Energy and Performance Information Center (EPIC)

Energy and Performance Information Center (EPIC)

EPIC User Manual_Activity Planning Module (1)

Energy and Performance Information Center (EPIC)

OMB: 2577-0274

Document [pdf]
Download: pdf | pdf
Activity Planning Module
The Activity Planning Module (APM) within HUD’s
Energy and Performance Information Center (EPIC)
automates the development, submission, approval, and
revision of Capital Fund Program (CFP) 5-Year Action
Plans, Budgets and Performance & Evaluation (P&E)
Reports.

Office of Capital Improvements
Public and Indian Housing

EPIC User Manual
Last Updated March 3, 2021

Energy and Performance Information Center

Contents
1.0

ACTIVITY PLANNING MODULE OVERVIEW ................................................................ 3

2.0

FIVE-YEAR ACTION PLAN .................................................................................... 5
COPY FORWARD A 5YAP ....................................................................................... 5
5YAPDETAILS PAGE: .......................................................................................... 7
FIXED PLANS CREATE NEW WORK ACTIVITIES ................................................................... 9
ROLLING PLANS CREATE/EDIT/DELETE/CLONE WORK ACTIVITIES ............................................. 10
ADDING/CREATING A WORK ACTIVITY ......................................................................... 11
EDIT WORK ACTIVITY ......................................................................................... 17
CLONE WORK ACTIVITY ....................................................................................... 19
DELETE WORK ACTIVITY ...................................................................................... 20
WORK ACTIVITY LOG ......................................................................................... 21
FUNGE WORK ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................... 21
SUBMIT PLAN ................................................................................................. 25
5-YEAR ACTION PLAN APPROVALS ............................................................................. 28

3.0

ANNUAL STATEMENT/BUDGET/P&E ..................................................................... 29
CREATE A NEW ANNUAL STATEMENT/BUDGET ................................................................. 29
IMPORT WORK ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................... 32
ASSIGN ANNUAL STATEMENT/BUDGET TO AN AWARD .......................................................... 34
EDIT WORK ACTIVITIES........................................................................................ 36
SUBMIT REPORT............................................................................................... 38
REVISE A BUDGET/ANNUAL STATEMENT REPORT ............................................................... 41
MARKING A BUDGET AS FINAL ................................................................................. 43
PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT AND LEAD-BASED PAINT MEASURES ................................... 43

4.0

HUD FIELD OFFICE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILIES WITHIN EPIC ...................................... 54
FIELD OFFICE REVIEW OF 5YAP ............................................................................... 55
FIELD OFFICE ROLE IN ANNUAL BUDGET REPORTING ........................................................... 59

5.0

APPENDICES ................................................................................................. 61
ACRONYMS.................................................................................................... 61
TABLE OF FIGURES ............................................................................................ 61
5 YEAR ACTION PLAN TYPE AND STARTING YEAR SUBMISSION TIMELINES ........................... 64

FIXED 5-YEAR ACTION PLANS: EPIC SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS ................................................... 64
ROLLING PLAN 5-YEAR ACTION PLANS: EPIC SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS ........................................ 65
REPORTING ON NON-FORMULA CAPITAL FUND GRANTS ........................................................ 65

March 3, 2021

Page 1

Energy and Performance Information Center

REPORTING ON RAD TRANSACTIONS ........................................................................... 66
REPORTING ON OPERATING FUND GRANTS ..................................................................... 67

March 3, 2021

Page 2

Energy and Performance Information Center

1.0

ACTIVITY PLANNING MODULE OVERVIEW

The Activity Planning Module (APM) within HUD’s Energy and Performance Information
Center (EPIC) automates the development, submission, approval, and revision of Capital Fund
Program (CFP) 5-Year Action Plans (Form HUD-50075.2), Budgets and Performance &
Evaluation (P&E) Reports (Form HUD-50075.1).
All Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) are required to use EPIC for FY2018 and later CFP awards.
Therefore, all PHAs must obtain HUD approval of a 5-Year Action Plan in EPIC that includes
FY2018 among the grant years and must electronically submit Annual Statements/Budgets in
EPIC for their FY2018 CFP grant in order to access the funds. This requirement applies to all
future CFP grant awards as well. HUD staff do not have discretion to waive this requirement.
To access the Activity Planning Module, a user will log in to the EPIC system using this link:
https://portalapps.hud.gov/app_epic/.
From the EPIC homepage, the user will click on the Activity Planning Module tab that is listed
in the row across the top of the page. Once a user selects the Activity Planning Module tab, the
user may be presented with a window to select a PHA. Once the user selects a PHA, they will be
presented with the Activity Planning functions. See figures below.

Figure 1: Activity Planning Module Tab Displayed at Top Center of EPIC Homepage

March 3, 2021

Page 3

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 2: Select a PHA Window

Figure 3: 5-Year Action Plan within Activity Planning Functions
Under the heading Activity Planning Functions, users see two options:
➢ 5-Year Action Plan
➢ Annual Statement/Budget/P&E

March 3, 2021

Page 4

Energy and Performance Information Center

2.0

FIVE-YEAR ACTION PLAN

Selecting 5-Year Action Plan will take the user to the 5-Year Action Plan Reporting Homepage,
from which the user can choose to copy forward a new 5-Year Acton Plan (5YAP) or edit an
existing 5YAP.
The 5-Year Action Plan Reporting Homepage contains a legend which indicates the meaning of
various symbols used on the page.
Copy Forward a 5YAP
From the 5-Year Action Plan Reporting Homepage, to create a the next required 5YAP, users
select the “Copy Forward” icon next to the last approved 5YAP. As the legend indicates, the
icon looks like this:

Icon 1: Copy Forward
Note: If a PHA has never created 5YAP, the user will need to create a new 5YAP using the green
plus sign, this icon will only be available if there is no 5YAP, even in a draft status.

Icon 2: Create New

Figure 4: 5-Year Action Plan Reporting Page

March 3, 2021

Page 5

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 5: Confirm – Create Action Plan
Once the PHA selects Copy Forward the PHA will be asked to enter information about the 5year reporting period on the 5YAP Details Page.

Figure 6: 5YAP Details Page: Rolling Plan

Figure 7: 5YAP Details Page: Fixed Plan

March 3, 2021

Page 6

Energy and Performance Information Center

5YAPDetails Page:
➢ Type of Plan: Users may select between Fixed Plan and Rolling Plan. The system will
default to the last type of plan the PHA selected. If the PHA wishes to change from one
type to another the PHA must ensure they are at the end of a 5-year reporting period.1
➢ Five Year Action Plan Starting Year: The starting year for the 5YAP. This will be
automatically populated by the system. The 5YAP that the system will populate will
depend on whether the PHA wishes to operate under a Fixed or Rolling Plan, and the
years covered under the PHA’s current 5YAP.
➢ Estimated Amounts by Plan Year: Users should enter the current year funding amount
as an estimate for each year. PHAs may edit the Estimated Amounts in 5YAPs after they
have been created. These amounts are meant to be estimates only and are only required to
balance upon submission. For PHAs with Fixed Plans the Piggy Bank will likely not
balance as the years go forward, which is not a problem as the PHA will be forced to
balance their annual budget submissions.
Estimated amounts for each year of the 5YAP should include any Replacement Housing
Factor (RHF) grant funds received, in addition to Formula Grants (including any
Demolition Disposition Transitional Funding (DDTF)) or any other CFP Grants such as
Lead Based Paint or Emergency grants, among others in the appropriate year.
When entering estimated amounts for all future years of the 5YAP, PHAs must enter the
dollar amount for the most recent grant year that has been awarded, subject to the
following exceptions:
➢ PHAs must adjust estimated amounts for the expiration or reduction of eligibility for
RHF and DDTF grants. PHAs that expect to borrow funds either through the Capital Fund
Financing Program (CFFP) or an Energy Performance Contract (EPC) should include the
expected proceeds in their estimates.
➢ PHAs anticipating other substantial influxes of funds (e.g., tax credit proceeds) should
include these funds in their estimates.
➢ PHAs that receive extra CFP funds awarded through successful application to a Notice
of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), such as Lead Based Paint grants, or Housing Related
Hazard grants, in addition to awards for Emergency Safety and Security grants should add
the amounts awarded to the appropriate year of source funds awarded. This may not be
the same as the year the funds were awarded. For example, if the award was made in
2020, but the funding source is 2019, the PHA should add the grant amount to their 2019
funding estimates.
1

PHAs should refer to Appendix B of this User Guide for additional information regarding types of
plans.

