Moving CDBG Forward: Technical Assistance and

Program Outreach

States Webinar October 22, 2013

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States Plenary

Introduction

Purpose: To hear from grantees about their experience with OneCPD TA and the CDBG program, and to discuss ideas to address challenges through:

Technical Assistance (TA)/Training Solutions

vs.

Changing CDBG Rules and Regulations

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States Plenary

• Summary of Moving CDBG Forward • OneCPD TA • Disaster Preparedness/Resiliency Planning • Green Building Standards • Breakout Sessions

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Agenda

States Plenary

Moving CDBG Forward

• Historical Context • HUD’s Approach to CDBG TA Outreach • Technical Assistance vs. Program Changes • Nine Topic Areas

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OneCPD Eligible Activities Synchronization

Grantee Participation

Economic Development

Green Building Standards

Performance Incentives

Incentive Fund

Performance Sanctions

States Plenary

Moving CDBG Forward

Additional Opportunities to Comment:

• HUD Switchboard online forum

• Dedicated email address: CDBGTAinput@hud.gov

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States Plenary

HUD has identified nine topic areas for feedback through the CDBG TA outreach effort. This process is meant to solicit input on OneCPD, to elicit ideas from grantees about technical assistance products HUD should provide, and to listen to thoughts on structural program issues that could be addressed to make the CDBG program more effective and accountable. Reminder: This webinar is being audio recorded, and notes are being taken in all breakouts.

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Facilitated Discussion

States Plenary

1. The chat window in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen is set to public. Anything you type and submit will be viewable by all participants. Facilitators will respond to questions and comments according to the order received and pertinence to the current discussion.

2. If you would like to make a verbal comment or ask a question, you can press 7# on your telephone, which will place you into the “raised hand” queue. Facilitators will unmute the members in the queue as appropriate.

3. We will use polling questions throughout the webinar. To respond to these questions, wait for the polling box to pop up in the center of your screen and then click on your desired response.

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Technical Instructions

States Plenary

During these discussions, please follow these rules:

1. Afford your fellow participants the opportunity to speak.

2. Provide enough detail to frame your thought, but be considerate of time constraints.

3. Speak honestly – HUD is interested in receiving all of your ideas and comments.

4. Follow the technical directions for using the “chat” feature and for “raising your hand” to request to speak.

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Ground Rules

States Plenary

• HUD launched OneCPD in 2010, offering technical assistance (TA) to CPD grantees through a community of providers.

• OneCPD TA includes direct (onsite and remote) TA, training, and resource development (including the OneCPD Resource Exchange Web site).

• OneCPD TA is integrated with the eCon Planning Suite.

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OneCPD Technical Assistance

States Plenary

• What types of TA have you received through OneCPD,

and what has been your experience (this includes direct TA, webinars, and other trainings)?

• What has been your experience with the OneCPD Resource Exchange (www.OneCPD.info)?

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OneCPD Technical Assistance

States Plenary

• What gaps exist in the TA offered by HUD to State

grantees?

• What issues, if any, have you faced that cannot be addressed by TA?

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OneCPD Technical Assistance

States Plenary

Based on HUD’s experience with implementing long-term disaster response programs, HUD sees value in including disaster preparedness/resiliency elements in required CDBG planning activities.

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Disaster Planning

States Plenary

Would including a disaster planning/resiliency component in the Con Plan help your State and your program in effectively reacting to a disaster?

a. Yes, this will help focus my State’s disaster planning efforts. b. Yes, it will complement existing disaster planning efforts. c. No, my State already has a comprehensive disaster plan. d. No, other State agencies are in charge of disaster planning.

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Polling Question – Disaster Planning

States Plenary

Does your CDBG program currently require green building standards and/or energy efficiency standards?

a. Yes, they are required by the State. b. Yes, they are program requirements that we developed. c. No.

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Polling Question – Green Building

States Plenary

We will now proceed to the breakout sessions. Please click the link that will appear shortly to be directed to the breakout session you selected during the registration process. Please be patient – this may take a moment.

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Moving to Breakout Sessions

Moving CDBG Forward: Technical Assistance and

Program Outreach

States Webinar – Breakout 1 Grantee Participation, Economic Development,

Eligible Activities, and Synchronization

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States Breakout 1

Overview

Four Moving CDBG Forward Topics: Grantee Participation Economic Development Eligible Activities Synchronizing Plans and Cycles

Goal: To streamline administration and to provide guidance so that grantees can spend more time on program benefits, financial management, and citizen involvement—work that drives results.

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States Breakout 1

Grantee Participation

HUD Proposals: • Establishing a minimum grant size (FY 2014 Budget Justification)

0.0125% of the CDBG appropriation (in 2014, approximately $350,000)

• Removing “grandfathered” communities (FY 2014 Budget Justification) Grantees that would no longer qualify based on population and are not

principal cities

• Requiring a minimum per-capita income need HUD proposes a 5-year transition period.

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States Breakout 1

Grantee Participation

Impact on State CDBG Programs: • Approximately 300 entitlement communities.

Rough estimate of 6 per State. Ranging from 0 (South Dakota) to 25

(California). • Some of these entitlements will join

“regional combinations” or Urban County grantees.

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States Breakout 1

Grantee Participation

Should HUD create special regulations to govern how these communities interact with State programs?

