CDBG RFP 2021-2022
CITY OF EAST PROVIDENCE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (Deadline 8/23/21)
2021-2022
The City of East Providence is currently soliciting proposals for the use of $755,677 of 2021-2022 Community Development Block Grant funds. These funds will be available for eligible activities during the fiscal year July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022. Funding categories include economic development, public facilities, affordable housing, and public services.
Identified priority needs include: affordable housing; senior services, services for those with disabilities, services for veterans, youth programming; digital access and literacy, and employment opportunities.
All are encouraged to participate in determining how these funds are spent over the next year. Applications and technical assistance are available by calling David Bachrach at 401-435-7536, mailing a request to Community Development Office, 145 Taunton Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914, or e-mailing dbachrach@eastprovidenceri.gov .
An application workshop will be held on August 4th at 5:30 pm in Room 306 on the third floor of City Hall.
All proposals must be received no later than the Application Deadline of August 23, 2021, by 4:00 p.m. They should be on the 2021-2022 Application for Funding Form (below) as a Word document and emailed as an attachment to dbachrach@cityofeastprov.com, or delivered or sent to City Hall at the above address. The submitted proposals will be scored according to the Evaluation Criteria in this RFP and recommendations for funding will be presented at a Public Hearing during a City Council meeting on September 7, 2021. Those that submitted a proposal are invited to make a brief (three-minute) presentation of their proposal during this Hearing.
A 30 day comment period starts the day after the Public Hearing and ends on October 12, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. Written comments regarding the recommended funding plan should be directed to David Bachrach, Community Development Office using the contact information above. All comments must be received by the last day of the comment period to be reviewed and considered. A copy of all comments will be included in the one-year funding plan to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM APPLICATION FOR FUNDING
2021-2022
ALL APPLICATIONS DUE August 23, 2021
INSTRUCTIONS: This application requests the minimum amount of information necessary for the determination of funding. Additional information should be included only as necessary. Where specific questions do not apply to your proposal, please print “Not Applicable”. Please refer to the attached Evaluation Criteria for scoring priority.
SPONSORING AGENCY:
ADDRESS:
PERSON ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM: _________________________________________
TELEPHONE: ________________________ E-Mail :___________________________________
PROGRAM TITLE: ____________________________________________
AMOUNT REQUESTED: _______________________________________
THRESHOLD QUESTIONS:
Proposed projects must meet both of the requirements below and be consistent with the Five -Year Consolidated Plan or will be designated as not eligible for funding:
1.Either a) 100% of the use of CDBG funds must benefit low and moderate-income families, individuals, or households directly. Eligible gross income of beneficiaries must be documented;
OR b) CDBG funded activities may qualify if they will benefit all the residents of a primarily residential area where at least 51% of the residents are low- to moderate-income. Income limits are adjusted by family or household size. The Community Development Office will provide HUD-defined eligible census block groups upon request.
2.Projects must be consistent with, and further at least one of the objectives below.
CDBG Objectives
Which objective does the CDBG funded activity help address?
b. What benchmarks and timeline will be used to measure the impact and effectiveness the activity has toward reaching the objective?
Community Development Objectives
I.Housing Objectives & Outcomes
Objective One: Maintain and preserve the existing housing stock, including subsidized developments so that it provides accessible, sustainable, decent, safe, and affordable housing choices to its citizens.