March 3, 2021

Page 7

Energy and Performance Information Center

➢ PHAs with Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) CHAP, portfolio, or multi-phase
awards that plan to remove units from their public housing portfolio through RAD should
deduct the estimated amount of the Capital Fund grant associated with the RAD project.
This number should be the same as the estimate included in the PHA Plan or RAD
Significant Amendment.
➢ PHAs with fewer than 250 Public Housing dwelling units (“Small PHAs”) with Fixed
Plans may choose to estimate that they will receive a larger grant amount in future years
than in the current year, in order to include “standby” work activities in future years. For
example, a PHA with a fixed plan and most recent grant amount of $100,000 may enter
estimated amounts of $120,000 in years 4 and 5 of the 5YAP in order to include standby
items while keeping the expected revenue and expenses in balance. This option provides
additional flexibilities to these Small PHAs.
•
This exception is not available to PHAs with Rolling Plans, as the nature of a
Rolling Plan ensures that there will always be four years of future work activities
available to funge, or reassign, to the current year.
While the 5YAP Details Page displays the PHA Fiscal Year End, this information cannot be
edited. It is based on data reported through other HUD systems. Once the user has entered all
necessary information on the 5YAP Details Page, the user selects Copy Forward.
The user will be directed to the Review Summary Page. This page will display any work
activities that the system will automatically copy forward into the new plan.

Figure 8: 5 Year Action Review Summary Page: Fixed Plan
Note: Because Fixed plans have no overlapping years, there may be no work activities to be
copied forward.

March 3, 2021

Page 8

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 9: 5 Year Action Review Summary Page: Rolling Plan
The user should select Complete to proceed in creating the new 5YAP or Cancel if the user does
not wish to copy forward their plan. Once the user selects Complete, the user will be returned to
the 5-Year Action Plan Reporting Page.

Fixed Plans Create New Work Activities
Once a new Fixed 5YAP has been created, users will begin editing the newly created Draft Plan.
Click on the Edit Plan icon to navigate to the Activities List Page.

Figure 10: 5 Year Action Review Reporting Page: Edit Draft

March 3, 2021

Page 9

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 11: Create New Work Activity Button on Activities list Page
On this page users will select either Create New Work Activity or Funge Work Activities. Users
may notice a yellow warning message indicating that the plan cannot be submitted because
estimated amounts are greater than consumed amounts. As work activities are added for each
year to indicate how estimated funds will be used, these messages will disappear.

Rolling Plans Create/Edit/Delete/Clone Work Activities
Once a new Rolling 5YAP has been created, users will begin editing the newly created Draft
Plan. Click on the Edit Plan icon to navigate to the Activities List page.

Figure 12: 5 Year Action Review Reporting Page: Edit Draft
When a Rolling 5YAP is copied forward any unused approved work items that correspond to the
new 5-year period will be copied forward by the system. The last year of the plan will contain no
work activities and therefore, new activities will have to be created or cloned from other years.
For example, if a user copied forward a 2019-2023 Rolling 5YAP, the system would create a
new plan for 2020-2024 and any unused and approved work activities from 2020-2023 would be
copied into the new plan, with 2024 being blank. Users may notice a yellow warning message

March 3, 2021

Page 10

Energy and Performance Information Center

indicating that the plan cannot be submitted because estimated amounts are greater than
consumed amounts. As work activities are added for each year to indicate how estimated funds
will be used, these messages will disappear.
Note: If a work activity is tied to a Budget (has been imported into a draft or submitted budget),
the system will see it as being “used” and not bring it into a new plan. Please see section 2.10
Funge Work Activity for how to resolve this issue.
Adding/Creating a Work Activity
Users create new work activities by selecting the Create New Work Activity button at the bottom
of the Activities List page. This action navigates users to the Add Work Activity page. The Add
Work Activity page contains four sections: Work Activity Information, Affected
Developments/AMPs, Component Categories from PNA (not operational), and Work Categories.
Users can select the Click to Expand links to expand the latter three sections.

Figure 13: Add Work Activity Page
➢ Work Activity Information: Users enter a Title, Description, Cost, and Projected Year for
the Work Activity. In entering Work Activity Information, PHAs must adhere to the
following:
- PHAs planning to complete a work activity using force account labor must check
the box that says Force Account. Should a PHA wish to complete an activity
using force account labor that was not designated as such at the time of 5YAP
approval, or wish to complete an activity designated as force account at approval
using another vehicle, the PHA user must copy or “clone” the work activity in
EPIC, change the radio button for Force Account, and submit the activity for
Field Office approval.

March 3, 2021

Page 11

Energy and Performance Information Center

- HUD will use PHAs’ selections in EPIC to update BLIs in LOCCS; therefore,
EPIC will only allow each work activity to be associated with a single BLI. In
addition, each Work Activity must be associated with a single Projected Year and
Development. PHAs must create multiple work activities for work items
combining funds across multiple grant years or spanning multiple developments.
For example, if kitchens will be upgraded in 10 units, with 5 units upgraded using
2020 Capital Funds and 5 units upgraded using 2021 Capital Funds, the PHA user
would enter a separate work activity for each year and reflect the costs separately.
The Clone Work Activity feature described later in this manual can assist users in
quickly copying work items that can then be modified to cover different years.
- The Work Item Description must provide sufficient specificity to facilitate
effective HUD Field Office review of the plan, including enabling the Field
Office to assess the level and type of environmental review required. PHAs are
encouraged to enter information in the Description field on the scope of the
activity (e.g., number of units impacted).
For example, for a work activity covering roof replacement at a particular
development, a sufficient description may read: “Installing new 20-year roof, as
well as gutters and soffits, at low-rise building containing 5 Public Housing
units.” A work description simply stating “Roof” would be insufficient, because it
does not indicate whether the activity will cover full-scale replacement of the roof
or simply patching portions of the roof, a distinction with implications for the
level and type of environmental review required.
➢ Affected Developments/AMPs: Once the Work Activity Information has been entered,
users click the Click to Expand link next to Affected Developments/AMPs. Users will
then view a list of development numbers and names along with ACC unit counts. In
addition, users will see a record with a Development Number of “N/A”.
For each work activity, the user marks the radio button to the left of the development at
which the activity will take place. For work not tied to a specific development (e.g.,
Administration), the user selects N/A for the Affected Developments/AMPs. For
construction activities on a non-dwelling building or site (e.g., capital items at
administrative offices), the user must select the specific development of which the site is
a part; “N/A” should only be selected if the site is not contiguous to or included within a
development. If a work item spans multiple developments, the user must create separate
Work Activities. The Clone Work Activity feature described later in this manual can assist
users in quickly copying work items that can then be modified to cover different years.

