an Intermediary or SHFA Grantee awards a sub-grant, and which is accountable to the Grantee for the use of the funds provided. All Sub-grantees must either be a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency or meet the minimum standards, as identified by HSCP, to receive HUD approval (See Exhibit 2 for HSCP minimum HUD approval standards). Grantees are
responsible for ensuring that all Sub-grantees adhere to the standards set forth in this Funding Announcement and the HSCP Grant Agreement and agree to oversee the quality of services and adequacy of record keeping for each.
Funding Available
Available funds will be awarded through a competitive grant process and disbursed upon execution of a Grant Agreement, as outlined in this Funding Announcement. Of the available grant funds, 40% will be awarded to Applicants that target housing counseling services to minority and low-income populations facing housing instability or provide housing counseling services in neighborhoods having high concentrations of minority and low-income populations. No more than 15% of the grant funds awarded shall be awarded to NWOs as direct Grantees.
In the event that additional funds become available for HSCP through additional appropriations from the U.S. Congress or through reallocation of unawarded, undisbursed, recaptured, or de-obligated HSCP grant funds, NeighborWorks reserves the right to make additional awards under the applications solicited by this Funding Announcement, giving priority to Grantees that have met or exceeded their goals for providing housing stability counseling services to minority and low-income populations facing housing instability and/or in neighborhoods having high concentrations of minority and low-income populations. (See Exhibit 1 for the HSCP Housing Instability Index that captures low-income, minority populations and neighborhoods with high concentrations of minority and low-income populations facing housing instability).
Anticipating extremely high demand for these funds and recognizing the need to ensure housing stability counseling services are available across the country, particularly targeting counseling services to minority and low-income populations and/or in neighborhoods having high
concentrations of minority and low-income populations facing housing instability; NeighborWorks has imposed minimum and maximum amounts of HSCP grant requests. No one Applicant can request a total award of more than $10,000,000 and no one Applicant can request a total award of less than $50,000.
Page 6 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America Depending on demand for available funding, NeighborWorks reserves the right to establish award limits lower than both the maximum and minimum request amounts during the grant review and award process. NeighborWorks also reserves the right to award Applicants less than their full funding request.
Applicants should only apply for the amount of funding they have the capacity to manage or spend down by February 28, 2023.
Award decisions will be based on a number of considerations, including (without limitation): (1) the recommendations and scores of grant reviewers with particular attention to the reasonableness of the Applicant’s housing stability counseling goals, based on the rationale as described in its application and its Demonstrated Experience, as well as its capacity to deliver housing stability counseling services and/or manage multiple Sub-grantees or CCEs if applicable; (2) geographic diversity, including services to minority and low-income populations or housing counseling services in neighborhoods having high concentrations of minority and low-income populations facing housing instability; and (3); total demand for funding from all Applicants. In making award decisions, NeighborWorks may rely on information not contained in Applicant’s submitted application, including Applicants’ previously submitted HUD Housing Counseling Agency Activity Reports (HUD 9902s), if applicable; findings from HUD Housing Counseling performance reviews, if applicable; financial audit reviews; and other available relevant information.
It is important for Grantees to understand the rules and requirements of all federal funds awarded, particularly regarding billing multiple programs for the same clients. For the purposes of the HSCP grant award, Grantees are required to maintain a separate budget and segregate HSCP funds and should document when the cost of counseling HSCP households exceeds the maximum amount reimbursable per household. HSCP Grantees will not be allowed to bill for the same client more than once for counseling services. Recognizing that some clients who have received HSCP-funded counseling may experience new circumstances threatening their ability to retain housing stability, Grantees will be required to document the additional cost associated with longer-term counseling and bill to other allowable sources. HSCP will not limit Grantees’ ability to bill other allowable sources for the same client if the cost of counseling exceeds the amount of funding provided through HSCP, however the Grantee is responsible for identifying other allowable sources requirements.
HUD-Approved Agencies/HUD-Certified Counselors
HSCP values HUD-Approved Counseling Agencies and HUD-certified counselor certification. It recognizes that professional and experienced Housing Counseling Agencies and counselors that are providing critical housing stability counseling services to low-income and minority populations and neighborhoods with high concentrations of low-income and minority populations facing housing instability might not yet be HUD approved or are actively working towards HUD
counselor certification. Applicants will be required to provide, at the time of application, a list of all of its Sub-grantees, CCEs and counselors. HSCP will require Applicants to meet the following standards:
Page 7 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America
1. HUD-Approved Agencies
HSCP applicants must be HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agencies or certify that they meet the minimum standards, as identified by HSCP for HUD-approval (See Exhibit 3 for the minimum HUD-approval standards for HSCP). Grantees will be required to maintain approval and counselor certification or meet the HSCP minimum HUD-approval standards as identified by HSCP throughout the HSCP performance period and must notify HSCP of any changes immediately. Failure to do so may result in de-obligation and/or recapture of HSCP grant funds.
2. HUD-Certified Counselors
All counseling provided through HSCP , whether provided by Grantees, counselors employed directly by Grantee, or counselors employed by Sub-grantees or CCEs, must be provided by HUD-certified counselors or counselors actively working towards HUD certification. HSCP will provide preference points for Applicants if 75% or more of its
counselors providing services under HSCP are HUD-certified counselors. If the
counselor is not HUD-certified at the time of the HSCP application, the Applicant must identify in the application the trainings the counselor has taken or will take towards
certification and the date during the HSCP performance period that the HUD certification exam will be taken. Grantees, Sub-grantees and CCEs must maintain an accurate record of counselors and their HUD counselor certification status throughout the HSCP
performance period. Grantees are responsible for updating HSCP throughout the grant award performance period of any changes to counselors working on HSCP and their HUD certification status.
