NPCoC NOFA application submitted to HUD

The Northern Panhandle Continuum of Care has completed the application for renewal of Supportive Housing Program projects in the region ahead of the Feb. 3, 2014 deadline for submission. Due to the size of the application, it would be difficult to include a copy of the full submission on this website. Any interested member of the public or the Northern Panhandle Continuum of Care can request a PDF copy of the Consolidated Application and the Project Applications submitted to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] by contacting Executive Director Lisa Badia by phone at 304-232-6105 or email at lbadia@wheelinghomeless.org

The application was completed according to the previously released independent review process and public announcement concerning the availability of funding.

Three independent and neutral participants were nominated for participation in the FY2013 NPCOC RANKING AND REVIEW COMMITTEE, which met on Monday January 13, 2014 to evaluate the applications submitted for consideration as part of the FY2013 Continuum of Care Program Competition Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).

This year, HUD instructed agencies applying for funding of Supportive Housing Programs “to design, operate, and follow a collaborative process for the development of an application in response to a NOFA issued by HUD. As part of this collaborative process, CoCs should implement internal competition deadlines to ensure transparency and fairness at the local level.”

As lead agency for the Northern Panhandle Continuum of Care, the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless released public notification concerning the availability of the Continuum of Care funding in an email to members of the NPCOC and in a posting on the Coalition website on Dec. 6, 2013. A copy of the full NOFA can be found here: https://www.onecpd.info/resource/3309/fy2013-fy2014coc-program-nofa/

As part of this collaborative process, Julia Bachmann of the Ohio County Public Library, Rhonda Hayes of the YWCA Family Violence Prevention Program and Missy Nash, a local health care professional, were nominated to conduct an independent review of the proposals under consideration for funding. A prior commitment made R. Hayes unable to attend and she nominated Elizabeth Hartman, also of the YWCA, to participate in her place.

J. Bachmann and R. Hayes were nominated on the basis of long-standing participation in and familiarity with the NPCOC and the associated issues related to the local efforts to end homelessness. As a person who was formerly homeless, M. Nash represents a point of view HUD very much wants to see included in the Continuum of Care decision-making processes and is able to speak authoritatively on the relevance of homeless programs of this type.

To ensure submission of the full application by the February 3, 2014 deadline, project applicants were instructed to notify the NPCOC of their intention to submit a proposal for funding no later than December 13, 2013. All proposed submissions were required to be presented to the NPCOC for review on the eSnaps website no later than January 3, 2014.

In accordance with existing NPCOC Memorandums of Understanding [MOU], priority is given to projects which:

a. preserve or expand permanent supportive housing;

b. utilize and maintain capital based projects as a priority over leased units;

c. reserve needed beds in the current inventory as a primary priority; or

d. leverage other funding creating maximum impact.

As outlined in the FY2013 Continuum of Care Program Competition Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) it is important to note: due to funding limitations, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will not consider requests for new funding outside of the reallocation process, CoC planning and United Funding Agency (UFA) costs.

As of January 10, 2014 responses to this notification included one email inquiry and one telephone call; no applications were submitted for new project proposals.

As a result, the only programs considered by the Ranking and Review Committee were existing Supportive Housing Programs being submitted for renewal. They were: Transitional Housing; Permanent Housing for People with Disabilities; Supportive Services Only; Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and; FY2013 Planning Grant

The meeting was moderated by Phil Rhein of the Coalition, who provided a brief review of the process and copies of the submission proposals; Lisa Badia, co-chair of the NPCOC, shared background on the evolution of the Continuum of Care. After the members elected J. Bachmann as Lead Facilitator for the meeting, L.Badia and P.Rhein withdrew to allow the group to conduct their own review of the summary material provided, with the provision of making themselves available for any questions.

After discussing the proposals, the committee unanimously recommended the renewal of all projects under consideration. While the particulars of their discussion were not recorded, the following comments were provided on written evaluation forms by the members of the committee at the conclusion of the meeting:

"I feel that all programs discussed during this evaluation are well thought-out programs designed for success.”

"Transitional Housing is a must for people who are struggling to make ends meet."

"The Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless and the Continuum of Care have been professional, passionate, efficient forces in our community to lead people from homelessness to productivity within our community.”

“I feel that our community has majorly benefited from these programs and will continue to benefit, so long as the funding continues. Particularly, SSO, with the high percentage of homeless in the community, I feel that this project reaches a large base of people in need of mental and physical health care and promotes healthier living.”

“The continuum has wise leadership in tune with the needs of the community and have chosen projects accordingly."

“Transitional Housing is also a fantastic project which acts as a stepping stone for those who are able and willing to improve their and their families’ lives by providing them with the perfect balance of support and independence to truly overcome homelessness and create a foundation for a successful life.”

“I highly recommend renewal of all five projects."