COMMUNITY BASED NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATIONS

The Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC) announces funding availability and the opportunity for participation in the Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Program (NRPP). HTFC is soliciting applications from community based not-for-profit corporations to serve as either Neighborhood Preservation Companies (NPCs) or Rural Preservation Companies (RPCs). The following opportunities are available:

Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP)

• Five (5) NPC vacancies with total funding of up to $91,223.02 per award.

• Serves urban areas of the State with cities, towns, and villages having a population of 25,000 or more.

Rural Preservation Program (RPP)

• Two (2) RPC vacancies with total funding of up to $89,827.59 per award.

• Serves rural areas of the State with cities, towns and villages having a population of less than 25,000.

ELIGIBLE SERVICE AREAS

HTFC is soliciting applications limited to new preservation companies that propose service area boundaries inclusive of one, or more identified targeted regions. A service area is a geographically defined boundary proposed by the applicant to recognize or establish a neighborhood within a municipality. An evaluation of the current program has identified targeted regions where program attrition has resulted in an area being unserved or underserved. An underserved area may be served by one or more preservation companies, but demand/need for preservation activities remains unmet. Supporting maps will be provided to illustrate unserved areas.

Applicants will be required to demonstrate that a proposed service area within the following targeted regions meets statutory N/RPP eligible area requirements.

• Albany County

• Broome County

• Bronx County

• Chenango County

• Dutchess County

• Erie County

• Hamilton County

• Kings County

• Monroe County

• Montgomery County

• Nassau County

• Onondaga County

• Orange County

• Queens County

• Richmond County

• Rockland County

• Saratoga County

• Schenectady County

• Suffolk County

• Warren County

• Westchester County

APPLICATION FOR FUNDING

THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants must meet the following threshold eligibility criteria to advance to a full application review. Failure to satisfy all threshold eligibility criteria will result in the disqualification of the application from further consideration or review.

• The organization is not currently a preservation company funded by HCR.

• The organization proposes service area boundaries inclusive of one, or more identified targeted regions listed.

• The organization has been in existence and providing relevant service and engaged in active preservation of the community in the proposed service area for at least five (5) years.

• The organization is actively engaged in activities related to the preservation, stabilization, or improvement of neighborhoods/rural areas including owner occupied and rental home repair/rehabilitation; construction of new, affordable housing; tenant/homeowner assistance; subsidy assistance; community planning; or community assistance (after school care; recreation programming; food pantry).

• The organization has an office in the proposed service area.

• A substantial portion of the residential population in the service area the applicant proposes to assist through its activities must be persons of low-income. This is defined as residents whose median household income (MHI) does not exceed 90 percent for all residents of the municipality (for NPCs) or region (for RPCs) within which they reside.

• The organization has funding available to meet N/RPP program matching requirements. This will be a minimum of at least one-third of the total grant award. Matching funds are any additional funds expended to support the objectives of the organization’s housing and community renewal programs.

• The organization’s program budget clearly identifies how program funds will be utilized for the payment of salaries and wages to employees, or fees to consultants and professionals, who are engaged in rendering housing preservation and community renewal activities.

• The Board of Directors for the not-for-profit organization is representative of the community and meets the following requirements:

o NPP: Board must have at least seven (7) members and 33% of the board must be residents (not work—reside) in the proposed service area

o RPP: Board must have at least five (5) members and 51% of the board must be residents (not work—reside) in the proposed service area

Application materials for the sources identified above will be available on the NYS Homes and Community Renewal website, https://hcr.ny.gov, by October 6, 2021. Applications will be due no later than 4:00 pm on Friday, November 12, 2021. Applications must be submitted via email to: [email protected].

Applicants are subject to an evaluation of prior performance with other OCR funded programs and organizational capacity. The above-stated application deadline is firm as to date and hour. In the interest of fairness to all competing applicants, applications received after the specified date and time will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered for funding. Early submission of applications is recommended to avoid risks of ineligibility resulting from unanticipated delays.

NEIGHBORHOOD AND RURAL PRESERVATION PROGRAMS

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Programs provide administrative funding to support community based not-for-profits known as “preservation companies.” Funding is restricted to the payment of salaries and wages to employees of such companies who are engaged in rendering housing preservation and community renewal activities, fees to consultants and professionals retained by them for planning and performing such activities and other costs and expenses directly related to such employees, consultants, and professionals. Funding may not be used for capital costs, such as construction, repair, or rehabilitation activities.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants for the program are organizations incorporated under the New York State Not-For-Profit Corporation Law, that have been providing relevant service to and engaged in active preservation of the community for at least five years prior to application. Eligible applicants must also have a physical office in the area they propose to serve. Applicants must document experience with past and current community preservation projects and activities.

WORKPLAN ACTIVITIES

Applicants must propose a work plan that describes the housing preservation and/or community renewal activities to be completed during the contract period. NRPP funding supports the payment of salaries and wages to employees, or fees to consultants and professionals, who are engaged in these activities. Applicants must demonstrate the type of housing preservation or community renewal work they intend to complete that will benefit the service area. Payment of salaries, wages, or fees must relate to administration of activities in the following categories:

o Property Rehabilitation and Construction

o Client Assistance

o Community Renewal

Review the Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Programs Manual for more information related to activities: https://hcr.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2021/07/2021-nrpp-manual-final.pdf

FUNDING LIMITS

Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP)

• Five (5) NPP vacancies with total funding of up to $91,223.02 per award.

Rural Preservation Program (RPP)

• Two (2) RPP vacancies with total funding of up to $89,827.59 per award.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

These amounts are provided as guidelines for expected awards and HTFC reserves the right to award additional funds, a portion of, or none of the funds based on funding availability.

The Office of Community Renewal (OCR) reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to conduct site visits, interview the applicant, extend the submission deadline, and request additional information. OCR reserves the right to waive or modify any requirement contained in the Request for Application and applications received subject to the applicable statutes and the Program Regulations.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For inquiries or technical assistance regarding these programs please contact: the above address, call (518) 474-2057 or e-mail: [email protected]