Fy19 Nofa

Funding Opportunity Number:
Funding Opportunity Title:

Program Office:

FR-6300-N-33
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
for the Department's Fiscal Year 2019
Comprehensive Housing Counseling
Grant Program
Housing

Drafter:
Joel Schumacher
Special Instructions:
Gray shaded text denotes standardized language that is required content in every
announcement.
Gray shaded underlined text denotes optional standard language where users can opt to include
certain text when appropriate.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Program Office:
Funding Opportunity Title:

Announcement Type:
Funding Opportunity Number:
Primary CFDA Number:
Due Date for Applications:

Housing
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
for the Department's Fiscal Year 2019
Comprehensive Housing Counseling
Grant Program
Initial
FR-6300-N-33
14.169
04/25/2019

Overview
Prospective applicants should carefully read all instructions in all sections to avoid sending an
incomplete or ineligible application. HUD funding is highly competitive. Failure to respond
accurately to any submission requirement could result in an incomplete or noncompetitive
proposal.
For Further Information Regarding this NOFA: Please direct questions regarding the
specific program requirements of this Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to the
office contact identified in Section VII.
OMB Approval Number(s):

2502-0261

I. Funding Opportunity Description.
A. Program Description.

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1. Purpose
a. Program Description. The purpose of HUD’s Housing Counseling Grant Program is to
provide funds to HUD approved housing counseling agencies that provide counseling and
advice to tenants and homeowners, with respect to property maintenance, financial management
and literacy, and other matters as may be appropriate to assist program clients in improving
their housing conditions, meeting their financial needs, and fulfilling the responsibilities of
tenancy or homeownership. This NOFA plays an integral role in the continued stabilization of
our nation’s housing market by helping individuals and families obtain housing and stay in their
homes through responsible homeownership or affordable rental housing. Housing counseling
agencies are an important safeguard in the prevention of housing scams and discrimination and
serve as an important gateway to local, state, federal and private housing assistance and
resources.
b. Objectives and Priorities of this NOFA. The Department has identified several priorities
for the Housing Counseling Program that this NOFA addresses, including but not limited to:
1. Distribute federal financial support to housing counseling agencies to enable them to
provide quality services to consumers to address their housing and financial needs.
2. Distribute federal financial support to housing counseling agencies based on past
performance.
3. Reduce the administrative costs to program participants when applying for and reporting
on HUD funding while maintaining accountability for federal funds.
4. Leverage external resources and funding to increase the sustainability of quality housing
counseling programs.
5. Prepare the housing counseling industry for housing counselor testing and certification.
6. Ensure distribution of funding amounts for rural areas with low levels of access to
housing counseling services, including areas with insufficient access to the Internet.
7. Provide housing counseling services to traditionally underserved populations, such as
minorities, seniors, veterans, persons with disabilities, and persons with limited English
proficiency.
2. Changes from Previous NOFA.
Two-Year NOFA: One Competition Distributes Subsequent Year Funding if Available.
HUD will use the grant applications received for FY 2019 and the corresponding scores and
funding methodology to make awards for FY 2020, subject to the availability of appropriations.
HUD will contact eligible FY 2019 grantees to determine their interest in FY 2020 funds if
available. HUD also reserves the right to issue a supplemental comprehensive housing
counseling NOFA in FY 2020, which may be limited to new applicants or to provide support
for a specific housing counseling activity.
Increased Reliance on HUD’s Own Records for Scoring. HUD will use the applicant’s
previous fiscal year’s HUD-9902 and Housing Counseling System (HCS) profile information
and validation record to score portions of Rating Factors. Agencies should ensure that all HUD9902 reports are submitted timely and that HCS profiles are accurate and validated quarterly.
Promoting Accountability for Federal Funds. HUD reminds applicants that actual
accomplishments must match the program objectives of the award and information provided to
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HUD in the NOFA application and grant agreement. HUD will assess the grantee’s
performance in achieving agreed upon goals when reviewing performance reports. See 2 CFR
200.328.
Fewer Charts and Reduced Burden. HUD reduced the HUD-9906 application from six charts
to four by consolidating questions and overlapping scoring criteria. Additionally, separate
narratives responses were eliminated. HUD removed small value items that were vague or
unverifiable. However, HUD will continue to assess the same general attributes of agency
performance.
3. Continuation of Previously Implemented Changes. HUD continues to improve
communication, streamline program requirements, reduce administrative burdens, and prepare
for additional program standards in the following areas:
Eligible Costs. Reimbursement of direct costs is limited to eligible activities described in
Section IV.F.
Changes to Application Package. There are two sets of charts. LHCAs will complete and
submit the HUD-9906-L "Local Housing Counseling Agency (LHCA) Application" which
contains Charts A1, B1, C1, etc. Intermediaries, State Housing Finance Agencies (SHFA), and
Multi-State Organizations (MSO) will complete the HUD-9906-P "Intermediary, State Housing
Finance Agency, and Multi-State Organization Application" which contains Charts A2, B2, C2,
etc. Additionally, they must complete and submit the supplementary Excel spreadsheets
accompanying Charts A2 and B2.
HECM Default Counseling Activities. HUD permits agencies to provide nationwide HECM
default counseling if it is part of the agency’s HUD-approved work plan. Default counseling for
HECM loans can be provided by non-HECM Roster counselors.
Funding Methodology. HUD continues the slight decrease in the weight of network size while
continuing to factor in other criteria such as score, number of Full Time Equivalents (FTE),
network management activities, and other relevant criteria.
3. Definitions.
a. Standard Definitions
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is the person authorized to submit applications
on behalf of the organization via Grants.gov. The AOR is authorized by the E-Biz point of
contact in the System for Award Management. The AOR is listed in item 21 on the SF-424.
Award, as used in this NOFA means a federal, grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan
guarantee.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is a directory of the various Federal listings,
projects, services and activities offering financial and non-financial assistance and benefits to
the American public. CFDA Number is the unique number assigned to each program, project,
service or activity listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).
Consolidated Plan is a document developed by states and local jurisdictions. This plan is
completed by engaging in a participatory process to assess their affordable housing and
community development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven, place-based
investment decisions with funding from formula grant programs. (See 24 CFR part 91 for more
information about the Consolidated Plan and related Annual Action Plan).
Contract means a legal instrument by which a non-Federal entity purchases property or services
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needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award. The term as used in
this NOFA does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-Federal entity considers it a
contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition of a Federal award
or subaward (See 2 CFR 200.22.)
Contractor means an entity receiving a contract.
Deficiency is information missing or omitted within a submitted application. Deficiencies
typically involve missing documents, information on a form, or some other type of unsatisfied
information requirement (e.g., an unsigned form, unchecked box, etc.). Depending on specific
criteria, deficiencies may be either curable or non-curable.
 Curable Deficiency – Applicants may correct a curable deficiency with timely action.
To be curable the deficiency must:
Not be a threshold requirement, except for documentation of applicant eligibility;
Not influence how an applicant is ranked or scored versus other applicants; and
Be able to be remedied within the time frame specified in the notice of deficiency.
 Non-Curable Deficiency – An applicant cannot correct a non-curable deficiency after the
submission deadline.
Non-curable deficiencies are deficiencies if corrected would change an applicant’s score or rank
versus other applicants.
Non-curable deficiencies may result in an application being marked ineligible, or otherwise
adversely affect an application’s score and final determination.
DUNS Number is the nine-digit identification number assigned to a business or organization by
Dun & Bradstreet and provides a means of identifying business entities on a location-specific
basis. Requests for a DUNS number can be made by visiting the Online DUNS Request Portal.
Eligibility requirements are mandatory requirements for an application to be eligible for
funding. Deficiencies in meeting an eligibility requirement may be categorized as either curable
or non-curable.
Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) is a database that has
been established to track contractor misconduct and performance.
Grants.gov is the website serving as the Federal government’s central portal for searching and
applying for federal financial assistance throughout the Federal government. Registration in
Grants.gov is required for submission of applications to prospective agencies.
NOTE: Passwords expire every 60 days. Accounts inactive for 1 year or more result in removal
of all account roles. For more account management information, review
the Applicant FAQs contained on the grants.gov web page.
Non-Federal Entity means a state, local government, Indian tribe, institution of higher education
(IHE), or non-profit organization carrying out a Federal award as a recipient or subrecipient.
Point of Contact (POC) is the person who may be contacted with questions about the
application submitted by the AOR. The point of contact is listed in item 8F on the SF424.
Promise Zones are federally-designated, high-poverty urban, rural and tribal communities where
the Federal government will partner with and invest in communities to accomplish these goals:

