2021 ESG-CV2 Application and Information Guide ri r 1

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2021 ESG-CV2 Application and Information Guide NAOMI CLARK COMPLIANCE ANALYST II COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION [email protected] 719-385-6609 ~ RADO SPRINGS OLYMPIC CITY USA I I ;;;I ., i!I II - .. [[ f [[ n ri r 1 ~n ,~ii ' '

Transcript of 2021 ESG-CV2 Application and Information Guide ri r 1

2021 ESG-CV2Application and

InformationGuide

NAOMI CLARKCOMPLIANCE ANALYST I ICOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVIS IONNAOMI [email protected]

PREPARED BY

JANUARY 2021

~ RADO SPRINGS

OLYMPIC CITY USA

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The Community Development Div i s ion manages the

ent i t lement funds f rom the U .S . department of Hous ing

and Urban Development (HUD ) . Our miss ion i s to create

st rong , susta inable , inc lus ive communit ies and qual i ty

a f fordable homes fo r a l l people in Colorado Spr ings .

The March 2020 Cares Act made $4 bi l l ion ava i lab le in

Emergency Solut ions Grant (ESG -CV ) funds to s tates and

loca l ju r i sd ict ions . As an ent i t lement ju r i sd ict ion that

rece ives HUD funding by fo rmula , the City of Colorado

Spr ings Community Development Div i s ion rece ived two

spec ia l a l locat ions of ESG -CV funds to prevent , prepare fo r ,

and respond to the coronav i rus .

ESG-CV Round 1 : $887 , 124

ESG-CV Round 2 : $5 ,097 ,279

Round 1 funds have been awarded . At th i s t ime the

Community Development Div i s ion i s pleased to announce

the s tar t of the appl icat ion per iod fo r ESG -CV2 funds to

he lp organizat ions prevent , prepare fo r , and respond to

the coronav i rus .

For ESG-CV2 the funding avai labi l i ty is as fo l lows:

ESG-CV2 $ 1 Mil l ion dol la rs ava i lab le

Minimum request amount :$ 100 ,000

Appl icat ion per iod: January 1 1 th 2021 - February 5th 2021

IMPORTANT: ESG -CV2 i s a re imbursement grant .

Organizat ions must be able to proper ly document a l l work

done and expenses paid pr ior to rece iv ing payment . Al l

awarded appl icants have unt i l March 31 , 2022 to expend

the i r awarded funds .

C i ty o f C o l o r a d o S p r i n g s

C o m m u n i ty D e v e l o p m e n t

D i v i s i o n

2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

- . Wash your hands and tal<e off PPE

before entering tent.

~a.vese las r:nanos y qumtese el EPP antes de

entrar a la tienda.

The Emergency So lut ions Grant (ESG)program was a resu l t o f a rev ised

program f rom the HomelessEmergency Ass is tance and Rapid

Trans i t ion to Hous ing Act o f 2009 .

The ESG inter im ru le took e f fect onJanuary 4th 2012 and re f lected the

change in the programs focus toass is t ing people to

quick ly rega in s tab i l i ty in permanenthous ing a f ter exper ienc ing a hous ing

cr is i s and/or homelessness . There are 5components covered under the ESG

program.

The ESG program 5 e l ig ib le components :

Street outreach

*Emergency Shelter

Homelessness prevent ion

*Rapid Re-Housing

Data col lect ion v ia the homeless

management in format ion sys tem

(HMIS )

2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

MARCH 2020

E m e r g e n cy S o l u t i o n s G r a n t :

G r a n t E l i g i b i l i ty B a s i c s

W r i t t e n S t a n d a r d s

The C i ty o f Co lorado Spr ings has deve loped wr i t ten s tandards for the use o fESG funds by serv ice prov iders . These s tandards were created in coord inat ionwith the P ikes Peak Cont inuum of Care (PPCoC) and were formulated to :

Establ ish community wide expectat ions on the operat ions

of projects within the community

Ensure a system that is t ransparent to users andoperators

Establ ish a minimum set of standards

Organizat ions who apply for and are awarded ESG grant funds must cert i fy thatthey have rev iewed these s tandards , and understand they are expected to meetor exceed these s tandards upon award .

