Code of Maine Rules › 19 - DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT › 498 - OFFICE OF TOURISM AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT › Chapter 32 - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM: 2004 FINAL STATEMENT › Section 498-32-2 - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A.
HOUSING
				ASSISTANCE GRANTS
The Housing Assistance Grant (HA) Program provides funding to
				  address housing problems of low-and moderate-income persons.
1.
Special Threshold Criteria and
				Certifications:
Housing Assistance Program funds will be distributed
				through a grant application selection process with two eligible funding
				categories, Housing Rehabilitation and Innovative Housing Projects. Applicants
				may only apply in one category.
2.
Special Program Requirement for Housing Rehabilitation
				Applications:
Beginning with the 2004 CDBG program, applications for
				housing rehabilitation will only be accepted every other year. After selection
				of the successful 2004 housing rehabilitation applicants, the remainder of the
				unsuccessful applicants that meet or exceed the minimum 80 point total will be
				placed in rank order and starting with the highest, OCD will designate those
				applicants who will be 2005 housing rehabilitation recipients. The number of
				applicants designated and final approval will be contingent upon the expected
				2005 CDBG allotment from HUD and submission by the selected applicants of a
				letter of intent and public hearing documentation in 2005.
Successful
				applicants for housing rehabilitation funding will be prohibited from
				submission of another housing rehabilitation application for 3 program
				years.
Applications for Innovative Housing will continue to be accepted
				on an annual basis.
(a)
Eligible
				Activities:
i Eligible activities
				under Housing Rehabilitation are rehabilitation of occupied or vacant
				single-family or multi-family housing units, same site replacement housing and
				relocation assistance.
ii Eligible
				activities under Innovative Housing Projects include: acquisition, alternative
				housing, code enforcement, conversion of non-residential structures,
				demolition, down payment assistance, first time homebuyer's programs, historic
				preservation, lead based paint removal, new housing construction as allowed by
				HUD regs, same site replacement housing, provision of potable water or sewer
				systems, relocation assistance, and removal of architectural barriers and must
				be directly related to assisting or creating LMI residential housing
				units.
(b)
Housing Assessment Planning Priority:
All communities applying for 2004
				Housing Rehabilitation or Innovative Housing funds who have completed a
				comprehensive housing assessment study within the past five years which meets
				OCD requirements will receive a bonus score of 5 points. New plans submitted
				with applications will be reviewed for content and consistency with OCD
				requirements prior to scoring. Housing Assessment Plans deemed incomplete or
				non-comprehensive will receive no bonus point total. Communities with plans
				older than five years will be permitted to demonstrate that their plan is
				either under active implementation and is still valid or has been updated
				within the past five years.
It is no longer mandatory to submit a Housing
				Assessment Plan.
(c)
All communities applying for Housing Assistance funds must certify that they
				will:
i adhere to M.R.S.A. Title 10,
				Chapter 214, Energy Efficiency Building Performance Standards Act, Section
				1415-C(1), (1A) and Section 1415-G in the construction of any new residential
				housing units.
ii provide
a match equivalent of 10 percent
of the total grant
				award.
iii adhere to Title 24 CFR
				Part 35 regarding Lead Based Paint Hazards effective September 15,
				2001.
3.
Special Program Requirements:
(a)
Maximum Housing Assistance Grant
				Amount:
$400,000
(b)
Maximum Housing Assistance Program Costs:
The amount of rehabilitation
				grants or loans available to participants in the Housing Rehabilitation Program
				will be no more than $15,000 per unit. Additional funds, up to a maximum of
				$10,000 may be available in the following cases: replacement housing, Life
				Safety Code violations, foundation work, inadequate sewage disposal, lack of
				potable water, removal of lead-based paint, asbestos, radon, or other hazardous
				material, accessibility modifications. Except for acquisition/relocation and
				those activities listed above, all other eligible activities under the
				Innovative Housing Program are limited to a maximum of $25,000 per unit
				assisted
(c)
Maximum
				Administrative Costs:
The Housing Rehabilitation Assistance program
				allows expenditures for general and rehabilitation administration. The total
				general and rehabilitation administration expenditures may not exceed 15% of
				the grant amount.