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create jobs, leverage private investment, increase economic activity, expand educational
opportunities, and reduce violent crime.
Promotores/Promotoras are Spanish-speaking Community Health Workers who work in their
communities to reduce barriers to health services and make health care systems more
responsive.
Recipient means a non-Federal entity receiving an award directly from HUD to carry out an
activity under a HUD program.
Section 3 Business Concern means a business concern (1) 51 percent or more owned by Section
3 residents; or (2) of which at least 30 percent of permanent, full-time employees are currently
Section 3 residents, or were Section 3 residents within three years of the date of first
employment with the business concern; or (3) provides evidence of a commitment to
subcontract over 25 percent of the dollar award of all subcontracts to be awarded to business
concerns meeting the qualifications in this definition.
Section 3 Residents means: 1) Public housing residents; or 2) Low and very-low income
persons, as defined in 24 CFR 135.5, who live in the metropolitan area or non-metropolitan
county where Section 3 covered assistance is expended.
Standard Form 424 (SF424) Application for Federal Assistance Programs, required by
discretionary grant programs.
Subaward means an award provided by a recipient to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry
out part of a Federal award received by the recipient. It does not include payments to a
contractor or payments to an individual’s beneficiary of a Federal program. A subaward may be
provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that the recipient
considers a contract.
Subrecipient means a non-Federal entity receiving a subaward from a recipient to carry out part
of a HUD program; but does not include an individual’s beneficiary of such program.
A subrecipient may also receive other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency
(including HUD).
System for Award Management (SAM), is an official website of the U.S. government. You can
access the website at Sam.gov There is no cost to use SAM. SAM is the official U.S.
Government system that consolidated the capabilities of Central Contractor Registry (CCR),
Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) and the Online Representations and Certifications
Application (ORCA). Registration with Sam.gov is required for submission of applications
via Grants.gov.
Threshold Requirement – Threshold requirements are a type of eligibility requirement.
Threshold requirements must be met for an application to be reviewed. Threshold requirements
are not curable, except for documentation of applicant eligibility. Threshold requirements are
listed in Section III.C. of this NOFA.
Applicants must ensure their application package addresses threshold requirements. Please
check your application carefully!
4. Program Definitions
Program specific definitions are available in Appendix B, Definitions.
5. Web Resources
The resources indicated provide details for the application process

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Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
Code of Conduct list
Do Not Pay
Dun & Bradstreet
Request a DUNS Number
Equal Participation of Faith-Based Organizations
Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System
Federal Subaward Reporting System) FSRS
Grants.gov
Grants.gov support
Healthy Homes Strategic Plan
Healthy Housing Reference Manual
HUD Funds available
HUD’s Strategic Plan
HUD Grants
NOFA webcasts
Procurement of recovered materials
Promise Zones
Section 3 Business Registry
State Point of Contact List
System for Award Management (SAM))
Real Property Acquisition and Relocation
USASpending

B. Authority.
HUD's Housing Counseling Program is authorized by Section 106 of the Housing and Urban
Development Act of 1968 (12 U.S.C. § 1701x) and Section 4 of the Department of Housing and
Urban Development Act (42 U.S.C. § 3533) as amended by Title XIV of the Dodd-Frank Wall
Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank). The Housing Counseling Program
regulations are codified at 24 C.F.R. Part 214. The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage
Program (HECM) is authorized by Section 255 of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. §
1715z-20), and its regulations are codified at 24 C.F.R. Part 206.
II. Award Information.
A. Available Funds
Congress has not yet appropriated funds for this program. Therefore, the amount of available
funding is not known and is contingent on future Congressional action.

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B. Number of Awards.
HUD expects to make approximately 250 awards from the funds available under this NOFA.
HUD expects to make approximately 250 awards from the funds available under this NOFA.
C. Minimum/Maximum Award Information
1. Total Grant Request. Applicants are not required to request a specific award amount,
nor provide a proposed budget for a grant amount but should enter a response of $1.00
in line 18a of the SF424, Application for Federal Assistance.
2. Award Adjustments. HUD reserves the right to adjust funding levels for each grantee.
Once Applicants are selected for award, HUD will determine the total amount to be
awarded to any grantee, based upon the scope of services to be provided, funds
available, and other factors that HUD may determine.
Congress has not yet appropriated funds for this Program.
D. Period of Performance
Estimated Project Start Date:
Estimated Project End Date:
Length of Project Periods:
Length of Project Periods Explanation of Other:

07/08/2019
01/07/2021
Other
The initial period of performance for
grants awarded under this program will
be for a period of 18 months. For
planning purposes, Applicants should
assume that the period of performance is
October 1, 2018 through March 30,
2020.

E. Type of Funding Instrument.
Funding Instrument Type:
Grant
HUD will use a cost reimbursement Grant Agreement. Grantees may not draw down on an
award made through this NOFA until the prior year's award has been fully expended.

III. Eligibility Information.

A. Eligible Applicants.
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Additional Information on Eligibility:

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1. Eligible applicants must satisfy the following criteria:
Applicant must be approved to participate in the HUD Housing Counseling Program prior to the
NOFA issue date. In addition, SHFAs are eligible for this NOFA is they possess statutory
authority to provide housing counseling throughout their entire state and adhere to all program
requirements outlined in 24 CFR Part 214, this handbook, and other governing documents.
Tax Exempt. Applicants, Sub-grantees, and Branches must be:
 tax-exempt organizations under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 501 (a) as
described in IRC section 501(c) (26 U.S.C. 501 (a) and (c)), or units of local, county, or
state government,
 in good standing under the laws and regulations of the state of their organization., and
 authorized to do business in the states in which they propose to provide housing
counseling services.
Provide Accessible Services. Applicants receiving Federal financial assistance shall operate
their housing programs or activities so that they are readily accessible to and usable by persons
with disabilities. Applicants must give priority to methods that provide physical access to
individuals with disabilities in accordance with the regulations implementing Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
All programs or activities must be held in accessible locations unless the recipient can
demonstrate that doing so would result in a fundamental alteration of the program or an undue
financial and administrative burden. Individuals with disabilities must receive services in the
most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.
In addition, counseling services must comply with effective communication requirements
pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its implementing regulations at 24
C.F.R. § 8.6, Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the
Department of Justice implementing regulations codified at 28 C.F.R. § § 35 and 36.
Sam.gov and DUNS Registration Requirement. Applicants must have a valid, active
registration in the System for Award Management (SAM). In addition, applicants and subgrantees must have a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) identifier.
Outstanding Performance Issues. Applicants and Sub-grantees must resolve all outstanding
issues on their most recent HUD housing counseling performance review by the later of the
application deadline date of this NOFA or the expiration date of any conditional re-approval or
inactive status resulting from a HUD performance review.
OIG Audits or Investigations. Applicants and Sub-grantees must disclose to HUD the status of
active HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) audits or investigations at the time of the NOFA
application submission date. At the time of application submission or thereafter, HUD may
determine that applicants are not eligible for grant funding based on its review of HUD OIG
audits and investigations.
Election for Federal Office Violation. No Applicant, Sub-grantee, or Branch that employs an
individual who has been convicted of a violation under federal law relating to an election for
Federal office (See Pub. L. 111-203, 124 Stat. 1376 (July 21, 2010)) is eligible for grant funding
under this NOFA.

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Housing Counseling Work Plan. Applicants must have an approved Housing Counseling work
plan on file with HUD. Activities specified in the HUD-9906 Housing Counseling charts must
be consistent with activities previously approved in the work plan prior to the application due
date.
Compliance with Third Party Certifications and Licensing. Applicants must be in
compliance with, and not in default under, any applicable state or other licensing and
certification requirements. HUD will review individual circumstances upon request.
Inherently Religious Activities. Organizations funded under this NOFA may not engage in
inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization, as part
of the programs or services funded under this program. If an organization conducts such
activities, these activities must be offered separately, in time or location, from the programs or
services funded under this part, and participation must be voluntary and not a condition of the
HUD programs or services in accordance with 24 CFR 5.109(c).
2. Limits on Applicants.
Applicants and Sub-grantees are prohibited from applying for or accessing FY 2019 Housing
Counseling Program grant funding from multiple sources. For example, applying for funding
under this NOFA as both a direct Grantee (e.g. LHCA) and as a Sub-grantee of an Intermediary
or SHFA is prohibited. Likewise, applying for funding under this NOFA as a Sub-grantee of
two different Intermediaries or as a Sub-grantee of an Intermediary and as a Sub-grantee of an
SHFA is prohibited.
The following limited sole exception is made to this requirement: The Grantee or Sub-grantee
has one or more HUD HECM Roster Counselors that are awarded Comprehensive Grant funds
directly from HUD, or indirectly through an Intermediary or SHFA, and the Grantee or Subgrantee receives a single additional Sub-grant for reverse mortgage counseling activities from
an Intermediary that provides reverse mortgage counseling exclusively.