March 3, 2021

Page 12

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 14: Expanded View of Affected Developments/AMPs on Add Work Activity Page
➢ Component Categories from PNA: This functionality is not yet available. Once
implemented, it will enable users to select capital needs identified within a PHA’s
Physical Needs Assessment (PNA) and quickly add them to a 5YAP. In the interim,
users will not see any component categories listed when they expand this section of the
page, and no selections are needed.
➢ Work Categories: Upon selecting the Click to Expand link next to Work Categories,
users will see a listing of categories. Users will notice that some categories, such as
“Dwelling Unit” are marked with a plus sign to the left of the category name; other
categories, such as “Dwelling Unit – Conversion” are not marked with a plus sign. Users
will also see that each work category name includes the Budget Line Item (BLI) in
parentheses. These BLIs reflect the simplified BLI structure announced in PIH Notice
2016-21 (see: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=PIH-2016-21.pdf).
Users will select the appropriate Work Category and, if applicable, Sub-Category or SubCategories for each new work item. For example, if the Work Activity covers roof
installation on a dwelling structure, the PHA would select “Dwelling Unit-Exterior
(1480)” as the Work Category. As the Dwelling Unit-Exterior category is marked with a
plus sign, the PHA user would expand the category and select the appropriate subcategories as well—in this case, “Roofs”, “Gutters - Downspouts”, and “Soffits”. These
selections are displayed in Figure 10.
HUD will use PHAs’ selections in EPIC to update BLIs in LOCCS; therefore, it is
imperative that each Work Activity be associated with a single BLI. PHAs may select
more than one Work Category for any Work Activity, provided that the Work Categories
do not fall under different BLIs. For example, a PHA user may select Dwelling UnitInterior (1480) and Dwelling Unit-Exterior (1480), along with the applicable sub-

March 3, 2021

Page 13

Energy and Performance Information Center

categories, for a work item including both types of work in a single development and
using a single year’s grant. However, a user may not select both Dwelling Unit-Interior
(1480) and Management Improvements (1408) because these Work Categories fall under
different BLIs.
Each work activity should approximately tie to each contract or project at a site, and
when selecting work categories, they should in turn be specific enough for the Field
Office to monitor the appropriate use of funds for each work item. For example, one
work activity should not be a catch all for every type of work being performed in a
building. This also allows the PHA the flexibility to adjust the scope of work being
performed over time and reschedule as needed.

March 3, 2021

Page 14

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 15: Screenshot of Portion of EPIC Add Work Activity Page, Displaying Work
Categories and Sub-Categories

March 3, 2021

Page 15

Energy and Performance Information Center

➢ Force Account: PHAs should select the appropriate radio button if planning to complete a
work activity using force account labor. Should a PHA wish to complete an activity
using force account labor that was not designated as such at the time of 5YAP approval,
the PHA must change the Work Activity Information selection for 3 .Force Account from
No to Yes, which will trigger a revision of the plan and requires resubmission to the Field
Office for approval.

Figure 16: Force Account Radio Button
Upon entering all necessary information for the new work activity, the user clicks Save. If any
required information is missing, the user will receive a message explaining which items are
missing. If all items are complete, the work item will be saved. The user will then be returned to
the Activities List page, where the new work item will appear. The Piggy Bank on the left side
of the screen will then include the cost of the work activity under the “Consumed” cost for the
given year.

March 3, 2021

Page 16

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 17: Activities List Page
Edit Work Activity
After a new work activity has been created, users have two options for editing a work activity,
depending on what needs to be changed.
If the user only needs to edit the year a work activity, the user selects the check box next to the
work activity and dropdown options to change the year will become available. Likewise, if the
user wants to change the amount of the activity the user checks the box and the cost field becomes
editable. The user can select as many or as few activities as they wish. The user must hit save
changes at the bottom for the changes to take effect and show up in the Piggy Bank.

March 3, 2021

Page 17

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 18: Quick Edit Checkbox: Year and Amount
If any other changes need to be made to a work item, the user can edit the work activity by selecting
the Edit Work Activity Icon next to that 6work activity on the Activities List Page. The icon looks
like this:

Icon 3: Edit Icon

Figure 19: Activities List page – Edit Work Activities Icon
Upon selecting the Edit icon on the Activities List page, the user can make edits to the work activity
via the Edit Work Activity Page. To edit the Affected Development/AMPs, Component Categories
from PNA, or Work Categories sections, the user will need to select the link to expand the
appropriate section. The user will select Save to update the work activity information. Note that
once the 5YAP has been submitted to HUD, and once work activities have been connected to a
Budget in EPIC, options for editing work activities become more limited.

March 3, 2021

Page 18

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 20: Edit Work Activity Page

Clone Work Activity
After a new work activity has been created, users can create a copy, or clone, of the work activity.
Users may find this option helpful in cases where the same or similar work is being done across
multiple developments or years. For example, suppose a work activity was created for roof
installation in 2020 in development AB123000001. If roof installation will also be done in 2020
in development AB123000002, the user may wish to copy the existing work activity and then edit
the copy to change the development number and cost, as needed.
Users create a copy of an existing work activity by selecting the Clone Work Activity Icon next to
that particular work activity on the Activities List Page. The icon looks like this:
Icon 4: Clone Icon
Upon selecting the Clone Work Activity Icon next to a particular work activity, the user will
receive a message asking to confirm the action.

Figure 21: Clone Work Activity Confirmation

March 3, 2021

Page 19

Energy and Performance Information Center

Upon selecting “OK”, the user will see that a copy of the existing work activity has been added to
the Activities List Page. The “Piggy Bank” on the left side of the Activities List Page will have
adjusted accordingly.

Figure 22: Clone of Work Activity on Activities List Page

Delete Work Activity
Users can delete an existing work activity by selecting the Delete Work Activity Icon next to the
particular work activity on the Activities List Page. The icon looks like this:

Icon 5: Delete Icon
Upon selecting the “Delete Work Activity” icon, users will receive a popup message confirming
the action.

March 3, 2021

Page 20

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 23: Delete Work Activity Confirmation
Upon selecting “OK”, users will be returned to the Development List page, and the deleted work
activity will no longer be displayed. The “Piggy Bank” on the left side of the Activities List
Page will have adjusted accordingly.
Work Activity Log
Users can select the Work Activity Log icon to see a history including when the work activity was
created, edited, and copied/cloned, and the user ID of the user who entered these actions. The icon
looks like this:

Icon 6: Log Icon
Upon selecting the Work Activity Log icon for a particular work activity, a log similar to that
shown below will be displayed.

Figure 24: Work Activity Log

Funge Work Activities
For work activities that are not yet connected to a Budget in EPIC, users can move the work activity
from one year to another through the Edit Work Item functionality. However, once work items
are connected to a Budget in EPIC, moving work items between years requires users to utilize the
Funge Work Items functionality.
In order to funge work activities between years, users select the Funge Work Activities button at
the bottom of the Activities List Page.

March 3, 2021

Page 21

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 18: Funge Work Activities Button on Activities list Page
Upon selecting the Funge Work Activities button, users are directed to the Funge Work Activities
page. On this page, users will first select the Source Year. This is the year from which the work
activity is moving. Upon selecting a Source Year, the work activities currently listed in that Source
Year are displayed. Users check the work item or items they would like to move and select “Add
to Queue”. The work item(s) selected then appear in the queue.
Note that multiple items from the same Source Year may be selected and added to the queue. In
addition, once work items from one Source Year are selected and added to the queue, users may
then select another Source Year and add items from that Source Year to the queue. Therefore, the
queue may include multiple work items, including multiplying work items from different Source
Years.
Once all items to be moved to a new Fiscal Year are displayed in the queue, the user selects
“Continue”.

March 3, 2021

Page 22

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 25: Funge Work Activities-Select Work Activities from Source Year
Upon selecting Continue from the Funge Work Activities Page, the user will be directed to a new
webpage listing the queued work items. The user selects a Destination Year. This is the year into
which the work item is moving. The user then selects a work item or work items and selects the
Funge button to move the work item(s) to the Destination Year. If the user has added multiple
work items to the Funge Work Items Queue, the user can then select another Destination Year and
repeat the process to funge work items to that Destination Year. Funged Work Items appear in the
table at the bottom of the screen. Once the user has funged all queued work items to a new
Destination Year, the user selects Continue.

March 3, 2021

Page 23

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 26: Funge Work Activities-Select Destination for Work Activities
Upon funging activities to a new Destination Year and selecting Continue, the user will be
directed to a summary/confirmation page. This page includes a Piggy Bank showing the current
amounts and the changes that would be applied as a result of funging work activities. It also
displays a summary of the fungability actions (i.e., a list of work activities and the years in which
they are moving from and to.) If the user needs to make changes, they may select the Back or
Cancel buttons. To complete the fungability actions, the users selects Complete.

March 3, 2021

Page 24

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 27: Funge Work Activities - Review Work Activity Fungibility
Upon selecting Complete, the user views another summary page with a link to Return to Activity
List..

