The Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC) announces the availability of over $3 million of State funds for the following programs:

• $ 1 million - Access to Home Program

• $ 2.1 million - RESTORE Program

UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS INCORPORATED UNDER THE NEW YORK STATE NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION LAW

APPLICATION FOR FUNDING

The detailed Request for Applications (RFA) and online application will be available on the NYS Homes and Community Renewal website, https://hcr.ny.gov/office-community-renewal-state-housing-resources-funding-opportunities on August 28, 2019. Applications will be due no later than 4:00 pm on Friday October 11, 2019. Applications must be submitted using the Community Development Online Application System (CDOL) available at: https://apps.hcr.ny.gov/SingleSignon/?ReturnUrl=%2fcdonline%2fmenu.aspx

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 the risk of ineligibility resulting from unanticipated delays.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The NYS Access to Home program provides financial assistance to make residential units accessible for low- and moderate-income persons with disabilities. Assistance with the cost of adapting homes will enable individuals to safely and comfortably continue to, or return to, live in their residences instead of residing in an institutional setting.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants for the Access to Home program are units of local government and organizations incorporated under the New York State Not-For-Profit Corporation Law, that have been providing relevant service to the community for at least one year prior to application.

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

Grant funds may be used to assist homeowners to complete accessibility modifications to adapt or retrofit homes for persons with disabilities. Rehabilitation activities reimbursable by grant funds may only include accessibility modifications designed to address the needs of the person with disabilities or substantial difficulty with daily living activity due to aging. Examples include: wheelchair ramps and lifts, handrails, doorway widening, and roll-in showers. Review the Access to Home Program Manual for more information related to eligible activities: https://hcr.ny.gov/access-home#program-manual.

FUNDING LIMITS

• The minimum request amount is $75,000. The maximum request amount is $150,000.

• A maximum of $25,000 per unit is allowable. This cap is inclusive of both hard costs for accessibility modifications, soft costs and project delivery expenses.

• Applicants may budget up to 7.5 percent of the request amount for eligible administrative costs.

• Applicants may budget up to 5 percent of project costs for eligible soft costs and project delivery costs.

UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATIONS

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Residential Emergency Services to Offer (Home) Repairs to the Elderly (RESTORE) program provides financial resources to assist senior citizen homeowners with the cost of addressing emergencies and code violations that pose a threat to their health and safety or affect the livability of their home. Assistance for the cost of these critical repairs will enable seniors to continue to live independently in their homes.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants for the RESTORE program are units of local government and not-for-profit corporations that have been providing relevant service to the community for at least one year prior to application.

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

Grant funds may be used to assist homeowners to complete emergency repairs. An eligible emergency repair eliminates a hazardous condition or deficiency that poses an immediate threat to the life, health or safety or the elderly homeowner. Review the RESTORE Program Manual for more information related to eligible activities: https://hcr.ny.gov/restore-program#program-manual.

FUNDING LIMITS

• The minimum request amount is $75,000. The maximum request amount is $150,000.

• A maximum of $10,000 per building is allowable. This cap is inclusive of both hard costs for accessibility modifications, soft costs and project delivery expenses.

• Applicants may budget up to 7.5 percent of the request amount for eligible administrative costs.

• Applicants may budget up to 5 percent of project costs for eligible soft costs and project delivery costs.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The OCR reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to negotiate with applicants, recommend funding in an amount less than requested, conduct site visits, interview the applicant and development team, extend the submission deadline, and request additional information. The OCR reserves the right to waive or modify any requirement contained in the Request for Proposals and applications received subject to the applicable statutes and the Program Regulations.

MINORITY- AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (M/WBE) COMPLIANCE

Recipients of awards are subject to Article 15A and 17-B of the New York State Executive Law. These requirements include equal employment opportunities for minority group members and women (“EEO”), and contracting opportunities for certified minority and women-owned business enterprises (“MWBEs”) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (“SDVOBs”). Recipient’s demonstration of “good faith efforts” pursuant to 5 NYCRR § 142.8 shall be a part of these requirements.

NEW YORK STATE GRANTS GATEWAY PREQUALIFICATION

The New York State Grants Gateway is a statewide effort to improve the way New York State administers grants by simplifying and streamlining the grants management process.

Effective August 1, 2013, not-for-profit organizations must be prequalified to do business with New York State. To prequalify, not-for-profit organizations must submit an online Prequalification Application through the Grants Gateway. The Prequalification Application is comprised of five components to gauge your organizational structure and the types of services you provide. The required forms and document uploads are all part of the Grants Gateway Document Vault. Resources to complete the application and associated document vault can be found in the Quick Links Section of the Grants Gateway page at https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/.

Prequalification is designed as a way for not-for-profits to interact more directly with State agencies before competing for State contracts, enabling them to adjust and answer concerns prior to entering a competitive process. Once prequalified, multiple State agencies will have access to the prequalification materials, eliminating redundant submissions of such information by the vendor. Not-for-profits must formally prequalify every 3 years, with the responsibility to keep their information current throughout the 3-year period.

Applications submitted by applicants that are not prequalified through the New York State Grants Gateway by the application deadline of October 11, 2019, may be deemed ineligible for review and consideration.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For inquiries or technical assistance regarding these programs please contact: New York Homes and Community Renewal, Office of Community Renewal, at the above address or call (518) 474-2057