B. Cost Sharing
This Program does not require cost sharing, matching or leveraging.
C. Threshold Requirements.
Applicants who fail to meet any of the following threshold eligibility requirements will be
deemed ineligible. Applications from ineligible applicants will not be evaluated.
1. Timely Submission of Applications – Applications submitted after the deadline stated
within this NOFA that do not meet the requirements of the grace period policy will be marked
late. Late applications are ineligible and will not be considered for funding. See also Section IV
Application and Submission Information, part D. Application Submission Dates and Times

D. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements Affecting Eligibility
Eligibility Requirements for Applicants of HUD’s Grants Programs

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The following requirements affect applicant eligibility. Detailed information on each
requirement is posted on HUD’s Funding Opportunities Page (click here).
Resolution of Civil Rights Matters
Outstanding Delinquent Federal Debts
Debarments and/or Suspensions
Pre-selection Review of Performance
Sufficiency of Financial Management System
False Statements
Mandatory Disclosure Requirement
Prohibition Against Lobbying Activities
Equal Participation of Faith-Based Organizations in HUD Programs and Activities
E. Program Specific Requirements.
1. Audits and Investigations. Applicants must comply with the audit filing requirements at 2
C.F.R. 200.501. Applicants must also disclose to HUD the status of active federal investigations
at the time of the NOFA application submission date or thereafter. HUD may determine that
Applicants are not eligible for grant funding based on its review of such external audits and
federal investigations.
2. Client Management System. All Applicants, Affiliates, and Branches must use a HUDcompliant CMS that interfaces with HUD’s Housing Counseling System (HCS). HUD will
review individual circumstances when an agency is transitioning client management systems.
3. Sub-Grant Allocation. Applicants that manage networks of counseling agencies submit
proposed sub-allocation plan indicating how they will divide their HUD Housing Counseling
grant funds among their Branches and Sub-grantees, based on percentages of the grant rather
than dollar amounts (Chart A2, Field P). Only Sub-grantees and Branches that provide housing
counseling services should be listed. Sub-grantees or Branches that perform only administrative
functions should not be listed. Intermediaries and SHFAs that award sub-grants to counseling
agencies that are not HUD-approved must ensure that they meet or exceed HUD’s approval
standards as outlined in 24 C.F.R. Part 214 and clarified in HUD policy guidance. Further, a
Sub-grantee cannot be funded at 100% of its budget. During grant execution, Grantees will
input this sub-allocation plan into HCS. If, after the grants are awarded, a Grantee would like to
change its sub-allocation plan, the Grantee must make a request in writing and provide
justification.
4. Sub-Grant Agreement. Intermediaries and SHFAs that award sub-grants must execute subgrant agreements with Sub-grantees that delineate the mutual responsibilities for program
management, including appropriate time frames for reporting results to HUD and compliance
with HUD rules and regulations. These records must meet the data requirements of the
Transparency Act, and must be made available to Sub-grantees, Branches, and HUD within 30
days of making the sub-award or allocation.
5. Succession and Contingency Plans. During grant execution, Grantees must submit plans
demonstrating how they will ensure continuity of services to consumers.
6. Documentation of Expenses. The Grantee and Sub-grantees must maintain source

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documentation of direct costs, such as invoices, receipts, cancelled checks, and personnel
activity reports, to support all Line of Credit Control System (LOCCS) draw requests for
payment. This information must be made available upon request and maintained for a period of
at least three years after the expiration of the Grant period or date of last payment, whichever
occurs first. All grantees and Sub-grantees must be able to demonstrate and document the actual
cost of service provision. The amount billed cannot exceed the actual cost of providing the
service.
7. Documentation of Personnel Expenses. Charges to Federal awards for salaries and wages
must be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed and meet the standards
required in 2 C.F.R Part 200.430(i). The records must support the distribution of employee’s
salaries and wages among specific activities or cost objectives if the employee works on more
than one Federal award; a Federal award and non-Federal award; an indirect cost activity and a
direct cost activity; two or more indirect activities which are allocated using different allocation
bases; or an unallowable activity and a direct or indirect cost activity. Budget estimates alone do
not qualify as support for charges to awards. Records must reasonably reflect the total activity
for which employees are compensated.
8. Subcontracting. Grantees and Sub-grantees must deliver the housing counseling services set
forth in the Applicant’s Work Plan. It is not permissible to contract out housing counseling
services, except as specified in 24 C.F.R. § 214.103(i).
9. Conflicts of Interest. See 24 C.F.R. Part 214 for information about the Applicant’s code of
conduct and the prohibition against real and apparent conflicts of interest that may arise among
officers, employees, agents, or other parties.
10. Home Inspection Materials. If a grantee provides homebuyer counseling or education, the
client must be provided a copy of the following materials: “For Your Protection Get a Home
Inspection” (Form HUD-92564) and “Ten Important Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector.”
11. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). Under Section 808(e)(5) of the Fair
Housing Act, HUD has a statutory duty to affirmatively further fair housing. HUD requires the
same of its funding recipients: As provided in the AFFH rule (24 CFR 5.150), AFFH means:
taking meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination, that overcome patterns of
segregation and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to
opportunity based on protected characteristics. Specifically, affirmatively furthering fair
housing means taking meaningful actions that, taken together, address significant disparities in
housing needs and in access to opportunity, replacing segregated living patterns with truly
integrated and balanced living patterns, transforming racially and ethnically concentrated areas
of poverty into areas of opportunity, and fostering and maintaining compliance with civil rights
and fair housing laws. The duty to affirmatively further fair housing extends to all of a program
participant's activities and programs relating to housing and urban development.
Examples of housing counseling activities that would fulfill the affirmatively furthering fair
housing policy priority include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Providing persons with counseling, education, or information on discriminatory housing
and mortgage lending practices and the rights and remedies available.
2. Maintaining a database of accessible housing opportunities in the community and
providing database for use by persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) or
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disabilities.
3. Providing mobility counseling to help persons move to housing that is not located in
areas of poverty concentration or minority concentration, including helping persons
identify housing opportunities, helping them connect with landlords, and assisting them
with applying for such housing.
12. Prohibition Against Lobbying Activities. Applicants are subject to the provisions of
Section 319 of Public Law 101-121, 31 U.S.C. 1352 (Byrd Amendment), 24 CFR part 87 and 2
CFR 200.450, which prohibit recipients of federal awards and their contractors, subcontractors,
at any tier, and subgrantees at any tier, from using appropriated funds for lobbying the executive
or legislative branches of the Federal government in connection with a Federal award. In
addition, grant funds under this NOFA shall not be utilized to advocate or influence the
outcome of any Federal, state or local election, referendum, initiative or similar procedure or
policy position through contributions, endorsements, publicity, or similar activity.

F. Criteria for Beneficiaries.

IV. Application and Submission Information.
A. Obtaining an Application Package.
Instructions for Applicants.
You must download both the Application Instruction and the Application Package
from Grants.gov. To ensure you are using the correct Application Package and Application
Instructions, you must verify the CFDA Number and CFDA Description on the first page of the
Application Package, and the Opportunity Title and the Funding Opportunity Number match the
Program and NOFA to which you are applying.
The Application Package contains the Adobe forms created by Grants.gov. The Instruction
Download contains official copies of the NOFA, and forms necessary for a complete
application. The Instruction Download may include Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and
additional documents.
An applicant demonstrating good cause may request a waiver from the requirement for
electronic submission. For example, a lack of available Internet access in the geographic area in
which your business offices are located. Lack of SAM registration or valid DUNS is not
deemed good cause. If you cannot submit your application electronically, you must ask in
writing for a waiver of the electronic grant submission requirements. HUD will not grant a
waiver if HUD does not receive your written request at least 15 days before the application
deadline or if you do not demonstrate good cause. An email request sent 15 days before the
application will also be considered. If HUD waives the requirement, HUD must receive your
paper application or email request before the deadline of this NOFA. To request a waiver and

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receive a paper copy of the application materials, you must contact:
Email: [email protected]
Waiver requests must be submitted with the subject line “NOFA - Request for Waiver of
Electronic Application.”
NOFA applications and forms are available from http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants
/apply-for-grants.html. Below are basic instructions for obtaining the application instructions
and package:
1. Go to the “Package” tab of the Grant Opportunity. Click “Preview” to view the
instructions and application package. Click “Apply” and “Create a Workspace” to access
fillable forms and begin the application process.
2. Click “Download Instructions” to download a WinZip folder containing the following
files:
i. Comprehensive Housing Counseling NOFA pdf
ii. HUD 50153 Certification of Consistency with Promise Zone pdf
iii. Mandatory Chart A2 and Chart B2 Supplemental Excel Spreadsheets (for
Intermediaries, SHFAs and MSOs)
3. The grants.gov Workspace will list Mandatory and Optional forms, fillable as PDFs or
webforms, if available. Applicants must complete all required fields and upload the
Mandatory forms in order for grants.gov to allow submission of the package. Grants.gov
may not permit submission of an incomplete or improperly filled-out form.
4. To add required attachments (like the HUD-9906 Charts, Excel supplemental
spreadsheets, etc.), click "Include in Package" to use the “Attachments Form.” Click the
“Add Attachment” box to attach documents and forms.
5. When the application is complete, you may click “Check Package for Errors.”
6. To submit the completed application on behalf of the organization, an Authorized
Organization representative must click “Sign and Submit.” Applications may not be
received by grants.gov or by HUD until they have been signed and submit by an AOR
prior to the application deadline.
If Applicants have difficulty accessing the information, Applicants may call the help desk at
(800) 518-GRANTS or e-mailing [email protected]. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing,
or who have speech disabilities, may contact customer support through the Federal Relay
Service's teletype service at 1-800-877-8339. The Grants.gov help desk is available 24 hours a
day, 7 days per week, except federal holidays.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission.
You must verify boxes 11, 12, and 13 on the SF424 match the NOFA for which you are
applying. If they do not match, you have downloaded the wrong Application Instruction and
Application Package.
Submission of an application that is otherwise sufficient, under the wrong CFDA and Funding
Opportunity Number is a curable deficiency.
1. Content.
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Forms for your package include the forms outlined below:
Forms / Assurances Submission Requirement
/ Certifications

Notes / Description

HUD Applicant
HUD will provide instructions HUD will provide instructions to
Recipient
to grantees on how the form is grantees on how the form is to be
Disclosure Report
to be submitted.
submitted.
(HUD) 2880
Applicant/Recipient
Disclosure/Update
Report
Additionally, your complete application must include the following narratives and non-form
attachments.
See Application Checklist below for a list of required content.