Figure 28: Funge Work Activities – Summary of Completed Fungibility Actions

Submit Plan
From the Activities List Page, users can select the View PDF link on the left side of the page
above the Piggy Bank to view a PDF of their plan. This facilitates saving copies of the plan

March 3, 2021

Page 25

Energy and Performance Information Center

outside of the EPIC system and printing the plan. This option is available for 5YAPs in all
statuses, whether Draft, Submitted, or Approved. It is available to both PHA and HUD users.
Once all work activities have been added and the cost of those work activities matches the
estimated cost for each year of the 5YAP, the user may submit the 5YAP for HUD approval.
Note that the plan may not be submitted until the Piggy Bank on the Activities List Page shows
balanced estimated revenues and expenses. The Piggy Bank is in balance when the Estimated
and Consumed costs match for each year and the Balance for each year is $0.00. If the Piggy
Bank is out of balance, adjustments may be made on the revenue side by editing projected
amounts for each year. To make these changes, select the Edit Plan Information link on the
Activities List page above the Piggy Bank. Adjustments may also be made to the cost estimates
by editing work activities or funging work activities.
Once the Piggy Bank is in balance, yellow warning messages will no longer appear at the bottom
of the Activities List Page and the Submit button at the bottom of the Activities List Page will be
activated. Note that once a 5YAP is submitted, it will be locked and cannot be edited until the
Field Office approves or rejects the plan.

March 3, 2021

Page 26

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 29: Activities List Page – Submit Plan Button
Upon selecting “Submit”, users will receive a popup message.

Figure 30: Submit Plan Confirmation

March 3, 2021

Page 27

Energy and Performance Information Center

Upon selecting “OK”, the user will be directed to the 5-Year Action Plan Reporting Page. The
5-Year Action Plan will be displayed with a lock icon, indicating the plan has been submitted
and cannot be edited.

Icon 7: Submitted Icon

Figure 31: 5-Year Action Plan Reporting Page Showing Submitted 5YAP

5-Year Action Plan Approvals
There are two ways a 5YAP will be approved.
1. Field Office Approval/EPIC System Approval
2. System Approval
When a PHA submits a plan that contains changes that require HUD approval the system will
show a status of “Submitted” until the Field Office begins its review. EPIC will display where in
the process the submitted plan is under the categories of “Under Review,” or
“Approved/Rejected”. A column will also show who approved the plan. The PHA will not be
able to edit or copy their Plan until this process is complete. However, please note that between
the dates of May 14, 2020 and December 31, 2020 HUD waived this requirement. For further
information please refer to PIH Notice 2020-07 and corresponding Reporting Guidance. During
this time-frame EPIC will automatically approve any PHA Plan that is successfully submitted by
a PHA. The Plan will show EPIC System under the “Approved By” column.
When a PHA funges work activities in their 5YAP it does not require HUD approval, but the
system will generate a revision and it will show as approved by “System.”

March 3, 2021

Page 28

Energy and Performance Information Center

3.0

ANNUAL STATEMENT/BUDGET/P&E

Once a PHA has an approved 5YAP, the next step in the process is to create a Budget (formerly
referred to as an Annual Statement). The approved 5YAP becomes the basis for Budget
reporting within EPIC. The Budget can only be created after a 5YAP has been approved, and it
will be linked to the approved plan.
The Budget will consist only of approved work activities from the 5YAP. PHAs will select work
activities from the applicable year of their 5YAP to add to the Budget. In addition, PHAs may
import approved work activities from other years of the 5YAP into the Budget; PHAs may use
this option if they have had a change of plans and would like to complete the activities included
in the 5YAP in a different order, shifting some activities between years.
Selecting Annual Statement/Budget/P&E from the Activity Planning Module homepage will
direct the user to the Annual Statement /Budget Reporting Page.

Figure 32: Annual Statement/Budget/P&E Function of Activity Planning Module
The Annual Statement/Budget Reporting Page enables a user to create a new Budget, associate
a Budget with a grant award, and edit and submit Budgets. These functions will be detailed in the
following sections.

Create a New Annual Statement/Budget
To create a new Budget, users select the Create New Annual Statement/Budget link on the
Annual Statement/Budget Reporting Page. This option will not be available if the PHA does
not yet have an approved 5YAP in EPIC.

March 3, 2021

Page 29

Energy and Performance Information Center

Before selecting the Create New Annual Statement/Budget link to create a Budget for a particular
year, the user should confirm that a Budget for that year has not already been created in EPIC.
Any Budgets not yet linked to a grant award would display on the right side of the screen under
Annual Statements/Budget not associated with Awards; if a Budget for the year of interest
appears here, the user should not create a new Budget. Instead, the user should refer to Section
1.2.4 for instructions on linking the draft Budget to an award. Budgets already linked to an
award would display on the left side of the screen under Annual Statements/Budgets linked to
Awards; if a Budget for the year of interest appears here, the user should not create a new
Budget. Instead, the user should refer to Section 1.2.6 for information on viewing, editing, and
revising Budgets.

Figure 33: Annual Statement/Budget Reporting Screen – Create New Annual
Statement/Budget Button
Upon selecting the Create New Annual Statement/Budget button, users will be directed to a new
page on which they will enter the following pieces of information:
➢ Title: The title for the Budget. This title may refer to the grant award or funding source
and the year (e.g., 2015 Formula Grant)
➢ 5YAP Year: Indicate to which 5YAP year the Budget corresponds.
➢ Applicable 5-Year Action Plan: Indicate which 5-Year Action Plan should be linked to
the Budget. The system will automatically populate the most recent and appropriate
5YAP. For Rolling Plans, the PHA must have a 5YAP where the beginning year
corresponds to the same starting year as the Budget year being entered. For example, for
a 2020 Budget, the PHA must have a 5YAP that begins with 2020.

March 3, 2021

Page 30

Energy and Performance Information Center

➢ Award and Estimated Award Amount: At the time of creation of a new Budget, the PHA
may or may not have received the Capital Fund grant or other source of funding for the
year specified.
If the Capital Fund grant for the year selected has been received, the user selects the
award from the Select Award drop-down box. This grant information is pre-populated
from LOCCS. If a grant award is selected, the amount will be automatically displayed in
the Estimated Award Amount box and cannot be edited. An example is shown in Figure
31 below.
If the Capital Fund Award for the selected year has not yet been received, the user may
proceed in creating the Budget using an estimated award amount. In this case, selecting
the arrow in the Select Award box will display a message stating No Awards Found. The
user will leave that message in the Award box and will enter an Estimated Award
Amount. This estimate will likely match the estimate entered in the approved 5YAP. An
example is shown in Figure 32 below. Once the grant award is received, the PHA will
link the Budget to the award in EPIC; PHAs cannot submit Budgets in EPIC until the
Budget is linked to an award. HUD will not spread the budget in LOCCS, and the PHA
may not draw down funds, until the Budget in EPIC is linked to the grant award and
submitted.

Figure 34: Create New Annual Statement/Budget – Select Award Year and Award

March 3, 2021

Page 31

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 32: Create New Annual Statement/Budget – Enter Estimated Award Amount
Upon selecting Continue, users will be directed to a new page on which they will select the work
activity or activities for the Budget. The work activities listed will be those for the selected year
in the approved 5YAP. The user will then select the Complete button at the bottom to create the
new Budget.

Figure 35: Create New Annual Statement/Budget – Select Work Activities
Import Work Activities
Once a Budget is created, the user will be directed to the Activity List for Annual
Statement/Budget Page.
The user may select the Import Work Activities button at the bottom of the screen to import work
activities from other years.

March 3, 2021

Page 32

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 36: Activity List Page for Annual Statement/Budget – Import Work Activities Button
Upon selecting Import Work Activities, the user is directed to the Add Activities to the Annual
Statement/Budget Page. On this page, approved work activities included in the 5YAP for
different years are displayed. The user may select from among these activities and add them to
Budget by using the Add Work Activities link. Users may want to use this functionality if the
PHA has had a change of plans and would like to complete the activities included in the 5YAP in
a different order, shifting some activities between years. However, once an activity is imported
into a Budget of a different year, the 5YAP will update to reflect that year. Users will not be
able to edit these activities in the 5YAP until they are no longer associated to a Budget.

