Program Contact
Xavier Vega - Xavier.Vega@miamidade.gov (Send Email)

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General Requirements

If you have an ADA related issue, need to request an accommodation for a program or service, or need information provided in an accessible format, please contact PHCD ADA Coordinator to make a request:
Evelyn Contreras
ada.coordinator@miamidade.gov
786-469-2155




Submission Guidelines, Funding, and Evaluation Criteria (specific to this program)

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Applicants must submit an Online Application using our grants management system, ZoomGrants. A direct access link will be available on PHCD’s webpage. Each entity may only submit one application.
• Applicants must upload all affidavits, supporting and evidence documentation to meet threshold requirements.
• The application must include the legal name of the Developer, employer identification number (FEIN), organization type, amount of funding request, Developer’s address, contact person name, title, phone number and email address.
• Points will only be awarded when supporting documentation outlined in the Application Checklist is attached to your electronic application. If supporting documentation is too large for upload, applicant may upload attachments in multiple submissions.
• Points will only be awarded when requisite supporting documentation is provided for corresponding questions.
• Supporting documentation must be uploaded as an attachment. Applicants must use a cover sheet identifying the EACH attachment separately.
• Coversheets must be accurately labeled, match attached documentation AND corresponding questions. Points will not be awarded in cases where supporting documentation is inaccurately labeled or uploaded and/or attached to the wrong question.
• PHCD will only accept documentation uploaded in a PDF format. PHCD will not accept documentation uploaded in Dropbox or other formats.
  • To upload a large PDF document to ZoomGrants: Large attachments must be divided into several smaller PDFs in order to be successfully uploaded to ZoomGrants.  The maximum file size that ZoomGrants will allow for upload is 5 Megabytes (MB).  For instance, upload documents with the filename of IRS 990 – File 1 of 3, IRS 990 - File 2 of 3, and IRS 990 - File 3 of 3.
  • For questions that do not apply to an agency: All questions must be answered, and corresponding attachments must be uploaded in order to have a successful submission.  For attachments that are not applicable, a document should still be uploaded with the designation of “N/A”.
• Scoring Committee members will review and score all questions separately and ONLY consider documentation that has been correctly uploaded and labeled for specified corresponding questions.
• Applicants submitting applications in more than one category may be deemed non-responsive and may not be scored.
• Applicants must select only one category (i.e., Applicants may not submit multiple applications in different categories for the same development address, style, number of units, proposed loan terms, etc.).
• Applicants may only apply for HOME funding in the categories identified in this RFA, up to the amount of HOME funding available in this RFA.
• Applications will only be scored by the categories outlined in this RFA, not funding sources.
• All proposals must be submitted in the legal name of the limited partnership, corporation, or agency.
• All applicants are required to review and provide requisite supporting documentation outlined in the Application Checklist included in the Application.
• Faxed applications will not be accepted.
• Applications must comply with all requirements of this RFA. Applications that are incomplete or have deficiencies and errors will be submitted to the County Attorney’s Office for legal review and determination of responsiveness.
• No changes or additions to applications will be accepted after the application deadline.
• Applications will not be accepted anywhere other than as noted in this application.
• Miami-Dade County will not fund an entity or an affiliate with outstanding defaulted loans, debarment actions or any other legal encumbrances with the County, State of Florida, or Federal programs regardless of the merits of the submitted proposal.
• Miami-Dade County will not be responsible for the payment of the Credit Underwriting/SLR fees. The Developer will be responsible for the cost of this analysis which is reimbursable through the inclusion of the cost in the development budget. 
• An applicant may be disqualified from consideration for funding in this RFA based on poor performance or non-compliance on any other projects with PHCD.
• PHCD will adhere to compliance guidelines pursuant to Resolution No. R-630-13 approved by the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners on July 16, 2013, requiring PHCD to complete and report a Due Diligence investigation on all applicants using the Due Diligence Checklist. Unless expressly authorized by the County Mayor or the Mayor’s designee (in Resolution No. R-630-13, Section 3), any entity NOT clearing the Due Diligence Investigation will NOT be recommended to the Board for funding.
• Applications lacking any items and/or criteria needed to meet minimum threshold will be deemed non-responsive and will not be scored.

