What’s New on Codetalk – March 16, 2020
What’s New on Codetalk
- HUD Guidance on Covid-19
- Employment Opportunities
- Training
- Section 184 Lender Letter- Endorsement and Claims updates
LENDERS SECTION 184 RESOURCES
| Dear Lender Letter-2020-03 The Office of Native American Programs (ONAP), in response to recent reports on the Coronavirus (COVID -19), is currently preparing for the possibility of telework for staff working in the Section 184, Title VI and 1 84A programs. In order to make telework possible and continue to meet program demands, ONAP is asking all lenders to send endorsement and claim packages to ONAP through secure email. As of Monday, March 16, 2020:All lenders must submit endorsement packages in an encrypted form to Section184endorsements@hud.gov. In the transmittal email, please list the borrowers full name, case number and loan amount. The file name must read: ENDORSEMENT – Case Number – Borrower last name.All lenders must submit claim packages in an encrypted form to Section184claims@hud.gov. In the transmittal email, please list the borrowers name and case number. The file name must read: CLAIM Part (A, B or Supp) — Case Number — Borrower last name.ONAP will no longer accept overnight packages containing endorsement or claims files shipped after March 15, 2020. Provide any secured access instructions directly to my attention via email — Johnson, Krisa M |
OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAMS (ONAP)
WHAT’S NEW ON CODETALK
HUD Guidance on Eligible Uses for Community Development Block Grant Funds to Support COVID-19 Responses
March 16, 2020
HUD Quick Guide on Eligible Activities for Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Funds
HUD recently posted a guide on eligible uses for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to support coronavirus (COVID-19) responses. The guide is a quick reference tool for grantees, such as Tribes and TDHEs, to use when contemplating how to address the effects of COVID-19 in their communities. While the language in the guide specifically references CDBG, ICDBG has the same eligible activities, and therefore the guide can be considered applicable for both programs.
The guide can be found HERE
Vacancy Announcement- Grants Management Specialist GS-12 Term Appointment, Phoenix, AZ and Seattle, WA
March 16, 2020
Open: March 16, 2020
Close: March 30, 2020
Appointment Type: Term – Term not to exceed one year and one day, may be extended for a total of up to four years, Full Time
As a Grants Management Specialist, you will:
- Act as a government technical monitor and participate in government technical evaluation panels and pre-proposal conferences.
- Participate in the preparation of cost estimates, statements of work, reporting requirements, proposal instructions and evaluation criteria.
- Conduct market research and provide advice on any matters concerning solicitation and the reasonable need for proposed costs.
Apply HERE
Vacancy Announcement- Grants Management Specialist GS-12 Term Appointment, Oklahoma City, OK and Chicago, IL
March 16, 2020
Open: March 16, 2020
Close: March 30, 2020
Appointment Type: Term – Term not to exceed one year and one day, may be extended for a total of up to four years, Full Time
As a Grants Management Specialist, you will:
- Act as a government technical monitor and participate in government technical evaluation panels and pre-proposal conferences.
- Participate in the preparation of cost estimates, statements of work, reporting requirements, proposal instructions and evaluation criteria.
- Conduct market research and provide advice on any matters concerning solicitation and the reasonable need for proposed costs.
Apply HERE
COVID-19 UPDATE
March 13, 2020
The Office of Native American Programs is working tirelessly to support all of our Tribal housing partners as we deal with the impact of COVID-19 as a Nation. The safety and security of Native American families, Tribal housing staff, and all in Indian Country is our top priority. For more information and resources related to COVID-19, including FAQs, please visit: www.hud.gov/coronavirus
Vacancy Announcement- Grants Evaluation Specialist, GS 9-12, Denver, CO
March 12, 2020
Open: March 12, 2020
Close: March 26, 2020
The following are the duties of this position at the GS-12. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.
- Implement national policies, standards, procedures and guidelines with regard to the monitoring and evaluation of all applicable programs.
- Provide guidance to Indian tribes and Tribally-Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) regarding the interpretation and application of grants evaluation program policies and procedures.
- Participate as individual or member of functional team to conduct targeted compliance assessments of specific TDHEs using diagnosis, problem analysis and resolution, and follow-up.
- Develop and initiate corrective actions for non-compliant grant recipients.
Apply HERE
Vacancy Announcement- Grants Management Specialist, GS 9-12, Multiple Locations
March 12, 2020
Locations: Chicago, IL; Albuquerque, NM; Seattle, WA
Open: March 12, 2020
Close: March 26, 2020
The following are the duties of this position at the GS-12. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.
- Act as a government technical monitor and participate in government technical evaluation panels and pre-proposal conferences.
- Participate in the preparation of cost estimates, statements of work, reporting requirements, proposal instructions and evaluation criteria.
- Conduct market research and provide advice on any matters concerning solicitation and the reasonable need for proposed costs.