March 3, 2021

Page 33

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 37: Add Activities to Budget
Once the user has added the work activities, the user selects the Add Work Activities button. The
user will then be directed to the Activity List for Annual Statement/Budget Page. On this page,
the BLI Piggy Bank will appear.

Figure 38: Activity List for Annual Statement/Budget
On the bottom of the Activity List for Annual Statement/Budget Page, the user may select Save
Report at any time to save the report as a draft. Selecting Save Report returns the user to the
Annual Statement/Budget Reporting Page.

Assign Annual Statement/Budget to an Award
On the Annual Statement/Budget Reporting page, Budgets that are not yet linked to an award
appear on the right side of the screen. Users with the appropriate permissions can click on the

March 3, 2021

Page 34

Energy and Performance Information Center

“Assign to Award” icon next to a Budget to associate a Budget with an Award. The Assign to
Award icon looks like this:

Icon 8: Assign to Award Icon

Figure 39: Annual Statement/Budget Reporting – Assign to Award Icon
Upon selecting the Assign to Award icon, the Associate Annual Statement/Budget with Award
page is displayed. The user can select the radio button for the award and then click the Complete
button to assign an award to the Budget.

Figure 40: Associate Annual Statement/Budget with Award
Upon selecting a grant award and selecting Complete, the user will be returned to the Annual
Statement/Budget Reporting Page. The Budget that is newly linked to a grant award will no
longer be displayed on the right side of the screen in the table for Annual Statements/Budget not
associated with Awards. However, the Budget will now be displayed on the left side of the
screen in the table for Awards with Annual Statements/Budget List.

March 3, 2021

Page 35

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 41: Annual Statement/Budget Reporting Page – Annual Statement/Budget Associated
with Award
The user will be directed to the Annual Statements/Budget List Page for the specific award. The
user will then select View Statements. The user may then edit and import work activities as
previously described.

Figure 42: Annual Statement/Budget List for a Grant Award
Edit Work Activities
Once work activities have been added to the Budget, users can click on Edit option next to an
activity on the Activity List for Annual Statement/Budget Page to edit the work activity.

March 3, 2021

Page 36

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 43: Work Activity Details Page
The Work Activity Details page displays the following information on the work activity, some of
which may be edited.
➢ Work Activity Information: Users may wish to edit certain elements of the work activity,
such as the cost, and may do so using this functionality.
➢ Budget Line Item Information: This can only be edited in the 5YAP as it must be
approved by HUD.
➢ Component Categories from PNA: This functionality is not yet available.
➢ Work Categories: PIH Notice 2016-21 (see:
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=PIH-2016-21.pdf) provides
information on editing this section. PHA users may update the work sub-categories that
were selected upon creation of the Work Activity in the 5-Year Action Plan. It is
permissible to check or un-check sub-categories to reflect a change in the scope of a work
activity; for example, if an approved work activity originally included “Roofs”, “Gutters Downspouts”, and “Soffits”, the user may un-check the sub-category for “Gutters Downspouts” during the creation of the Budget to reflect a reduction in the scope of the
work. However, users may not check or un-check work sub-categories if the changes
would be inconsistent with the description of the approved work activity; for example, for

March 3, 2021

Page 37

Energy and Performance Information Center

a roof replacement work activity, a PHA may not un-check “Roofs, “Gutters Downspouts”, and “Soffits” and check “Exterior Lighting”. In this latter case, the user
would need to return to the 5YAP to add or edit work activities and receive Field Office
approval before adding the work items to a Budget.
➢ Other Measures: Users may select the option to expand the Other Measures section. In
this section, users may enter information on whether the work item has accessible
features built in, security costs, energy/water conservation components, or lead based
paint components. In accordance with PIH Notice 2016-21 (see:
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=PIH-2016-21.pdf), this section is
not mandatory at this time.

Figure 44: Edit Work Activities in Annual Statement/Budget – Expanded View of Other
Measures

Submit Report
Once the Budget has been linked to a grant award, and the Piggy Bank balances out (i.e., Annual
Statement/Budget Amount is equal to Work Activity Planned Amount and Balance is $0.00),a
Submit Report button will appear at the bottom of the Activity List for Annual Statement/Budget
Page. The Piggy Bank also shows the BLI amounts, Percentages and Maximum Allowable
Amounts (where applicable). The user may then select Submit Report to submit the Budget to
HUD.

March 3, 2021

Page 38

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 45: Submit Annual Statement/Budget Report
Upon selecting “Submit Report”, the user will receive a popup message.

Figure 46: Submit Budget Confirmation
Upon selecting OK, the user will either be directed to the Annual Statements/Budget List page for
the grant award and the Budget will be displayed with a lock icon and a status of “Submitted” if
there were no errors.

March 3, 2021

Page 39

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 47: Annual Statement/Budget List for Grant Award - Status Submitted
If not, the user will receive errors at this point. These must corrected before proceeding. The error
message will contain details of what items need correcting.

Figure 48: Annual Statement/Budget List for Grant Award-Error
Once the Budget is successfully submitted. Users may select the Budget link in the table to return
to the Activity List for Annual Statement/Budget Page. For submitted reports, the information is
Read-Only.

March 3, 2021

Page 40

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 49: Activity List for Annual Statement/Budget Report – Read-Only for Submitted
Reports
Within a few days of the Budget submission in EPIC, the Budget will spread in ELOCCS. PHA
Executive Director should receive an email notification confirming the Budget submission.

Revise a Budget/Annual Statement Report
From the Annual Statements/Budget List page for the grant award, the user may select the
appropriate link in the Options column of the table to view a PDF or Excel File of the Budget,
Revise a Budget, Create a New P&E Report or Mark a Budget as Final.
Once a PHA has submitted a Budget in EPIC, PHA users may determine that they need to revise
the Budget. These revisions may be prompted by a change in the PHA’s plans.
When a user revises a submitted Budget, a copy of the submitted Budget is created as the latest
version. The revised report will be marked with a revision number.

March 3, 2021

Page 41

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 50: Annual Statement/Budget List – Displaying Revised Report
Some types of changes that need to be made to a Budget also requiring revising the 5YAP, while
other types of changes do not require this additional step. Users should refer to the lists below to
determine whether the changes they wish to make to a Budget are likely to also require revising
the 5YAP.
➢ Changes to Budgets that do NOT require revising the 5-Year Action Plan:
- Changing the amounts for work activities
- Adding approved work activities to the budget
- Removing work activities from the budget
- Checking or un-checking sub-categories to reflect a change in the scope of the work; for
example, if an approved work activity originally included “Roofs”, “Gutters Downspouts”, and “Soffits”, the PHA may un-check the sub-category for “Gutters Downspouts” in the budget. However, if the changes would be inconsistent with the
description of the approved work activity, the PHA would need to make the revisions in
the 5-Year Action Plan and obtain Field Office approval before adding the work activity
to the budget; for example, for a roof replacement work activity, a PHA wishing to uncheck “Roofs, “Gutters - Downspouts”, and “Soffits” and check “Exterior Lighting”
would need to return to the 5-Year Action Plan.
➢ Changes to Budgets that DO require revising the 5-Year Action Plan:
- Changing the Work Category associated with a work activity, which is necessary to
change the BLI associated with an activity. For example, changing a work activity to
reflect the assignment of funds to BLI 9002 instead of BLI 9000.
- Changing the number of Work Categories associated with an activity. For example,
changing a work activity that includes Work Categories under BLI 1410 and 1480 to only
include Work Categories associated with BLI 1480. (Note that changes to the Work
Activity Sub-Categories to reflect a change in the scope of a work activity do not require
revising the 5-Year Action Plan, provided the changes are consistent with the description
of the work activity.)
- Changing the development number associated with a work activity
- Adding work activities to the budget that are not yet approved in a 5-Year Action Plan

March 3, 2021

Page 42

Energy and Performance Information Center

Marking a Budget as Final
Once a PHA has finished making all revisions to their Budget and it reflects the PHAs final
expenditures items and amounts, the PHA can mark their Budget as “Final.” This indicates the
grant is ready for closeout. To do so the user selects the link under the Options Column.