Outcome: Housing stock is stabilized and available for households with a variety of incomes and housing needs
Objective Two: Increase the supply of affordable housing and housing types through infill development and development opportunities in the Waterfront District for low to moderate-income households in the City
Outcome: Households in need of affordable units have access to new housing opportunities
Objective Three: Increase rental housing opportunities for lower-income families in the City
Outcome: Households whose income preclude them from ownership have access to safe, decent, and affordable rental units to meet their needs
Objective Four: Provide homeownership opportunities in the City for first-time buyers
Outcome: Young families will have homeownership opportunities through accessing subsidized financing to buy starter homes
Objective Five: Provide Landlords of smaller multi-family properties with support maintaining, and incentives for converting to affordable housing
Outcome: More affordable rental units will be available for small related households and landlord owned property will be stabilized and preserved
Objective Six: Ensure that there is affordable, sustainable, and accessible aging in place housing for our increasing senior population
Outcome: More seniors will have the option to remain in their own house and have it accommodate their housing needs
Goal Seven: Provide transitional housing opportunities for the homeless or those at risk of becoming homeless
Outcome: Homeless persons and families will have the opportunity to move from homelessness to permanent sustainable housing
Goal Eight: Work in collaboration with the East Providence Housing Authority to seek opportunities to further access affordable housing choices
Outcome: Create additional subsidized affordable housing units for both families and elderly
Objective Nine: Provide Fair Housing education and information through various mediums to help prevent impediments to Fair Housing from occurring
Outcome: Prevent future impediments to fair housing choice from occurring
Goal Ten: Pursue regional affordable housing initiatives
Outcome: Provide affordable housing options in a coordinated pro-active fashion for the region
II.Public Facilities & Infrastructure Objectives and Outcomes
Objective One: Identify neighborhood-level public infrastructure needs that do not have other existing public funding resources, giving priority to those that are concentrated in income-eligible neighborhoods
Outcome: Infrastructure will continue to be a neighborhood asset and function to meet basic needs that it was intended for
Objective Two: Prioritize public facilities that provide community benefits and services, in particular those providing housing, health, senior, youth, or employment services
Outcome: Stabilize and grow the capacity of community service provider-oriented facilities
Objective Three: Identify and prioritize revitalization needs of public facilities, including historic preservation, energy efficiency, health, safety, and technology
Outcome: Broadens the approach to addressing public facilities to include more comprehensive and modern-day considerations
Objective Four: Provide assistance to remove architectural barriers to accessibility
Outcome: Broadens the participation and access to persons with a disability
Objective Five: Provide opportunities for aesthetic and artistic ornamentations as a part of public facilities improvement when feasible
Outcome: Add value and livability to a neighborhood and provide an opportunity to artistic professionals
III.Public Service Objectives and Outcomes
Objective One: Support the financial, social and, environmental needs of the senior population
Outcome: Help stabilize the quality of life and housing situation for the elderly
Objective Two: Provide programs for youth that allow them to reach their full potential and guide them toward appropriate social and recreational opportunities
Outcome: A sense of community will manifest itself within more youth and increase their community participation
Objective Three: Support quality, accessible and affordable medical services for all eligible residents
Outcomes: Quality of life will not be significantly disrupted by unattended health issues
Objective Four: Provide job training programs and retraining programs which graduate residents with usable skills in fields with employment opportunities
Outcome: Stabilize households with marginal income
Objective Five: Provide preventative and supportive services to meet the needs of the homeless or those at risk of becoming homeless
Outcome: Transition homeless to permanent housing and stabilize household incomes that are marginal
Objective Six: Provide educational opportunities and appropriate social services to families in need of assistance
Outcome: Improve families’ economic and social circumstances
Objective Seven: Provide services to veterans to accommodate their needs in civilian life
Outcome: Increase quality of life
Objective Eight: Provide services to access computers and Wi-Fi through education and provision of equipment
Outcome: Address the digital divide to decrease disparities and increase inclusion
Objective Nine: Provide needed services to those with disabilities
Outcome: Increase inclusion and quality of life
IV.Economic Development Objectives and Outcomes
Objective One: Support and create programs that facilitate the rehabilitation of commercial businesses in eligible areas
Outcomes: Add esthetic value and maintain economic activity in commercial corridors while creating jobs
Objective Two: Support and create programs that provide job training for unemployed, underemployed, or unskilled persons
Outcome: Create jobs and provide new economic opportunities
Objective Three: Provide loans to businesses for job creation or services provided to an area of concentrated low- to moderate-income families
Outcome: Stabilize small businesses and maintain economic activity
Objective Four: Leverage funding sources such as New Market Tax Credits, Economic Development Incentive Grants, etc.
Outcome: Provide comprehensive financing tools to leverage the implementation of community development activities
Objective Five: Create higher-wage employment opportunities for currently lower-wage workers
Outcome: Increase stabilization of incomes and increase economic health to the business community
SCORED QUESTIONS
Please note the following questions are rated and scored. Please refer to the attached APPLICATION EVALUATION section.