2. Format and Form.
Narratives and other attachments to your application must follow the following format
guidelines.
a. Application Checklist (Required of all Applicants). Below are forms, information, and
certifications that all Applicants must complete:
1. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. Applicants should check "new" for block
2 for "Type of Application." Applicants may leave blocks 4, 5a, and 5b blank. For block
8c of the form, ensure that your DUNS identifier is correct and is listed on SAM.gov
with an active registration. In block 8d, you must include a 9 digit number for your
organization’s zip code (zip plus 4 digits). Applicants are not required to request a
specific grant amount, but should enter a response of $1.00 in block 18a.
2. HUD-2880 Applicant/Recipient Disclosure/Update Report. Applicants must
complete the HUD-2880. Applicants should check the box "Initial Report." In block 4,
"Amount of HUD Assistance Requested/Received" of this form, Applicants may enter
$1.00: HUD will not use this amount as a cap in establishing the maximum grant amount
for the applicant (applicants may indicate a maximum grant amount in the HUD-9906).
Applicants that have received or expect to receive HUD assistance for housing
counseling in excess of $200,000 during FY 2019 must select "yes" under the second
question in "Part I Threshold Determinations.” Detailed instructions for completing the
form are found at this link: http://portal.hud .gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=2880
.pdf.
3. HUD-9906 Housing Counseling Charts. LHCA applicants must complete and submit
the HUD-9906-L. Intermediary/SHFA/MSO applicants must complete and submit the
HUD-9906-P and required Excel spreadsheet attachments for Chart A2 and Chart B2.
Applicant’s name and location will auto-populate onto the HUD-9906 charts from the

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Applicant’s SF-424. Please be advised that there are multiple components (i.e., Chart A,
Chart B, etc.) that comprise the HUD-9906. As these charts change each grant cycle,
Applicants may not reuse the HUD-9906 from previous applications.
4. Organization Description. Applicants must provide a brief description of their
organization of no more than 225 words. This description will appear in the press release
issued by HUD announcing the grant awards if the Applicant is funded through this
NOFA. Each description should contain: organizational history, purpose and mission,
years of service, affordable housing services provided, and agency web address for
additional information.
5. Audit. Applicants must provide the most recent audit of financial activities (e.g. a single
or program-specific audit required under 2 C.F.R. Part 200.501) with completed audit no
earlier than its fiscal year 2016. All Applicants not required to complete a single or
program-specific audit under 2 C.F.R. Part 200.501 must submit their most recent
independent financial audit. HUD will review individual circumstances upon request.
6. Certification Regarding Lobbying. All applicants must complete the Certification
Regarding Lobbying to ensure applicants acknowledge the requirements in Section 319
of Public Law 101-121, 31 U.S.C. 1352, (the Byrd Amendment) and 24 CFR part 87.
These statutes and regulation prohibit the use of federal award funds for lobbying the
executive or legislative branches of the Federal Government in connection with a
specific award. This is separate from the requirement for applicants to report lobbying
activities using the SF-LLL form.
b. Application Checklist (Applicable Only to Certain Applicants). Below are forms,
information, and certifications that certain Applicants must include depending on their
individual circumstances:
1. HUD-50153, Certification of Consistency with Promise Zone Goals and
Implementation (if applicable). Applicants requesting Promise Zone preference points
must submit a form signed by the authorized official for the designated Promise Zone.
2. HUD-9902, Housing Counseling Agency Fiscal Year Activity Report, for the Period
October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018 (if applicable). Applicants will be
evaluated based on the HUD-9902 data in HUD's Housing Counseling System (HCS). It
is the Applicants’ responsibility to ensure that their HUD-9902 data in HCS is correct
prior to the application due date. Newly approved applicants that received approval as
HUD housing counseling agencies after September 30, 2018, must prepare and submit a
HUD-9902 as part of the application.
3. SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable).
4. SHFA Statutory Authority (if applicable). SHFAs must submit evidence of their
statutory authority to operate as a SHFA, as defined in this NOFA, and must submit
evidence of their authority to apply for funds and subsequently use any funds awarded.
Applicants should verify that their agency profile information is accurately represented
in HUD’s HCS and validate the information prior to submitting the grant application.
HUD will contact SHFA Applicants that are new to the program to establish their
profiles in the HCS.

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C. System for Award Management (SAM) and Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) Number.
1. SAM Registration Requirement
Applicants must be registered with SAM before submitting their application. In addition,
applicants must maintain an active SAM registration with current information while they have
an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by HUD.
2. DUNS Number Requirement.
Applicants must provide a valid DUNS number, registered and active at SAM, in the
application. DUNS numbers may be obtained for free from Dun & Bradstreet.
3. Requirement to Register with Grants.gov.
Anyone planning to submit applications on behalf of an organization must register
at Grants.gov and be approved by the EBiz Point of Contact in SAM to submit applications for
the organization.
Registration for SAM and Grants.gov is a multi-step process and can take four (4) weeks or
longer to complete if data issues arise. Applicants without a valid registration cannot submit an
application through Grants.gov. Complete registration instructions and guidance are provided at
Grants.gov. See also Section IV.B for necessary form and content information.

D. Application Submission Dates and Times.
The application deadline is 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern time on 04/25/2019. Applications must be
received no later than the deadline.
Submit your application to Grants.gov unless a waiver has been issued allowing you to submit
your application in paper form. Instructions for submitting your paper application will be
contained in the waiver of electronic submission.
“Received by Grants.gov” means the applicant received a confirmation of receipt and an
application tracking number from Grants.gov. Then Grants.gov assigns an application tracking
number and date-and time-stamps each application upon successful receipt by the
Grants.gov system. A submission attempt not resulting in confirmation of receipt and an
application tracking number is not considered received by Grants.gov.
Applications received by Grants.gov must be validated by Grants.gov to be received by HUD.
“Validated by Grants.gov” means the application has been accepted and was not rejected with
errors. You can track the status of your application by logging into Grants.gov, selecting
“Applicants” from the top navigation, and selecting “Track my application” from
the dropdown list. If the application status is “rejected with errors,” you must correct the
error(s) and resubmit the application before the 24-hour grace period ends. Applications in
“rejected with errors” status after the 24-hour grace period expires will not be received by HUD.
Visit Grants.gov for a complete description of processing steps after submitting an application.
HUD strongly recommends applications be submitted at least 48 hours before the
deadline and during regular business hours to allow enough time to correct errors or overcome
other problems.
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You can verify the contents of your submitted application to confirm Grants.gov received
everything you intended to submit. To verify the contents of your submitted application:

 Log in to Grants.gov.
 Click the Check Application Status link, which appears under the Grant Applications
heading in the Applicant Center page. This will take you to the Check Application
Status page.
 Enter search criteria and a date range to narrow your search results.
 Click the Search button. To review your search results in Microsoft Excel, click the
Export Data button.
 Review the Status column.
 To view more detailed submission information, click the Details link in the Actions
column.
 To download the submitted application, click the Download link in the Actions column.
Please make note of the Grants.gov tracking number as it will be needed by the Grants.gov Help
Desk if you seek their assistance.
HUD may extend the application deadline for any program if Grants.gov is offline or not
available to applicants for at least 24 hours immediately prior to the deadline date, or the system
is down for 24 hours or longer and impacts the ability of applicants to cure a submission
deficiency within the grace period.
HUD may also extend the application deadline upon request if there is a presidentially-declared
disaster in the applicant’s area.
If these events occur, HUD will post a notice on its website establishing the new, extended
deadline for the affected applicants. HUD will also include the fact of the extension in the
program’s Notice of Funding Awards required to be published in the Federal Register.
In determining whether to grant a request for an extension based on a presidentially-declared
disaster, HUD will consider the totality of the circumstances including the date of an applicant’s
extension request (how closely it followed the basis for the extension), whether other applicants
in the geographic area are similarly affected by the disaster, and how quickly power or services
are restored to enable the applicant to submit its application.
PLEASE NOTE: Busy servers, slow processing, or large file sizes, improper registration or
password issues are not valid circumstances to extend the deadline dates or the grace period.
1. Amending or Resubmitting an Application.
Before the submission deadline, you may amend a validated application through Grants.gov by
resubmitting a revised application containing the new or changed material. The resubmitted
application must be received and validated by Grants.gov by the applicable deadline.

