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CSI Grant Process

By on September 5, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

I have answers for some recently asked questions.

1. How did CSI initially propose the grants to the co-ops? Did the liaisons present the opportunity at the Council/General Meetings. How early on was Hannan involved?

CSI initially presented the concept of Service Coordination to the Co-ops because they had been hearing that members were aging in place, moving in already in need of services or with services in place, and FCRC members and Presidents were providing services beyond I&R.  An Aging in Place survey conducted at the co-ops confirmed this. Hence, CSI presented the concept at General Meetings at each co-op and explained how it could be funded either through Grant Funds (for older co-ops) or through the Budget Process (for newer PRACS). Each co-op then took a General Membership vote about whether they wanted Service Coordination.

CSI did have one meeting with Hannan after this time to ask us more about Service Coordination since they knew we had a program with PVM and they new Tim Wintermute from consulting. We offered our knowledge and also offered to assist if they needed it.  Then the HUD grant cycle opened and CSI determined that it needed an agency to assist with the application process, so they contracted with NCR (National Church Residences) to write all of the grant proposals on CSI’s behalf. This is a service that NCR offers. After receiving the verbal confirmation in the late summer of 2011, CSI reconnected with Hannan to discuss contracting with us to provide the Service Coordination program in Michigan (they are contracting with NCR in the three other states). We continued discussions and I met with many of the co-ops to further answer questions by their leadership and, in many cases, the general membership. The grants were then officially awarded in February 2012 and you all were in the co-ops by May!

2. Did CSI or Hannan apply for the SC grants?

NCR applied for the first round of grants on CSI’s behalf. I believe CSI has applied for the second round, plus the budget based co-ops, using the template provided by NCR. Hannan has not been involved until after the grants are awarded and then CSI contracts with us for the service. Hence, CSI is the grant recipient and, for the purposes of HUD, the “go to” agency in terms of current and future communications (other than the logic models and semi annual reports).

3. Do you know if HUD audits all SC sites at some point in time (e.g. within the first 3 years of the grant), or is it randomized?

It is random. Some SCs may be audited that early, but it is not a given. HUD audits are random and infrequent.

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MMAM: HUD Property Contract Administrators

By on August 6, 2013 in Public Services, Resources

fair housingI have a helpful resource to share regarding HUD policy.  Michigan Multi-family Asset  Mangers (MMAM) has Resident Coordinators.  They are a mediator agency;  a contract administrator for some HUD properties.   (MSHDA also does this for other properties.)  They are investigators and mediators to make sure HUD rules are being followed by management.     They can open an investigation, for example, when there are discrepancies between members, who did not recertify on time, and management.   They cannot investigate while a member has an attorney.  They can investigate after a member has signed a repayment plan.   They are a great a great source of information about HUD policy.    For instance, they may find rules were not followed with management’s  delivery of letters to members…some letters  have to be mailed by certified mail and given to the person, sometimes putting them under the door is fine.  If CSI makes an exception for a member, with no history of doing the same for all members in the past, this is not allowed.  (“What we do for one we do for all.”) Here is the contact information:

 

Michigan Multi-family Asset  Mangers (MMAM)

2395 Jolly Road, Suite 180

Okemos, MI 48864

Phone: (517) 267-9277

Fax: (517) 267-9894

Tenant Inquiries Phone: (517) 267-9905

(517) 267-9905

Tenant Inquiries Fax: (517) 267-9894

Tenant Inquiries Email: residentcomplaints@mamhousing.com

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HUD ANNOUNCES MAJOR RESTRUCTURING OF FIELD OFFICES

By on April 25, 2013 in Company News, Hannan News

Please note that all of the Hannan SC Program is run out of the Detroit HUD Field Office, which will remain open and possibley strengthened through this consolidation.