P lease v i s i t the ESG in format ion page on the Community Deve lopment Div is ionwebs i te for more deta i l s .

There are various activities that are eligible under the ESG-CV2 program to include services such asshelter operations, rental/utility assistance, housing relocation and stabilization services, and costs ofmanaging the HMIS database. While all the program components will be considered, for the ESG-CV 2funds, there are two components that will take priority: Emergency Shelter and Rapid Re-housing.

In addi t ion to meet ing bas ic el ig ib i l i t y requi rements , proposed pro jects

wi l l a lso need to demonst rate the fo l lowing :

Documentable Connect ion to the Coronavirus

Proposed pro jects wi l l need to demonst rate in the appl icat ion , a

documentable connect ion between the coronav i rus impact on c l ients

needs and the pro ject serv ice del i very .

In addi t ion to hav ing a documentable connect ion i t i s important fo r

appl icants to spec i f ica l l y deta i l in the i r narrat i ves how the pro ject would

achieve the a im of prevent ing , prepar ing fo r , and /or responding to the

coronav i rus .

Dupl icat ion of Benef i ts What is a dupl icat ion of benef i ts?

A dupl icat ion of benef i t s occurs when a person or ent i ty rece ives

payment f rom mult ip le sources fo r the same disaster or loss . I f awarded ,

appl icants wi l l need to prov ide assurance that the i r organizat ion i s not

rece iv ing f inanc ia l ass i s tance f rom other sources fo r the same expenses

l i s ted in the i r appl icat ion . They wi l l a lso need to have the abi l i t y to

determine the i r c l ients needs not met f rom other funding sources .

How would an organizat ion ident i fy a dupl icat ion of benef i ts withintheir funding resources?

Al l awarded appl icants wi l l be requi red to rev iew the City of Colorado

Spr ings dupl icat ion of benef i t s pol icy . This pol icy out l ines , with

examples , the purpose and def in i t ion of a dupl icat ion of benef i t s .

Where can I f ind more information?

The City of Colorado Spr ings Dupl icat ion of Benef i t s pol icy and

cert i f i cat ion fo rm can be found fo r rev iew and download on the Not ice of

Funding Ava i lab i l i t y fo r ESG -CV2 located on the Community Development

Webpage . IMPORTANT: Appl icants should understand that th i s

cer t i f i cat ion i s only requi red IF an appl icant i s awarded grant funds . I t i s

important to understand and rev iew the pol icy when submit t ing an

appl icat ion , however submiss ion of cer t i f i cat ion at the t ime of

appl icat ion i s not necessary .

MARCH 2020

2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

Ad d i t i o n a l E l i g i b i l i ty

I n f o r m a t i o n EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT (ESG -CV2 )

COVID-19 ! TESTING .

ENTRANCE

MARCH 2020

2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

F u n d i n g P r i o r i t i e s EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT (ESG -CV2 )

Family Homelessness resources are scarceOrganizat ions are exper iencing l imited staf f capacityThe number of h ighly vulnerable adults are on ther ise(VISPDATNeed for rental ass istance tools is on the r ise forlandlords and tenants , and the need for rentalass istance and case management serv ices .

Emergency Shelter Safety Precaut ionsSani tat ion Improvements -Examples inc lude

handwashing s tat ions and fu rn i sh ings fo r soc ia l

d i s tanc ing .

Menta l heal th and outpat ient heal th serv ices fo r guests

Hazard pay fo r s ta f f

T ransportat ion - Examples inc lude t rans i t or other

t ransportat ion to job s i tes , school , and appointments

Chi ldcare

Rapid Re-housingRenta l ass i s tance to inc lude renta l ar rears

F inanc ia l ass i s tance to inc lude renta l appl icat ion fees ,

secur i ty and ut i l i t y depos i t s , ut i l i t y payments , l as t

months rent , and moving costs

Serv ices - to inc lude hous ing search and placement ,

hous ing s tab i l i t y case management , l andlord - tenant

mediat ion , tenant lega l serv ices , and credi t repa i r .