- Implement national policies, standards, procedures and guidelines with regard to the grants administration of all applicable programs.
Apply HERE
Training Opportunity: Title VI- Loan Leveraging Training with Results
March 11, 2020
Did you know you can leverage your annual Indian Housing Block Grant up to five (5) times with a Title VI loan? Join our webinar and find out how to take your affordable housing project from concept through construction to completion!
What: Training with Results
When: March 24-25, 2020
Where: Virtual Webinar
Who Should attend? Housing Directors, Construction Managers, Board of Commissioners, Planners, Financial Officers and Directors.
At the training, you’ll learn more about how the Title VI loan can help you build more homes today while leveraging other resources. We’ll take you through an overview of the advantages of Title VI, the loan process, and how to get the most bang for your precious dollars.
| DAY ONE | DAY TWO |
| Why Leverage? | Implementation Plan (Who?, What?, Where?, How?) |
| Title VI Loan Guarantee Program | Financial Feasibility |
| Section 184 Loan Guarantee Program | Project Evaluation (Does it work?) |
| Getting Ready | Sources of Funds |
| Roles of Tribe, HUD, Lender | Project Presentation by Tribes |
| Title VI Application Process | |
| Discussion of Title VI Projects |
Register here. All registrants will receive webinar log-in details several days prior to the event.
REMINDER: Notice PIH 2017-05 Income Exclusion Under Temporary Census Employment and Census Access
March 11, 2020
This notice clarifies the exclusion of temporary employment payments by the U.S. Census Bureau pursuant to 24 CFR 5.609(c)(9). Exclusion of income. Pursuant to Section 24 CFR 5.609(c)(9), temporary, nonrecurring and sporadic income is not included when determining a family’s annual income. Under this exclusion, PHAs exclude temporary income payments from the U.S. Census Bureau, defined as employment lasting no longer than 180 days per year and not culminating in permanent employment. Other HUD grantees that are subject to the definition of annual income in 24 CFR 5.609 should also exclude these temporary income payments from the U.S. Census Bureau when calculating a family’s annual income.
Office of Grants Evaluation Oversight and Monitoring
March 11, 2020
On March 11, 2020, the Office of Grants Evaluation Oversight and Monitoring issued a revised fiscal year 2020 Monitoring and Technical Assistance schedule.
Section 184- Guideline for Tribes and TDHE Cash Out Refinance
March 9, 2020
This letter reminds all approved Section 184 lenders, tribes and tribally designated housing entities (THDEs) of the current Cash-Out Refinances guidelines outlined in Chapter 11 of the Guidelines. The Guidelines provide as follows:
- Maximum Loan Amount- The maximum allowable mortgage amount for a cash-out refinance is 85% of the appraised value of the subject property.
- Maximum Cash to Borrower- Refinances that include a cash distribution directly to the borrower are limited to $25,000.
In the past, the Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) granted exceptions to tribes and TDHEs that are Section 184 borrowers and allowed the maximum loan amount to exceed the 85% limit for cash out refinance transactions. ONAP authorized this practice to allow tribes and TDHEs to reinvest in housing in their communities.
This letter formally recognizes this practice and affirms ONAP’s policy to continue this practice and allow tribes and TDHEs to access the equity in their housing stock up to the 97.75% maximum loan to value ratio, provided that the Tribe or TDHE’s purpose of the cash-out refinance is to rehabilitate existing or construct additional housing in their communities. Direct Guarantee lenders must document the Section 184 loan file accordingly. The lenders documentation must clearly show that a determination was made that the tribe or TDHE intended to use the cash-out refinance process for these housing-related purposes.
Training Opportunity- Tribal Housing Excellence Development Essentials
February 25, 2020
THE Development Essentials course will provide participants with the essentials of the housing development process. In an interactive classroom setting, participants will learn:
- The various partners involved in the development process.
- How to determine the financial feasibility of a project.
- The considerations in housing project underwriting.
- The beneficial impact of leveraging IHBG with a range of available resources from Title VI to Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
- How to apply these development principles to a case study, and their own housing projects.
THE Development Essentials course is for Tribes and Native communities that are NAHASDA recipients. To encourage attendance by multiple key stakeholders, scholarships are only available for organizations that send more than one person from a Native community or Tribe. These additional stakeholders may be housing staff, housing board members, tribal council members, planning staff or Native CDFI’s. In addition, a limited number of seats are open to nonprofit housing developers currently working in or looking to expand their work on Native lands. Participants will come away with concepts and strategies they can put to practical use in their communities. The wait list analysis tool will allow them to generate data from their own wait lists, make the case for particular paths to action and will support their efforts to raise outside funds for housing programs and development.
Date: March 17-19, 2020
Location: Aurora, Colorado
Register HERE
