The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) has allocated Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding for Housing Resilience Planning (HRP) activities. In accordance with the Nebraska DR Action Plan, as amended, DED issues this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Eligible entities are communities within areas designated by the state or federal government as most impacted and distressed (MID) as a result of the 2019 flood disaster (DR-4420). As defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the federal MID area includes Dodge, Douglas, and Sarpy counties. The state-defined MID area includes all counties listed in the 2019 disaster declaration.
Allocation Amount: $2,000,000
Award Ceiling: $250,000 for single jurisdiction; $500,000 for multi-jurisdiction
Award Floor: $100,000
Application Portal Opens: Wednesday, July 10, 2024, 8:00 a.m. CT / 7:00 a.m. MT
Application Portal Closes: Monday, August 12, 2024, 6:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. MT
The purpose of HRP is to promote comprehensive community resilience by developing plans for housing recovery, resilience, and affordability that address flood vulnerabilities. Awards under this program are expected to be Exempt under the environmental review processes as articulated within CDBG-DR Manual, Chapter 8: National Environmental Policy Act.
DED will accept HRP applications for 30 days; dates are listed above. DED will accept applications via AmpliFund for a potential award of CDBG-DR funding to support eligible activities. This is a competitive funding opportunity. Submitted applications will be scored according to the HRP evaluation and scoring matrix in the table below.
OVERVIEW OF HRP APPLICATION PROCESS:
Step 1: Read the HRP Program Guide to ensure eligibility and program understanding prior to beginning your application. This program guide and other program materials are available on DED’s CDBG-DR webpage for HUD Requirements > Program Guidelines.
Step 2: Log in to an existing AmpliFund account or register to create one. For assistance with AmpliFund, visit DED’s Grants Help Center.
Step 3: Register and attend the Application Webinar. To support HRP Applicants, DED will host a webinar to walk through the program requirements, AmpliFund application, and scoring/selection process. After registering, you should receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Attendance is not required to apply for funding.
CDBG-DR Housing Resilience Planning – Application Webinar
Tuesday, July 09, 2024, 11:00 a.m. CT / 10:00 a.m. MT
Register in advance for this meeting: HERE
Step 4: During the application period, complete the HRP application in its entirety plus any supporting documentation requested.
APPLICATION SELECTION CRITERIA AND PRIORITY PROJECTS. As with CDBG-DR housing and infrastructure funding opportunities, DED will prioritize an applicant’s submission based on tiering conditions summarized in the table below. Tiering encourages investments in the HUD-MID area and those that serve low- and moderate-income (LMI) residents.
| Tier | Priority Description |
| 1 | Project will be implemented in a HUD-defined MID[1] area AND the proposed service area has a population that is greater than 50% LMI[2] residents. |
| 2 | Project will be implemented in a HUD-defined MID area OR serves an LMI service area. |
| 3 | Project will NOT be implemented in a HUD-defined MID area and does NOT serve an LMI service area. |
Applications meeting the threshold requirements will be scored using the tiering and competitive evaluation criteria listed in the matrix below. Applications not meeting minimum points may not be eligible for an award. Points are awarded for each criterion as outlined below.
| HRP EVALUATION & SCORING MATRIX | ||||
| THRESHOLD | TIERING & COMPETITIVE | |||
| Criteria | Score | Criteria | Max Pts | |
| Applicant is an eligible entity. | Pass/Fail | TIERING | Service area meets LMI National Objective | 5 |
| Applicant identified an eligible service area. | Pass/Fail | Located in HUD-defined MID | 5 | |
| Project demonstrates direct or indirect “tie-back” to the Disaster (i.e., geographic service area was part of a DR-4420 declared disaster area). (If applicable, include alignment with needs outlined in the Action Plan Unmet Needs Assessment.) | Pass/Fail | Planning goals enhance community recovery and resilience against future flooding and flood-related disasters. | 2 | |
| Applicant or its agent has grant funding experience, including staff and board expertise adhering to state and federal funding requirements (e.g., Uniform Grants Guidance, NEPA). | Pass/Fail | Planning goals support and address needs of Vulnerable Populations. | 1 | |
| Project planning activities focus on reducing flood vulnerability in the service area. | Pass/Fail | Planning goals address restoration housing available to LMI populations, including efforts focused on known LMI census tracts. | 1 | |
| Project planning activities address one or more of the following areas of focus:(1) Housing recovery, which supports communities in gathering data about existing housing stock and damages and implementing programs that help communities recover by using available funds.(2) Housing resilience, which allows communities to determine their existing risks and vulnerabilities and develop actions that increase resilience against future disasters. Communities can use funding to further assess their long-term recovery needs.(3) Affordable housing, which helps communities develop programs that preserve existing affordable housing and encourage the development of new affordable housing. | Pass/Fail | Planning goals address affordable housing available to LMI populations. | 1 | |
| Alignment with long-term local or regional planning efforts, including demonstration of local support from community leaders, residents, and businesses for the proposed project. | 1 | |||
| Cost reasonableness and project readiness. Applicant outlined how the estimated budget was determined for the proposed project and demonstrated overall project readiness. | 2 | |||
| Total Points Possible | 18 | |||
| Minimum Points Possible to Receive an Award | 8 | |||
DED looks forward to assisting communities with the development of housing resiliency plans to improve Nebraska’s resiliency in the aftermath of Winter Storm Ulmer (DR-4420) and for future disasters. If you have questions about the information in this NOFO, please send an email to ded.cdbgdr@nebraska.gov.
