Funding Priorities
Funding priorities for fiscal year 2020-2021 are listed below reflecting the City’s priority order of HOPWA Funding. Agencies proposals to use HOPWA funding to provide services must give a full description of what is to be funded, and offer clear justification for the use of HOPWA funds.
Funding Priorities are:
Permanent Housing Programs
Permanent Housing Vouchers
Emergency Housing Assistance
Supportive Services

The City of Columbia will enter into a contract as the grantee with the prospective project sponsor to carry out housing assistance services designed to:

(1) Provide permanent housing through long-term rental assistance, apartments, SRO dwellings, and community/group residence services
(2) Provide permanent housing vouchers through tenant-based rental assistance which is a subsidy that covers a portion of full rent based on adjusted or gross income
(3) Provide financial assistance to prevent homelessness through temporary or emergency shelter, short-term rent, mortgage, and utility payments
(4) Provide quality supportive services (case management, to assist clients with achieving and maintaining housing stability that maximize a continuum of care approach for persons living with HIV.

Eligible Service Categories
Below is a comprehensive list of all services that are eligible for funding under HOPWA as described in HUD regulations 24 CFR 574.300 (eligible activities).
Housing Development to provide housing services
Acquisition
Rehabilitation
Conversion
Lease
Repairs (requires HUD prior authorization)
New Housing Construction
Single Room Occupancy
Community Residences
Housing Operating Costs (direct housing assistance)
Maintenance
Security
Operation
Insurance
Utilities
Furnishings
Equipment
Supplies
Other Incidental Costs (emergencies)

Rental Assistance, including shared housing arrangements (direct housing assistance)
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance including assistance for shared housing arrangements. Maximum monthly assistance for an eligible person may not exceed HUD approved subsidy standards. The rents shall be established by the Project Sponsor and shall not be more than the published Section 8 fair market rent rates (FMR) for this EMSA. Funds will be paid directly to the project sponsor, not the client.
Facility-Based Housing Assistance including master-leased units and project-based rental assistance; operating costs for housing including maintenance, security, operation insurance, utilities, furnishings, equipment, supplies, and other incidental costs; capital funds for the acquisition, rehabilitation, conversion, lease, and repair of facilities to provide housing and services; and capital funds for the new construction of single-room occupancy units or community residences.
Short-Term Housing Assistance
Short term temporary shelter, rent, mortgage, and utility payments to prevent homelessness of the tenant or mortgager of a dwelling. A short term supported housing facility may not provide residence to more than fifty (50) families or individuals at any single time or to any individual for more than sixty (60) days during a six (6) month period. Short-term rent, mortgage and emergency utility payments (STRMU) cannot be applied to cost accruing over a period of more than twenty-one (21) weeks in any fifty-two (52) week period. (Does not include security deposits, first-month rent, food, transportation vouchers, etc.)
Supportive Services
Health (alternative/complementary, HIV test counseling, dental, home health, hospice,
medications, partner counseling/referral, primary & specialty care, rehab)
Mental Health (Psychiatric, Other Counseling: Peer/Spiritual/Support group)
Assessment
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment and Counseling
Day Care (respite care, foster care)
Personal (buddy/companion, child care, legal, transit, interpreter-translator, emergencies)
Nutritional Services (food bank)
Intensive Care
Government Benefits Access Assistance (job/vocational rehab, insurance/other benefits)
Permanent Housing Placement (direct housing assistance)
Application fees
Credit checks
Security deposits
1st Month rent
Housing Information Services to locate, acquires, finance and maintain housing (client advocacy)
Counseling (e.g., fair housing counseling for eligible persons who encounter discrimination on the basis of race, color religion, sex, age, national origin, familial status, LGBT or handicap.) (non-medical case management)
Information
Referral
(Does not include housing placement services such as security deposits, first-month rent, relocation costs, etc.)
Resource Identification to establish, coordinate and develop housing resources
Preliminary research
Feasibility study costs
Technical Assistance to establish and operate a community residence
Planning
Pre-Construction
Community Outreach
Community Education
Administrative Expenses: No more than 7% of funds awarded to sponsor.
General Management
Staff Training
Oversight
Coordination
Evaluation
Activity Reporting

