Documents

Some of the criteria that the City may consider when evaluating CDBG Applications

Does the activity principally benefit low and moderate income level persons?

Does the activity prevent or eliminate slums and blight?

Does the activity address an urgent need or problem in the community?

Does the applicant’s request meet at least one of the local objectives and priorities established in the FiveYear Consolidated Plan?

Is this a duplication of services offered by another applicant?

Does the applicant have experience with CDBG/HOME/ ESG related activities and or subsequent experience with other grant programs and a proven record in providing similar activities within the city?

Does the applicant have financial capacity as indicated by audited financial statements and banking/credit references?

Does the applicant have the financial stability (not total dependence on CDBG/HOME/ ESG Funds) as indicated by funding sources and amounts over time? Activity or service will not require on-going or continued CDBG/HOME/ ESG funding.

Does the applicant have the necessary trained or adequate staffing to deliver the proposed service or activity (number and qualifications)?

Does the applicant have the overall organizational strength, including such items as:

• established record keeping methods
• filing system
• financial systems
• existence of written procedure manuals for financial management and personnel

Has the applicant become too dependent on CDBG/HOME/ ESG CDBG funding through the continued seeking and/or receiving of CDBG/HOME/ ESG funds as a major funding source for the operation of the program?

Has the applicant specifically listed how funds will be used (line-item budget) and how the National Objective will be met?

How did, or will, the organization determine low and moderate income compliance?

Has the organization realistically estimated the number of low and moderate income level persons benefiting from their service or project?

Is a special clientele or minority group served?

Has the Public Service Organization detailed how CDBG or ESG essential services funding will provide a quantifiable increase in service or a new service, potential benefit and impact to the City and residents, especially LMI individuals and families?

Activities, services or projects that provide a higher level of potential benefit and impact to City residents are usually given higher consideration.

 

 

FUNDING REQUEST FORM
CITY OF READING
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM
PY2020

Please answer all questions applicable to your project as specifically as possible (print or type).
The application deadline is June 30, 2019. Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the 2020 Action Plan Public Hearing.

In addition, all activities must be in conformance with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the 2019 to 2023 Five-Year Consolidated Plan. It is very important to spend CDBG funding expeditiously. The City is required to pass HUD’s annual CDBG Timeliness Test on November 1, 2020. Be aware that HUD has theright to take away CDBG funding if the City fails the test.

This application cannot be used for improvement projects to any City owned land - building and/or public-right-of-way or for any Special Economic Development Activities for businesses.
Please call Neil Nemeth at 610-655-6211 if you need assistance.

 

I. GENERAL INFORMATION 

A. Date: ________________________________________________________________________ 

 

B. Submitted By: _________________________________ Title: ___________________________ 

 

C. Organization: _________________________________________________________________ 

 

D. Address: _____________________________________________________________________ 

 

E. Telephone: ___________________________________ Fax: ___________________________ 

 

F. Contact Person: ________________________________________________________________ 

 

G. Contact Person Telephone: _______________________DUNS Number ___________________ 

 

H. Email: ______________________________________ IRS Tax Number: _________________ 

 

I. Total Project Budget: __________________________ Amount Requested: _______________ 

 

J. Project Name: _________________________________________________________________ 

 

K. Brief Description of Project: _______________________________________________________ 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________ 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________ 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________ 

 

L. Project Service Area: ____________________________________________________________ 

 

M. Census Tract: _______________

 

II. CHECKLIST OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS 

_____ 1. Narrative data on project and applicant 

_____ 2. Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws 

_____ 3. State and Federal Tax Exemption Determination letters 

_____ 4. List of Board of Directors 

_____ 5. Board of Directors' authorization to request funds 

_____ 6. Board of Directors' designation of authorized official 

_____ 7. Organizational chart 

_____ 8. Resume of program administrator 

_____ 9. Resume of fiscal officer 

_____ 10. Financial statement and most recent audit 

_____ 11. Documentation of compliance with National Objectives 

_____ 12. Copy of most recent strategic plan or similar planning document. 

_____ 13. Performance Measurement Form 

_____ 14. Current annual salary of the Executive Director. 

 

III. NARRATIVE 

 

The City does not require a particular format for this section however, the narrative must be typewritten and not exceed 3 pages. 

 

A. Project Summary 

 

Briefly describe the proposed project. The narrative should include the need or problem to be addressed in relation to the five year Consolidated Plan, as well as the population to be served or the area to benefit. Describe the work to be performed, including the activities to be undertaken or the services to be provided, the goals and objectives, method of approach, and the implementation schedule. Include the proposed budget, specifying line item costs such as personnel, supplies, equipment, travel, etc. Discuss the intended staffing pattern, and finally other sources of funding sought and secured. 