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If HUD receives an original and a revised application for a single proposal, HUD will evaluate
only the last submission received by Grants.gov before the deadline.
2. Grace Period for Grants.gov Submissions.
If your application is received by Grants.gov before the deadline, but is rejected with errors, you
have a grace period of 24 hours after the application deadline to submit a corrected, received,
and validated application through Grants.gov. The date and time stamp on the
Grants.gov system determines the application receipt time. Any application submitted during
the grace period not received and validated by Grants.gov will not be considered for funding.
There is no grace period for paper applications.
3. Late Applications.
An application received after the NOFA deadline date that does not meet the Grace Period
requirements will be marked late and will not be received by HUD for funding consideration.
Improper or expired registration and password issues are not causes that allow HUD to accept
applications after the deadline.
4. Corrections to Deficient Applications.
HUD will not consider information from applicants after the application deadline. HUD may
contact the applicant to clarify other items in its application. HUD will uniformly notify
applicants of each curable deficiency. A curable deficiency is an error or oversight that
if corrected it would not alter, in a positive or negative fashion, the review and rating of the
application. See curable deficiency in definitions section. Examples of curable (correctable)
deficiencies include inconsistencies in the funding request and failure to submit required
certifications. These examples are non-exhaustive.
When HUD identifies a curable deficiency, HUD will notify the authorized representative. The
email is the official notification of a curable deficiency. Each applicant must provide accurate
email addresses for receipt of these notifications and must monitor their email accounts to
determine whether a deficiency notification has been received. The applicant must carefully
review the request for cure of deficiency and must provide the response in accordance with the
instructions contained in the deficiency notification.
Applicants must email corrections of curable deficiencies
to [email protected] within the time limits specified in the notification. The time
allowed to correct deficiencies will not exceed 14 calendar days or be less than 48 hours from
the date of the email notification. The start of the cure period will be the date stamp on the email
sent from HUD. If the deficiency cure deadline date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, Federal
holiday, or on a day when HUD’s Headquarters are closed, then the applicant’s correction must
be received on the next business day HUD Headquarters offices in Washington, DC are open.
The subject line of the email sent to [email protected] must state: Technical
Cure and include the Grants.gov application tracking number (e.g., Subject: Technical Cure GRANT123456). If this information is not included, HUD cannot match the response with the
application under review and the application may be rejected due to the deficiency. This only
applies to certain programs and responses should be sent to the NOFA specific program.
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Corrections to a paper application must be sent in accordance with and to the address indicated
in the notification of deficiency. HUD will treat a paper application submitted in accordance
with a waiver of electronic application containing the wrong DUNS number as having a curable
deficiency. Failure to correct the deficiency and meet the requirement to have a DUNS number
and active registration in SAM will render the application ineligible for funding.
5. Authoritative Versions of HUD NOFAs. The version of these NOFAs as posted on
Grants.gov are the official documents HUD uses to solicit applications.

E. Intergovernmental Review.
This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.
F. Funding Restrictions.
Eligible Activities. HUD requires grantees to utilize housing counseling grant funds for the
delivery of counseling and education services that benefit clients. Eligible cost categories are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

the cost of client education and materials
oversight, compliance, and quality control
supervision of housing counseling staff
housing counselor training
housing counselor certification
marketing and outreach initiatives

HUD reserves the right to review and approve or reject reimbursement of direct costs that are
outside the scope of housing counseling and group education services.
Indirect Cost Rate.
Normal indirect cost rules apply. If you intend to charge indirect costs to your award, your
application must clearly state the rate and distribution base you intend to use. If you have a
Federally negotiated indirect cost rate, your application must also include a letter or other
documentation from the cognizant agency showing the approved rate.
Nongovernmental organizations and Indian tribal governments. If you have a Federally
negotiated indirect cost rate, your application must clearly state the approved rate and
distribution base and must include a letter or other documentation from the cognizant agency
showing the approved rate. If you have never received a Federally negotiated indirect cost rate
and elect to use the de minimis rate, your application must clearly state you intend to use the de
minimis rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC). As described in 2 CFR 200.403,
costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double
charged or inconsistently charged as both. Once an organization elects to use the de minimis

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rate, the organization must apply this methodology consistently for all Federal awards until the
organization chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the organization may apply to do at any time.
Documentation of the decision to use the de minimis rate must be retained on file for audit.
State and local governments. If your department or agency unit has a Federally negotiated
indirect cost rate, your application must include that rate, the applicable distribution base, and a
letter or other documentation from the cognizant agency showing the negotiated rate. If your
department or agency unit receives more than $35 million in federal funding, you may not claim
indirect costs until you receive a negotiated rate from your cognizant agency for indirect costs
as provided in Appendix VII to 2 CFR part 200.
If your department or agency unit receives no more than $35 million in federal funding and your
department or agency unit has prepared and maintains documentation supporting an indirect rate
proposal in accordance with 2 CFR part 200, appendix VII, you may use the rate and
distribution base specified in your indirect cost rate proposal. Alternatively, if your department
or agency unit receives no more than $35 million in federal funding and has never received a
Federally negotiated indirect cost rate, you may elect to use the de minimis rate of 10% of
MTDC. As described in 2 CFR 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or
direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. Once elected, the
de minimis rate must be applied consistently for all Federal awards until you choose to
negotiate for a rate, which you may apply to do at any time. Documentation of the decision to
use the de minimis rate must be retained on file for audit.

G. Other Submission Requirements.
1. Application Certifications and Assurances
By signing the SF424 either through electronic submission or in paper copy submission (for
those granted a waiver), applicant affirms certifications and assurances associated with the
application are material representations of the facts upon which HUD will rely when making an
award to the applicant. If it is later determined the signatory to the application submission
knowingly made a false certification or assurance or did not have the authority to make a legally
binding commitment for the applicant, the applicant may be subject to criminal prosecution,
and HUD may terminate the award to the applicant organization or pursue other available
remedies. Each applicant is responsible for including the correct certifications and assurances
with its application submission, including those applicable to all applicants, those applicable
only to federally-recognized Indian tribes, and those applicable to applicants other than
federally-recognized Indian tribes. All program-specific certifications and assurances are
included in the program Instructions Download on Grants.gov.
2. Lead Based Paint Requirements
When providing education or counseling on buying or renting housing that may include pre1978 housing, when required by regulation or policy, inform clients of their rights under the
Lead Disclosure Rule (24 CFR part 35, subpart A), and, if the focus of the education or
counseling is on rental or purchase of HUD-assisted pre-1978 housing, the Lead Safe Housing
Rule (subparts B, R, and, as applicable, F - M).

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V. Application Review Information.
A. Review Criteria.
1. Rating Factors.
Scope of Review. HUD will review applications in accordance with the requirements of this
NOFA and the Housing Counseling Program. HUD may rely on performance monitoring and
audit reports, financial status information, and other information available to HUD to make
score determinations. The maximum points for each factor are outlined below. Applicants that
manage networks of counseling agencies should not submit a separate response for each
proposed Sub-grantee and Branch. Rather, such applicants will be directed to use the Excel
spreadsheet supplements to Chart A2 and B2 to capture data relevant to each Sub-grantee.
Unless otherwise specified, the term "HUD-9906" or "9906" refers to the HUD-9906-L for
LHCA Applicants and to the HUD-9906-P for Intermediary/SHFA/MSO Applicants.
Unless otherwise specified, the term “Chart A” refers to Chart A1 for LHCA Applicants and to
Chart A2 for Intermediary/SHFA/MSO Applicants. The same convention applies to all charts.
RATINGS FACTOR

POINTS

CHART

Rating Factor 1. Capacity of the Applicant
Sub-factor A

HECM Average Hours

2

N/A

Sub-factor B

Training and Industry Standards

6

Chart A

Sub-factor C

Performance Reviews

7

N/A

Sub-factor D

Client Satisfaction and Progress

6

Chart A

Rating Factor 2. Need / Departmental Policy Priorities
Sub-factor A

Rural Communities

5

N/A

Sub-factor B

Vulnerable Populations

10

Chart C

12

N/A

Rating Factor 3. Soundness of Approach
Sub-factor A

Impact (Clients served)

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Sub-factor B

Cost per Client

5

Chart A

Sub-factor C

Counseling Ratio

3

Chart A

Sub-factor D

Grant to Expenses Ratio

4

Chart A

Sub-factor E

Allocation to Sub-grantees

2

Chart A

Sub-factor F

Counseling and Education Services

4

N/A

Sub-factor G

Modes of Providing Services

8

Chart A

Sub-factor H

Oversight Activities

6

Chart D

5

Chart C

Rating Factor 4. Leveraging Resources
Sub-factor A

Itemized Leveraging

Rating Factor 5. Achieving Results and Program
Evaluation
Sub-factor A

HCS Reporting

4

N/A

Sub-factor B

Grant Expenditure History

6

N/A

Sub-factor C

Counseling Outcomes

5

N/A

PREFERENCE POINTS (maximum of 2 points total)

Option 1

Disaster Awareness / Emergency
Preparedness

2

Chart C

Option 2

Promise Zone

2

HUD-50153

Rating Factors. Each Rating Factor and the maximum points available for each scored item are
outlined below. The maximum total available is 100 points. HUD reminds applicants that
responses given in this application are subject to verification during performance progress
reports, performance reviews, audits, or other methods that HUD may elect.