Figure 51: Annual Statement/Budget List – Mark Budget as Final

Performance and Evaluation Report and Lead-Based Paint Measures
PHAs that have an approved 5-Year Action Plan and that have submitted an Annual
Statement/Budget can create a Performance & Evaluation (P&E) Report in EPIC. PHAs with
Lead-Based Paint Capital Fund grants may be required to submit a P&E Report for these grants
on an annual basis. Field Office staff may also require submission of P&E Reports throughout
the lifecycle of a grant award by PHAs as part of risk-based monitoring and portfolio
management Field Office staff will notify PHAs in this category.
The P&E Report functionality in EPIC is similar to the Budget Revision functionality but
collects additional information. This additional information may assist HUD staff in conducting
grant closeout and annual risk-based monitoring activities.
The P&E Report will be based on the most recently submitted Budget or Budget Revision for the
grant award. If PHAs have made any significant changes that would affect the most recent
Budget, they must submit an Annual Statement/Budget Revision first before creating a new P&E
report.
1. If you are reporting on a Lead-Based Paint Capital Fund grant, you must have a separate
Budget in which you report specifically on that separate award. Awards for Lead Based
Paint will have a slightly different number than a regular Capital Fund grant, typically,
they contain an L in the grant number. Follow the steps above for creating a Budget and
attaching it to an award then follow the instructions and then add the details outlined in
step 4 below.

March 3, 2021

Page 43

Energy and Performance Information Center

2. Your Budget must include the Lead-Based Paint related measures before you can create a
P&E Report. If you are not reporting on a Lead-Based Paint Capital Fund grant; and your
work under the grant does not include any Section 505/accessibility measures,
energy/water conservation measures, or lead-based paint related measures; or the
previously-submitted Lead-Based Paint Budget is current you may skip ahead to Step 8.
3. If you selected “Revise Statement” in order to reflect significant changes, you will see a
Draft Annual Statement/Budget Revision appear; you should select the Edit Statement
link next to the new Annual Statement/Budget Revision. If you selected Edit Statementin
the step above, proceed.

Figure 52: Draft Budget on List Page (AS2)
4. Select each work activity one at a time. Upon selecting the link on the Work Activity
name, you will be directed to the Work Activity Details page; on that page, click to
expand the Other Measures section.

March 3, 2021

Page 44

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 53: Activity List for Annual Statement/Budget (AS3)

March 3, 2021

Page 45

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 54: Work Activity Details Page (AS4)
5. Complete the “Other Measures” section by checking the box to the left of each
appropriate category and entering the estimated cost. Then, click “Save”.

March 3, 2021

Page 46

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 55: Other Measures Section of the Work Activity Details Page (AS4)
6. Repeat Steps 5 and 6, above, for each work activity. Once you have completed the “Other
Measures” section for each work activity and made any other necessary updates to the
Annual Statement/Budget, select the Submit Report button to submit the Annual
Statement/Budget or Annual/Statement/Budget Revision. You will receive a warning
message indicating that this action will lock the statement; click “OK”.
7. Select the Create New P&E Report link. (If your agency has not yet submitted an Annual
Statement/Budget for the grant, you will not see the Create New P&E Reportlink;
submitting a Budget must be completed before creation of a P&E Report.)

March 3, 2021

Page 47

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 56: Annual Statement/Budget List Page (AS2)
8. You will be presented with an informational message asking you to confirm whether you
would like to proceed further and create a P&E Report. Select Create P&E Report.

March 3, 2021

Page 48

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 57: Confirm P&E Report Creation (PE7)
9. In the drop-down box, select the Fiscal Year on which you are reporting. One by one,
select the Edit Activity Details link next to each of the work activities that were executed
during the fiscal year and follow the instructions below to provide the necessary
information. You should report for all work activities that were executed during the fiscal
year.

Figure 58: Activity List for P&E Report Page (PE1)
10. Upon selecting the Edit Activity Details link for a work activity, the Work Activity
Information screen will display. Enter the amount of funds obligated, the amount of

March 3, 2021

Page 49

Energy and Performance Information Center

funds expended, the actual cost, and the status of work performed. These amount should
match what has been reported in LOCCS at the time of your submission. Then, select
Next.

Figure 59: Work Activity Information Page (PE2)
11. On the Other Measures Information page, please identify how much of the amount of
the work activity was used to perform lead-based paint related measures and other
measures by entering the Obligated Cost and Expended Cost. The Estimated Cost is
populated based on the prior Annual Statement/Budget or Annual Statement/Budget
Revision. After you have entered the necessary information, select Next

March 3, 2021

Page 50

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 60: Other Measures Information Page (PE4)
12. Select “Manage Installation Items by Dev” to identify the units within the development
where the work was executed and to enter the quantity of work performed.

March 3, 2021

Page 51

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 61: Installation By Development/AMP (PE5)
13. As appropriate, report information on the quantity of work performed and affected
developments. Then, select “Save Selections”.

March 3, 2021

Page 52

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 62: Installation Information for Development/AMP (PE6)
14. Confirm the information submitted for the work activity – funds obligated, funds
expended, and units where work was performed. Then, select “Save”. Repeat the process
outlined in the steps above to report on all work activities that were executed during the
fiscal year.
15. PHAs will have an option to mark a P&E Report as “Final” in EPIC if the amount left to
be expended does not exceed $500 and all awarded funds are recorded as obligated. If the
P&E Report is being used to support grant closeout, the PHA must mark the P&E Report
as “Final”.

March 3, 2021

Page 53

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 63: “Mark P&E Report As Final” Check Box on PE1 Page
16. You can either “Save Report” which will place it in a draft status, making it available for
future editing, or “Submit Report” which will lock the P&E. NOTE: EPIC does not
notify the Field Office of submissions of P&E Reports; PHAs should always send an
email to FO representatives informing them of their EPIC P&E Report submission.
4.0

HUD FIELD OFFICE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILIES WITHIN EPIC

Field Office Staff members review submissions and Recommend Approval or Recommend
Approval Withheld for a submitted 5YAP Report, Unsubmit Budgets and Unmark Budgets as
Final. Field Office Directors, and their designees can Approve or Reject 5YAPs. Field Offices
can also review P & E Reports directly in EPIC.

March 3, 2021

Page 54

Energy and Performance Information Center

Field Office Review of 5YAP
Upon logging in to EPIC, the Field Office user navigates to the Dashboard tab and selects 5-Year
Action Plan – Tracking under Dashboard Functions. PHA users will not see this “Dashboard” tab
displayed, as this functionality is reserved for HUD users.

Figure 64: 5-Year Action Plan - Tracking Dashboard Function
The Field Office user is then directed to the 5 Year Action Plan – Tracking Dashboard page.
The Field Office user may select the Search by PHA Code link to search for the 5YAP of a
particular PHA. Alternatively, the Field Office User may use the options on this page to select
the Field Office or make other selections. In addition, the Field Office user may choose to filter
the list to display only 5YAPs in a certain status. Upon locating a 5YAP, the Field Office user
may select the View link to view the 5YAP.

March 3, 2021

Page 55

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 65: Tracking Dashboard Filtered for FO and Submitted Status
When viewing a 5YAP, Field Office users will be able to select work activities to view the
details of each item. In addition, Field Office users will be able to select the View Work Activity
Log icon next to work activities to see information on their history. Field Office users may not
add or edit work items or funge work items between years.
Field Office users will see options displayed to add comments. The View/Add Comment link
facilitates communications between HUD and the PHA; comments entered via this link are sent
to the PHA. The Internal Comments link facilitates communication within HUD, between HUD
staff.
Field Office users will see links displayed on the Activities List page to Recommend Approval or
Recommend Approval Withheld. Refer to PIH Notice 2016-21 (see:
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=PIH-2016-21.pdf) for guidance on HUD
review and approval of 5YAPs in EPIC.

March 3, 2021

Page 56

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 66: View of Activities List Page for Field Office Staff
Upon selecting the Recommend Approval or Recommend Approval Withheld button, a Field
Office user will see a screen displayed on which to confirm the action and enter comments. Field
Office users are required to enter a comment when recommending that the FO Director withhold
approval of a 5-Year Action Plan.

