August 26, 2024

ODFC/CT-503 CoC FY2024 CoC Renewal Project Evaluation - Final Performance and Scoring Reports

**This is an important notice for CoC-funded renewal projects regarding the CT-503 FY 2024 local competition for CoC Program funds.**  
 

Dear ODFC/CT 503 HUD-CoC grantees,

Thank you for your participation in the CoC's evaluation process for CoC renewal projects. We appreciate your patience as we worked to review appeals related to preliminary scoring and to update results based on the appeal decisions.  

Final recommendations were made by the ODFC Funding Oversight Committee on 8/14/24 regarding renewal project appeals and final scoring for renewal projects. The Non-Conflicted Members of the ODFC Coordinating Council approved these recommendations on 8/22/24. 

Decisions regarding appeals have been communicated to each of the grantees that submitted appeals. As such, we are now able to release the FY2024 final performance and scoring reports for ODFC/CT-503 CoC-funded renewal projects, which you can find here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10nNoy603FqCv1Qu-lR5eQWQDFSo2iRP4/view?usp=drive_link

In addition, documents related to renewal project evaluation and scoring are posted on this page below, including the "2024 ODFC / CT-503 CoC Renewal Project Evaluation and Scoring Standards" (direct link here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eSCoiCJ-ysR371mAXCUrkd3-B3z17h40/view?usp=drive_link). 

Please note the following:

  • This scoring reflects the results of appeals submitted by agencies, which were reviewed by DMA, ODFC staff and CAN staff, as appropriate, to quickly resolve scoring errors where possible. All appeals were then referred to the Funding Oversight Committee and Non-Conflicted Members of the ODFC Coordinating Council for review and decision. Agencies have been notified of appeal decisions. 

  • Individual project reports reflecting the final scores and the individual project final CAN reports for 4/1/23-3/31/24 will also be sent to each agency within the next few days.  

As stated in the CoC’s adopted policies and procedures regarding 2024 renewal project scoring, the final scores will be used to assist in the ranking of renewal projects for the CT-503 CoC FY 2024 Priority List.

Questions can be directed to openingdoorsoffairfieldcounty@gmail.com. 

We thank you for your continued participation in the ODFC/CT-503 CoC and your ongoing efforts to prevent and end homelessness in Fairfield County.

August 19, 2024

CT-503 CoC - FY2024 Renewal Project E-snaps Applications Submission Instructions

**THIS IS AN IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE FY2024 COC NOFO COMPETITION & COC RENEWAL PROJECT APPLICATION SUBMISSION. PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THIS FULL NOTICE.**

Dear CT-503/ODFC HUD CoC Program Grantee,

The FY 2024 CoC Program Funding Opportunity is currently available in e-snaps. This means that agencies with renewal projects can begin to work on the renewal project application. Awards that HUD made under the CoC Program and YHDP are eligible for renewal with FY 2023 CoC Program funds if they are currently in operation and expire in CY 2025: the period from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025.

Agencies seeking to have renewal projects considered for FY2024 CoC Program funding MUST submit to the CT-503 CoC PDF(s) of each of your completed Renewal Project Application(s), exported from e-snaps, by 5:00PM on WEDNESDAY,  SEPTEMBER 11, 2024. DO NOT SUBMIT THE APPLICATION ON E-SNAPS (YET).

PDF applications should be submitted to the CoC via openingdoorsoffairfieldcounty@gmail.com as follows:

  • Please use the following naming convention for the application file: 2024 Renewal App – Your Agency Name – Your Project's 6-Digit PIN (CT0000)

  • Please include the agency name and the Project PINs for the projects being submitted in the email Subject Line. For ex: 2024 Renewal App – Your Agency Name – Project #1 PIN, Project #2 PIN

If you need an extension, please email openingdoorsoffairfieldcounty@gmail.com as soon as possible.

After you submit the renewal application for review:

  • By September 23rd: You will receive a project review form with required corrections noted. (You will likely receive your review sooner than this.)

  • By September 27th or within 5 working days of receipt of review, whichever is sooner: you must submit your corrected application to the CoC in e-snaps.

DMA's Tips Guide for FY2024 project applicants is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UwzQDpFXyS7MEw7m9RTfCIkd0iyiJAfQ/view?usp=drive_link. (This information is for DMA clients only, please do not share without DMA's permission.) Additional tips: 

  • USE THE GUIDES AND DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS. These documents will provide you with the information you need:   

  • Before submitting an application, check the Submission Summary to make sure ALL sections have been completed.

  • First-time renewals will need to set up the application. Use the information from the new project application that was submitted last year.

  • Other renewals will be able to import information from your prior year's renewal application.

