COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABLE (NOFA) FY 2019-2020

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT

This Notice of Funding Available (NOFA) announces the availability of funding for the Program Year (PY) July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020 for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. The CDBG Program authorized under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, is funded and regulated (24 CFR, Part 570) at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered locally by the City of Columbia’s Community Development Department.

The City of Columbia is receiving applications from qualified entities to apply for funding under this Request for Applications (RFA). The primary objective is to fund Public Service projects and activities that principally benefit low-and moderate-income (LMI) persons, aid in the elimination of slums and blight, or respond to an urgent need. Must be consistent with locally developed CDBG Program Priorities Needs and Goals addressed in the City’s Consolidated Plan.

HUD uses a formula each year to calculate the City’s annual grant allocation; the funding amount is not predetermined. For FY2019-2020 we estimate $2,387,184 in CDBG revenue, ($1,026,764 in new entitlement, estimated $650,000 in Revolving Loan Fund Program Income (RLF/PI) and $710,420 in prior RLF/PI). A total of $150,000 is available for Public Service Activities located in the City’s redevelopment areas. The City has designated $1,878,782 for public facility improvements and affordable housing activities located within the four (4) priority redevelopment areas as defined by City Council and identified in the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan.

During the 2019-2020 funding cycle, applications for CDBG Program funding are available for Public Service Activities only. This NOFA/RFA is a one (1) year funding request.

The City of Columbia will hold a technical assistance workshop and can schedule individual technical assistance sessions to provide applicants sufficient assistance to submit competitive applications for funding. Applicants are required to attend the workshop as a condition of application submission. No application will be accepted from any organization that did not attend the technical assistance workshop.

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October 30, 2018 @ 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Woodforest National Bank Community Center

3730 N. Main St. Suite D

Columbia, SC 29203

This NOFA/RFA may be obtained online at http://www.columbiasc.net/communitydevelopment, OR visit the Community Development Department at 1225 Lady Street, Ste 102, Columbia, SC 29201. If you have any questions regarding this NOFA you may contact the Community Development Department at (803) 545-3373 or by email at [email protected].

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABLE (NOFA) FY 2018-2019

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT

This Notice of Funding Available (NOFA) announces the availability of funding for the Program Year (PY) July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019 for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. The CDBG Program authorized under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, is funded and regulated (24 CFR, Part 570) at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered locally by the City of Columbia’s Community Development Department.

The City of Columbia is receiving applications from qualified entities to apply for funding under this Request for Applications (RFA). The primary objective is to fund projects and activities that principally benefit low-and moderate-income (LMI) persons, aid in the elimination of slums and blight, or respond to an urgent need. Must be consistent with locally developed CDBG Program Priorities and address the City’s Consolidated Plan objectives.

The City of Columbia’s annual CDBG funding is calculated using HUD’s formula and varies from year to year; the funding amount is not predetermined. In FY2018-2019 we estimate $2,050,435 in CDBG revenue, ($949,114 in new entitlement, $650,000 in Program Income and $451,321 in Revolving Loan Fund). A total of $150,000 is available for Public Service Activities located in the defined redevelopment areas. $719,314 will be used for Non-Public Service activities designated for City redevelopment and infrastructure projects located within the prioritized redevelopment areas as defined by City Council during the 2017-2018 fiscal year and identified in the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan.

During the 2018-2019 funding cycle, applications for CDBG Program funding are available for the Public Service Category only. This NOFA/RFA is a one (1) year funding request.

November 28, 2017 @ 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Eau Claire Print Building

3907 Ensor Ave

Columbia, SC 29203

FY2018-19 NOFA

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PUBLIC NOTICE

Community Development Department

FY2018-2019 REQUEST FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS

Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)

The City of Columbia is accepting applications for the FY2018-19 Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Grant. Funding from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is made available annually and the City estimates $1,315,706 in new allocation. Eligible activities in Columbia Eligible Metropolitan Statistical Area (Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Richland and Saluda Counties) must meet the criteria as outlined in 24 Code of Federal Regulations Part 574.300. Applications only can be submitted electronically. The City of Columbia will hold an application workshop to provide assistance sufficient to submit a competitive application. The workshop will be held on December 20, 2017; 3:00-5:00 p.m. @ Community Development Department, CD Conference Room, 1225 Lady St., Suite 102, Columbia, SC 29201. Applicants are required to attend the workshop as a condition of submission. No application will be accepted from any organization that does not attend the application workshop. Application submission deadline is January 31, 2018. Only electronic applications will be accepted through ZoomGrants. For more information call Community Development @ 803-545-3371 or email [email protected]

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE HOPWA GUIDELINE MANUAL FOR FY2018-19

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Click Here for Annual Action Plan

FY 2017 - 18 Annual Action Plan

Citizens will have the opportunity to review and comment on the proposed Annual Action Plan during the public hearings and during the 30-day public comment period: April 10, 2017 – May 11, 2017. A summary of citizen comments will be included in the FY2017-2018 Annual Action Plan to be submitted to HUD.
Two (2) Public Hearings will be held:
- Thursday, April 13, 2017 at the Columbia Empowerment Zone Suites, 1509 Lady St. Columbia, SC 29201 @ 6:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at City Council Meeting, City Hall 3^rd Floor, 1737 Main St., Columbia, SC, 29201 @ 6:00 p.m.

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Annual Action Plans

For each succeeding year, the City of Columbia is required to prepare a one-year Action Plan to notify citizens and HUD of the City's intended actions during that particular fiscal year. The Action Plan includes citizen and stakeholder input and is due annually to HUD by May 15th. The Action Plan is developed under HUD guidelines and serves as the application for the three formula grant programs.

2014-2015 Annual Action Plan

2015 - 2016 Annual Action Plan

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Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER)

At the end of each fiscal year, the City must also prepare a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) to provide information to HUD and citizens about that year's accomplishments. This information allows HUD, city officials, and the public to evaluate the City's performance and determine whether the activities undertaken during the fiscal year helped meet the City's five-year goals and to address priority needs identified in the Consolidated Plan. This annual performance report, prepared with public review and comment, must be submitted to HUD annually by September 30th. 2015 - 2016 CAPER Report

Speak Out 2017: A Conversation on Fair Housing - Poor Credit History Preventing Homeownership

The City of Columbia Community Development Dept. invites citizens and community leaders to discuss issues facing residents regarding affordable housing within the City.

Who: City of Columbia Community Development Department

What: Invites Citizens and Community Leaders to Attend a Free Breakfast Meeting/Conversation called “Speak Out!”

When: Thursday January 25th, 2018 at 8:30am

Where: TBD, Columbia, SC

What Is Speak Out!?
- Speak Out is a quarterly conversation surrounding issues of Equal Opportunity within our community. Each conversation has a focus and this conversation will focus on affordable housing within the city: what’s working and what could be and should be improved.
Who is invited to this event?

Anyone who has a stake in Equal Opportunity and Housing Affordability in our community is invited to Speak Out. Everyone deserves decent safe, decent and affordable housing. Where a person live affects many aspects of life, from grocery store options to employment opportunities and overall health and safety.

Why is the City hosting this event and why is the City hosting the Speak Out series?
- The City of Columbia Community Development department is mandated to delve into issues that face our citizens so that we can better understand how we can be of assistance to the most vulnerable of us. The Speak Out series aims to tackle the Impediments to Equal Opportunity and Fair Housing that we have identified through a study that we perform periodically. We cannot best serve the community without exploring the needs of the community and for that we need Citizens input.

For more information about Speak Out! A Conversation on Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity please contact the City of Columbia Community Development Department @ (803) 545-3373.

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