 

B. Performance/Outcome Measurement 

 

Human Service agencies are in the midst of a major shift from focus on activities to a focus on results. The potential benefits of this shift to a focus on outcomes are broad. Agencies will have invaluable information for increasing the quality of their programs. Program participants will receive services that are shown to produce positive results. 

 

Specify what is to be measured, how do you intend to measure it, and how the project will have a positive effect on the neighborhood it serves. Activities which demonstrate a significant measurable impact on a CDBG eligible neighborhood is the standard the City will use in selecting applications for funding. 

 

Using your organization’s planning document, please provide appropriate performance/outcome measurements for the project you are requesting funds for. Examples are: number of persons successfully graduating from course, number of persons learning a new skill, number of persons learning English as a second language, number of families provided permanent housing. 

 

If the activity did not receive CDBG Program funding in the previous year then specify new services planned or a quantifiable increase in the level of existing services to be provided for the upcoming year compared to the previous twelve (12) months of operation. In the case of a quantifiable increase, documentation must be provided that shows the amount of funding and the source of local or state funding for the previous twelve (12) months of operation. 

 

C. Organization Information 

 

Background 

Include the length of time the organization has been in operation, the date of incorporation, the purpose of the organization, and the type of corporation. Describe the type of services provided, the organization's capabilities, the number and characteristics of clients served, and license to operate (if appropriate). 

 

Personnel 

Briefly describe the organization's existing staff positions and qualifications, and state whether or not the organization has a personnel policy manual with an affirmative action plan and grievance procedure. 

 

Financial 

Describe the organization's current operating budget, itemizing revenues and expenses. Include copies of funding commitments used to match funds being requested. Describe the organization's fiscal management including financial reporting, record keeping, accounting systems, payment procedures, and audit requirements. 

 

The City may use the cost per unit of service or cost per measured outcome method of payment. Please provide a breakdown and explanation of the cost per unit. 

 

Audit Requirements 

If funded by the CDBG Program, the Organization may be subject to the audit requirements of OMB Circular A-133. When requested, the Organization shall submit a copy of its annual audit to the City indicating the receipt of federal funds provided by this Agreement. 

 

Insurance/Bond/Worker's Compensation 

State whether or not the organization has liability insurance coverage, in what amount, and with what insuring organization. State whether or not the organization pays all payroll taxes and worker's compensation as required by Federal and State Law. State whether or not the organization has fidelity bond coverage for principal staff who handle the organization's accounts, in what amount, and with what insuring organization. 

 

Additional Information 

Include any other pertinent information. 

 

IV. STANDARD REQUIRED DOCUMENTS 

 

A. Articles of Incorporation/Bylaws 

 

Articles of Incorporation/Bylaws Articles of incorporation are the documents recognized by the State as formally establishing a private corporation, business or organization. 

 

B. Non-profit determination 

 

Non-profit organizations must submit tax-exemption determination letters from the Federal Internal Revenue Service and the State Franchise Tax Board. 

 

C. List of the Board of Directors 

 

A list of the current board of directors or other governing body of the organization must be submitted. The list must include the name, telephone number, address, occupation or affiliation of each member and must identify the principal officers of the governing body.

 

D. Authorization to Request Funds 

 

Documentation must be submitted of the governing body's authorization to submit the funding request. Documentation of this requirement consists of a copy of the minutes of the meeting in which the governing body's resolution, motion or other official action is recorded. 

 

E. Authorized Official 

 

Documentation must be submitted of the governing body's action authorizing the representative of the organization to negotiate for and contractually bind the organization. Documentation of this requirement consists of a signed letter from the Chairperson of the governing body providing the name, title, address and telephone number of each authorized individual. 

 

F. Organizational Chart 

 

An organizational chart must be provided which describes the organization's administrative framework and staff positions, which indicates where the proposed project will fit into the organizational structure, and which identifies any staff positions of shared responsibility. 

 

G. Resume of the Chief Program Administrator 

 

H. Resume of the Chief Fiscal Officer 

 

I. Financial Statement and Audit 

 

V. NATIONAL OBJECTIVES 

 

The proposed project must address at least one of the three national objectives for the CDBG Program. Check the appropriate objective for your project and provide supporting information. 

 

Low/moderate Income Benefit: 

 

1) Census data must be provided demonstrating the service area contains at least 51% low/moderate income persons and is predominately residential if the project will primarily benefit low/moderate income persons living within the project service area. 

 

Service Area: This is the geographic area to be served by the project. It may be the houses along the particular section of road, the families using the bridge on a daily basis; the homes that will have water problems eliminated by the drainage improvements, etc. Please provide a map showing the project and outlining the service area of the project. 

 

Provide a justification for the service area chosen. 

 

2) Some projects may be designed to benefit low/moderate income persons because the project will only be available to this income group. An example would be the rehabilitation of rental housing to be rented to low/moderate income persons. If the proposed project addresses this type of limited clientele, please explain. 