Since the s tar t of the COVID - 19 pandemic , the City of

Colorado Spr ings and Community Heal th Partnersh ip have

worked together on Gather ing community feedback ,

assess ing sys tem per formance in HMIS and coord inated entry

data , and part ic ipat ing in a coord inated investment planning

exerc i se . Using these resources , severa l common themes

emerged in the commentary :

As a resu l t of th i s in format ion the $ 1 Mil l ion in compet i t i ve

ESG -CV2 funds wi l l pr ior i t i ze the fo l lowing ESG components

to address these themes :

1 .

a .

b .

c .

d .

e .

2 .a .

b .

c .

These two ESG components wi l l take pr ior i ty and car ry more

weight in the scor ing rubr ic . Appl icants are s t i l l welcome to

apply fo r a l l other components of ESG : HMIS , Street

Outreach , and Homelessness Prevent ion .

• • •

In l ight of the impact of the

coronav i rus , HUD has i s sued severa l

temporary waivers to expedi te the use

of ESG -CV funds . I t i s important to

note that these waivers only apply to

the ESG -CV and ESG -CV2 award funds .

WAIVERS

1 .HMIS lead act iv i t ies To enable ESG - funded pro jects to

part ic ipate in HMIS as requi red , HUD

has author ized the use of ESG funds fo r

managing and operat ing the HMIS

system fo r agenc ies other than the

HMIS lead .

2 . Re-Evaluat ion for HomelessnessPrevent ion Ass istance

To a l lev iate case management vo lume

for serv ice prov iders , the requi red

f requency of re -eva luat ions fo r

homelessness prevent ion i s waived fo r

up to two years .

3 . Housing stabi l i ty casemanagement

As organizat ions are report ing l imi ted

sta f f capac i ty as a resu l t of COVID - 19 ,

the monthly case management

requi rement has been temporar i l y

suspended .

4. Match Based on the economic impacts of the

coronav i rus on f inanc ia l sys tems of

many organizat ions , HUD has

temporar i l y suspended th i s

requi rement .

5 . Restr ict ion of rental ass istance tounits with rent at or below fa i r

market rentTo ass i s t organizat ions and hous ing

prov iders , HUD i s waiv ing the l imi t on

renta l ass i s tance to rents that are equal

to or less then the fa i r market va lue , as

establ i shed by HUD . This wi l l ass i s t

rec ip ients and subrec ip ients in more

quick ly locat ing addi t iona l uni ts to

house ind iv idua ls and fami l ies

exper ienc ing homelessness .

MARCH 2020

2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

E m e r g e n cy S o l u t i o n s G r a n t :

W a i v e r I n f o r m a t i o n

Not i fy the City of Colorado Spr ings of s ign i f icant changes in any of

the fo l lowing : Outcomes , pol ic ies or programs del i very s t ructure ,

fac i l i t ies , and /or organizat iona l program . I t i s the expectat ion that

any such changes wi l l be discussed with the City of Colorado

Spr ings to reso lve problems that may ar i se .

Accept and expend the grant funds prov ided by the City of Colorado

Spr ings fo r the program year covered as ind icated in the appl icat ion

agreement .

Prov ide monthly /quarter l y /year ly report ing as out l ined in the

wr i t ten agreement and /or as requested dur ing the compl iance

monitor ing by the City of Colorado Spr ings .

Establ i sh and mainta in a sys tem fo r measur ing c l ient outcomes

which wi l l re f lect the programs ef fect i veness as s tated in i t s

ob ject i ve .

Achieve compl iance and remain prepared fo r per iod ic on s i te

moni tor ing v i s i t s . City requests fo r documentat ion should be

submit ted by Subrec ip ient in a complete , accurate , and t imely

manner .

Mainta in records of c l ient leve l demographics and outcome

achievement on a monthly /annual bas i s .