Grantees are directly responsible for ensuring the quality of counseling to households facing housing instability. Failure to ensure that counselors are HUD-certified or regularly check the status of counselors working towards becoming HUD-certified may result in de-obligation and/or recapture of HSCP grant funds.
Eligible Applicants
The HSCP Eligible Applicants are as follows:
1. HUD-Approved Intermediaries (Regional, National, and Multi-State) that have been HUD
approved by 8:00 P.M. EST on June 30, 2021. Prospective HUD-Approved Intermediaries should note that HUD’s approval process can take up to two months and therefore it may not be possible to complete the process in time to apply for this funding opportunity.
2. SHFAs which have statutory authority to operate as a SHFA, to serve the entire state, and to
apply for and subsequently use any funds received. Only one SHFA per state shall receive an award through HSCP.
• Intermediary and SHFA Applicants will identify the delivery of housing stability counseling services by: (a) applying for funds on behalf of a network of Sub-grantees; or (b) providing counseling directly through its employees.
Page 8 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America • Intermediaries and SHFA Applicants will be required to detail the Demonstrated
Experience that refers to an Applicant’s successful and recent track record from November 1, 2019 to April 30, 2021 with providing housing stability counseling services for households facing housing instability such as eviction, default, foreclosure, loss of income, or homelessness.
• Intermediaries and SHFAs must demonstrate the capacity required to distribute funds, monitor compliance, communicate regularly, collect requisite data that includes program outcomes, and monitor and ensure the quality of counseling and overall performance of each Sub-grantee that will provide services through HSCP. • Sub-grantees of Intermediaries and SHFAs are required to be a HUD-Approved
Housing Counseling Agency or meet the HSCP minimum HUD-Approval Standards, which can be found in Exhibit 3.
• All counselors utilizing HSCP funds to provide counseling, including direct employees of the Intermediary or SHFA and those of its Sub-grantees, must be a HUD-certified counselor or actively working towards passing the HUD certification exam.
Intermediaries and SHFAs, at the time of application, must identify the HUD _Certification status of all of its counselors.
• Grantees, direct employees and Sub-grantees providing counseling utilizing HSCP funds must maintain an accurate record of counselors and their HUD certification status throughout the HSCP performance period.
• Intermediaries and SHFAs are permitted to add or remove Sub-grantees during the performance period by submitting an updated list via email to NeighborWorks at
[email protected]. Adding Sub-grantees does not result in an increased grant award.
3. NeighborWorks Organizations that are existing chartered members of the NeighborWorks
network. NWOs must obtain their NeighborWorks charter on or before 8:00 p.m. EST on June 30, 2021 to be eligible. NWOs rated “Vulnerable” may apply but will require an exception from NeighborWorks to receive funds. NWOs rated “Provisional” are not eligible to apply.
• NWOs may contract with CCEs to provide housing stability counseling, provided that such arrangements are made on a contractual basis and no more than 50% of the awarded counseling services shall be contracted out.
• As part of their application, NWOs will be required to identify all CCEs and if they are HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agencies or meet the HSCP minimum
HUD_Approval_Standards to become HUD-Approved.
• All counselors utilizing HSCP funds to provide counseling, including direct employees of the NWO and those of its CCEs, must be a HUD-certified counselor or actively
Page 9 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America working towards passing the HUD certification exam. NWOs, at the time of
application, must identify the HUD _Certification status of all of its counselors.
Grantees will be required to maintain updated records of HUD-Approval status, certification of meeting HSCP minimum HUD-Approval standards and HUD certification status of its direct employees and employees of its Sub-grantees or CCEs throughout the HSCP performance period. Grantees that fail to retain these records may be subject to de-obligation and/or recapture of HSCP grant funds.
Applicants with Multiple Affiliations
Due to the critical need of households across the country facing housing instability, HSCP will allow Applicants to provide services as a direct Grantee and apply to provide services as a Sub-grantee or CCE of another Applicant. Sub-Sub-grantees and CCEs are also eligible to apply under multiple direct grantees. Applicants must identify at the time of application if they will receive
direct funds and work as a Sub-grantee or CCE as well as identify if any of their Sub-grantees or CCEs will have multiple affiliations:
Direct Grantees Multiple Affiliations
Intermediaries, SHFAs and NWOs, as direct Applicants, may elect to participate in this program as a direct Grantee and as a Sub-grantee or CCE of a direct Grantee:
a) Applicants must disclose that they are applying as a direct Grantee and as a Sub-grantee or CCE of multiple Applicants, and identify the direct Applicant; AND
b) Justify why applying as a direct Grantee and Sub-grantee or CCE of another direct Grantee is critical to meeting the demand for housing stability counseling in its service area; AND c) Demonstrate capacity to track and report the various contracted activities as a direct
Grantee and a Sub-grantee or CCE of another direct Grantee, which includes but is not limited to the ability to report client-level data with unique identifiers to prevent duplication of billing for the same client and manage funding under multiple contracts.