 

3) HUD presumes the following groups consist of principally low/moderate income persons: abused children, elderly persons, battered spouses, homeless persons, handicapped persons, illiterate persons, and migrant farmworkers. If the proposed project addresses persons of one or more of these groups, please explain.

 

4) If the proposed project is designed to retain existing jobs or create new jobs, please explain how the jobs relate to the project, how many jobs will be created or retained, how many low/moderate income jobs will be create or retained, and when the jobs will be filled. 

 

Slums and Blight: Explain the slum and blighting influence. Attach additional sheets if necessary. 

 

 

VI. BUDGET SUMMARY 

Provide financial data requested below. Costs should be based on the best information available at the time of the request. When providing the information, consider the following: (a) a project must be completed in a single phase if possible; (b) Federal wage rates apply to construction projects costing $2,000 or more; (c) projects may not begin construction until CDBG Program funding is approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

 

Total estimated cost of project: $___________________ 

 

Amount of funds requested: $___________________ 

 

It is important to try to obtain funds to offset the demand for the limited amount of CDBG Program funds. If the project requires a renewal of funds every year, the City can not guarantee that renewal. 

 

A. List the amount and source of other funds that will be used in addition to the CDBG Program funds being requested. 

 

B. If CDBG Program funds are needed to secure matching funds from another source, state the source and the amount of funds to be matched. 

 

VI. CERTIFICATION 

 

This funding request for CDBG Program funds was discussed at a _________________ meeting held on 

 

________________________ and was approved by the governing body on _______________________ 

(date)                                                                                                     (date) 

 

___________________________________________ ____________________________________ 

Signature                                                                                   Title 

 

 

 

 

One original and one (1) copy must be sent by June 30, 2019 to: 

City of Reading Community Development Department 

City Hall Third Floor

815 Washington St. 

Reading, PA 19601

 

 

 

 

PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT FORM 

 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is requiring the City of Reading to develop, implement, and report on the performance of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. When submitting a funding application for the CDBG, HOME, or ESG Program, you must complete and submit the following information for your project. 

 

OBJECTIVES 

 

All projects or programs must relate to one of the following objectives. Please circle the appropriate number. 

 

1. Suitable Living Environment. In general, this objective relates to activities that are designed to benefit community, families, or individuals by address issues in their living environment. 

 

2. Decent Affordable Housing. The activities that typically would be found under this objective are designed to cover the wide range of housing possible that can be funded by the CDBG, HOME, and ESG Programs. This objective focuses on housing projects or programs where the purpose is to meet individual family or community needs and not where housing is an element of a larger effort. 

 

3. Creating Economic Opportunities. This objective applies to the types of activities or projects related to economic development, commercial revitalization, job creation, or job retention. 

 

OUTCOMES 

 

All projects or programs must relate to one of the following outcomes. Please circle the appropriate number. 

 

1. Availability/Accessibility. This outcome category applies to projects and programs that make services, infrastructure, housing, or shelter available or accessible to low and moderate income people, including people with disabilities. In this category, accessibility does not refer only to physical barriers, but also to making the affordable basics of daily living available and accessible to low and moderate income people. 

 

2. Affordability. This outcome category applies to projects or programs that provide affordability in a variety of ways in the lives of low and moderate income people. It can include the creation or maintenance of affordable housing, basic infrastructure hook-ups, or services such as transportation, day care, etc. 

 

3. Sustainability/Promoting Livable or Viable Communities. This outcome applies to projects and programs that are aimed at improving communities or neighborhoods, helping to make them livable or viable by providing benefit to low and moderate income people or by removing or eliminating slums or blighted areas through multiple activities or services that sustain communities or neighborhoods. 

 

OUTCOME INDICATORS 

 

You must select one or more of the following indicators that relates to your project or program and provide the information requested under the indicator. 

 

1. Infrastructure and public service activities. 

Provide the number of persons or households to be assisted: 

_____ with new access to service or benefit 

_____ with improved access to service or benefit 

_____ where activity was used to meet a quality standard or measurably improved quality, report number of persons or households that no longer have access to substandard service only

 

2. Activities are part of a geographically targeted revitalization effort. 

Check one: 

_____ Comprehensive 

_____ Commercial 

_____ Housing 

_____ Other 

 

Choose all the indicators that apply, or at least 3 indicators if the effort is Comprehensive. 

_____ Number of new businesses to be assisted 

_____ Number of businesses to be retained 

_____ Number of jobs created or retained in target area 

_____ Amount of money to be leveraged (from other public or private sources) 

_____ Number of low/moderate income persons to be served 

_____ Number of Slum/blight demolitions 

_____ Number of low/moderate income households to be assisted 

_____ Number of acres of remediated Brownfield 

_____ Number of households with new or improved access to public facilities/services 

_____ Number of commercial facade treatment/business building rehab 

_____ Other - can include: crime numbers, property value change, housing code violations, business occupancy rates, employment rates, homeownership rates. 