• Expand the provisions for Urban Counties to the State level • Create a new class of non-entitlements • Facilitate strong and fair subrecipient agreements

What specific challenges would you face in absorbing these communities into your State CDBG program?

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States Breakout 1

Economic Development

• For economic development activities, what challenges do you face in ensuring compliance with the statute and regulations?

• Which of these challenges in understanding and complying with the statute and regulations can be solved with TA, and where do the statute and regulations themselves create barriers?

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States Breakout 1

Economic Development

Examples of how to increase accountability and effectiveness to enable greater use of CDBG funds for economic development include: • Make underwriting mandatory. • Revise the provisions related to Neighborhood Revitalization

Strategy Areas. • Develop a new national objective or expand the slum/blight or

urgent need objectives to better fit economic development. • Allow pro-rated benefit calculations for CDBG/108 (similar to

HOME). • Clarify rules related to counting jobs.

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States Breakout 1

Eligible Activities

• There are currently 28 eligible activities. • One way to simplify this is to add general

eligibility categories:1

• In conjunction, clarify ineligible activities and simplify documentation.

1 Section 105(a) of the Housing and Community Development Act.

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Economic Development Public Facilities and Improvements

Affordable Housing Public Services

Planning General Administration

States Breakout 1

Eligible Activities

Would such statutory changes to eligible activities positively or negatively impact your planning practices?

a. Great Positive Impact b. Positive Impact c. No Impact d. Negative Impact e. Great Negative Impact

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States Breakout 1

Eligible Activities

• What difficulties have you had in identifying

appropriate eligible activity categories for your projects?

• What revisions would you recommend for this proposal? Should HUD consider an alternative approach?

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States Breakout 1

Synchronization

Examples of synchronizing plans and cycles that HUD is considering:

• Consolidating many required documents into a statutory Consolidated Plan.

• Consolidating reporting elements. • Resetting timeframes, cycles, and deadlines.

How could synchronizing plans and cycles benefit you as a grantee? What challenges might this create?

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States Breakout 1

Synchronization

How would statutory changes to synchronize plans and cycles positively or negatively impact your planning practices?

a. Great Positive Impact b. Positive Impact c. No Impact d. Negative Impact e. Great Negative Impact

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States Breakout 1

Conclusion

Additional thoughts and comments are welcome on this and all topics discussed today. Please visit the HUD Switchboard online forum to offer feedback. You can also email HUD directly at CDBGTAinput@hud.gov. Thank you for participating.

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Moving CDBG Forward: Technical Assistance and

Program Outreach

States Webinar – Breakout 2 Grantee Participation, Sanctions,

and Nonfinancial and Financial Incentives

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States Breakout 2

Overview

Four Moving CDBG Forward Topics: Grantee Participation Sanctions Nonfinancial Incentives Financial Incentives

Goal: To better correct nonperformance and noncompliance and to implement performance incentives based on effective and comparable performance measures.

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States Breakout 2

Grantee Participation

HUD Proposals: • Establishing a minimum grant size (FY 2014 Budget

Justification) 0.0125% of the CDBG appropriation (in 2014, approximately

$350,000)

• Removing “grandfathered” communities (FY 2014 Budget Justification) Grantees that would no longer qualify based on population and are

not principal cities

• Requiring a minimum per-capita income need HUD proposes a 5-year transition period.

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States Breakout 2

Grantee Participation

Impact on State CDBG Programs: • Approximately 300 entitlement communities.

Rough estimate of 6 per State. Ranging from 0 (South Dakota) to 25

(California).

• Some of these entitlements will join “regional combinations” or Urban County grantees.

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States Breakout 2

Grantee Participation

Should HUD create special regulations to govern how these communities interact with State programs?

• Expand the provisions for Urban Counties to the State level

• Create a new class of non-entitlements • Facilitate strong and fair subrecipient agreements

What specific challenges would you face in absorbing these communities into your State CDBG program?

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States Breakout 2

Sanctions

• What sanction mechanisms do you use in your

programs (e.g., for non-entitlement communities)?

• How would these mechanisms work at a Federal level (both between HUD and entitlement communities and between HUD and States)?

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States Breakout 2

Sanctions

• What other types of sanctions do you think

would help accountability in the CDBG program?

• Are there alternatives for sanctions that HUD should consider?

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States Breakout 2

Incentives

Nonfinancial Incentives: • National Recognition • Preferred Access to TA Experts • Exceptions to Documentation Requirements • Aggregated Benefit Reporting

Financial Incentive: • “Incentive Fund” set-aside from the annual CDBG

allocation

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States Breakout 2

Incentives

• How do you feel about the idea of HUD incentivizing high performance by offering a reward to grantees designated as high-performers?

• Which of these incentives appeals to you?

• What are the potential negative effects on or

barriers to the use of incentives in CDBG?

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States Breakout 2

Incentives

• What other types of incentives (including financial alternatives to the “Incentive Fund”) do you think would encourage grantee improvement?

• Please share your experiences related to performance incentives with other, perhaps similar, work.

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States Breakout 2

Conclusion

Additional thoughts and comments are welcome on this and all topics discussed today. Please visit the HUD Switchboard online forum to offer feedback. You can also email HUD directly at CDBGTAinput@hud.gov. Thank you for participating.

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