Questions pertaining to this application must be submitted in writing to the Miami-Dade County Department of Public Housing and Community Development, no later than March 22, 2024, to the attention of:  Tangie White, Division Director, PHCD.  Responses are expected to be posted on the website https://www8.miamidade.gov/global/housing/requests.page

DEFINITIONS

• Activity Delivery Costs (ADC): ADC are those allowable costs incurred for implementing and carrying out eligible CDBG activities. All ADC are allocable to a CDBG activity, including direct and indirect costs integral to the delivery of the final CDBG-assisted activity.
• Affordability Period: The period required based on the amount of HOME funds invested in a project on a per unit basis. Based on the amount of the HOME funds, the affordability period will be from a minimum of five years to a maximum of twenty years, and will only be applicable to HOME assisted units.
• At-Risk of Homelessness:

(1) An individual or family who:

(i) Has an annual income below 30 percent of median family income for the area, as determined by HUD;

(ii) Does not have sufficient resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, immediately available to prevent them from moving to an emergency shelter or another place described in paragraph (1) of the “homeless” definition in this section; and

(iii) Meets one of the following conditions:

(A) Has moved because of economic reasons two or more times during the 60 days immediately preceding the application for homelessness prevention assistance;

(B) Is living in the home of another because of economic hardship;

(C) Has been notified in writing that their right to occupy their current housing or living situation will be terminated within 21 days after the date of application for assistance;

(D) Lives in a hotel or motel and the cost of the hotel or motel stay is not paid by charitable organizations or by Federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals;

(E) Lives in a single-room occupancy or efficiency apartment unit in which more than two persons reside or lives in a larger housing unit in which there reside more than 1.5 persons per room, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau;

(F) Is exiting a publicly-funded institution or system of care (such as a healthcare facility, a mental health facility, foster care or other youth facility, or correctional program or institution); or

(G) Otherwise lives in housing that has characteristics associated with instability and an increased risk of homelessness, as identified in the recipient's approved consolidated plan;

(2) A child or youth who does not qualify as “homeless” under this section, but qualifies as “homeless” under Section 387(3) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a(3)), Section 637(11) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832(11)), Section 41403(6) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2(6)), Section 330(h)(5)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(h)(5)(A)), Section 3(m) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(m)), or Section 17(b)(15) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(b)(15)); or

(3) A child or youth who does not qualify as “homeless” under this section, but qualifies as “homeless” under section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)), and the parent(s) or guardian(s) of that child or youth if living with her or him.

• Audited Financial Statements: Financial Statements that have been prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and that have been audited by an independent third party Certified Public Accountant in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
• Bonds: a certificate that serves as evidence of a debt and of the terms under which it is undertaken. Multi-family housing revenue bonds issued to finance construction of multi-family housing projects where a specified proportion of the units will be rented to moderate-and low-income families.
• Certified Financial Statements: Financial statements to include, but not limited to, balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow that have been prepared and certified by an independent third party Certified Public Accountant in accordance with GAAP.
• Chronically Homelessness: To be considered chronically homeless, a person must have a disability and have been living in a place not meant for human habitation, living in an emergency shelter, or living in a safe haven for the last 12 months continuously or on at least four occasions in the last three years where those occasions cumulatively total at least 12 months.
• Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs): Community housing development organizations as defined in 24 CFR Part 92. A CHDO is a private non-profit, community-based organization that has staff with the capacity to develop affordable housing for the community it serves. In order to qualify for designation as a CHDO, the organization must meet certain requirements pertaining to their legal status, organizational structure, and capacity and experience.