Additionally, more information about the FY2024 CoC NOFO will be shared during the CoC webinar to be held on 8/21/24 from 10am-12pm. This is the date/time set aside for the CoC's Quarterly Monitoring meeting and will be repurposed for a review of the FY24 CoC NOFO, including a review of the submission process for renewal project applicants. The meeting will be recorded and the slides shared but we highly encourage all CoC-funded agencies to send at least one representative to the meeting. 

If you have any questions or have concerns, please email us at openingdoorsoffairfieldcounty@gmail.com.

August 13, 2024

The HUD Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunity for Fiscal Year 24 (FY24 CoC NOFO) was released on Wednesday, July 31st, 2024. The CoC has reviewed the materials released, and is planning to use our pre-scheduled quarterly monitoring meeting on Wednesday, August 21st, 2024 from 10am to 12pm to provide an overview of this year's NOFO, what to expect for any new project applicants/applications in response to the RFP that was released last week, and how to submit your annual renewal project application drafts to ODFC and final approved applications into esnaps for current grantees. 

This session will be recorded and be made available afterwards, but folks are encouraged to attend the live session to be able to ask any questions you may have. If you have not received a calendar invitation and would like to attend, see the zoom information below.

Additional information regarding the FY24 NOFO competition, detailed CoC renewal project application submission guides and information, and timeline/deadline information for the next month will be provided shortly in a subsequent email to CoC grantees. 

-----------------------------------

You are invited to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Webinar: FY24 CoC NOFO Overview & Renewal Project Application Submissions
Time: Aug 21, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83916558938?pwd=VmlP36R3fjVHDmDgUcw4Ecq8u0OKJa.1 

Meeting ID: 839 1655 8938
Passcode: 779786 
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Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kZq6YzMG2

August 9, 2024

*** This is an ODFC Funding Opportunity. All RFP responses and preliminary application materials are DUE NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2024 AT 3:00PM ***


This Request for Proposals and the related Preliminary Application materials have been released by Opening Doors of Fairfield County (ODFC) /CT-503 Continuum of Care (CoC) to solicit proposals for the provision of housing and/or services for new permanent housing projects, including expansions of existing CoC-funded projects.

ODFC/CT-503 plans to apply for funding under the FY 2024 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to create new programming within the jurisdiction that includes four sub-regions in Fairfield County, CT: greater Bridgeport, greater Norwalk, Stamford-Greenwich, and greater Danbury. This jurisdiction is comprised by the following cities and towns: Bridgeport, Brookfield, Danbury, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Monroe, Newtown, New Canaan, New Fairfield, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, Sherman, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport, and Wilton.

ODFC competes annually with communities nationally to secure federal funds through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) program in efforts to end homelessness. CT-503 is seeking project pre-applications from organizations located in the ODFC jurisdiction for inclusion in the CoC’s FY 2024 CoC Consolidated Application under the CoC bonus funding component associated with housing and service projects to be submitted to HUD. 

ODFC anticipates that CoC Program funding will be available through the following:

  • CoC Bonus funds: HUD typically provides CoCs with the opportunity to compete for additional CoC Program funds through what is called the “CoC Bonus.” HUD will provide a formula to determine how much in funding each CoC can apply for through the CoC Bonus. ODFC/CT 503 is eligible to apply for an estimated $2,659,084.56 in CoC Bonus funds under the CoC’s FY 2024 CoC Consolidated Application. The CoC is waiting for HUD confirmation of this amount so applicants are advised this amount may change.  

  • CoC Domestic Violence (DV) Bonus funds: Congress has allowed for HUD to provide CoCs with the opportunity to compete for additional funds to specifically serve survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking experiencing homelessness through what is called the “DV Bonus.” HUD will provide a formula to determine how much in funding each CoC can apply for through the DV Bonus. The amount ODFC/CT 503 is eligible to apply for is still pending from HUD, however, the CoC estimates approximately $820,000.00 in funds will be available under the CoC’s FY 2024 CoC Consolidated Application.

  • Funds Reallocated from Existing CoC Projects: In each CoC Program funding competition, HUD provides CoCs with the option of reallocating funds from existing CoC projects and directing those funds to new projects. ODFC determines each year if funds will be reallocated from existing CoC-funded projects. Voluntary reallocation funds have been identified in the amount of $194,773.00. Reallocated funds will be combined with CoC Bonus funds and made available for new project applications for a grand total of $2,853,857.56 (Bonus + Reallocated) funds. Reallocated funds cannot be combined with HUD DV Bonus funds. 

ODFC/CT-503 encourages responses from applicants that have not previously received CoC funds as well as from applicants that are currently receiving or have received CoC funds in the past. ODFC/CT-503 provides technical assistance to ensure that the process is accessible to all eligible applicants, including those who are new and unfamiliar with HUD CoC operations.

All responses to this funding opportunity are due on Friday, September 6th, by 3:00 PM. All responses should be submitted to openingdoorsoffairfieldcounty@gmail.com. 