Sub-grantees and CCEs with Multiple Affiliations
Direct Applicants must disclose when its Sub-grantees or CCEs are applying under multiple affiliations:
a) Applicants must disclose when a Sub-grantee or CCE is contracted/providing counseling services under HSCP with multiple direct Applicants; AND
b) Justify why its Sub-grantee or CCE is applying for HSCP funds under multiple direct Applicants is critical to meet the demand for housing stability counseling in their service area; AND
Page 10 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America c) Demonstrate their capacity to track and report the various contracted activities under
multiple affiliations as a Sub-grantee or CCE, which includes but is not limited to the ability to report client-level data with unique identifiers to prevent duplication of billing for the same client and manage grant award funds under multiple contracts.
Direct Applicants should ensure they have the capacity and ability to report under multiple programs. If a direct Applicant falls below its required goals from their grant award, it will be subject to de-obligation and/or recapture.
Eligible Activities
No funds made available under HSCP may be provided directly to financial institutions, lenders, servicers, landlords, property management companies, renters or homeowners to discharge outstanding rent or mortgage balances or for any other direct debt reduction payments. These funds may only be used to provide housing stability counseling services. All Grantees will maintain a separate budget and segregate HSCP funds from other sources of funds. The HSCP grant award must be used to fund Grantees’ housing stabilization efforts and
related expenses. Grantees are responsible for monitoring the expenditures of its Sub-grantees or CCEs to ensure the HSCP funds are being used toward eligible expenses for Counseling, Program Related Support and Operational Oversight, if applicable. In the final report, all Grantees will report on the expenditures of HSCP funds. Grantees will report in the aggregate for its Sub-grantees or CCEs and should ensure they can furnish documented evidence during the course of HSCP planned quality control and compliance measures.
All HSCP funds must support the costs of overall housing stability counseling services. If the cost of the counseling is less than HSCP funding, Grantees do not need to return excess funds; rather, they must allocate those funds to their overall housing stability counseling program.
NeighborWorks reserves the right to request documented evidence of the uses of excess funds. HSCP eligible activities fall into three categories: (1) Counseling; (2) Program-Related Support; and (3) Operational Oversight, for Intermediaries and SHFAs only. Each category is defined in greater detail below. While Applicants are encouraged to apply for the amount of funding, they believe they can use before February 28, 2023, NeighborWorks reserves the right to award less than the amount requested.
1. Counseling
NeighborWorks has created a tiered structure for counseling services in which the client facing housing instability receives intake, triage and assessment, counseling services and follow-up. Applicants must certify they will provide all levels of counseling in their application and are expected to make best efforts to provide all levels of counseling to each client.
Counseling can include a range of activities depending on the client’s financial situation and the severity of their housing instability crisis. Clients in the early stages of housing instability may benefit from counseling sessions that result in an action plan they can follow to get back on track.
Page 11 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America Others will require assistance with complex workouts involving negotiations with landlords,
financial institutions, lenders, servicers or other housing-related resources that require experienced and trained counselors with additional expertise. Their cases may take longer to resolve and require follow-up to ensure they are still on track and/or have resolved their housing instability crisis. Recognizing this, NeighborWorks has developed a tiered structure for defining and
estimating the cost of counseling activities, as described below. Counseling awards as calculated for the HSCP application are based on the value of Level 1 intake/initial counseling set at $200, Level 2 counseling set at $550, and Follow-up set at $50.
Counseling services can be provided to renters living in properties owned and operated by an Applicant, and homeowners holding mortgages, including second mortgages, originated or
serviced by an Applicant. Please note that Grantees, Sub-grantees, CCEs and third-party vendors
must operate in accordance with the HUD Handbook 7610.1. REV 5 6-2 Conflicts of Interest and 24 CFR 214.303(f). Agency staff, board, and immediate family members will not participate in any action that supports personal interests, activities, or relationships related to HSCP. Sufficient firewalls must be in place to assure that the counselors’ actions are not influenced by loss mitigation staff for lending, asset management functions or other personal gains.
Duplicate Billing
HSCP Grantees will not be allowed to bill the same client more than once for any Level of counseling or Follow-up. Recognizing that some clients who have received HSCP-funded housing stability counseling may experience new circumstances threatening their ability to remain current on their rent or mortgages, Grantees will be required to document the additional cost associated with longer- term counseling and bill to other allowable sources.
“Level 1” Intake and Initial Counseling: Level 1 services related to intake and triage do not
need to be conducted by a Housing Counselor as defined in Definition 8 on Page 4 of this Funding Announcement; however, non-counselors should be trained to identify a crisis situation to note that Level 2 counseling should take place within 24 to 48 hours. Services related to creating a client’s budget and action plan must be conducted by a Housing Counselor as defined in Definition 8 on Page 4 of this Funding Announcement. To qualify for a Level 1 payment ($200), a counseling agency will be required to complete all of the following steps:
1. Intake. Organization must conduct an intake and collect information including client name and address, basic demographic information, lender and loan information, landlord and lease information, reason for housing instability and other housing instability related documentation. Organization must also collect documentation (must be within 30 days of intake date) of all reasonable opportunities for income including but not limited to: unemployment and other public benefits, tax returns, pay stubs, profit and loss statements and third-party verifications; and expenses, including but not limited to: mortgage
statement, rental lease agreement, monthly bills, bank statements, credit card statement and utility bills. Note: a credit report alone does not satisfy the budget requirement. Any client communication with landlord/servicer must also be collected, if applicable, to determine the urgency and severity of the client’s need, including but not limited to an eviction notice, Notice of Default, or Notice of Sale.
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HSCP Grantees will ensure that the lack of financial documentation or communication from the landlord, lender or servicer does not create a barrier to counseling. If the client has not received communication from the landlord, lender or servicer, the counselor or intake staff must clearly outline the assessment and detail the reason for counseling in the Action Plan. Grantees will be allowed to report Level 1 client-level data once the majority of financial documentation is included in the client’s file.