(d)
Section 8 H ousing Quality Standards:
All units assisted or created with
				HA funds must, at a minimum, meet HUD Section 8 M inimum Housing Quality
				Standards. This does not apply to projects undertaken to correct specific
				health and safety issues only, i.e. wells, septic, heating units, removal of
				hazardous materials, etc.
4.
Selection Process:
The
				selection process for all Housing Rehabilitation and Innovative Housing
				applications will consist of two phases - an application phase and a project
				development phase.
Application:
The maximum length of an
				  application is
six pages
. The application deadline is February 6,
				  2004.
Each application will be rated in relation to all others.
A minimum of 80 points
from the Impact, Development of Strategy,
				  Project Leverage, and Citizen Participation sections will be required for an
				  application to be considered for funding.
Scoring:
Each application will be evaluated in
				  relation to those of similar sized communities and placed in rank order from
				  highest to lowest according to the scores determined by the scoring team.
				  Starting at the top of the scoring list, applicant communities will be grouped
				  in population categories per current Maine Municipal Association information as
				  follows: less than 999; 1000 to 2499; 2500 to 4999; and 5000 and greater. Each
				  application will then be assigned a Housing Evaluation Factor based on the most
				  recent data available in the following areas:
% Substandard housing
% Households spending more than 25% of income for
				  housing
% Unemployment in community
% Community unemployment above state average
% Community is over State equalized tax rate
% Community LMI
% Community population below 150% of poverty
After the Housing Evaluation Factor has been assigned the
				  review team will recommend a list of projects to the OCD Director to proceed
				  into the project development phase.
At least 2 applications will be funded from each
				  funding category as long as there are a sufficient number of qualified
				  applications submitted.
Housing Rehabilitation
(a)
Impact
(30
				points): A description of the number and type of units to be rehabilitated,
				description of target area, how units were identified, results of inspections,
				past local rehabilitation efforts, and the impact of the present conditions on
				the community and/or region as it relates to LMI persons.
(b)
Development of
				Strategy
(30 points): A description of the plan proposed to
				implement a housing rehabilitation program, how emphasis will be placed on
				community based approach, collaborative efforts to be utilized, and a summary
				of technical measures to be undertaken on units including energy conservation,
				correction of code violations, structural improvements, removal of hazardous
				materials, mechanical systems improvements, etc. Include a proposed budget and
				describe how funds will be used.
(c)
Project Leverage
(20 points): A description of other resources (local, state, federal, private)
				that will be contributed to the project and the current funding
				status.
(d)
Citizen
				Participation
(20 points): A description of how citizens,
				community groups, and project beneficiaries were involved in this application
				and how involvement will continue during implementation. A detailed use of any
				media (newspapers, radio, TV, etc) the community will use to further public
				awareness.
Innovative Housing Projects
(a)
Impact
(30
				points): A description of the specific housing problems to be addressed with HA
				funds, how the problems were identified, how these issues affect LMI persons in
				the community or region, and past local efforts involving housing
				projects.
(b)
Development Strategy
(30 points): A description of the
				plan proposed to implement the housing project, how emphasis will be placed on
				a community based approach, collaborative efforts to be utilized, and a
				detailed summary of the activities. Include a proposed budget and describe how
				funds will be used.
(c)
Project Leverage
(20 points): A description of other
				resources (local, state, federal, private) that will be contributed to the
				project and the current funding status
(d)
Citizen
				Participation
(20 points): A description of how citizens,
				community groups, and project beneficiaries were involved in this application
				and how involvement will continue during implementation. A detailed use of any
				media (newspapers, radio, TV, etc) the community will use to further public
				awareness.