1. STATEMENT OF NEED.
a. What problems or needs will this program address? Please state needs in numerical terms and/or as compared with other areas or as a sub-population that has a disproportionate level of need than the general population.
b. Provide demographic details of who will be eligible to be served by the activity? What income range is estimated for the persons to benefit? What is the race, family type, sex, age, etc. of the people that the activity will benefit?
2. ADDRESSING THE NEED
a. What are your program’s goals you hope to meet?
b. What specific activities will your program provide to meet its goals?
c. To what extent (in numerical terms) will your program address the needs identified in 1 above?
3. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
a. Outputs: What are the direct products of the program’s activities, such as number of households or persons served, units of affordable housing developed, number of intakes/applications processed, number of families, seniors, youth, etc. that participated, or numbers of jobs created or retained?
b. Outcomes: What larger community impact or issue will be addressed? Outcomes typically relate to a change in conditions, status, attitudes, skills, knowledge, or behavior. Common outcomes could include improved quality of life for program participants, stabilized income, or persons, families, businesses that are now more engaged in their community. When possible, provide this in numerical terms such as lowering the rate of domestic violence occurrences.
c. Indirect Impacts: What effect do your program activities have beyond its direct impact such as counseling that leads to more stable income, youth engagement that leads to civic participation, skills training that leads to personal independence?
d.Duration: Will the benefits of this activity last beyond its program activity?
4. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
a. Outreach: How are your services directed to potential beneficiaries in an accessible manner with consideration for language and cultural issues?
b. Access: Where is the project located and what is the targeted service area of the project? Is its location feasible to get to, on a bus route, handicapped accessible?
c. Management: Provide a clear chain of responsibilities including key staff
d. Other Service Providers: Describe how your program fits in with other area service providers? Who else provides this service, who refers clients to your agency, and what agency do you make referrals to?
5. HOW WILL THIS PROJECT BE FUNDED IN THE FUTURE?
[ ] One time only project
[ ] CDBG funds will be used as seed money
[ ] Will probably apply for CDBG funds annually
[ ] CDBG funds will be used for leveraging other funding
6. PROGRAM BUDGET
a. Please indicate the total cost of your proposed project broken down into CDBG Funding and Other Funding. For Other Funding, please attach a detailed itemized budget. Indicate if CDBG funding will be used to leverage other funding sources.
List Expense CategoryCDBG RequestOther FundsTotal
Total
2021-2022
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL SUMMARY
THIS SHOULD BE AS CONCISE AS POSSIBLE. IT WILL BE USED AT PUBLIC HEARINGS AND BY THE CITY COUNCIL FOR REFERENCE.
AGENCY:
ADDRESS:
CONTACT:
E-MAIL:
AMOUNT REQUESTED:
PROGRAM TITLE:
_____________________________________________________________________
WHO IS SERVED/PROPOSED # OF BENEFICIARIES:
OBJECTIVES/NEEDS ADDRESSED:
2021-2022
CDBG PROGRAM INFORMATION
The Community Development Act’s Objectives: The development of viable urban communities, including decent housing and suitable living environment, and expanding economic opportunity, principally for persons of low- and moderate-income.
The high priorities for funding this year are activities that increase economic and affordable housing opportunities and quality of life and increase inclusion of those that historically have been marginalized for East Providence’s residences and businesses. High priority groups for targeting CDBG resources are youth, single-headed households, seniors, veterans, disabled, and small landlords and businesses.
The more competitive proposals will be those that demonstrate a comprehensive approach to a targeted need. One example would be a collaboration between various agencies that together provide services that move a targeted client out of their current need in a sustainable way through housing, income opportunities, and public service networks of support.
A competitive proposal will demonstrate a knowledge of the continuum of care of those they hope to impact. An example of this would be a program providing job training to clients that first need literacy training and afterward need personal finance training. Thus the jobs training program needs to be networked with literacy and personal finance service agencies.