HUD ANNOUNCES MAJOR RESTRUCTURING OF FIELD OFFICES

Office of Multifamily Housing Programs to consolidate into ten sites; 16 small HUD offices to be closed

 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced a series of restructuring and systemic changes within its Office of Multifamily Housing Programs and the Office of Field Policy and Management (FPM).  The changes, which include consolidating Multifamily hubs nationwide and closing 16 smaller offices, affect approximately 900 of the Departments’ 9,000 employees.

 

While implementation will begin this fall, completion of the entire restructuring process is expected to take approximately two and a half years.   Throughout implementation, HUD leadership will work on an ongoing basis to ensure employees are fully informed, and that all notification requirements for both union and non-union workers are satisfied.   Every affected employee will be offered the opportunity to continue working for HUD, though in some cases in a new location or role.

 

“The current organizational model for HUD is not sustainable from a financial and a service delivery point of view,” said Maurice Jones, HUD’s Deputy Secretary.  “We are reviewing every aspect of our operation to determine if we have the right people in the right places and we’re determining where we can be even more efficient, to get the most value out of our limited resources.  We’re in a different budget environment and we’re at a point where we must make some extremely tough choices.  That being said, we certainly understand that this type of change can be challenging for the agency’s employees and we are committed to moving forward on the plan in a way that is sensitive to the needs and concerns of HUD’s staff.”

 

HUD’s Multifamily Office provides mortgage insurance to HUD-approved lenders to facilitate the construction, substantial rehabilitation, purchase and refinancing of multifamily housing projects as well as administering a number of project-based rental assistance programs. The office’s restructuring plan, scheduled to begin this fall, will be fully implemented by 2016.  This plan involves streamlining Multifamily’s organization in both headquarters and the field, plus implementing several operational improvements. In addition to improving program effectiveness, Multifamily estimates that the plan will generate up to $40-45 million in annual savings once implementation is complete.

 

A key component of the Multifamily plan will be consolidating its field employees, who currently work in 50 offices around the country, into ten offices that will report to five Multifamily Hubs.  These Hubs will be located in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Worth, and San Francisco, with satellite offices in Boston, Jacksonville, Detroit, Kansas City, and Denver.  This more streamlined model will allow more consistent, efficient processing of loans and servicing of existing assets.  Combined with operational improvements in line with industry standards, these changes will help ensure continued high quality work that creates and protects affordable rental housing opportunities.

 

“Multifamily is one of HUD’s core programs, and this is its first major restructuring since 1998,” said Marie Head, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs.  “We have to change in order to be nimble and  keep pace with the marketplace by leveraging technology, reducing our footprint as appropriate, and enhancing customer service in ways that will help ensure that we perform as a 21st century institution.  In today’s budget climate, we must also look for every opportunity to increase our operating efficiency, but we also have to keep in mind the impact of these changes on our employees. We will be doing all we can to move forward on the plan in a way that offers workers as much flexibility as possible.”

 

HUD’s Office of Field Policy and Management is also managing towards the future.  It is closing 16 of its 80 field offices this year in a cost-cutting move that is estimated to save the agency between $110 and $150 million over a 10-year period.  The closures, which are expected to be completed early in fiscal year 2014, will affect approximately 120 employees.

 

The small offices that are closing are located in Camden, New Jersey; Syracuse, New York;Orlando, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Springfield, Illinois; Cincinnati, Ohio; Flint, Michigan; Grand Rapids; Michigan; Shreveport, Louisiana;  Dallas, Texas; Lubbock, Texas; Tucson, Arizona;  Fresno, California, Sacramento; California; San Diego, California andSpokane, Washington.  HUD will retain at least one office in each state.  Following the closures, several affected states will still retain more than one office, including California, Texas and New York with three offices each, and Florida and Ohio with two each.

 

“We looked at where our staffs are and where they need to be in order to make certain we can achieve the greatest possible impact on the people and the places we serve, especially given today’s tough fiscal climate” said Pat Hoban-Moore, HUD’s Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and Management. “We can implement this realignment while still serving communities throughout the nation, effectively and efficiently.  In addition, we will be focused on making sure staffs in the affected offices have full information on all of their options.”

