What’s New on Codetalk – Published March 31, 2020
COVID-19 UPDATE
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
ONAP Documents Available at: www.hud.gov/coronavirus
- Frequently Asked Questions for Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) (03-30-2020)
- ONAP Status and Recommendation of Temporary Moratorium on all Evictions and Foreclosures (March 25, 2020)
- Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium in connection with the Presidentially Declared COVID-19 National Emergency
- Letter from Public and Indian Housing to Section 184 Lenders (March 16, 2020)
- Letter from the Office of Public and Indian Housing and the Office of Multifamily Housing (March 13, 2020)
Recording of COVID-19 Conference Call to Tribally Designated Housing Entities (March 20, 2020)
As mentioned on the March 20th conference call, these are challenging times for the whole Nation.
The conference call was an opportunity for PIH to provide details on our ongoing response to the Coronavirus outbreak, as well as field questions. We were joined by Tony Walters, the Executive Director of the National American Indian Housing Coalition.
A recording of the conference call is available here.
On March 31, 2020, PIH/ONAP posted updated FAQs at: www.hud.gov/coronavirus
PIH plans to host another call on Friday, April 3, 2020. Please look for an invitation in the coming days. If you have any questions, please send them to: Codetalk@hud.gov, or contact your local field office.
Vacancy Announcement- Grants Management Specialist GS-13, Washington, DC
March 23, 2020
Open: March 23, 2020
Close: April 6, 2020
As a Grants Management Specialist, you will:
- Serve as principal adviser to the Director, Office of Grants Management (OGM), in developing policies, program standards, procedures and guidelines in response to the unique problems and issues in ICDBG, and other applicable community and housing development programs.
- Initiate and prepare policy options and recommendations for statutory changes to affect the administration of Native American community and housing development programs and comments on pending legislation, regulations and guidelines prepared by other offices.
- Represent OGM in meetings with visitors and members of Congress, other Federal, State and local groups, and other HUD offices with regard to the administration of applicable programs.
- Conduct reviews of the Area Office Grants Management in order to ensure consistency in the administration of applicable programs and adherence to program policies in the National and Area Offices.
Apply HERE
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
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.
Dear Tribal Leader Letter- Two-Year Notices of Funding Availability for ONAP Competitive Programs
February 13, 2020
The Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) recently revised the way in which it awards competitive grant funding. In previous years, ONAP awarded appropriated grant funds using a one-year Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). However, when ONAP competed grant funding appropriated for the recent Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) Competitive program, it awarded funding appropriated for both FY 2018 and FY 2019 under a single two-year NOFA. Similarly, HUD recently posted a two-year NOFA for the Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program and is currently competing funding appropriated for both FY 2019 and FY 2020 under this competition. The decision to move to this new format was made, in part, to encourage long-term planning and to further support the development of larger projects.
While the two-year NOFA approach has its advantages, some Tribal housing practitioners have also informally expressed concerns to ONAP regarding this change in how ONAP awards competitive funds.
As part of HUD’s commitment to robust tribal consultation, HUD is requesting your feedback regarding this two-year NOFA format for future planning. Specifically, ONAP is interested in hearing from you about whether this new format is practical and workable for you and your staff, and whether ONAP should continue to award competitive funding in the future using this two-year NOFA format.
View the entire letter and obtain additional information for providing comments; HERE.