Mainta in sys tems of organizat ion and operate accord ing to c lear

l ines of respons ib i l i t y and author i ty .

The organizat ion i s compl iant with a l l s tate and federa l l aws and

regulat ions and upholds 501 (c )3 tax exempt s tatus ( i f appl icable ) .

Keep complete and accurate records in accordance with the

F inanc ia l Account ing Standards Board (FASB ) .

Ensure that serv ices funded by these grant funds are prov ided to a l l

persons without regard to age , gender , race . re l ig ion , nat iona l

or ig in , disabi l i t y , sexua l or ientat ion or any other barr ie rs to

part ic ipat ion .

MARCH 2020

F u n d i n g Exp e c t a t i o n s EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT (ESG -CV2 )

ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THECITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT DIVISION ARE EXPECTED TOFULLFILL AND UPHOLD THE FOLLOWING IF

AWARDED GRANT FUNDS:

2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

Has our organizat ion appl ied fo r funding before ?

What were some of the chal lenges and t r iumphs in

the adminis t rat ions of those funds ?

I s th i s f inanc ia l l y feas ib le ? Have we explored a l l our

opt ions fo r funding outs ide of HUD grant programs ? I f

we are not approved fo r grant funding how wi l l we f i l l

the gap ?

Do our organizat ions serv ices f i t in to the l andscape of

area serv ice prov iders ? How do we ensure we are not

dupl icat ing serv ices ?

I s our request fo r funding spec i f ica l l y re lated to

prepar ing fo r , prevent ing , and /or responding to the

COVID - 19 outbreak ? Can we make the case that our

ask supports /promotes the out l ined City pr ior i t ies ?

I f awarded , i s our organizat ion ready to car ry out our

proposed work ?

Are we prepared in terna l l y to handle report ing , audi t ,

f i sca l , and monitor ing requi rements fo r ut i l i z ing

federa l funds ? I f we lose support s ta f f , do we have a

back up plan fo r s tay ing compl iant ?

I s our board support i ve of the ESG -CV2 grant

appl icat ion process and subsequent requi rements ?

Wil l we be able to gather the requi red documentat ion

and meet appl icat ion deadl ines ?

Every year the City of Colorado Spr ings a ims to fo rge

new col laborat ions and deepen ex is t ing partnersh ips

wi th organizat ions who are invest ing in our wonder fu l

community and i t s c i t i zens . Before submit t ing an

appl icat ion fo r ESG -CV2 funding we ask organizat ions to

eva luate and cons ider the fo l lowing in determin ing

whether or not to submit an appl icat ion fo r funding :

CONSIDER:

IMPORTANT: Award of ESG -CV2 funds wi l l be based in

par t upon the factors l i s ted here .

B e f o r e yo u b e g i n

2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

F inanc ia l Pol ic ies & Procedures

F inanc ia l Audi t or Single Audi t

Ba lance Sheet

Cl ient In take Form

Conf l ic t of In terest Pol icy

Current Budget

Current Organizat iona l Chart

Fa i r Hous ing and Equal Access

pol ic ies

Gr ievance and Terminat ion Pol icy

L i s t of Board of Directors

Miss ion /Vis ion Statement

Most recent IRS Form 990

Non -Discr iminat ion Pol icy

Most recent 501 (c )3 determinat ion

let ter

Other award /commitment l e t te rs fo r

the proposed pro ject

Any other pol ic ies re lated to

e l ig ib i l i t y , pr ior i t i zat ion , and serv ice

prov i s ion

S ignatory Author i ty & Delegat ion

Author izat ion

3 . Gather your documents :

IMPORTANT: Being prepared beforeyou begin the appl icat ion wi l l reducethe t ime commitment needed toapply and ensure you are fu l lyprepared for a l l the requirements .

Neighbor ly : Al l appl icants must registerthrough the C i ty ' s on l ine grant appl icat ionplat form Neighbor ly Software . P lease v is i tthe ne ighbor ly sof tware porta l to register foryour onl ine prof i le and complete the grantappl icat ion . IMPORTANT: A l l grantappl icat ion must be submitted through theonl ine porta l . NO paper appl icat ionsaccepted .