March 3, 2021

Page 57

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 67: FO Staff Recommend Approval of 5YAP and Enter Comments
Field Office Directors are authorized to approve or withhold approval for 5YAPs. The Field
Office Director logs into EPIC and navigates to the 5YAP by using the Dashboard functionality
as described above. When viewing a 5YAP, the recommendation by Field Office staff is
displayed just above the Approve/ Approval Withheld buttons.

Figure 68: FO Director Approval of 5YAP
If approval is withheld, the Field Office Director will be required to enter a comment. The
5YAP will then become unlocked so that the PHA can fix the problem in the 5YAP and resubmit it to HUD for approval.

March 3, 2021

Page 58

Energy and Performance Information Center

A Field Office user can Create a New 5 Year Action Plan, even if there is one already in place.
This should only be used on rare occasions when there is no alternative.

Figure 69: FO User Options on 5YAP Reporting Page

Field Office Role in Annual Budget Reporting
Field Office users do not review or approve Budgets. Once a Budget is successfully submitted it
will be loaded into ELOCCS within a few business days. However, a Field Office user can
Unsubmit a Budget, which sets it back to draft, if a PHA has made a mistake and would like to
make changes and resubmit. Under Activity Planning, Annual Statement/Budget Screen the
Field Office selects the year and clicks on the View Statements Link. On the AS2 Screen the
option to Unsubmit appears next the last submitted statement, so long as no other draft exists.

Figure 70: FO User Option to Unsubmit a Budget on the AS2 Page

March 3, 2021

Page 59

Energy and Performance Information Center

Field Office Users can also Unmark a Budget as Final, if A PHA accidentally checks that button.

Figure 71: FO User Option to Unmark a Budget as Final on AS2 Page

March 3, 2021

Page 60

Energy and Performance Information Center

5.0

APPENDICES
Acronyms

Table 1 below provides definitions and explanations for terms and acronyms relevant to the
content presented within this document.
Table 1: Appendix A – Acronyms
Acronym

Definition

APM

Activity Planning Module (of EPIC)

BLI

Budget Line Item

EPIC

Energy and Performance Information Center

FO

Field Office

FYE

Fiscal Year End

HUD

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

LOCCS

Line of Credit Control System

P&E

Performance and Evaluation

PHA

Public Housing Authority

PIH

Public and Indian Housing

5YAP

5-Year Action Plan

PNA

Physical Needs Assessment

Table of Figures
Figure 1: Activity Planning Module Tab Displayed at Top Center of EPIC Homepage ............ 3
Figure 2: Select a PHA Window ........................................................................... 4
Figure 3: 5-Year Action Plan within Activity Planning Functions .................................... 4
Figure 4: 5-Year Action Plan Reporting Page ........................................................... 5
Figure 5: Confirm – Create Action Plan.................................................................. 6
Figure 6: 5 Year Action Plan Details Page: Rolling Plan .............................................. 6
Figure 7: 5 Year Action Plan Details Page: Fixed Plan ................................................ 6
Figure 8: 5 Year Action Review Summary Page: Fixed Plan .......................................... 8
Figure 9: 5 Year Action Review Summary Page: Rolling Plan ........................................ 9
Figure 10: 5 Year Action Review Reporting Page: Edit Draft ......................................... 9

March 3, 2021

Page 61

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 11: Create New Work Activity Button on Activities list Page ............................... 10
Figure 12: 5 Year Action Review Reporting Page: Edit Draft ........................................ 10
Figure 13: Add Work Activity Page ...................................................................... 11
Figure 14: Expanded View of Affected Developments/AMPs on Add Work Activity Page ....... 13
Figure 15: Screenshot of Portion of EPIC Add Work Activity Page, Displaying Work Categories
and Sub-Categories ........................................................................................ 15
Figure 16: Activities List Page ........................................................................... 17
Figure 17: Activities List page – Edit Work Activities Icon ........................................... 18
Figure 18: Edit Work Activity Page...................................................................... 19
Figure 19: Clone Work Activity Confirmation ......................................................... 19
Figure 20: Clone of Work Activity on Activities List Page ........................................... 20
Figure 21: Delete Work Activity Confirmation ........................................................ 21
Figure 22: Work Activity Log ............................................................................. 21
Figure 23: Funge Work Activities-Select Work Activities from Source Year....................... 23
Figure 24: Funge Work Activities-Select Destination for Work Activities ......................... 24
Figure 25: Funge Work Activities - Review Work Activity Fungibility .............................. 25
Figure 26: Funge Work Activities – Summary of Completed Fungibility Actions .................. 25
Figure 27: Activities List Page – Submit Plan Button ................................................. 27
Figure 28: Submit Plan Confirmation ................................................................... 27
Figure 29: 5-Year Action Plan Reporting Page Showing Submitted 5YAP .......................... 28
Figure 30: Annual Statement/Budget/P&E Function of Activity Planning Module ............... 29
Figure 31: Annual Statement/Budget Reporting Screen – Create New Annual
Statement/Budget Button ................................................................................ 30
Figure 32: Create New Annual Statement/Budget – Select Award Year and Award ............. 31
Figure 33: Create New Annual Statement/Budget – Select Work Activities ...................... 32
Figure 34: Activity List Page for Annual Statement/Budget – Import Work Activities Button .. 33
Figure 35: Add Activities to Budget ..................................................................... 34
Figure 36: Activity List for Annual Statement/Budget ............................................... 34
Figure 37: Annual Statement/Budget Reporting – Assign to Award Icon .......................... 35
Figure 38: Associate Annual Statement/Budget with Award ........................................ 35
Figure 39: Annual Statement/Budget Reporting Page – Annual Statement/Budget Associated
with Award ................................................................................................. 36
Figure 40: Annual Statement/Budget List for a Grant Award ....................................... 36
Figure 41: Work Activity Details Page .................................................................. 37

March 3, 2021

Page 62

Energy and Performance Information Center

Figure 42: Edit Work Activities in Annual Statement/Budget – Expanded View of Other
Measures .................................................................................................... 38
Figure 43: Submit Annual Statement/Budget Report ................................................ 39
Figure 44: Submit Budget Confirmation ................................................................ 39
Figure 45: Annual Statement/Budget List for Grant Award - Status Submitted .................. 40
Figure 46: Annual Statement/Budget List for Grant Award-Error .................................. 40
Figure 47: Activity List for Annual Statement/Budget Report – Read-Only for Submitted
Reports ...................................................................................................... 41
Figure 48: Annual Statement/Budget List – Displaying Revised Report ............................ 42
Figure 49: Annual Statements/Budget List Page (AS2) ............................................... 44
Figure 50: Activity List for Annual Statement/Budget (AS3) ........................................ 45
Figure 51: Work Activity Details Page (AS4) ........................................................... 46
Figure 52: Other Measures Section of the Work Activity Details Page (AS4) ...................... 47
Figure 53: Annual Statement/Budget List Page (AS2) ................................................ 48
Figure 54: Confirm P&E Report Creation (PE7) ....................................................... 49
Figure 55: Activity List for P&E Report Page (PE1) ................................................... 49
Figure 56: Work Activity Information Page (PE2) ..................................................... 50
Figure 57: Other Measures Information Page (PE4) ................................................... 51
Figure 58: Installation By Development/AMP (PE5) .................................................. 52
Figure 59: Installation Information for Development/AMP (PE6) ................................... 53
Figure 60: “Mark P&E Report As Final” Check Box on PE1 Page .................................... 54
Figure 61: 5-Year Action Plan - Tracking Dashboard Function ...................................... 55
Figure 62: Tracking Dashboard Filtered for FO and Submitted Status ............................. 56
Figure 63: View of Activities List Page for Field Office Staff ....................................... 57
Figure 64: FO Staff Recommend Approval of 5YAP and Enter Comments ......................... 58
Figure 65: FO Director Approval of 5YAP .............................................................. 58
Figure 66: FO User Options on 5YAP Reporting Page ................................................. 59
Figure 67: FO User Option to Unsubmit a Budget on AS2 Page ..................................... 59
Figure 68: FO User Option to Unmark a Budget as Final onAS2 Page .............................. 60

March 3, 2021

Page 63

Energy and Performance Information Center

5 YEAR ACTION PLAN TYPE AND STARTING YEAR SUBMISSION
TIMELINES
The 5-Year Action Plan starting year is the first year of the five-year period covered by the plan.
PHAs should submit plans for each span of years based on the suggested timeline below to
provide time for field office review and approval and timely access to capital funds.
➢ Fixed Plan – Covers a static, five-year period. At the conclusion of this period, a new
plan is created covering the next five-year period. Fixed plans should not have any
overlapping years.
➢ Rolling Plan – Covers a rolling, five-year period. Annually a new plan is created,
removing the oldest year and adding on an additional year.
PHAs elect to create either a “Fixed” or “Rolling” 5-Year Action Plan and may change their
election at the end of a 5-Year Action Plan reporting period. For example, a PHA currently
operating under a Fixed Plan may shift to a Rolling Plan with its next submission as long as the
PHA continues to cover 5 years within the plan, including the current year. Small PHAs should
refer to part iii below for a discussion of the different flexibilities afforded under Fixed and
Rolling Plans.