CHDOs may use HOME funds for all eligible HOME activities.  A CHDO must act as the owner, developer, or sponsor of a project that is an eligible set-aside activity.  The eligible set-aside activities include:  the acquisition and/or rehabilitation of rental housing; new construction of rental housing; acquisition and/or rehabilitation of homebuyer properties; new construction of homebuyer properties; and direct financial assistance to purchasers of HOME-assisted housing that has been developed with HOME funds by the CHDO.

• Community Land Trusts (CLT): As defined in Section 212 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (H11966, 10/5/1992), means a community housing organization (except that the requirements under subparagraphs (C) and (D) of section 104(6) shall not apply for purposes of this subsection) –
  
  1. that is not sponsored by a for-profit organization;
  2. that is established to carry out the activities under paragraph (3);
  3. that –
     
     1. acquires parcels of land, held in perpetuity, primarily for conveyance under long-term ground leases;
     2. transfers ownership of any structural improvements located on such leased parcels to the lessees; and
     3. retains a preemptive option to purchase any such structural improvement at a price determined by formula that it designed to ensure that the improvement remains affordable to low- and moderate-income families in perpetuity;
  4. whose corporate membership that is open to any adult resident of a particular geographic area specified in the bylaws of the organization; and
  5. whose board of directors:
     
     1. includes a majority of members who are elected by the corporate membership; and
     2. is composed of equal numbers of
        
        1. lessees pursuant to paragraph (3)(B),
        2. corporate members who are not lessees, and
        3. any other category of persons described in the bylaws of the organization.
• Credit Underwriting (CU): an analytical process that determines the amount of financing necessary for completion of the construction and development of a project as indicated in a report prepared by a credit underwriter under the direction and oversight of PHCD. Credit underwriting will assist PHCD to determine the terms of financing, whether the project is financially feasible as represented in the application, and whether the costs and risks associated with the project are reasonable. Developer will be responsible for the cost of this analysis; however, this is a reimbursable expense.
• Deferred Developer’s Fee: will not be paid to the developer as a development expense, but will be paid to the developer from the project’s cash flow.
• Developer: a for-profit or private non-profit individual or entity that the grantee provides assistance to for the purpose of (1) acquiring homes and residential properties to rehabilitate for use or resale for residential purposes and (2) constructing new housing in connection with the redevelopment of demolished or vacant properties. Developers are program beneficiaries and thus distinct from subrecipients, grantee employees, and contractors. Any individual, association, corporation, joint venture or partnership which possesses the requisite skill, experience, and credit worthiness to successfully produce affordable housing as required in the application.
• Developer’s Fees for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC): developer fees for all categories (including developer’s overhead, developer’s fees, and consultant fees) combined cannot be more than 18% for 4% LIHTC with Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) or Housing Finance Authority (HFA) bonds, and no more than 16% on 9% LIHTC projects.
• Developer’s Fees for Non-Low Income Housing Tax Credit (Non-LIHTC): the developer's fee is commensurate with the level of risk and in no event shall exceed 16%.

Project development costs (including fees and soft costs) should reflect a pro-rata share of the total funding awarded by the County and all other funding sources.    If the project receives funding from the County from multiple funding years (i.e., 2019 and 2020 funding), the Developer’s Fees shall be prorated in accordance with the terms of those respective funding years and the Requests for Applications and the respective applications for funding submitted to the County.  Developer’s Fees must be prorated among funding sources. The County’s funds may not be used to pay a greater portion of the Developer’s Fee than the proportion of the County’s loan to the overall development costs absent the consent of the County. Developer fees must be reflective of actual construction completed. No part of the developer’s fee can be disbursed until all loan closing conditions have been met. Under no condition will Miami-Dade County reimburse developers for costs incurred on the development prior to an executed written agreement and loan closing with recorded documents in effect. 

This definition of Developer's Fee for Non-LIHTC does not apply to any developer who has agreed previously to limit its developer's fees to a percentage less than what has been described.