Basic Eligible Activities:
a. Economic Development: Financing for business expansion or start-up. They can be used for equipment, acquisition, facility improvements. Activities must create or retain jobs of which at least 51% are available to low to moderate-income persons.
b. Acquisition: Acquisition by purchase, long-term lease, donation, or otherwise, in whole or in part, of real property for benefiting low to moderate-income persons.
c. Public Facilities and Improvements: Acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, or installation of public facilities and improvements carried out by the City or other public, private or non-profit entities. Some examples are shelters for the homeless, parks and playgrounds improvements, community, senior and health centers.
d. Clearance Activities: Clearance, demolition, removal of buildings, and improvements, including the movement of structures to other sites.
e. Public Services: Directed towards improving the community’s public services and facilities, including those concerned with employment, crime prevention and trauma support, child and adult care, health, drug abuse counseling and treatment, education, energy conservation, welfare or recreational needs, job training, public safety services, and senior services.
f. Removal of Architectural Barriers: Special projects to remove material and architectural barriers restricting the mobility and accessibility of elderly or disabled persons to publicly owned and privately owned buildings, facilities, and improvements. Some examples are camps, curb cuts, wider doorways, and elevators.
g. Rehabilitation Activities: Finance the rehabilitation of any publicly or privately owned property. Some examples are: assistance to private individuals and entities, including profit and non-profit organizations, to acquire for purpose of rehabilitation and to rehabilitate properties for use or resale for residential properties;
Improvements, renovations, or repair; replacement of principal fixtures and components; increasing efficient use of energy such as installation of storm windows and doors, siding, insulation, and heating, and cooling equipment;
Rehabilitation services such as rehab counseling, a tool bank, energy auditing, preparation of work specifications;
h. Planning and Capacity Building: Studies, analyses, data gathering, and preparation of the plan. Some examples are individual project plans, community development plans, small area and neighborhood plans, environmental and historic preservation studies.
2021 – 2022 CDBG Evaluation Criteria
The general categories under which funding is available are: housing, public services, public works, public facilities, and economic development. Funding for the CDBG annual award of $755,677 will be based on the priorities of the Five-Year Consolidated Plan 2020 - 2024 and this year’s priorities. These can be found on the Community Development’s web page https://eastprovidenceri.gov/departments/community-development
1. STATEMENT OF NEED Up to 25 points
10 points - Need is shown as having a significant negative impact to the basic quality of life issues
10 points - Program targets a sub-population with higher needs than the general population and provide demographic information on intended beneficiaries
5 points - Up to date data documented from a reliable statistical source
2. ADDRESSING THE NEED Up to 20 Points
5 points - If specific data or documentation is provided from a reliable source or study that supports the stated results of the activity
5 points - If specific data or documentation is provided from a reliable source or study that supports the activity’s approach
5 points - Impact documented need by over 5%
5 points - New or innovative approach to addressing the need
3. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Up to 20 points
5 points - Clear timetable with benchmarks for specific outputs
10 points - Outcomes have a significant community impact and are based on data from past experience or other supporting documentation
5 points - Program benefit lasts beyond program delivery
4. PROGRAM DETAILS Up to 10 points
2 points - A clear narration describing the supporting activities needed to provide the service or benefit
2 points - Outreach is directed to potential beneficiaries in an accessible manner with consideration for language and cultural issues
2 points - Service delivery is accessible and provided within the City of East Providence
2 points - Clear chain of responsibilities including cohesive key staff
2 points – Program is well networked and collaborates with other community providers
5. FUTURE FUNDING Up to 15 points
10 points - CDBG funds used as SEED funding with documented financial sustainability
5 points - CDBG funds will leverage documented additional funds
6. ESTIMATED BUDGET Up to 10 points
6 points - Budget accounts for all costs associated with program activity
4 points - CDBG funds represent less than 25% of the total project budget
2 points - CDBG funds represent less than 50% of the total project budget
INCOME LIMITS FOR CDBG ELIGIBLE BENEFICIARIES
FOR EAST PROVIDENCE
FAMILY/HOUSEHOLD INCOME 2021
Persons in Household12345678
80% Median Area Income$48,450$55,400$62,300$69,200$74,750$80,300$85,850$91,350
Low- and moderate-income is determined based on family size and gross annual income. All families with incomes at or below 80% are eligible as CDBG beneficiaries. Incomes may be documented using a self-certification form, copies of source documentation of all family income, or if participants are already enrolled in another federal program that documents their income as being low to moderate. If you are providing an area-specific benefit, it must be documented by sign-in sheets providing signatures and addresses that are located in census tracts and/or block groups occupied with at least 51% low- to moderate-income families (provided by the Community Development Office upon request).
