Code of Maine Rules › 19 - DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT › 498 - OFFICE OF TOURISM AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT › Chapter 43 - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM 2015 PROGRAM STATEMENT › Section 498-43-2 - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A. HOUSING
				ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM
The Housing Assistance Grant (HA) Program provides funding to
				  address housing problems of low-and moderate-income persons. Housing Assistance
				  Program (HA) funds will be distributed through an annual grant application
				  selection process.
1.
Eligibility Requirements for Housing Assistance Applications:
Communities may not submit a HA single family rehabilitation application
				if they have received or benefited from two HA awards within the five (5) year
				period prior to the CDBG program year for which applications are being
				accepted. Multi-jurisdictional applications with more than 3 communities will
				not be accepted.
2.
Eligible
				Activities:
Eligible HA activities are rehabilitation of occupied or
				vacant single-family or multi-family housing units, same site replacement
				housing, relocation assistance, acquisition, alternative housing, energy
				conservation, correction of code violations, conversion of non-residential
				structures, demolition, down payment assistance, first time home buyer's
				programs, lead based paint removal, new housing construction as allowed by HUD
				regulations, provision of potable water or sewer, removal of architectural
				barriers and eligible planning activities necessary to complete the Project
				Development Phase.
3.
Exclusions:
See Section 1H (6) (7).
4.
Matching Funds:
Applicants
				for housing activities must provide a match (cash or in-kind) of at least 10 %
				of the total HA grant award; except for eligible new housing construction
				activities which must provide a cash match of at least 20% of the total HA
				grant award.
5.
Maximum HA
				Grant Amount:
$500,000
6.
Maximum Administrative Costs:
The HA Program allows expenditures
				for general and/or rehabilitation administration. The total general and
				rehabilitation administration expenditures may not exceed 15% of the grant
				amount.
Please refer to OCD Policy Statement #2 for more information
				regarding CDBG administrative costs.
7.
Section 8 Housing Quality
				Standards:
All units assisted or created with HA funds must, if
				possible, meet HUD Section 8 Minimum Housing Quality Standards. This does not
				apply to projects undertaken to correct specific emergency health and safety
				issues only, i.e. wells, septic, heating units, removal of hazardous materials,
				energy conservation etc.
8.
Administrative Capabilities for Housing Rehabilitation Applicants:
Applicants for HA assistance must demonstrate at the time of submitting
				the Letter of Intent that they have the capacity to administer the program
				either through municipal staff that is a qualified CDBG Rehabilitation
				Technician; or have completed a procurement process under the guidelines of the
				CDBG program ( 24 CFR Part 85 ) to hire a qualified CDBG Rehabilitation
				Technician subject to award of a HA contract.
9.
Selection Process:
The
				selection process for all HA applications will consist of two stages:
(a) Stage 1:
Letter of
				  Intent
:
All communities wishing to submit a HA
				  application must submit a Letter of Intent to OCD on or before March 14, 2015
				  according to the requirements set forth in the 2015 Housing Assistance
				  Application Package.
(b)Stage 2:
Application
:
The maximum length of an application is
four pages (not counting required
				  attachments)
. The application deadline for the HA Program is 4:00PM on
				  May 3, 2015. Members of the Review Team will assign a Review Point Total for
				  each application reviewed. Review Point Totals will consist of the sum of the
				  three scoring areas below and be determined by the total of each sub-scoring
				  area. A maximum of 100 points is obtainable.
Impact
(40 points):
* A description of the specific housing problems to be
				  addressed with HA funds - 15 points
* How the problems were identified - 10 points
* How these issues affect LMI persons in the community
				  orregion - 15 points
Development Strategy
(40 points):
* A description of the plan proposed to implement the housing
				  project - 20 points
* Summary of the activities and use of HA funds -20 points
Citizen Participation
(20 points):
* How overall citizen participation process directly relates
				  to identification of solution strategies and application development - 4
				  points
* Effective use of any media (newspapers, radio, TV, etc.) to
				  further public awareness and participation - 4 points
* Relevance of listed meeting/hearing activities/comments
				  (not counting required public hearing) on application and project development -
				  4 points
* Involvement of potential LMI project beneficiaries in
				  development of the application and project and how the required public hearing
				  relates to the application development and citizen participation process - 4
				  points
* How other local resources (cash and in-kind) are directly
				  related to the project and the establishment of a cash value equivalent for all
				  in-kind commitments - 4 points
10. [Not in use]
11.
Final Application Score
-
				Each application will receive a Final Application Score consisting of the
				average of the scores assigned by members of the Review Team. Starting at the
				top of the scoring list, applicants will be invited to proceed to the Project
				Development Phase as funds allow.
HOME REPAIR NETWORK PROGRAM
The Home Repair Network Program (HRN) provides funding to
				  address housing problems of low- and moderate-income persons by combining CDBG
				  funding with the Maine State Housing Authority and the United States Department
				  of Agriculture Rural Development Program funding. This program will provide
				  housing rehabilitation services administered on a regional basis throughout
				  Maine. as stated below.
1.
Special Threshold Criteria and Certifications:
HRN Program funds will be
				distributed through a set aside of CDBG funds provided to the City of Rockland
				as the lead community. The lead community will establish a legally binding
				contract with each of the participating Maine Community Action Agencies or
				other approved entity identified for the Home Repair Network delivery system as
				approved by the Director of the OCD.
2.
Eligible Activities:
Eligible
				activities under the HRN Program are rehabilitation of occupied or vacant
				single-family or multi-family housing units, demolition, same site replacement
				housing, provision of potable water and sewer, removal/mitigation of lead-based
				paint, asbestos, radon, or other hazardous material, removal of architectural
				barriers and the Critical Access Ramp Program (via Alpha One).
3.
Housing units ineligible for Home
				Repair Network assistance:
Housing units located in communities that have
				current CDBG Housing Rehabilitation programs or the entitlement communities of
				Auburn, Bangor, Biddeford, Lewiston, Portland and all of Cumberland County with
				the exception of Brunswick and Frye Island are not eligible for financial
				assistance under the HRN program.
4.
Maximum HRN Grant Amount:
$1,700,000. Allocations to each of the established regions will be determined
				by the Office of Community Development.
5.
				 [Not in use]
6.
Maximum Administrative Costs:
The HRN Program allows expenditures
				for general and rehabilitation administration. The total general and
				rehabilitation administration expenditures may not exceed 20% of the grant
				amount. The City of Rockland is allowed a maximum of $5,000 in administrative
				funding.
7.
Section 8
				Housing Quality Standards:
All units assisted or created with HRN funds
				will strive to meet HUD Section 8 Minimum Housing Quality Standards if
				possible. This does not apply to projects undertaken to correct specific
				emergency health and safety issues only, i.e. wells, septic, heating units,
				removal of hazardous materials, energy conservation etc. In addition, all units
				must comply with other applicable standards included in the HRN
				contract.