 

By closing these offices and undertaking this restructuring, HUD is striving to balance budget reductions and increasing workloads while continuing to focus on giving the agency’s staff the tools necessary to provide high quality service from the remaining office locations.

 

All employees affected by both the Multifamily restructuring and the Field Policy Management office closings will be eligible for relocation assistance, or they can elect to take voluntary separation incentive pay or voluntary early retirement. Every employee is being offered a position with the agency.

 

“The most difficult part of implementing these changes is the appreciation of the very personal impact they have on employees who have dedicated years of their life to the mission of HUD,” said Deputy Secretary Jones. “Realistically, there is no way to make the kind of structural changes we are talking about without there being some impact on our staff, but, again, we are committed to taking all necessary steps to reduce the negative impact they will feel.”

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HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD’s News Listserv.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Shaun Donovan, Secretary

Office of Public Affairs, Washington, DC 20410

HUD No. 13-054                                                                                                               FOR RELEASE

Jereon Brown                                                                                                                    Wednesday

(202) 402-6628                                                                                                                 April 24, 2013

http://www.hud.gov/news/index.cfm

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Logic Model Advice regarding YTD Column for CSI SCs

By on April 23, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

One key question has been how to fill out this “quarters” data and YTD on the Logic Models. If you look at the Instructions tab of your logic model, you’ll see some good answers. Everybody’s logic models are under logic models in the SC folder under program staff in shared files. However, it is a beast of the document, so the meaningful part reads:

“When reporting Activities in Year 1:

Enter your first quarter accomplishments in the “Post” column and the cumulative accomplishments in the “YTD” column. for the first quarter reporting, the number or dates will be the same in both columns. (Note: this is what you did 6 months ago).

For the second quarter of Year 1 reporting, enter the data covering second quarter activities and outcomes which occurred in that quarter only. In the “YTD” column, you will enter the cumulative total of both the first and second quarter accomplishments.”

Hence, you’ll be adding last time’s number with this time’s number for the YTD.

I hope this helps,
Rachel

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Logic Model Guide – Updated

By on April 15, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

For the CSI SCs in grant funded co-ops (everyone except Meyers Plaza and Belleville):

I’m attaching an updated copy of the logic model guide that Wendy compiled for your first report. I used “track changes” in red to insert a few updated suggestions. A few things to keep in mind:

1. This time you will have two columns to fill in: (a) the 2nd quarter and (b) YTD.
2. Yes, you need to do it by hand again. Let me know if you need a clean copy to work with.
3. You will likely have substantial differences from the 1st reporting period due to the swift “ramping” up of services and clients, more consistent documentation, changes in our case management procedures to reflect service provision to non-client members, and access to new numbers from the member satisfaction surveys (see individualized separate emails from me with your draft member survey results).
4. Logic model expectations are the same (with differences due solely to number of units) for all the co-ops. Hence, use each other. You are welcome to meet regionally to brainstorm. Your answers will be different based on your experiences, but the “logic” should be the same.
5. You are welcome to email/fax me a copy or request an in-person or phone meeting to discuss prior to submitting.
6. Logic models and HUD semi-annual reports are due April 30th, 2013. You should email PDFs of the semi-annual to Sheila and me, and submit hard copies of the logic models to Sheila and me. HUD needs hard copies sent snail mail (USPS) to:

US Department of HUD

Multifamily-Service Coordinator

477 Michigan Avenue

Detroit MI 48226
The  two reports do not have to have to be submitted in the same envelope. Remember to submit one semi annual report per SC, but one logic model per co-op.

Happy reporting! This is your opportunity to take a step back and see what you have achieved! I know a lot of you set personal/professional goals of what you wanted to accomplish between the last reporting period and this period.