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Rating Factor 1: Capacity of the Applicant
(a) Duration of HECM Counseling Session (2 points). Agencies with HECM Roster
counselors will be assessed on the average duration of a counseling session. HUD will use its
own records to score this factor.
(b) Counselor Training and Industry Standards (6 points). Using Chart A, indicate by
entering an “x” in the appropriate field if:
- Fifty percent or more of counselors received formal housing counseling training in the past
two years, not including on-the-job training (Field I)
- Agencies have any counselors on staff who have passed the HUD Housing Counseling
Certification Exam and are HUD-certified housing counselors (Field J)
- Agencies adopted the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and
Counseling (http://homeownershipstandards.com) prior to the NOFA application submission
date (Field K)
Intermediaries, SHFAs, and MSOs must specify this information for each Branch/Sub-grantee
on the Supplemental Chart A2 Attachment (Excel), and then transfer the totals onto Chart A2.
In addition, Applicants that manage networks of counseling agencies and also provide housing
counseling services at their main office must include this office in the list of Sub-grantees and
Branches. The main office will be treated as a Branch for scoring and funding formula
purposes. When completing Chart A2, Applicants must only list offices that provide housing
counseling services to a minimum of thirty clients per year. (This requirement does not apply to
agencies that offer only reverse mortgages counseling.)
(c) Performance Reviews (7 points). In scoring this section, HUD will evaluate Applicant
compliance with programmatic requirements and oversight results. HUD will use its own
records to score this factor.
For the Applicant, significant findings on oversight and performance reviews conducted by
HUD staff will be taken into consideration when scoring this section. HUD may also factor in
the Applicant’s responsiveness to findings and implementation of corrective action.
(d) Client Satisfaction and Progress (4 points). Scoring of this sub-factor will reward
Applicants that measure customer satisfaction and progress. On Chart A, indicate if the Agency:
- Issued client exit surveys at the end of counseling or education sessions (Field L)
- Issued any follow-up client surveys after the counseling was completed (Field M)
- Pulled credit reports as part of post-counseling follow-up six months or more after counseling
was completed (Field N)
Intermediaries, SHFAs, and MSOs must specify this information for each Branch/Sub-grantee
on the Supplemental Chart A2 Attachment (Excel), and then transfer the totals onto Chart A2.
Rating Factor 2: Need / NOFA Priorities. HUD will evaluate the degree to which the

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Applicant addressed the needs identified and, where requested, cited source information and
provided examples or brief descriptions of activities proposed to address the needs.
Intermediaries, SHFAs, or MSOs that manage a network of counseling agencies must provide at
least three examples from their network.
(a) Rural Communities (5 points). HUD will use internal data sources to determine the extent
that an Applicant (and, if applicable, its network) serves rural clientele, as defined by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) at 7 C.F.R. § 3550.10.
(b) Identifying Impediments to Fair Housing (3 points). Applicants must affirmatively
further fair housing in their use of grant funds, per Section 808(e)(5) of the Fair Housing Act. In
Chart C (Fields A-C), Applicants must specify impediments to fair housing in their service area
(and, if applicable, their network’s service areas). Applicants must describe at least one activity
that seeks to overcome the effects of such impediments and describe how it will measure
outcomes. Applicants must maintain records of these activities.
[Applicants should identify the applicable state or local Consolidated Plan, Analysis of
Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH), or other source
of information on impediments to fair housing, including but not limited to, discriminatory
housing practices under the Fair Housing Act. Applicants can find out more information about
impediments to fair housing within their jurisdiction by consulting with their applicable local or
state government agency.]
(c) Staff Training (2 points). Applicants must describe how they will train their staff on fair
housing and civil rights laws, their method of providing clients with information about their
rights, and their mechanism for referring potential fair housing violations to HUD, state or local
fair housing agencies, or private fair housing groups.
(d) Persons with Disabilities (2 points). In a brief narrative, Applicants must describe how
they will provide meaningful program access to persons with disabilities.
(e) Persons with Limited English Proficiency (2 points). In a brief narrative, Applicants must
describe how they will provide meaningful program access to persons with Limited English
Proficiency (LEP).
(f) Lead-Based Paint (1 point). Applicants must describe how they inform clients about the
hazards of lead.
Rating Factor 3: Soundness of Approach / Scope of Housing Counseling Services. This
factor addresses the quality and effectiveness of the Applicant’s past and proposed housing
counseling activities. HUD will evaluate the past impact of the Applicant’s housing counseling
services and the complexity of the Applicant’s work plan.
(a) Impact (12 points). HUD will evaluate the total number of clients served by the Applicant.
[Newly-approved applicants who were not required to submit a HUD-9902 during this period
must prepare and submit a HUD-9902 as part of the application. Applicants who were

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previously required to submit a HUD-9902 will be evaluated based on their report submitted
through the Housing Counseling System (HCS). Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the
information contained in HCS is correct before the application due date. HUD will not consider
a HUD-9902 submitted with the application by Agencies that were not newly-approved (i.e.
after September 30, 2018) and were previously required to submit the report.]
(b) Actual Expenses: Cost per Client (5 points). HUD will evaluate the Applicant’s Housing
Counseling Program actual expenses for the period October 1, 2017 through September 30,
2018. Applicants must document their total housing counseling program expenses (Chart A,
Field S). Agencies that became HUD-approved midway through the fiscal year should ensure
that both their 9902 data and their expenses reflect the entire fiscal year, and not just that
portion for which the agency was HUD-approved.
(c) Actual Expenses: Counseling and Education Ratio (3 points). Applicants must indicate
the total funds expended on the salary and fringe benefits for housing counselors (Chart A, Field
R). For an employee whose primary duty is providing counseling and education, the entire
salary and fringe benefits may be considered. For employees whose primary duty is not
counseling (e.g. program managers, administrative assistants, etc.), but who nevertheless
conduct counseling sessions or group workshops as an ancillary duty, their salaries and fringe
benefits should be prorated in accordance with the proportion of their efforts expended in
providing such client services.
(d) Actual Expenses: Ratio of HUD Grant to Total Expenses (4 points). HUD will calculate
the ratio of an Applicant’s previous HUD grant to its total Housing Counseling Program actual
expenses.
(e) Allocation to Sub-Grantees (2 points). Intermediaries, SHFAs, and MSOs must indicate
the percentage of the proposed award the Applicant intends to allocate to itself (Chart A2, Field
P1) and to each Sub-grantee and Branch (Chart A2, Field P2).
(f) Services Provided (4 points). HUD will consider the types of housing counseling and
education services being offered. HUD will use its own records to score this factor.
(g) Methods of Service Delivery Provided (8 points). HUD permits housing counseling
agencies to provide various modes of counseling and education that reach a broader range of
clients who would not otherwise receive housing counseling services. Applicants must indicate
their methods of service provision in Chart A, Fields T-W. Additionally, all counseling agencies
should remember to update their HCS profile with this information during their quarterly
validation process.
(h) Oversight Activities (6 points). Applicants must indicate their oversight and quality control
activities (Chart D). Items selected in these charts must be included in an Agency's quality
control plan and may be verified by HUD staff prior to approving grant progress reports and
drawdown requests, as well as during performance reviews.
Rating Factor 4: Leveraging Resources (5 Points). HUD Housing Counseling grants should
not be the sole source of funds for a housing counseling program. Grantees are expected to seek
other sources of funding, both private and public, to supplement HUD grant funding. HUD will

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calculate the ratio of an Applicant’s HUD grant to its total qualified leveraged funding
Applicants are evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate that they have obtained nonfederal resources including direct financial assistance (grants), fees, program income, and inkind contributions for the period of performance. Resources provided by non-federal
government sources, public or private nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, or other
entities will be counted toward the Applicant’s leveraged funding total. Do not include funds
unless they are exclusively allocated for the housing counseling program. Grantees must
maintain evidence that leveraged funds were actually provided to the agency. Files may be
reviewed by HUD staff as a part of the performance reviews and on-site monitoring visits.
Leveraging resources cannot consist of federal funds, directly or indirectly. Federal funds that
are passed through state and local governments are ineligible.
Applicants must list their leveraged resources in Chart B. Applicants must complete all fields
for each resource. Leveraged resources claimed by an Applicant must meet the criteria in 2
C.F.R. Part 200. Intermediary/SHFA/MSO applicants must submit itemized information on the
supplemental Excel spreadsheet AND enter total leveraged amounts on 9906 Chart B2. Please
ensure the total amount on the spreadsheet is the same as the total entered on Chart B2.
Leveraged totals that do not match constitute a non-curable deficiency.
- In Field A, enter the name of the Applicant, Sub-grantee, or Branch (not applicable to
LHCAs).
- In Field B, enter the name of the organization providing the resources, including the point of
contact who can verify that these resources are dedicated.
- In Field C, enter the type of contribution.
- In Field D, enter the intended use of the leveraged funds (must be exclusively allocated for the
housing counseling program).
- In Field E, enter the amount of funds from this resources.
Include only funds that will be available during the period of performance. If Applicant’s
funding is available outside of the grant period, the Applicant must pro-rate the funding to
reflect the amount that is available during the grant period. For example, if funds are only
available for three months, then only include 25% of the total amount. Funds available for
multiple years must also be pro-rated (e.g., $100,000 leverage available July 1, 2017 through
June 30, 2019, only $37,500 should be entered on Chart C for the 9 months of October 1, 2018
through June 30, 2019).
Agencies are not permitted to charge fees for default counseling or homeless counseling. In
order to receive credit for the fee income, it must be identified as program income on line “18.
Estimated Funding, f. Program Income” of SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance” as well
as in Chart B.
Rating Factor 5: Achieving Results. HUD will assess Applicant’s performance in achieving
agreed upon performance goals and commitments made in their applications and grant
agreements.