Funding Process Funding allocations will be partially based on (1) the four priority service categories listed above (see page 3), (2) the unique needs of specific target populations (ex. rural areas), and (3) the availability of funds. Available funding is an estimate based on the current funding level and carryover from previous funding years, and will not be finalized until the 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan is submitted to HUD. All awards are contingent on availability of funds. Funding is for a one-year contract period and available only for the Columbia Eligible Metropolitan Statistical Area (Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Richland, and Saluda counties). For the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 the grant amount must be spent by June 30, 2021. Continuation funding is not to be assumed or implied. Decisions about funding are made based on the established priorities, needs assessment, quality assurance, program performance and available funding. Below is the HOPWA funding process, please note the following: •The funding period covers July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021. •This grant is for eligible reimbursable expenses. •The City of Columbia reserves the right to determine, based on average monthly reimbursements, that if a project sponsor is not spending at a rate that indicates it will expend its full allocation within the contract period, the dollar amount awarded to the sub-recipient for any category of service may be reduced accordingly. •Sponsor administrative costs are not to exceed 7% of the HOPWA budget. Administrative cost includes any expense not directly related to service provision. •If your agency is applying for continued City HOPWA funding, the percentage of employee salaries for individual positions may not increase over FY 2019-20 funding level (although percentages may be less). •If your agency is applying for continued City HOPWA funding, your agency may not propose to serve fewer clients than the previous year, unless otherwise justified. •If your agency is applying for continued City HOPWA funding; only programs that demonstrate an expansion of services may request increased funding over FY 2019-20 levels. •Please note that the City is expecting the total FY 2020-2021 HOPWA allocation to be at or below the FY 2019-2020 entitlement amount. •The application process is competitive with awards made to agency’s demonstrating sufficient capacity to successfully administer funding and fulfill a priority service or housing need in the community. NOTE: The City of Columbia reserves the right to increase or decrease funding based on a Project Sponsor’s rate of spending or lack thereof as delineated in their contract. Deadline for proposal is Friday, January 17, 2020. Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Hand delivered or faxed proposals will not be accepted. Technical assistance questions should be directed to Ms. Adrian N. Scott at (803) 545-4121, adrian.scott@columbiasc.gov; or Ms. Dollie Bristow at (803) 545-3373, ddbristow@columbiasc.gov prior to the submission deadline. •Corrections and modifications to submitted applications are only permitted prior to the application deadline. •City staff reserves the right to request clarification or additional information on any application, deny funding of any proposal submitted, and negotiate terms and amounts of the final budget. •The City reserves the right to disqualify incomplete applications. Proposals will not be returned. •Agencies will not be compensated for expenses related to the submission of the proposal. •City staff and/or and review panel will review applications, with final recommendations being made by the Citizens Advisory Committee to Columbia City Council for submission to HUD. •Please note that per City Code 2-204, any person or company responding to an RFA or RFQ will not contact the Mayor, Columbia City Council members, Citizens Advisory Committee or any City staff not authorized by the RFP to discuss in any way the RFP. Willful disregard with this provision will lead to a rejection of the person or company's response. Evaluation Criteria Before applications are considered, they must be complete and submitted via ZoomGrants by the January 17, 2020 deadline. A complete application includes ALL requested forms and documentation. All complete and timely applications that are determined eligible for HOPWA funding and that meet national program objectives under federal regulations will be evaluated using the following criteria: There is a maximum of 100 points to be awarded: I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION (5 POINTS) II. SUMMARY OF APPLICATION (5 POINTS) III. SERVICE PROVISION (65 POINTS) (USE ATTACHMENT C FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT & NEW CONSTRUCTION) 1.Justification of Need (10 points). Provider must be able to document the community need that the proposed service is expected to address. Provider must be able to provide agency-level or community-level data to justify need for the service. If there are other available sources of funding for the proposed service, the applicant must be able to demonstrate why there is a need to fund this service. 