• Development Soft Costs: includes costs for appraisals, attorney’s fees, architectural fees, construction-related engineering fees, and other development costs not associated with the actual hard construction or permanent financing of the development.
• Disabled Household: any moderate-, low-, very-low or extremely low-income household that has one or more persons who (a) have a physical impairment or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life component; (b) have a record of such impairment; or (c) are regarded as having such an impairment in accordance with the Federal Fair Housing Act and Chapter 11A of the Code of Miami-Dade County.
• Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG): The Emergency Solutions Grant Program is administered by PHCD pursuant to 24 CFR 576. ESG is a formula grant program. Eligible recipients generally consist of metropolitan cities, urban counties, territories, and states, as defined in 24 CFR 576.2. Metropolitan cities, urban counties and territories may subgrant ESG funds to private non-profit organizations.
• Extremely Low-Income (ELI): those individuals or families whose income is 30% of Area Median Income (AMI) or below.
• Firm Commitment: financing, matching, or other funds for the project. For example, a commitment letter should be in writing and must include all the details of the project, including the total value and terms of the commitment. The commitment letter should be signed by a person authorized to make the commitment, and be valid between the publication date of this RFA and the application deadline for this RFA.
• Financial Beneficiary: one who is to receive a financial benefit of the total development cost (including deferred fees). This definition includes any party, which meets the above criteria, such as the developer, its principals, and principals of the applicant entity. This definition does not include third party lenders, housing credit (HC) syndicators, or credit enhancers who are regulated by a state or federal agency.
• Foreclosure: legal action of taking possession of a mortgaged property when the mortgagor fails to keep up their mortgage payments.
• “Gap” Funding: the financing gap between the existing financing commitments to the project and the overall Development Cost of the housing project. Development Cost of the Project means the total cost of completing the entire project from acquisition to the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy including but not limited to the costs for acquisition, design and planning, zoning and variances, financing costs, legal costs, construction, permitting, hard costs, and development soft costs. Gap funding may not represent more than 25% of the total project cost. The gap shall be determined by PHCD, taking into consideration the credit underwriting analysis. This limitation shall not apply to HOME CHDO applications.  If construction projects have been underwritten by an entity qualified to perform underwriting and subsidy layering analysis has received a favorable funding recommendation based on a prior allocation of PHCD funding to the project and has had a loan closing for all committed funding sources, then the project is not eligible to receive gap funding.
• Green Building Certification: Miami-Dade County Code (MDC) 9-71 through 9-75 and Implementing Order 8-8 Sustainable Buildings Program: PHCD will adhere to compliance guidelines pursuant to Sections 9-71 through 9-75 of the Code, together with Miami-Dade County Implementing Order IO 8-8, PHCD will adhere to compliance guidelines pursuant to Sections 9-71 through 9-75 of the Code of Miami-Dade County. Sections 9-71 through 9-75 of the Code, together with Implementing Order IO 8-8, are referred to as the “Sustainable Buildings Program.” which applies to building(s) owned, financed and/or operated by Miami-Dade County. Sustainable Building (Green) Certification through an independent third-party verifiable sustainable building standard is a contractual requirement for receiving HOME, Surtax and SHIP funding. Applicant must certify to the Green Certification and specify which certification is being sought at the time of application. Green Certification is a contractual requirement for receiving HOME, Surtax and SHIP funding. This is a minimum threshold requirement.

For proposed developments involving new construction units, regardless of the development category of the application, the applicant must commit that (i) each new construction unit in the proposed development that is eligible for the “Energy Certification Star new homes” (Florida standard) will achieve a home energy rating system (HERS) index of 75 or below, and (ii) each new construction unit in the proposed development that is not eligible for the Energy Star new homes will include, at a minimum, the energy features outlined in Miami-Dade County’s Green Code, 9-71 through 9-75 and IO 8-8. Applicant is required to designate which certification will be obtained at the time of the application.