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(a) HCS Reporting (4 points). Applicants will be assessed on timely validation of their agency
profile in HCS, timely submission of HUD-9902 reports, and use of their Client Management
System to submit HUD-9902 reports. HUD will use its own records to score this factor.
(b) Grant Expenditure History (6 points). HUD will evaluate the Applicant's expenditure of
previously-awarded grant funds. Significant delays in grant expenditure beyond the period of
performance, including the need to recapture funding, will be taken into consideration.
Applicants that repeatedly fail to expend their grant awards within the period of performance
may be deemed ineligible applicants in subsequent NOFAs. HUD will use its own records to
score this factor.
(c) Counseling Outcomes (7 points). HUD will evaluate the positive impacts that an
Applicant’s housing counseling services had on clients. HUD will use its own records to score
this factor.
CHC Preference Points. Preference points will be awarded only after an application has earned
a minimum fundable score (i.e., the preference points do not assist the applicant to meet the
minimum fundable score). Applicants can earn up to a maximum of two preference points for
all qualified activities:
HUD encourages agencies to have housing counselors with training in emergency preparedness
and/or disaster recovery. Applicants must describe their activities in Chart C (Fields G-H).
HUD will award two points for qualified activities.

2. Preference Points.
HUD encourages activities in Promise Zones (PZ) communities. HUD will award two (2) points
for qualified activities within a designated zone or area.
To receive Promise Zones Preference Points, applicants must submit form HUD 50153,
Certification of Consistency with Promise Zone Goals and Implementation, signed by the
Promise Zone Official authorized to certify the project meets the criteria to receive preference
points. To view the list of designated Promise Zones and persons authorized to certify, please
see the Promise Zone pages on HUD's website.
B. Review and Selection Process.
1. Past Performance
In evaluating applications for funding, HUD will take into account an applicant’s past
performance in managing funds. Items HUD may consider include, but are not limited to:
a. The ability to account for funds appropriately;
b. Timely use of funds received from HUD;
c. Timely submission and quality of reports submitted to HUD;
d. Meeting program requirements;
e. Meeting performance targets as established in the grant agreement;
f. The applicant’s organizational capacity, including staffing structures and capabilities;
g. Time-lines for completion of activities and receipt of promised matching or leveraged funds;
and
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h. The number of persons to be served or targeted for assistance.
HUD may reduce scores as specified under V.A. Review Criteria. Each NOFA will specify how
past performance will be rated or otherwise used in the determination of award amounts.
Whenever possible, HUD will obtain past performance information from staff with the greatest
knowledge and understanding of each applicant’s performance. If this evaluation results in an
adverse finding related to integrity or performance, HUD reserves the right to take any of the
remedies provided in Section III.D 1. Pre-selection Review of Performance, above.
2. Assessing Applicant Risk
HUD may impose special conditions on an award as provided under 2 CFR 200.207:
1. Based on HUD's review of the applicant's risk under 2 CFR 200.205;
2. When the applicant or recipient has a history of failure to comply with the general or specific
terms and conditions of a Federal Award;
3. When the applicant or recipient fails to meet expected performance goals; and
4. When the applicant or recipient is not otherwise responsible.
3. Review and Selection Process.
Technical Review. First, a technical sufficiency review will determine whether each application
meets the threshold requirements set forth in this NOFA and whether all required forms have
been properly submitted. Section IV.D.4 provides the procedures to correct a deficient
application.
General Review. During the second review, Applications will be evaluated competitively and
ranked against other Applicants that applied in the same funding category.
Minimum Fundable Score. All applications will be scored on a 100 point scale, not including
preference points. HUD anticipates making awards to all Applicants scoring 75 points or
greater. If available funds are insufficient to provide grants to all Applicants achieving the
minimum fundable score, grants will be awarded in rank order until all available funds have
been distributed. HUD reserves the right to adjust the minimum fundable score.
Funding Methodology. This methodology awards agencies a base award determined by the
size and nature of their counseling networks. The methodology then augments that amount
based on performance within HUD’s Housing Counseling Program and other relevant criteria.
Applicants may also indicate, but are not required to, a maximum grant request (Chart A, Field
Q) that will be considered as a cap in establishing the maximum award for the Applicant.
Although HUD will determine the total award amount for each Applicant, Grantees themselves
will determine the actual funding amounts to be distributed to Sub-grantees and/or Branches.
(a) Base Award. The funding methodology will provide a Base Award for successful
Applicants.
(1) LHCAs applying independently are not eligible to manage a network of sub-grantees.
While LHCAs applying independently may sub-allocate HUD grant funds to their Branch
offices, the funding formula will not augment the award for such offices.
(2) For Intermediaries, SHFAs, and MSOs that provide sub-grants or fund Branches, the award

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will be calculated based on the nature of the Applicant’s network (Chart A2, Field D).
Intermediaries, SHFAs, and MSOs that provide counseling services at their main office, HUD
will count the main office in this calculation. To be considered, a Branch office must provide
housing counseling services to a minimum of thirty clients per year.
(b) Competitive Funding Amount. Higher scoring submissions may receive incentive funding
on top of the base funding.
(c) Funding to Support a Network. HUD may augment the award for oversight and quality
control activities. HUD may base a portion of this calculation on an Applicant's plan to review
members of its network using form HUD-9910 and to share results and follow-up actions with
HUD (Chart D2, Field 3). Chart D2 includes a space for Applicants to indicate the number of
Sub-grantees and Branches (from 0 to 5) that they propose to review during the upcoming
performance period.
(d) Number of Counselor FTEs. HUD may augment the award based on the number of FTEs
that provide housing counseling services as of September 30, 2018 (Chart A, Field F).
Applicants that provide counseling services at their main office may count the number of
housing counselor FTEs at the main office in addition to the offices of Sub-grantees and/or
Branches.
(e) Funding of Reverse Mortgage Counseling. HUD may augment the award based on the
number of HECM Roster Counselors that provide housing counseling services as of September
30, 2018 (Chart A, Field G).
(f) Funding of Default Counseling for Reverse Mortgages. HUD may augment the award
based on an Applicant’s commitment to providing HECM default counseling. Applicants are
asked to indicate how many of their counselors will provide default counseling for reverse
mortgage borrowers from 10/1/2018 to 3/30/2020 (Chart A, Field H). As a reminder, default
counseling for reverse mortgages can be provided by non-HECM Roster counselors.
By the end of the period of performance, such counselors must have:
 Attended at least eight hours of training in reverse mortgages in the three years prior to
the end of the grant period; and
 Provided services to a minimum of ten HECM default counseling clients during the
grant period.
Grantees must provide documentation supporting these activities in grant progress reports.
Reallocation of Unallocated Funds. If funds designated for this NOFA remain unallocated
after award recommendations, HUD may reallocate those funds.
Funds Recapture. HUD may decrease the award amount if changes to the network size,
number of housing counselor full-time equivalents (FTEs), or services provided would result in
a lower amount than was awarded using the funding methodology and reserves the right to
recapture all or part of the resulting grant. Additionally, HUD may recapture funds unspent in

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the time allotted. Grantees are required to cooperate with recapture requests.
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Other Changes in Organizational Structure. Anticipated
mergers, acquisitions, or other changes in Grantee(s) legal or organizational structure must be
reported to Grantee’s Point of Contact in HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling. In the case of a
simple name change, HUD may make the award in the name of the newly named entity. In the
case of a merger, the new or merged entity may be eligible to receive grant funding made to the
original Grantee(s), provided they meet certain conditions, including but not necessarily
limited to:
(1) The new or merged entity receives HUD approval as a housing counseling agency and
agrees to comply with programmatic requirements, including oversight and reporting;
(2) The new or merged entity demonstrates that its application and work plan, target
community, and personnel involved are substantially similar to that of the original Grantee(s);
(3) The newly named entity has a DUNS identifier, has registered in SAM and has passed the
IRS check conducted as part of the SAM registration process;
(4) The Name Check review process has been conducted for the proposed new awardee;
(5) An amendment to the award agreement assigning the award to the new entity is completed;
and
(6) A new LOCCS access form has been filed with the HUD Accounting Office.
C. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates.
Information about announcement and award dates is unavailable at this time.
VI. Award Administration Information.
A. Award Notices.
Following the evaluation process, HUD will notify successful applicants of their selection for
funding. HUD will also notify other applicants, whose applications were received by the
deadline, but have not been chosen for award. Notifications will be sent by email to the person
listed as the AOR in item 21 of the SF-424.

B. Administrative, National and Department Policy Requirements for HUD recipients
For this NOFA, the following General Administrative Requirements and Terms
for HUD Financial Assistance Awards apply. Please [click here] to read the detailed
description of each applicable requirement.
1.Compliance with Non-discrimination and Other Requirements.
Unless otherwise specified, these non-discrimination and equal opportunity authorities and
other requirements apply to all NOFAs. Please read the following requirements carefully as the
requirements are different among HUD’s programs.
• Compliance with Fair Housing and Civil Rights Laws.
• Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.
• Economic Opportunities for Low-and Very Low-income Persons (Section 3).
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• Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).
• Accessible Technology.
2. Equal Access to Housing Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity.
3. Ensuring the Participation of Small Disadvantaged Business, and Women-Owned Business.
4. Equal Participation of Faith-Based Organizations in HUD Programs and Activities.
5. Real Property Acquisition and Relocation.
6. Participation in HUD-Sponsored Program Evaluation.
7. OMB Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards.
8. Drug-Free Workplace.
9. Safeguarding Resident/Client Files.
10. Compliance with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub.
L.109-282) (Transparency Act), as amended.
11. Eminent Domain.
12. Accessibility for persons with Disabilities.
13. Violence Against Women Act.
14. Conducting Business in accordance with Ethical Standards/Code of Conduct.
15. Environmental Requirements.
In accordance with 24 CFR Part 50, Section 50.19(b)(2), (3), (4), (9), (12), and (13) of the
HUD regulations, activities funded under this NOFA are categorically excluded from
environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321)
and not subject to environmental review under related laws and authorities.