2. Authorization. Organization must collect a signed authorization form from the client or have other legally-permissible client authorization on record that will allow organization to (a) pull a credit report at intake (it is recommended, but not required, that credit scores are
procured with the credit report); (b) submit client-level information to the ORS for this grant,
(c) allow HSCP to open files to be reviewed for program monitoring and compliance purposes, and (d) allow HSCP to conduct follow-up with the client related to program evaluation. Clients may opt out of (a) if the client provides a credit report dated within 30 days of the intake date and (d) only, but proof of this must be retained in the client’s file. NeighborWorks has made available a template authorization form for Grantees to modify for their own use if they do not already have such a form. Alternatively, Grantees may incorporate the language above into their existing authorization forms. Clients reported to the ORS without a signed authorization form can create a legal liability for a Grantee; therefore, Grantees must ensure clients reported to the ORS have a signed authorization form in the client file. It is acceptable for Grantees to substitute the words “Grant Administrators”
or “Funders” in place of “HSCP” in (c) or (d) above.
Grantees are responsible for performing HSCP services within the limits of the laws in the state(s) in which they operate. If agencies are providing HSCP services via telephone or online, they should verify verbal/electronic authorization laws in the state(s) where the counseling will be performed. They should also maintain proof of electronic signature or verbal authorization in each client file, as permissible by the law in the state(s) in which they operate.
3. Disclosure. Organization must provide to all clients a disclosure statement. The disclosure statement must explicitly describe the various types of products and services the
organization provides and any financial relationships between the Grantee, Sub-grantee or CCE, and any other industry partners. The disclosure must state clearly that the client is not obligated to receive any other services offered by the Grantee, Sub-grantee or CCE, its exclusive partners, or third-party entities to which a client is referred for additional services. This must be presented to the client at the time of intake. Proof that the client received the disclosure must be maintained in their file. Such proof must be signed by the
renter/homeowner and can include an electronic signature.
4. Privacy Policy. Organization must provide to all clients a copy of its privacy policy. Proof that the client received the policy must be maintained in the file. Such proof can include a statement signed by the client indicating receipt or an electronic signature, if applicable. If the policy is mailed to the client, the Grantee must keep on file proof that the policy was sent to the client via email or postal mail. Having access to the privacy policy on the organization’s website does not satisfy this requirement unless there is affirmative
Page 13 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America confirmation and documented proof that the client has reviewed the policy in the file. Please note that clients who are given the choice to “opt-out” of the organization’s privacy policy provision allowing for the sharing of their information with affiliated third parties and choose to do so cannot be reported to the ORS for payment by HSCP.
Note: it is acceptable for organizations to combine the authorization form, disclosure statement, and privacy policy into a single document as long as the client signs the document and the agency retains a copy in the client file.
5. Triage. Organization must assess each client’s situation with respect to severity/urgency. It is a best practice and HSCP strongly encourages Grantees to ensure a client with an eviction notice, Notice of Default, or Notice of Sale has direct communication with a counselor within 48 business hours of their request. The severity of the client’s situation should be noted in the Action Plan.
6. Budget. Organization must develop a budget with the client based on the client’s oral
representation of their expenses, debts, and available sources of income. One example of a worksheet Grantees may use to develop this budget can be found at
www.stablecommunities.org.
7. Action Plan. Organization must work with the client to develop a written Action Plan for activities to be taken. The Action Plan must be clearly labeled in the client file. When developing the Action Plan, it is expected that the counselor will do a comprehensive analysis of the client’s situation and recommend potential actions to be taken.The Action Plan must include the counselor’s assessment of the client’s situation with a client-specific recommendation for a counseling plan of action. A general handout with a variety of workout options or “Actions” is not acceptable. If the assessment and recommendation are part of the counselor notes, HSCP requires that the information be transferred to a form titled Action Plan so that the assessment and course of action are clearly defined for the client and for compliance testing. HSCP has also created template Action Plans and provided additional resources at www.stablecomunities.org. Use of these templates is not required; however, Grantees must have a conforming Action Plan in each client file.
When reporting for Level 1 counseling activities, all six of these completed documents must be in the client’s file: intake, authorization, disclosure, privacy policy, budget, and action plan. Grantees are responsible for ensuring proper documentation exists in client files of each of its Sub-grantees’ and/or CCEs.
“Level 2” Counseling: Level 2 counseling services must be provided by a Housing Counselor as
defined in Definition 8 on Page 4 of this Funding Announcement. To qualify for a Level 2 payment ($550), a counseling agency will be required to complete the following steps:
1. Authorization. Organization must collect a signed authorization form from the client or have other legally-permissible client authorization on record that will allow organization to (a) pull a credit report at intake (it is recommended, but not required, that credit scores are
Page 14 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America
procured with the credit report); (b) submit client-level information to the ORS for this grant,
(c) allow HSCP to open files to be reviewed for program monitoring and compliance purposes, and (d) allow HSCP to conduct follow-up with the client related to program evaluation. Clients may opt out of (a) if the client provides the credit report dated within 30 days of the intake date and (d) only, but proof of this must be retained in the client’s file. Clients that opt out of (a) and do not have a credit report that was dated within 30 days of the intake date or opt out of (b) or (c) cannot be reported to the ORS for payment by HSCP. NeighborWorks has made available a template authorization form for Grantees to modify for their own use if they do not already have such a form. Alternatively, Grantees may incorporate the language above into their existing authorization forms. Clients
reported to the ORS without a signed authorization form can create a legal liability for a Grantee; therefore, Grantees must ensure clients reported to the ORS have a signed authorization form in the client file. It is acceptable for Grantees to substitute the words “Grant
Administrators” or “Funders” in place of “HSCP” in (c) or (d) above.