SAM Regist rat ion : Al l appl icants must beregistered under the system for awardmanagement to do bus iness with the U .S .government . P lease v is i t the SAM webpageto register your organizat ion .

DUNS#: A l l appl icants must have aregistered DUNS number to be a grantawardee . P lease v is i t the DUNS webpage tocheck or rece ive your DUNS number .IMPORTANT: Due to the pandemic , de lays tonew regist rat ions have occurred .

HMIS/VSPID: P lease contact contact yourHMIS administ rator at CHP to obta in and/orfor ass is tance : ppchp.org/contact-us/

Rev iew a copy of the C i ty o f Co loradoSpr ings Wri t ten Standards . Rev iew FAQ'S

1 .Complete your registrat ion

2 .Review addit ional mater ia ls

MARCH 2020

G e t t i n g p R E PAR E DCOMPLETING YOUR REGISTRATION &

GATHERING YOUR DOCUMENTS

2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • •

Application Portal access begins- January 11th 2021The Notice of Funding Availability and Neighborly portal access will begin. For more details and to access theapplication portal please visit the Community Development Division webpage for details.

Submission Deadline- February 5th 2021 Applications for the ESG-CV2 grant funding are due by 11:59pm MST. NO exceptions.

Application Review- February 8th 2021Grant application review by internal city staff and external community reviewers will begin. This process willlast approximately 5-7 weeks. After completion, grant applicants will be notified of their approval or denialstatus.

Questions? For grant application questions and information, please contact Naomi Clark [email protected] or 719-385-6609. For general information about the CommunityDevelopment Division and our current activities please visit our webpage at coloradosprings.gov/community-development. You can sign up for division updates in our stay information mail distribution newsletter.

In adherence with current public health and safety precautions, a pre-recorded ESG-CV 2 presentation will beavailable on the CDD Website. The presentation will cover important information on the types of eligible projects,funding priorities, application details, and rules and regulations governing the ESG-CV2 funding programs. Inaddition CDD staff will host digital office hours to offer technical assistance and answer questions from applicantson the following dates:

Digital Workshop Session #1: January 20, 2021 MS TEAMS LINK: Or call in (audio only) + 1 720-617-3426, United States, Denver

Phone Conference ID: 394761515#

Digital Workshop Session #2: January 21, 2021MS TEAMS LINK: Or call in (audio only) +1-720-617-3426, United States Denver

Phone Conference ID: 463610810#

Digital Workshop Session #3: January 22, 2021MS TEAMS LINK: Or call in (audio only) +720-617-3426, United States Denver

Phone Conference ID: 287958458#

Before attending the digital office hours workshop please have the representative your organizations plans tohave attend view the presentation and associated materials. It is highly recommended that at least 1representative attend a workshop session to ask questions before an organization invests time and resourcesnecessary to submit a grant application.

G e t t i n g p R E PAR E DSUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

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2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

FAQ'S

Coronavirus Information and Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find additional information about HUD grant programs and details on theirefforts to combat the coronavirus? For more information about HUD sponsored programs and updates from HUD on the coronavirus, pleasevisit the HUD Coronavirus information page for details and updates. Our organization previously applied for ESG-CV funding for the current program year. Can we applyagain? All applicants who meet eligibility criteria for the ESG-CV2 program are welcome to applyregardless of their award status (approved or denied) from a previous application period. It is important tonote that funding for the ESG-CV2 grant pool are specifically for organizations to prevent,prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus. Applications that do not demonstrate and document that theirproject request is directly related to preventing, preparing for, and responding to the coronavirus will not beconsidered. If our organization is receiving benefits from another resource for documentable outcomes as a result ofthe coronavirus can we still apply? No. Assurance that the applicant is not receiving financial assistance from other sources for the expenseslisted in the application AND the ability to determine client’s needs not met from other funding sources. Formore information on the Duplication of Benefits Analysis please HUD’s guidance on the duplication ofbenefits regulations.