C. Reporting.
HUD requires recipients to submit performance and financial reports under OMB guidance and
program instructions.
1. Reporting Requirements and Frequency of Reporting. Applicants should be aware that if
the total Federal share of your Federal award includes more than $ 500,000 over the period of
performance, you may be subject to post award reporting requirements reflected in Appendix
XII to Part 200-Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.
2. Race, Ethnicity and Other Data Reporting. HUD requires recipients that provide HUDfunded program benefits to individuals or families to report data on the race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age, disability, and family characteristics of persons and households who are
applicants for, participants in, or beneficiaries or potential beneficiaries of HUD programs in
order to carry out the Department’s responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act, Executive
Order 11063, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Section 562 of the Housing and
Community Development Act of 1987. NOFAs may specify the data collection and reporting
requirements. Many programs use the Race and Ethnic Data U.S. Department of
Housing OMB Approval No. 2535-0113 Reporting Form HUD-27061.

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3. Performance Reporting. All HUD funded programs, including this program, require
recipients to submit, not less than annually, a report documenting achievement of outcomes
under the purpose of the program and the work plan in the award agreement.
4. Activity Report. Grantees are required to submit Form HUD-9902, Housing Counseling
Activity Report, via HUD's web-based Housing Counseling System (HCS).
5. Transparency Act Reporting. Intermediaries, SHFAs, and MSOs are required to report
certain sub-awards in the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act Sub-award
System (FSRS) website located at www.fsrs.gov or its successor system for all prime awards
listed on the FSRS website (Recipient Reporting to Meet the Requirements of the Federal
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006).
6. Grants Oversight and New Efficiency Act (GONE Act) Reporting. Grantees with expired
grants and undisbursed balances at the end of the period of performance must provide a
narrative description to their HUD POC explaining the challenges leading to delays in grant
closeout.
7. Reporting Changes in Agency or Network. Grantees are reminded of their duty under 24
CFR 214.305 to notify HUD of any changes in staff personnel responsible for the Housing
Counseling Program. Moreover, Intermediaries, SHFAs, and MSOs must report to HUD all
changes in the composition and number of their network of Sub-grantees and funded Branches.
HUD reserves the right to adjust the award if a Grantee’s network changes significantly from
that proposed in the grant application. For an Intermediary, SHFA or MSO, a significant change
might include, but is not limited to, a 25 percent or greater decrease in the number of their Subgrantees and funded Branches from that stated in their grant application.
D. Debriefing.
For a period of at least 120 days, beginning 30 days after the public announcement of awards
under this NOFA, HUD will provide a debriefing related to their application to requesting
applicants. A request for debriefing must be made in writing or by email by the authorized
official whose signature appears on the SF424 or by his or her successor in office, and be
submitted to the point of contact in Section VII Agency Contact(s), below. Information
provided during a debriefing may include the final score the applicant received for each rating
factor, final evaluator comments for each rating factor, and the final assessment indicating the
basis upon which funding was approved or denied.
VII. Agency Contacts.
HUD staff will be available to provide clarification on the content of this NOFA.
Questions regarding specific program requirements for this NOFA should be directed to the
point of contact listed below.
Joel Schumacher
[email protected]
Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number via TTY by calling the
toll-free Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339. Please note that HUD staff cannot assist

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applicants in preparing their applications.
VIII. Other Information.
1. National Environmental Policy Act.
This NOFA provides funding under 24 CFR Part 214, which does not contain environmental
review provisions because it is excluded from environmental review under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321) ("NEPA"). Accordingly, under 24 CFR
§50.19(c)(5), this NOFA is categorically excluded from environmental review under the NEPA.
Appendix.
Appendix A
State Housing Finance Agencies (SHFAs) and HUD-approved Intermediaries
HUD's Office of Housing Counseling maintains a listing of currently-approved State Housing
Finance Agencies (SHFAs) and HUD-approved Intermediaries at https://www.hudexchange
.info/programs/housing-counseling/intermediaries-shfa/.
This listing is updated periodically. Applicants that want to confirm the status of SHFAs and
Intermediaries that are not listed here may contact the Office of Housing Counseling via
email at [email protected].
Appendix B
Definitions
1. Affiliate. A nonprofit organization participating in the HUD-related housing counseling
program of a regional or national intermediary, or state housing finance agency. An affiliate is
incorporated separately from the Intermediary or SHFA. An affiliate is also:
a. Duly organized and existing as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization;
b. In good standing under the laws of the state of the organization; and
c. Authorized to do business in the states where it proposes to provide housing counseling
services.
2. Applicant. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency or SHFA applying for a Housing
Counseling grant from HUD through this NOFA. The term applicant includes the
agency's branches identified in its application.
3. Branch. An organizational and subordinate unit of an LHCA, MSO, Intermediary or SHFA,
not separately incorporated or organized, that participates in HUD's Housing Counseling
Program. A branch must be in good standing under the laws of the state where it proposes to
provide housing counseling services. A branch cannot be a sub-grantee or affiliate.
4. Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). An organization’s internal efforts to ensure that a
viable capability exists to continue essential functions across a wide range of potential
emergencies. COOP plans and procedures delineate essential functions, specify succession to
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office and the emergency delegation of authority, provide for the safekeeping of vital records
and databases, identify alternate operating facilities, and provide for interoperable
communications.
5. Counseling. Counselor-to-client assistance that addresses unique financial circumstances
and housing issues and focuses on ways of overcoming specific obstacles to achieving a
housing goal such as addressing a rental dispute, purchasing a home, locating resources for a
down payment, being informed of fair housing and fair lending requirements of the Fair
Housing Act, finding units accessible to persons with disabilities and persons with Limited
English Proficiency, avoiding foreclosure, or resolving a financial crisis.
6. Education. Formal classes, with established curriculum and instructional goals, provided in
a group or classroom setting, or other format approved by HUD, covering one or more of the
eligible topics in Section III.E.1.b of this NOFA or 24 C.F.R. 214.103.
7. Full-time equivalent. The number of total hours worked divided by the maximum number
of compensable hours in a full-time schedule as defined by law. For example, if the normal
schedule for a quarter is defined as 411.25 hours ([35 hours per week * 52 weeks per year 5
weeks regulatory vacation)] / 4), then someone working 100 hours during that a quarter
represents 100/411.25 = 0.24 FTE. Two employees working in total 400 hours during that same
quarterly period represent 0.97 FTE.
8. Grantee. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency or SHFA that receives housing
counseling funds from HUD through this NOFA. The term Grantee includes the Grantee's
branches identified in its application.
9. Homeownership Counseling. The "Housing Counseling: New Certification Requirements"
Final Rule, published in the Federal Register on December 14, 2016, defines Homeownership
Counseling as Housing Counseling related to homeownership and residential mortgage loans
when provided in connection with HUD’s Housing Counseling Program, or required by or
provided in connection with HUD Programs. Homeownership Counseling is housing counseling
that covers: the decision to purchase a home; the selection and purchase of a home; issues
arising during or affecting the period of ownership of a home (including financing, refinancing,
default, and foreclosure, and other financial decisions); and the sale or other disposition of a
home.
10. HUD HECM Roster Counselor. A housing counselor that has met the requirements
pertaining to HUD's HECM Counseling Standardization and Roster (24 C.F.R. 206, Subpart E)
and appears on the HUD HECM Counselor Roster.
11. Intermediary. A HUD-approved organization that provides housing counseling services
indirectly through its branches or affiliates for whom it exercises control over the quality and
type of housing counseling services rendered.
12. Local Housing Counseling Agency (LHCA). A housing counseling agency that directly
provides housing counseling services. An LHCA may have a main office, and one or more
branch offices, in no more than two contiguous states.
13. Multi-State Organization (MSO). A multi-state organization provides housing counseling
services through a main office and branches, in two or more states.
14. NOFA Priority. Policy priorities for HUD’s Housing Counseling Program addressed by

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this NOFA. HUD NOFAs for competitive funding are among the primary means by which
HUD accomplishes its strategic goals and priorities.
15. Participating Agency. Participating Agencies are all housing counseling and intermediary
organizations participating in HUD's Housing Counseling program, including HUD-approved
agencies, and affiliates and branches of HUD-approved Intermediaries, HUD-approved MultiState Organizations, and State Housing Finance Agencies.
16. State Housing Finance Agency (SHFA). Any public body, agency or instrumentality
created by a specific act of a state legislature empowered to finance activities designed to
provide housing and related facilities and services, through land acquisition, construction or
rehabilitation, throughout an entire state. SHFAs may provide direct counseling services or subgrant housing counseling funds to affiliated housing counseling agencies within the SHFA's
state, or both. The term state includes the fifty states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia,
Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
17. Sub-grantee. An affiliate of a HUD-approved Intermediary or SHFA that receives a subgrant of housing counseling funds provided under a HUD housing counseling grant. All subgrantees must be identified in the grantee's application. Under certain conditions, including
approval by HUD, grantees may amend their sub-grantee list after awards are made.
18. Reverse Mortgage. A reverse mortgage is a mortgage that pays a homeowner loan
proceeds drawn from accumulated home equity and that requires no repayment until a future
time.

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