Grantees are responsible for performing HSCP counseling within the limits of the laws in the state(s) in which they operate. If agencies are providing HSCP counseling via telephone or online, they should verify verbal/electronic authorization laws in the state(s) where the counseling is being performed. They should also maintain proof of electronic signature or verbal authorization in each client file, as permissible by the law in the state(s) in which they operate.
2. Disclosure. If not already on file, organization must provide to all clients a disclosure statement. The disclosure statement must explicitly describe the various types of products and services the organization provides and any financial relationships between the Grantee, Sub-grantee or CCE, and any other industry partners. The disclosure must state clearly that the client is not obligated to receive any other services offered by the Grantee, Sub-grantee or CCE, its exclusive partners, or third-party entities to which a client is referred for additional services. This must be presented to the client at the time of counseling if not already on file. Proof that the client received the disclosure must be maintained in their file. Such proof must be signed by the renter/homeowner and can include an electronic signature.
3. Privacy Policy. If not already on file, organization must provide to all clients a copy of its privacy policy. Proof that the client received the policy must be maintained in the file. Such proof can include a statement signed by the client indicating receipt or an electronic
signature, if applicable. If the policy is mailed to the client, the Grantee must keep on file proof that the policy was sent to the client via email or postal mail. Having access to the privacy policy on the organization’s website does not satisfy this requirement unless there is affirmative confirmation and documented proof that the client has reviewed the policy in the file.Please note that clients who are given the choice to “opt-out” of the organization’s privacy policy provision allowing for the sharing of their information with affiliated third parties and choose to do so cannot be uploaded into the ORS for payment by HSCP.
Note: it is acceptable for organizations to combine the authorization form, disclosure statement, and privacy policy into a single document as long as the client signs the document and the agency retains a copy in the client file.
Page 15 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America 4. Budget Verification. Counselor must engage in budget verification during which
documented evidence provided by the client is reviewed to establish true debt obligations, monthly expenses and spending patterns, and realistic opportunities for income. The counselor is expected to conduct a financial analysis that leads to a recommendation for resolving the delinquency or determining options for financial assistance or alternative housing options. A credit report alone does not satisfy the budget verification
requirement.
If the client is in crisis due to a pending eviction or foreclosure, loss of income or other emergency, the counselor will be required to develop a crisis budget. An example of a crisis budget can be found on HSCP’s website at www.stablecommunities.org.
5. Verification of Action Taken. Counselors should take appropriate action upon the steps outlined in the written Action Plan created during Level 1 services. Counselor must have documented evidence of “action” taken by or on behalf of the client. This requires more than the counselor’s notes; it also requires documentation that action took place, which could include but is not limited to the following:
a. Determine eligibility for rent relief, other financial assistance and/or public benefits, including but not limited to unemployment, Medicaid, utility assistance and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans; and help the client complete and submit applications for such relief.
b. Discuss eviction or foreclosure process and general rights; and make a referral to legal assistance when necessary. Referrals require documented evidence in the client file. c. Document an attempt to contact the landlord, servicer or lender via email, fax
transmission receipt, or postal mail receipt. The outcome of all communication must be documented in the client file.
d. Help the client draft and submit a hardship letter to the landlord or servicer that describes the client’s situation, reason for delinquency, factors that should be
considered when developing a workout plan, an estimate of the housing cost the client can afford to pay, and timeframe for returning to full payments.
e. If a workout is possible, help the client complete and submit forms required by the landlord or servicer to move forward with a workout plan, loan modification or other available program. Verification that documentation was submitted via fax transmission receipt, email, or postal mail must be retained in the client file.
f. Assist in situations where the client elects to pursue new housing options, or must move into temporary or transitional housing, and document the assistance that took place and communication with pertinent parties via emails, fax transmission report, or postal mail. A referral list of real estate agents for a short sale, or other sale options, must include at least three real estate agents and the client’s signature stating they received the referral list. This signed referral list should be retained in the file.Please note that “referring” a client back to the landlord/servicer/lender is not considered a referral.
Note: Counselor Notes and/or telephone logs do not satisfy the requirement for documenting
Page 16 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America
mail receipts, fax transmission sheets or other signed verification that any action took place is required to be retained in the client file.
When reporting for Level 2 counseling activities, all five of the following completed documents must be in the client’s file: authorization, disclosure, privacy policy, budget, and verification of action taken.
“Follow-up” ($50): Recognizing that follow-up may occur 30 to 60 days following Level 1 or Level 2 counseling, Grantee can bill for follow-up separately. Follow-up activities such as sending the follow-up letter or closing out the file does not need to be conducted by a Housing Counselor as defined in Definition 8 on Page 4, however please note counseling must be conducted by a counselor.
1. Counselor must make a reasonable effort to have follow-up communication with the client, to assure that the client is progressing toward their housing goals, to modify or terminate housing stability counseling, and to learn and report outcomes, if applicable. The
counselor should conduct a follow-up session within the first 30 days following Level 1* or Level 2 counseling. If unsuccessful, after two attempts to conduct a follow-up session, the counselor must write a letter or send an e-mail to the client stating that such efforts have been made and inform the client that there is a need for follow-up communication. The letter must request that the client contact the housing counseling agency no later than 30 days from the date of the letter, to help the agency assess if additional client services are necessary to assist them in achieving their housing goals or if services should be terminated. All documentation for follow-up should be retained in the client file.