• Guaranty: a formal assurance given as security that another’s debt or obligation will be fulfilled.
• HOME or HOME Program: the HOME Investment Partnerships Program administered by PHCD pursuant to 24 CFR Part 92.
• HOME-Assisted Unit: specific units that are funded with HOME funds. HOME units shall adhere to rent controls and income targeting requirements pursuant to 24 CFR 92.252.
• HOME Development: any Development which receives financial assistance from the Corporation under the HOME Program.
• HOME Rental Development: a Development proposed to be constructed or rehabilitated with HOME funds.
• HOME Rent-Restricted Unit: the maximum allowable rents designed to ensure affordability on the HOME-assisted Units.
• Homeless: homeless is defined in 24 CFR 576.2.
• Homeless Management Information System (HMIS): the information system designated by the Continuum of Care (CoC) to comply with HUD's data collection, management, and reporting standards and used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families and persons at-risk of homelessness.
• Homeless Prevention: This includes activities that provide housing relocation and stabilization services and short- and/or medium-term rental assistance as necessary to prevent the individual or family from becoming homeless if; 1) annual income of the individual or family is below 30 percent of median family income; or 2) assistance is necessary to help program participants regain stability in their current permanent housing or move into other permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing.
• Homelessness: a person is considered homeless only when he/she resides in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings (on the street). To be considered chronically homeless, a person must have a disability and have been living in a place not meant for human habitation, living in an emergency shelter, or living in a safe haven for the last 12 months continuously or on at least four occasions in the last three years where those occasions cumulatively total at least 12 months.
• Hard Costs: the monetary costs of physically preparing the site and building the structure. Often referred to as the brick-and-mortar costs involving the actual physical construction of a development. Determination of hard costs shall be made by PHCD, examples include grading, excavation of the site, materials used, landscaping, and carpentry.
• Loan Documents or Closing Documents: the “shell” loan documents for all HOME/Surtax awards are available for review on the web site at miamidade.gov/housing/. The County encourages all applicants to review the Loan Documents prior to submitting any application. The County expects awardees of funds to execute the Loan Documents without any substantive revisions or edits. Agreement to any substantive changes to the loan documents are at the sole and absolute discretion of the County.
• Loan Terms: the term of the loan will be thirty (30) years, which will include a two (2) year construction period.
• Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC): the tax credits issued in exchange for the development of affordable rental housing pursuant to Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code and the provisions of Rule Chapter 67-48, Florida Administrative Code.
• Metropolitan City: a city that was classified as a metropolitan city under 42 U.S.C. 5302(a) for the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year for which ESG funds are made available.
• Minimum Threshold Requirements: Requirements that must be satisfied for the application to be responsive. Per Resolution No. R-630-13, applicants are required to provide a detailed project budget, sources and uses statement, certifications as to past defaults on agreements with Non-County sources and clear a due diligence check prior to funding commitment. These are minimum threshold requirements.  The applicant must have firm commitments of all project funding.  This is also a minimum threshold requirement.  A report of Due Diligence findings will be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners.  Applications lacking any items and/or criteria needed to meet minimum threshold will be deemed non-responsive and will not be scored. 
• Non–Recourse: a loan for which the sole source of satisfaction for default thereon is the real property that was given as collateral.
• HCD: Miami-Dade County Housing and Community Development, a predecessor, or a successor department.
• Principal: an applicant, managing partner, investor partner, general partner, officer, director, shareholder of an applicant, or shareholder of the general partner of an applicant.
• Private Non-Profit Organization: a private non-profit organization that is a secular or religious organization described in section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and which is exempt from taxation under subtitle A of the Code, has an accounting system and a voluntary board, and practices non-discrimination in the provision of assistance. A private non-profit organization does not include a governmental organization, such as a public housing agency or housing finance agency.