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CSI and Medical Marijuana

By on April 12, 2013 in Company News, CSI News

Answer from Sheila:

Medical Marijuana is not legal per the Federal government. I would not feel comfortable advising them on any other from to use it. We can look into these other forms through the HUD.gov website.

The subsidy comes from HUD, so they would be aware of the illegal use of the drug. I would say yes to the resident no being able to get subsidy elsewhere if they did move. I will ask for more information on this from either Anne or Karen.

Question:

First-When we talk about medical marijuana, we normally talk about smoking marijuana. What is CSI’s position on other forms of THC such as drops? Would it be okay for us to advocate that members use those alternatives in the building rather than smoking? Would it get them in the same trouble as smoking medical marijuana since they would not be possessing the drug rather a compound of the drug?

Second-When they get in trouble for using medical marijuana and lose their subsidy, is that reported to HUD? How is that handled? Would they be able to apply for subsidized housing at other locations or have they lost that privilege all together?

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HUD Semi Annual Address

By on April 6, 2013 in AASC Online Forum, Reference Information

Hi All,

As many of you know, Sandy Jacques, our local HUD Administrator was able to retire last week after 30 years with HUD! Prior to departing, she cautioned us not to electronically submit documents until we have a permanent replacement for her. Hence, please be sure to snail mail (USPS) your Semi-Annual Reports (and Logic Models as applicable to CSI SCs) to:

US Department of HUD

Multifamily-Service Coordinator

477 Michigan Avenue

Detroit MI 48226

 

CSI SCs, you should still electronically submit a PDF of your Semi-Annual reports to Rachel and Sheila.

Thanks,

Rachel

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Recording 3 new AASC resources annually

By on January 18, 2013 in Resources

Last Fall, while I was working on the HUD reports  I read that SC’s have a requirement  to add at least three new resources to AASC each year.   So, whenever I add a new resource on AASC, I am  typing in the notes section the date that I entered it.  Then I print off my copies for the resource directories.  One copy of the new resource goes in my “HUD reporting  folder” where I compile anything I may need for the next HUD report.  Hope this was helpful!

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Template for Cover Letter to HUD from Alexa

By on October 29, 2012 in AASC Online Forum, Reference Information

Hi everybody,

I wanted to share with you a cover letter template that I drafted for mailing my reports to Sandra Jacques at HUD. I hope you find it helpful.

Sincerely,

Alexa Lempert, LMSW

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CSI Logic Model Reports to HUD

By on October 26, 2012 in Company News, CSI News

There has been some confusion on the Logic Models. You will be unable to electronically open the logic models you were given. HUD has been unable to unlock them. Hence, we are proceeding by printing out the logic models and filling in the numerical answers by hand. There is a different logic model for each co-op. The second part of the process is completing the narrative, called the Carter-Richmond Methodology. Renee typed out each of the questions in a document, so all you need to do is fill in the answers and print it. See attached document. Please staple this document to the logic model prior to mailing it to HUD.
If you don’t have your logic model, please let me know. Alternatively, they are all available in the Shared Files under Program Staff/Service Coordination/Reporting, Evaluation and Logic Models/Logic Models. Belleville and Meyers Plaza do not have logic models, because they are budget-funded co-ops. Each Co-op only needs to submit one logic model.

Once you are done, please mail the logic model to:

HUD Detroit Multifamily Hub
Attn: Sandra Jacques
477 Michigan Avenue, 16th Floor
Detroit, MI 48226

Please mail copies to Sharon Bolden and me too. Sharon’s email is:

CSI Support and Development
Attn: Sharon Bolden
8425 E. Twelve Mile Rd, Suite 100
Warren, MI 48093

If you run into questions, you are welcome to fax me a copy for review (and email the narrative). You are also welcome to call.

Both the semi-annual reports and the logic models are due to HUD by October 30th. They do not need to be submitted in the same envelope.

Thanks all and have a great weekend,
Rachel

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