Issuing surveys to assess housing outcomes does not fully meet the requirement for client follow-up. Hiring a third-party agency to conduct follow-up services is prohibited.
*In some cases, a client may not return for Level 2 counseling. In this case the Grantee
can bill for Level 1 and must also follow the requirements as noted for Follow-up. In the most cases where the client does return for Level 2 counseling, it is expected that Follow-up is billed following Level 2 counseling.
2. Program-Related Support (PRS) – All Applicants are eligible
Applicants will receive PRS funds valued at 30% of their Counseling award. PRS funds shall be used to increase housing stability program efficiencies. If the Applicant does not wish to use the full 30% on eligible PRS activities, it can use these funds to provide additional HSCP counseling. A plan for use of these funds, including the estimated costs of major line-item budget items, must be included with the application. SHFAs, Intermediaries and NWOs with CCEs must pass through all PRS funds to their Sub-grantees or CCEs unless they keep on file a justification for how retaining a portion of the funds will have a timely and positive impact on the capacity of Sub-grantees or CCEs to conduct housing stability counseling. If this is the case, no more than 50% of PRS funds allocated under this section can be held at the Intermediary, SHFA or NWO level. These funds are not intended to cover administrative costs; rather, they are meant primarily to support direct costs associated, as much as possible, with increasing the ability of Grantees, Sub-grantees and CCEs to effectively and efficiently provide quality housing stability counseling.
Page 17 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America Eligible uses of Program-Related Support funds include but are not limited to:
• Establishing a triage system that makes for more effective and efficient use of counseling time, so counselors are not scheduling and reserving time for clients seeking help with situations not related to housing instability.
• HUD-certification training and exam fees for counselors.
• Outreach, marketing and service delivery should be directed at populations least likely to seek counseling services. To do so, it may be necessary to broaden the target areas or provide translation and interpretive services in languages other than English to reach a greater variety of racial and ethnic minorities.
• Outreach and communication efforts aimed at preventing “rescue” rent or mortgage scams directed at renters and homeowners.
• Infrastructure development and communication to strengthen monitoring and oversight of Sub-grantees and CCEs.
• Technology improvements for outreach, counseling, education, registration and other housing instability-related purposes.
• Improving Grantee capacity and infrastructure for tracking and reporting data through upgrades to Client Management Systems and reporting systems/processes.
• Costs related to hiring, orienting and training new counseling staff. • Purchasing or leasing equipment and software for counselors.
• Collecting data and preparing quarterly reports and disbursement requests. • Quality control of the counseling function.
• Other related services necessary to provide quality housing stability counseling.
Applicants may contract out part or all of the activities proposed under PRS but must demonstrate that their subcontractors have the required experience and expertise in the application.
3. Operational Oversight (OO) – Only Intermediaries and SHFAs are eligible
Intermediaries and SHFAs are responsible for ensuring the appropriate use of its HSCP grant funds both as a direct Grantee and as it oversees its Sub-grantees. Intermediaries and SHFAs will receive Operational Oversight to cover quality control, day-to-day oversight and management of this grant award, and any required improvements to systems and infrastructure. Among other things, Intermediaries and SHFAs are responsible for communicating program requirements to all Sub-grantees, ensuring their compliance, and reporting on their behalf. HSCP Grantees
submitting data to the ORS are responsible for verifying the integrity of the data and will be held accountable through HSCP compliance audits if findings are cited.
OO funds are determined as follows: 7% of the first $2.5 million received under the Counseling category (or up to $175,000), and 5% of any amount over $2.5 million. If a Grantee does not wish to use the full amount on Operational Oversight, it can use these funds to provide additional HSCP counseling.
Page 18 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America
Application Summary and Scoring
The application must be completed online, using NeighborWorks’ Grants Portal. No paper applications will be accepted. The application will incorporate narrative responses and templates. The full application is expected to be available in the Grants Portal on June 2, 2021, and will be due June 30, 2021 at 8:00 PM EST. No late applications will be accepted under any
circumstance.
Eligible Intermediaries and SHFA Applicants interested in applying must submit a signed and dated in 2021 W-9 to [email protected] by Wednesday, June 2, 2021, in order to have access to NeighborWorks’ Grants Portal and the application. This is a requirement. A W-9 is available at
www.stablecommunities.org. NeighborWorks organizations do not need to submit a W-9.
If an eligible Intermediary or SHFA has received funds from NeighborWorks in the last 12 months or believes its 2021 W-9 is already on file with NeighborWorks, it can confirm this by emailing [email protected]. After the W-9 is submitted, an email will be sent to each Eligible Applicant informing them that their access to the Grants Portal and HSCP application has been granted.
Application Guide
A comprehensive Application Guide will be published on www.stablecommunities.org. It is
extremely important that Applicants refer to the Application Guide as they complete the
application, as it provides specific information about the level of detail that should be included in each response.