FIXED 5-YEAR ACTION PLANS: EPIC Submission Requirements

➢ Fixed Plans – PHAs operating under fixed plans should consider whether their latest
existing, approved 5-Year Action Plan in EPIC covers the next fiscal year of CFP awards.
If so, the PHA need not take any action in EPIC2in advance of the PHA’s FYE or the date
capital funds are awarded and made available. HUD encourages submission of a 5YAP
for the next five-year time-period by the PHA’s FYE or the CFP award date (whichever
comes first).
➢ For example, a PHA with an approved, Fixed 2016-2020 5YAP in EPIC need not take
any action in advance of the issuance of FY 2020 CFP awards. However, by the date FY
2021 CFP funds are awarded or the PHA’s FYE (e.g., 12/31/2020, 3/31/2021, 6/30/2021,
or 9/30/2021), the PHA should have submitted a 2021-2025 Fixed 5YAP in EPIC.

2

Please note, however, that PHAs may still be required to submit various certifications to HUD, as detailed at 24
CFR 905.300(b)(1)(v)(B)(2). EPIC’s Activity Planning Module does not automate these certifications, and PHAs
must continue to submit these certifications as prescribed by HUD under current or future guidance. For further
information, please see the annual processing guidance posted on the Office of Capital Improvements Web page at:
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/ph/capfund

March 3, 2021

Page 64

Energy and Performance Information Center

ROLLING PLAN 5-YEAR ACTION PLANS: EPIC Submission Requirements
➢ PHAs operating under Rolling 5-Year Action Plans must submit 5-Year Action Plans

annually, adding one year to the start year. HUD encourages submission of a the 5-Year
Action Plan by the PHA’s FYE (i.e., 12/31/2019, 3/31/2020, 6/30/2020, or 9/30/2020) or
the award date for CFP awards (whichever comes first). This same guidance applies in
subsequent years.

Reporting on Non-Formula Capital Fund Grants
➢ PHAs that receive extra CFP funds awarded through successful application to a Notice of
Funding Opportunity (NOFO), such as Lead Based Paint grants, or Housing Related
Hazard grants, in addition to awards for Emergency Safety and Security grants should
add the amounts awarded to the appropriate year of source funds awarded. This may not
be the same as the year the funds were awarded. For example, if the award was made in
2020, but the funding source is 2019, the PHA should add the grant amount to their 2019
funding estimates.
➢ To report activities for an approved grant application such as an Emergency and Disaster
Grant, the PHA will first need to create new work activities and add the activities to the
applicable 5YAP.
o For example, if the grant was awarded with 2020 funds, the activities should be
added to the Rolling 5YAP plan that begins with 2020 or the Fixed 5YAP that
includes 2020.
➢ Once those activities are approved by the Field Office, the PHA will then create a new
Budget for the specific grant and associate the Budget to the grant in the same way a
PHA would do if it were a regular CFP grant. This means the PHA will end up with 2 (or
more) Budgets for the same year each tied to the same 5YAP one for the regular CFP
grant and one for any other award.
➢ EPIC will not populate an error message for this scenario as it will recognize that these
are two separate awards with different award numbers.

March 3, 2021

Page 65

Energy and Performance Information Center

Reporting on RAD Transactions

Application
Submission

Documention to
RAD Office

Review by RAD
Office

Determine
Appropriate CFP
Involvement

Approval

Add Work
Activities to
5YAP (Step 1)

Use BLI 1480 in
EPIC Budget
(Step 2)

Execution

PHA Submits
request to move $
via RAD
Resource Desk

RAD Office
enters BLIs in
LOCCS (Step 3)

Completion

Budget processes
successfully and
funds are spread
in LOCCs.

PHA draws down
funds

Use RAD BLIs
in EPIC Budget
(Step 4)

We recommend that PHAs converting properties to RAD use the following process in EPIC:
Before closing:
When a PHA is anticipating closing on RAD during one of the years covered by an EPIC 5-Year
Action Plan, they should include separate work activities for each of the relevant RAD related
work categories:
In EPIC Activity Planning-5 Year Action Plan: Edit/Revise appropriate 5YAPs
with work activities for RAD Pre-closing (1480) and any relevant RAD BLI
(1503, 1504, 1505) in consultation with RAD Office and submit for approval.
i. BLI 1480 should be used if the RAD closing will not occur in the next 6
months.
ii. PHAs place Capital Funds into BLI 1503 for use as Housing Assistance
Payments during the year of the RAD conversion since the Section 8
conversion does not take effect until January 1 of the following year.
iii. PHAs place Capital Funds into BLI 1504 for use as a source in the RAD
conversion---to cover hard cost of construction, soft costs, and/or reserves.

March 3, 2021

Page 66

Energy and Performance Information Center

iv. BLIs place Capital Funds into BLI 1505 when they have removed units
from PIC for a RAD transaction that is not expected to close for several
years, and they want to set aside the Capital Funds for that transaction.
1. The money should be allocated to the RAD Funds Pre-Closing work
activity in the 5YAP, but the other relevant work activities should be
entered with $1.00 as place holders. The 5YAP is approved with the
multiple work activities (the Piggy Bank may be slightly out of balancethis is OK).
2. The PHA should submit an Annual Statement/Budget that includes the
RAD Pre-Closing work activity, but not the other two placeholder RAD
work activities.
At/after closing:
In EPIC Activity Planning- Annual Statement/Budget-Create or revise a Budget
for the applicable CFP grant year importing the appropriate BLI depending on
where in the transaction cycle the deal is.
3. Recap office will re-spread the BLIs in LOCCS by moving money from
1480 to either RAD (1503) and/or RAD Investment Activity (1504) based
on the approved RAD financing plan. The RAD Office is solely
responsible for moving funds in LOCCs onto RAD BLIs.
4. At this point LOCCS and EPIC will be out of synch. To get back in synch,
the PHA will need to revise the Annual Statement/Budget that will match
what the Recap office has done in LOCCS. It should import the relevant
placeholder RAD work activities into the revised Annual
Statement/Budget and remove the Pre-Closing 1480 Work Activity. The
PHA should then submit the revised Annual Statement/Budget that
reflects the status of the funding after closing as it is reflected in LOCCS.
Post Closing:
If a PHA will be awarded CFP after a RAD transaction has closed, the PHA may create work
activities in their 5YAP for eligible close-out expenses. The PHA will then submit a Budget
using the eligible post-closing work items and submit to be spread in EPIC.
Reporting on Operating Fund Grants
Notice 2016-18 Outlines the steps to use Operating Fund Grants for Capital Fund Purposes.

March 3, 2021

Page 67

Energy and Performance Information Center

March 3, 2021

Page 68

Energy and Performance Information Center

HUDPIH-516391410-284(283) Last Updated 3/3/2021

March 3, 2021

Page 69


File Typeapplication/pdf
File TitleEPIC User Manual
SubjectLast Updated March 3, 2021
AuthorOffice of Capital Improvements
File Modified2021-03-03
File Created2021-03-03

© 2024 OMB.report | Privacy Policy