• Project Rule: specifies the amount of HOME-assisted occupancy units in each rental at initial occupancy and throughout the period of affordability. In projects of five or more HOME-assisted units, at least 20 percent of the HOME-assisted rental units must be occupied by families with gross annual incomes that are 50 percent or less of Area Median Income (AMI). These very low-income tenants must occupy units with rents at or below the Low HOME Rent limit.
• Rapid Re-Housing: This includes housing relocation and stabilization services and short- and/or medium-term rental assistance as necessary to help individuals or families living in homeless shelters or in places not meant for human habitation move as quickly as possible into permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing.
• Recourse: the ability of a lender to claim money from a borrower in default, in addition to the property pledged as collateral.
• Section 3: is a provision of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968. The purpose of Section 3 is to ensure that employment and other economic opportunities generated by certain HUD financial assistance shall, to the greatest extent feasible, and consistent with existing Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, be directed to low- and very low-income persons, particularly those who are recipients of government assistance for housing, and to business concerns which provide economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons.
• Senior Housing: HUD has determined that a dwelling that is specifically designed for and occupied by an elderly person under a Federal, State, or local government; or is occupied solely by persons who are age 62 or older; or in accordance with Florida Housing Finance Corporation, it's a dwelling that houses at least one person who is age 55 or older in at least 80% of the occupied units and adheres to a policy that demonstrates intent to house persons who are age 55 or older.
• Site Control: documentation comprised of a title, lease agreement, firm purchase contract, Option to Purchase, Option to Lease Long-Term agreement, or Local Government Resolution of the proposed site for which funding is being applied for.
• Shovel Ready: A construction project that is considered to be in the advanced stages of development planning. Shovel-ready means that the project can commence construction with laborers immediately and is past the planning, engineering and funding stages. More specifically, the Environmental Site Assessment report (Phase I and/or Phase II) are completed with a “No Further Action” recommendation, construction plans and specifications have been completed and approved by all local agencies, full funding of the construction phase is committed in writing (minus the gap funding requested), and construction is ready to start pending the selection and award of the general contractor within sixty days (60) from the contract execution date with the County.
• Special Needs Populations: a resident or family member who may have special circumstances or conditions, i.e., a person with mental, emotional, or physical disability or that possesses a high risk of developing such conditions.
• Subrecipient: a public agency or non-profit organization selected by the participating jurisdiction to administer all or some of the participating jurisdiction’s HOME programs to produce affordable housing, provide down payment assistance, or provide tenant-based rental assistance.  A public agency or non-profit organization that receives HOME funds solely as a developer or owner of a housing project is not a subrecipient.  
• Subsidy Layering Review (SLR): an analytical process that determines the amount of Government (public) financing necessary and the reasonableness of cost allocations. (Developer will be responsible for the cost of this analysis; however, this is a reimbursable expense.)
• Threshold: minimum requirements that must be satisfied for the application to be responsive. Per Resolution No. R-630-13 applicants are required to provide a detailed project budget, sources and uses statement, certifications as to past defaults on agreements with Non-County sources and pass a due diligence check (refer to Table of Contents - Attachments) prior to funding commitment.  Due Diligence findings will be reported to the Board of County Commissioners.
• Total Development Cost: total development cost is the total cost of completing the project, from acquisition to the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy, including, but not limited to, the cost of design, planning, zoning, variances, financing costs, legal costs, construction, and permitting. For construction and rehabilitation projects, the cost of land acquisition shall not be included in the total development costs.
• Violence Against Women Act (VAWA): Federal Act which protects applicants, tenants, and program participants in federally funded programs (including HOME and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)) from being evicted, denied housing assistance, or terminated from housing assistance based on acts of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking against them. VAWA protection is available to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, regardless of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
• ZoomGrants: Applications for 2025 must be submitted in the ZoomGrants online application, zoomgrants.com. Applicants must create a profile in ZoomGrants in order to apply. No paper applications will be accepted.