Application Scoring
Award decisions will be based on a number of considerations, including (without limitation): (1) the recommendations and scores of grant reviewers with particular attention to the Applicant’s Demonstrated Experience and capacity to deliver housing stability counseling services and/or manage multiple Sub-grantees or CCEs, if applicable; (2) the reasonableness of Applicant’s housing stability counseling goals; (3) geographic diversity, including services to minority and low-income populations and housing counseling services in neighborhoods having high concentrations of minority and low-income populations facing housing instability; and (4) total demand for funding from all Applicants. In making award decisions, NeighborWorks may rely on information not contained in Applicant’s submitted application, including Applicants’ previously submitted HUD Housing Counseling Agency Activity Reports (HUD 9902s), if applicable; findings from HUD Housing Counseling performance reviews, if applicable; financial audit reviews; and other available relevant information.
Application consideration shall be divided into three categories:
1) Threshold Requirements – to be considered for funding, all of the following must be met: a. Applicant must certify that it conforms to the program requirements outlined in this
Funding Announcement.
b. Applicant must have Demonstrated Experience in delivering housing stability counseling services as described in Definition 5 on Page 3 of this Funding Announcement.
Page 19 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America c. SHFAs must have the statutory authority to operate as an SHFA, to serve the entire
state, and to apply for and subsequently use any funds received.
d. HUD must confirm Intermediaries’ status is “Approved” as of 8:00 PM EST on June 30, 2021.
e. NWOs must have obtained their NeighborWorks Charter as of 8:00 PM EST on June 30, 2021. NWOs rated “Vulnerable” may apply but will require an exception from NeighborWorks to receive funds. NWOs rated “Provisional” are not eligible to apply. f. Applicant must employ Housing Counselors as defined in Definition 8 on Page 4 of
this Funding Announcement.
2) Past Performance – will be worth 40% of the overall review team score and will include: a. Applicant’s demonstrated experience in providing housing stability counseling,
including to minority and low-income populations, outreach efforts, and service delivery in languages other than English.
b. Applicant’s description of challenges it has experienced in implementing housing stability counseling and actions taken to address these challenges.
c. Systems and processes Applicant has established to ensure efficient program delivery, quality control of services provided, and adherence to program/grant requirements. d. Applicant’s past performance with the HUD Housing Counseling Program, including
program findings and recaptured funds.
e. Steps Applicant has taken to resolve findings from federal, state or other
investigation(s) related to its housing stability counseling program or use of federal funds, if applicable.
f. Applicant’s experience managing housing stability counseling programs.
g. Applicant’s effectiveness in performing oversight responsibilities, including managing and passing funds through to a network of Sub-grantees or CCEs; ensuring quality control of services offered; and ensuring adherence to program requirements.
h. HUD-certification status of Housing Counselors that will be providing services through HSCP; and number and experience of Housing Counselors.
i. Applicant’s ability to ensure firewalls are in place to ensure there is no conflict of interest if counseling its own clients.
j. Applicant’s financial management capacity as evidenced by review of audited financial statements, single-audit, management letters, management responses, and adequacy of corrective action plans, if applicable.
k. Applicant is in “good standing” with HUD.
l. Organizational health ratings of NeighborWorks organizations.
3) Performance Plan – will be worth 60% of the overall review team score and will include: a. Applicant’s plan to oversee Sub-grantees/CCEs, including ensuring quality counseling
is provided and implementing accountability measures. b. Applicant’s service delivery model.
c. Capacity of Applicant and Sub-grantees/CCEs to perform in HSCP, including plans for recruiting, training and retaining Housing Counselors; staffing structure; and capacity to track and report clients to NeighborWorks, including use of Client Management Systems.
d. Applicant’s capacity to refer renters and homeowners to additional service providers when appropriate.
Page 20 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America e. Reasonableness of Applicant’s projected goals and capacity to provide all levels of
housing stability counseling.
f. Partnerships Applicant has established to ensure renters and homeowners are aware of the housing stability counseling services being offered.
g. Applicant’s outreach plans and goals to provide service to low-income and minority populations facing housing instability and Targeted Geographic Areas as identified by HSCP.
h. Applicant’s plan for use of Program Related-Support.
i. Applicant’s plan for use of Operational Oversight, if applicable, including Applicant’s ability to track which of its Sub-grantees receive funds directly from HSCP or through another Applicant.
Award Amount Determination
Reviewers will determine scores for each non-threshold category based upon a standard scoring rubric.
If the recommended aggregate award amount for all Applicants as determined by the reviewers’ scores exceeds the amount available to be awarded, HSCP may use one or more of the following steps to bring award amounts within the limits of available funding:
• Institute an overall award amount cap and floor any one Grantee can receive.
• Place Applicants into tiers according to the date they are expected to spend down an HSCP award.
• Apply across the board cuts.
NeighborWorks reserves the right to utilize all three or additional criteria if necessary.
All award decisions are final and cannot be appealed; however, if an Applicant requests a debrief in writing within 45 days of award announcements, NeighborWorks shall grant a meeting to discuss its application.
Page 21 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America
Funding Time Frame
The anticipated schedule for HSCP funding is listed below. All dates are subject to change. All changes will be announced at www.stablecommunities.com.
May 26, 2021 Funding Announcement Available June 2, 2021 Eligible Applicant Briefings
June 2, 2021 Application Guides Available
June 2, 2021 Applications available in the Grant Portal
June 30, 2021 Application deadline 8:00 PM EST
July 1, 2021 Application reviews begin
Within Quarter 3 of 2021 Award announcements posted at www.stablecommunities.com Grant award letters distributed.
15 days after
announcements made Grant Agreements distributed 15 days after Grant
Agreements distributed
Executed Grant Agreements due to NeighborWorks
Rolling Initial disbursements sent to Grantees, as Grant Agreements and
required start-up documentation are received. No HSCP funds will be disbursed until all contingency obligations are fulfilled, if applicable.