2.Description of service (10 points). Provider must clearly define the type of service to be provided and demonstrate the ability to service client needs. Provider must be able to provide a description of the service, define the components covered by this service, and provide a description of steps required for service delivery. If available, attach and discuss policies and procedures that are in place. 3.Client eligibility requirements (5 points). Provider must have eligibility requirements for clients and must be able to specify the eligibility screening process. 4.Number of service units to be provided or housing units developed and number of unduplicated clients to be served according to target population (15 points). Provider must clearly define the type of service, the number of units to be provided, the number of unduplicated clients to be served and the population targeted by this service (this may be based on geographic location, gender, race, and/or other characteristics). If applicant was funded in FY 2019 for the proposed service, provider must provide information on service units provided and unduplicated clients served; and, compare this with contractual obligations. Provider must be able to provide justification if performance in FY 2019 did not meet contractual obligations. Provider must also be able to provide explanation for the difference between proposed number of service units and unduplicated clients and FY 2019 performance. 5.Organizational and staff qualifications (10 points). Provider must offer organizational qualifications for proposed services based on agency experience, availability of necessary facilities, and availability of staff expertise. Provider must be able to offer a description of staff positions needed for direct service provision and the qualifications required for these positions. Also, provider must discuss the agency’s plan/program to continually upgrade staff skills and expertise. 6.Outcome Objectives and Evaluation Method (15 points). Provider must identify at least one client-level outcome objective as a result of providing the proposed service; specify objective outcome measures; and, indicate the process for outcome measurement. Provider must discuss objectives and outcomes finding in the past year if applicant was funded in FY 2019. IV. CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT (10 POINTS) 1.Client Satisfaction Survey (5 points). Provider must show that the organization is able to measure client satisfaction with the services they provide; provide information on the process undertaken to gather satisfaction input from clients; and, demonstrate how previous results of client satisfaction surveys impact on service delivery. Quality of current services delivered 2.Grievance Procedure (5 points). Provider must show that the organization has a reasonable and impartial mechanism for receiving client grievance. Provider must also describe the process for assuring that clients are made aware of and understand the grievance procedure. V. PROJECT MANAGEMENT (10 POINTS) Provider must show that the organization has capability and capacity to undertake program planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Results of previous City monitoring visits with the agency VI. DIVERSITY OF FUNDING SOURCE (5 POINTS) The organization must demonstrate that it has other funding sources and has diversified funding to supplement or temporarily sustain its services if there was a cut or delay in HOPWA funding. Award Process The following narrative outlines the process of review, evaluation and award: 1.City Staff will screen for eligibility (see eligibility items – Part D), and forward to the Review Panel for ranking. Those that do not follow the required format will not be reviewed and proposals will not be returned. 2. City staff will prepare a summary of eligible proposals for review along with any requests for clarifying information for the Review Panel. The review panel shall have a minimum of 3 members (City staff and CAC Member). 3. The Review Panel will evaluate then rank each proposal via ZoomGrants (see Evaluation Criteria – Part E). Each reviewer will be asked to score each approved service category (with or without recommendations). 4. The Review Panel must reach a consensus to (1) approve, (2) approve with recommendations or (3) disapprove funding for each proposal and make a recommendation to the CAC. 5. If a proposal is funded with recommendations, actual funding will depend on the applicant’s agreement to accept the recommendations. Applicants approved for funding with recommendations need to submit a revised proposal (including revised budgets and budget narratives, if necessary) within the specified timeframe (see RFP Timeline – Part I). 6. If an applicant fails to submit a revised proposal within the given timeframe, the award may be given to the next ranked applicant. 7. Members of the CAC will receive a summary of ranked proposals and will be asked to review, modify or approve, as appropriate, the Review Panel’s recommendation. 8. The CAC will make recommendations for inclusion in the FY 2020 Annual Action Plan Budget and present to City Council for approval to submit to HUD.