Application Requirements and Resources Are there grant writing resources available? The Pikes Peak Library District offers training, writing, and funding resources on obtaining grant funding.For more information please visit www.research.ppld.org/grants for more details. Additionally the ColoradoNon-Profit Association offers training, resources, and information on both grant writing and additionalresources for organizations assisting in the efforts to address the coronavirus. For more details please visitwww.coloradononprofits.org . We’re a new organization and don’t have some of the items in the gathering documents section. Canwe still apply? No. All documents listed are required documentation that will be requested in the Neighborly applicationportal. You can save your progress if you need additional time to gather documentation, howeverincomplete applications will not be accepted and/or reviewed.

One of the application requirements is to provide a copy of our most recent financial audit, howeverour organizations did not make more than the $750,000 expense threshold as outlined in 2 CFR 200Part F the Overview for Federal Grantees. Are we still required to submit documentation for thisrequirement?Yes. To be eligible for ESG-CV2 funds all organizations must meet the requirements outlined in 2 CFR 200Part F. If an applicant does not meet the $750,000 threshold they are still required to submit the mostrecent Fiscal review and/or independent accountant’s review in lieu of audit documentation.

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FAQ'S

What is the minimum award for ESG-CV2 grant funding?The minimum award amount for the current grant cycle is $100,000. Whom do we contact for technical support for the Neighborly Software portal? Please email [email protected] for technical issues. Our organization has more than one project we would like to apply for HUD funding, is this possible?Yes. Each project must be submitted as its own application in the Neighborly software system.Please be advised that approval of on application does not guarantee approval of another. When are applications due?Applications are due February 5th 2021 by 11:59pm MST. Partial applications will not be accepted. My organization helps families at risk of homelessness, but we don’t participate in coordinated entry.Can we still apply for ESG-CV2 funding?Yes. However, the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care and City are working on CE standards for homelessprevention activities. Once those are approved and in place, ESG Homelessness Prevention subrecipients willbe expected to participate in CE. For more information please see HUD's coordinated entry core elements. Organizations are required to submit a copy of the Fair Housing and Equal Access Policy. If we are not ahousing provider do we still need to submit this documentation?If you are not a provider of shelter, housing, or do not facilitate housing transactions (e.g., housing counseling,credit repair, housing navigation, or rental assistance), then you do not need a Fair Housingor Equal Access policy. If you provide any of the services above, your organization needs to adopt a FairHousing and Equal Access policy.

How soon will I know if my application is approved?Typically, after the application period has concluded, letters of approval/denial are sent to applicantswithin 5-7 weeks. If we are awarded, how soon can we start spending grant funds?Once given the notice to proceed letter from city staff, organizations can start submitting requests foreligible costs back dated as of January 21st, 2020 for strictly coronavirus- related eligible activities. We were awarded grant funds from Community Development last year and still haven’t finishedspending it. Can we add it to this year’s request?No. Awarded grant funds must be spent during and by the end of the program year as agreed upon. Ifan organization experienced a significant setback through no fault of their own, those requestsfor extension will be reviewed on a case by case basis. We need grant funds to hire a new staff member to carry out proposed work. Does the contractclock start when the new staff member is hired?No. Proposed work must be completed no earlier than the start of the outbreak, January 21st,2020, through the end of the CDD program year, March 31st, 2022.

2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

Application Requirements and Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Information

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FAQ'S

The Community Development Division greatly appreciates the efforts andimpact our community partners have on the citizens of Colorado Springs.Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with any

grant application inquiries.

For more information and resource guidance on the City of ColoradoSprings coronavirus response please visit:

https://coloradosprings.gov/economic-development/page/covid-19-response-helping-businesses

2021 ESG -CV2 INFORMATION AND APPLICATION GUIDE

Additional Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we use grant funds to pay for indirect costs associated with program operations?Yes, as long as those costs fall within the OMB regulations. Subrecipients will need to submit an indirect costplan at the time of drafting the agreement. You can find more information at:https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/16-04CPDN.PDF

cOLORADo SPRINGS

OLYMPIC CITY USA

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