Starting October 1, 2021 Client-level production is uploaded, and funds are disbursed. Disbursements are not tied to quarterly reporting; however, Grantees must be current with their quarterly reports in order for disbursements to occur.
March 31, 2022 First quarterly report required – reporting period September 1, 2021 – February 28, 2022
June 30, 2022 Second quarterly report required – reporting period March 1, 2022 – May 31, 2022
September 30, 2022 Third quarterly report required – reporting period June 1, 2022 – August 31, 2022
December 31, 2022 Fourth quarterly report required – reporting period September 1, 2022 – November 30, 2022
March 31, 2023 Fifth and final quarterly report required – reporting period December 1, 2022 – February 28, 2023
June 30, 2023 Grantees’ final programmatic and expenditure report due
Ongoing until June 30, 2026
Page 22 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America
Disbursement Schedule
Please see Exhibit 6 for a complete explanation of HSCP disbursement release guidelines. The disbursement schedule is designed to provide Grantees with sufficient up-front funds to strengthen their counseling capacity, while linking future disbursements to achievement of
counseling goals. NeighborWorks reserves the right to adjust individual Grantees’ disbursement
schedules and amounts at its sole discretion, for reasons including but not limited to if funds are being expended more slowly than projected or if an audit or compliance review provides reasons for a more conservative disbursement schedule to be implemented. Following
NeighborWorks’ receipt of a fully executed Grant Agreement and related start-up documentation, funds will disbursed as follows:
Disbursement Schedule for Counseling, PRS and OO Disbursement 1
When Grantees have submitted their fully executed Grant Agreement and related start-up
documentation, they will receive their first disbursement. This disbursement will be equal to 35% of the Counseling award, 70% of PRS, and 35% of OO if applicable.
Disbursement 2 – Grantees will be able to report to the ORS beginning October 1, 2021. When Grantees can demonstrate that they have counseled enough clients to total 35% of their counseling award dollar amount, they can request a second disbursement. This disbursement will be equal to 30% of the Counseling award, the remaining 30% of PRS, and 30% of OO if
applicable.
Disbursement 3
When Grantees can demonstrate that they have counseled enough clients to total 65% of their Counseling Award dollar amount, they can request a third disbursement. This disbursement will be equal to 30% of the Counseling award and 30% of OO if applicable.
Disbursement 4
The final 5% of the counseling award, and OO if applicable, will be disbursed when the Grantee has counseled enough clients to total 100% of the counseling award dollar amount, completed its final report, and completed all organizational obligations related to program evaluation.
Grantees will not be permitted to make additional requests for disbursement unless they are current on their quarterly programmatic and expenditure reports and are in compliance with all terms of their Grant Agreement.
Applicants are required to project overall counseling goals in the grant application as well as goals in Targeted Geographic Areas and to minority and low-income populations facing housing instability. Applicants may amend these goals following the grant award based – and only based – on the amount of funds awarded, and new goals will be included in their Grant Agreements. Small variances will be allowed based on goals.
Page 23 of 51 Housing Stability Counseling Program Funding Announcement Program administered by NeighborWorks® America Each of the Grantee’s disbursements will be evaluated based on allowable variances, and Grantees shall not receive multiple disbursements at one time. Grantees may upload their client-level data to the ORS as frequently as they wish, but not less frequently than quarterly.
If, at NeighborWorks’ sole determination, Grantees do not show substantial progress toward meeting their counseling goals, NeighborWorks reserves the right to recapture or de-obligate funds.
Please see the Disbursement Schedule Example below.
DISBURSEMENT SCHEDULE EXAMPLE
Example: An Intermediary is awarded a grant of $4.37 million. $3.2 million is awarded in Counseling funds, based on a projected 4,000 clients. The Intermediary is awarded $960,000 in Program-Related Support, and $210,000 for Operational Oversight. The disbursement schedule would be as follows:
Disbursement 1 total: $1,865,500: $1,120,000 (35% x $3,200,000) (Counseling) $672,000 (70% x $960,000) (Program-Related Support) $73,500 (35% x $210,000) (Operational Oversight) Disbursement 2 total: $1,311,000: $960,000 (30% x $3,200,000) (Counseling) $288,000 (30% x $960,000) (Program-Related Support) $63,000 (30% x $210,000) (Operational Oversight)
Disbursement 2 requires that the Intermediary demonstrate it has counseled enough clients to total 35% of its total counseling award ($1,120,000) within the allowable variances as stipulated in the Grant Agreement.
In addition, the Intermediary must complete any quarterly reports that are due before the disbursement can occur and be in compliance with all HSCP terms and Grant Agreement. Disbursement 3 total: $1,023,000:
$960,000 (30% x $3,200,000) (Counseling)
$63,000 (30% x $210,000) (Operational Oversight)
Disbursement 3 requires that the Intermediary demonstrate it has counseled enough clients to total 65% of its total counseling award ($2,080,000) AND provide 50% of follow-up outcomes, within the allowable variances as stipulated in the Grant Agreement.
In addition, the Intermediary must complete any quarterly reports that are due before the
disbursement can occur and be in compliance with all terms of the program and Grant Agreement. Final Disbursement: The Intermediary must have counseled enough clients to total 100% of its total
counseling award ($3,200,000) AND provided 100% of outcomes. The remaining $170,500 will be disbursed after the final report is completed and the Intermediary has completed its obligations related to program evaluation. The final disbursement consists of 5% of the Intermediary’s Counseling and Operational Oversight funds.