 

3. Activity addresses slum and blight spot basis. 

 

4. Number of commercial facade treatment/business building rehabilitations. _______ 

 

5. Number acres of brownfields to be redeveloped. _____ 

 

6. Number of new rental units to be constructed. 

Total number of units:_____ 

Of total: 

_____ Number affordable 

_____ Number accessible to persons with disabilities 

Of affordable: 

_____ Number subsidized by program (federal, state or local program) 

_____ Number of years of affordability guaranteed: 

_____ Number of housing units (supported through development and operations or rental assistance) for persons with HIV/AIDS: 

_____ Of those, number of units for the chronically homeless 

_____ Of those, the number made accessible to persons with disabilities 

_____ Number of units of permanent housing for homeless persons and families (supported through development and operations): 

_____ Of those, number of units for the chronically homeless 

_____ Of those, the number to be made accessible to persons with disabilities 

 

7. Rental units to be rehabilitated or improved. 

Total number of units: _____ 

Of total: 

_____ Number affordable 

_____ Number accessible to persons with disabilities 

_____ Number brought from substandard to housing code compliance 

_____ Number to meet meeting International Building Code Energy standards 

_____ Of those, number meeting Energy Star standards 

_____ Number brought into compliance with lead safe housing.

Of Affordable: 

_____ Number subsidized by Federal, state or local program. 

_____ Number of years of affordability guaranteed 

_____ Number of housing units (supported through development and operations) for persons with HIV/AIDS 

_____ Of those, number of units for the chronically homeless 

_____ Of those, the number made accessible to persons with disabilities 

_____ Number of units of permanent housing for homeless persons and families (that are supported through development and operations) 

_____ Of those, number of units for the chronically homeless 

_____ Of those, the number made accessible to persons with disabilities 

 

8. Owner occupied units to be rehabilitated or improved. 

Total Number of units: _____ 

_____ Number of units brought from substandard to local code compliance 

_____ Number of units brought to International Building Code Energy standards 

_____ Of those, number brought to Energy Star standards 

_____ Number of units brought into compliance with lead safe housing rule 

_____ Number of units subsidized by federal, state or local program 

 

9. Direct financial assistance to be provided to home buyers 

_____ Number of first-time home buyers 

_____ Number of subsidized tenants 

_____ Number of minority households 

Down-payment Assistance Yes No 

Closing Costs Yes No 

Mortgage buy-down/Reduction Yes No 

Interest Reduction Yes No 

Second Mortgage Yes No 

 

10. Number of jobs to be created: _____ 

Employer sponsored health care benefits: Yes No 

Type of jobs created (use existing Economic Development Administration (EDA classification)

_______________ _______________ _______________ 

_____ Number of unemployed before taking job. 

 

11. Number of jobs to be retained, saved, or maintained: _____ 

Employer sponsored health care benefits: Yes No 

Type of jobs created (use existing Economic Development Administration (EDA classification): _______________ _______________ _______________ 

_____ Number of unemployed before taking job. 

 

12. Number of businesses to be assisted: _____ 

_____ Number of New 

_____ Number of Expansions 

_____ Number of Relocations 

DUNS number(s) of those businesses: _________ __________ __________ 

Two-digit NAIC industry classification (if needed w/DUNS): __________ __________ 

 

13. Does assisted business provide a good or service to meet needs of service area/neighborhood/community? Yes No 

 

14. Number of homeownership units to be constructed, acquired, and/or acquired with rehabilitation. 

Total Number of Units: ________

Of those: 

_____ Number of affordable units 

_____ Number of years affordability guaranteed 

_____ Number meeting International Building Code Energy standards 

_____ Of those, number using Energy Star standards 

_____ Of those, the number made accessible to persons with disabilities 

Of the affordable units: 

_____ Number subsidized by state/local programs 

_____ Number subsidized by federal programs 

_____ Number specifically for persons with HIV/AIDS 

_____ Number specifically for homeless 

Of those, number specifically for chronically homeless: _____ 

Of those, the number made accessible to persons with disabilities: _____ 

 

15. Number of renter units or tenants to be assisted with monthly subsidies (tenant-based rental assistance). 

Total Number of units _____ 

Of those: 

_____ Number subsidized by state/local programs 

_____ Number subsidized by federal programs 

_____ Number assisting persons with HIV/AIDS 

_____ Number assisting homeless 

Of those, number assisting chronically homeless _____ 

Of those, the number made accessible to persons with disabilities. _____ 

 

16. Number of homeless persons stabilized due to access to overnight shelter or other emergency housing support.