Housing Counseling Training Program (14.316)

Program

14.316 Housing Counseling Training Program

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office: Office Of Housing-federal Housing Commissioner

Authorization

Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended.

Program Number

14.316

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

This program supports, under cooperative agreements with HUD, the delivery of a broad array of training activities for counselors from agencies participating in HUD's Housing Counseling program. The primary objectives of the program are to improve and standardize the quality of counseling provided by housing counselors working with HUD-approved housing counseling agencies and to make training accessible and affordable.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

To annually provide one or more housing counseling training grants to qualified organizations. The grant will fund the training of counselors of agencies participating in HUD's Housing Counseling program.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants must be public or private nonprofit organizations with a least two years of experience providing housing counseling training services nationwide.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Housing Counselors from HUD-approved housing counseling agencies.

Credentials/Documentation

Each applicant is required to submit, for itself and for any organization with which it is partnering for the purpose of this NOFA, a legible copy of the document that supports the applicant's claim to be a nonprofit organization (for example, a 501(c) letter issued by the IRS). The documentation must contain the official name, address, and telephone number of the legal authority that granted the nonprofit status. Branches or affiliates of the applicant that are part of the proposed work plan must also be nonprofit entities. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

The availability of funds (HUD NOFA) is announced on HUD's website, www.hud.gov. For a copy of the NOFA, applicants can visit the HUD website (www.hud.gov). Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Applicants must submit by the required date the items and forms requested in the NOFA, such as a description of the housing counseling training services to be provided, and indicators by which benefits impact will be measured.

Award Procedure

Applicants will be evaluated competitively and ranked against all other applicants that applied in the same funding category. A funding formula outlined in the NOFA is used to calculate awards. This program is subject to the administrative requirements established in OMB Circular A-102, Grants and Cooperative Agreements with State and Local Governments, which was implemented by 24 CFR Part 85; OMB Circular A-110, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Other Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other Nonprofit Organizations, which was implemented by 24 CFR Part 84; and OMB Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments and Nonprofit Organizations, which was implemented by 24 CFR Parts 84 and 85. Grants awarded under this program are also subject to the cost principles in OMB Circular A-87 for state and local governments and Indian tribal governments and OMB Circular A-122 for nonprofit organizations.

Deadlines

Not Applicable.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Award announcements typically occur 5-7 months after applications are received.

Appeals

Applicants for housing counseling training grants may appeal their denial of a grant award or the insufficiency of the grant amount to HUD.

Renewals

Grantees must submit a new application and compete through the NOFA each year.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this program.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Funding assistance is for a discrete period of time, generally 1 year. Grantees invoice HUD on a periodic basis for housing counseling training services delivered. Payments of grant funds are subsequently made to grantees via direct deposit/electronic funds transfer (DD/EFT). Method of awarding/releasing assistance: quarterly.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Audits

Not Applicable.

Records

As required in the grant cooperative agreement.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: For fiscal year 2008, approximately 2,600 housing counselors were trained through the program. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

86-0205-0-1-604.

Obligations

(Project Grants) FY 08 $2,500,000; FY 09 est $5,000,000; FY 10 est $8,000,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

No Data Available.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Not Applicable.

Related Programs

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Wanda L. Sampedro, 451 7th Street, SW, Washington, District of Columbia 20410 Email: wanda.sampedro@hud.gov Phone: (202) 402-2324.

Web Site Address

Persons are encouraged to contact HQs Program Support Division, Office of Insured Single Family Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20410. Telephone: (202) 708-0317.

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Not Applicable.