Spanish interpretation can be provided; please email ded.cdbgdr@nebraska.gov with your request. Ofrecemos traducción simultánea en español; por favor mandar un email a ded.cdbgdr@nebraska.gov con la solicitud.
ACCOMMODATIONS. Closed captions available. Spanish interpretation can be provided. Individuals requiring sensory accommodations, including interpreter services, Braille, large print or recorded materials should contact Lori Cole at 402-471-3746 or lori.cole@nebraska.gov.
Los individuos no hablan Inglés y los individuos con discapacidad podrán solicitar las ayudas y servicios auxiliares necesarios para la participación de contacto con el Departamento de Desarrollo Económico, 245 Fallbrook Boulevard, Suite 002, Lincoln, Nebraska 68521, lori.cole@nebraska.gov.
MORE INFORMATION. Nebraska’s CDBG-DR programs are administered by the DED Disaster Recovery Division. For more information about CDBG-DR programs, including details about the MID area and program priorities, visit the DED’s CDBG-DR website. If you have general questions about the CDBG-DR program, please direct them to ded.cdbgdr@nebraska.gov.
If this email was forwarded to you, please be sure to sign-up for the CDBG-DR mailing list by completing the contact form. Individuals who are hearing and/or speech impaired and have a TTY may contact the Department through the Statewide Relay System by calling (711) INSTATE, (800) 833-7352 (TTY), or (800) 833-0920 (voice). The relay operator should be asked to call DED at (800) 426-6505 or (402) 471-3111. Additional information is available on the Nebraska Relay website at http://www.nebraskarelay.com/. Nebraska Relay offers Spanish relay service for our Spanish-speaking customers. Spanish-to-Spanish (711) or 1-888-272-5528; Spanish-to-English (711) or 1-877-564-3503. Nebraska le ofrece el servicio de relevo a nuestros clientes en español. Los consumidores de TTY pueden escribir por máquina en español y las conversaciones serán retransmitidas en español y inglés.
| Housing Resilience Planning (HRP) Anticipated Timeline | |||
| Date | Event/Action | Location/Details | Responsible Party(ies) |
| Tue., July 09, 2024 | Application Information Session at 11:00 a.m. CT / 10:00 a.m. MT | Virtual. Registration information above. | DED |
| Wed., July 10, 2024 | Application Portal opens at 8:00 a.m. CT / 7:00 a.m. MT | Application can be found at: https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/cdbg-dr | DED |
| Wed., July 24, 2024 | Office Hour at 9:30 a.m. CT / 8:30 a.m. MT | Available via email notification | DED |
| Mon., August 12, 2024 | Application Closes at 6:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. MT | Submit via AmpliFund – https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/cdbg-dr | Applicant |
| Thur., September 12, 2024 | Notification of Intent to Award | DED to issue via email. This stage will also include Award Setup in AmpliFund. | DED |
| 30 days after NOIA | Execute Subrecipient Agreement (SRA) | DED to issue SRA. DED signs last. | DED/Awardee |
| 45 days after NOIA | Environmental Review | Subrecipient submits materials to DED. DED to enter ERR in HEROS. | Subrecipient/DED |
| 45 days after NOIA | Award Conditions | Subrecipient shall submit materials to DED as specified in the SRA. Subrecipient must identify Recipient Grant Manager (RGM). | Subrecipient/DED |
| 18 months after NOIA | Project Implementation | Subrecipient submits reporting, requests for reimbursement, and other information to DED. | Subrecipient |
| 24 months after NOIA | Project Closeout | Subrecipient submits monitoring and closeout materials per DED request for information. Upon acceptance, DED will issue letter of closeout. | Subrecipient/DED |
[1] Most Impacted and Distressed (MID) Areas: Areas of most impact as determined by HUD or the State using the best available data sources to calculate the amount of disaster damage. The HUD MID-designated areas for Winter Storm Ulmer (DR-4420) are Dodge County, Douglas County, and Sarpy County.
[2] LMI is defined as Households whose total annual gross income does not exceed 80% of AMI, adjusted for family size.