Incomplete pre-applications may be rejected by the CoC. Applicants are advised that ALL REQUIRED MATERIALS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THE DEADLINE. 


All materials related to this announcement are linked below:

CoC Bonus RFP Announcement Doc
New Project Pre-Application
New Project Threshold Criteria
New Project Budget Form
New Project Scoring Rubric
DMHAS CT0035 FTE Pre-Application
DMHAS CT0035 FTE Scoring Rubric

July 31, 2024

***This is an important notice for FY24 CoC-funded renewal PSH and RRH projects.*** 

Dear ODFC/CT-503 CoC Grantees -

As you are aware, all CoC-funded PSH and RRH renewal projects are subject to evaluation and scoring as part of the CT-503 CoC's local competition for the FY2024 CoC Competition NOFO. Scoring is done in accordance with the “FY2024 ODFC/CT-503 CoC Renewal Project Evaluation and Scoring Standards” that were adopted on 5/13/2024. The “FY2024 ODFC/CT-503 CoC Renewal Project Evaluation and Scoring Standards” and the “Opening Doors of Fairfield County/CT-503 CoC FY2024 Project Evaluation, Reallocation, Selection and Ranking Policies” documents are available on this page below for reference.

Thank you to all grantees for submitting your information and documentation for evaluation and scoring of renewal projects. In addition, thank you to grantees for responding quickly to additional requests for information during the evaluation/scoring period.

The attached document, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SxBG5OECJvTBa6ay54MsqTgRAKH7Fyi3/view includes reports showing the preliminary performance data/outcomes, scores, and base points for each CoC-funded PSH and RRH renewal project that is being scored for FY2024. To assist you in reviewing/understanding the outcomes, by the end of the day or early tomorrow we will also be emailing individual project reports for each project to the agency contact that submitted information/surveys for the evaluation. This will be an easier to read format and will include comments related to the CoC's review of specific items, such as Housing First documentation submitted. All grantees are encouraged to closely review your outcomes, scores, and CoC comments, and to follow the steps below regarding questions and appeals. 

In accordance with the “FY2024 ODFC/CT-503 CoC Project Evaluation, Reallocation, Selection and Ranking Policies” document, preliminary scores are being provided for review by agencies with CoC-funded renewal projects and the following steps will be taken:

  • All grantees will have until 12:00 PM on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, to submit questions and appeals regarding performance data and/or scoring. 
    Appeals should be submitted in writing by using this link:     https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7951527/Opening-Doors-Fairfield-County-CT-503-FY24-Renewal-Project-Appeal-Survey. The survey form will close after the 12:00 PM deadline on 08/06/2024.

  • Grantees should provide the information the grantee would like considered. You will be able to upload up to ten (10) attachments through the survey form. Please be aware of the vacation schedules of staff and provide the name of contacts who will be available to respond to questions in the next two weeks.

  • General questions can be submitted to openingdoorsoffairfieldcounty@gmail.com. Please note that questions can be sent to the ODFC gmail if you need clarifications regarding how outcomes or scoring were calculated, but such questions will not be considered appeals. Only appeals submitted through the Alchemer survey form will be considered by the Funding Oversight Committee. PLEASE SUBMIT QUESTIONS BY 12:00PM ON MONDAY. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to address questions to help inform appeals if they are sent to us after Monday 12:00pm. 

  • We recommend that submitted appeals clearly describe the reason(s) why the appeal is being submitted and include any supporting information, data and/or documentation to be considered. Please avoid general or non-specific appeals (e.g., "clients had trouble increasing income", "it was difficult to fill units", etc.) and instead provide detailed information and documentation to support your appeal. If circumstances involving specific clients are referenced, please provide Client IDs and supporting documentation. However, please note that any information submitted about clients should NOT include personally identifiable information. Please redact/remove any client names, social security numbers, dates of birth (age can be provided rather than DOB) or addresses from documentation submitted for review.  

  • Please DO NOT submit appeals related to the Severity of Need Factor Bonus that rely on the reasoning that the project only takes referrals from the CAN. The CoC is aware of this. Severity of Need Factor appeals can be submitted for scoring related issues, such as you believe certain participants should be excluded from specific calculations or you believe there to be an error in scoring, etc.

  • Only one agency will be able to submit an appeal for each project. This agency may be the grantee or a subrecipient/subcontractor. Grantees and subrecipients/subcontractors are expected to coordinate and determine which agency will submit the appeal and what documentation should be submitted. If two or more appeal forms for the same project are submitted, the appeals will be rejected and the agencies involved will be asked to re-submit a single appeal form for the project.

  • Performance data and related scoring adjustments that need to be made based upon data or calculation errors will be corrected by ODFC staff or their consultants (DMA), with the grantee notified about any correction(s) made as quickly as possible.

  • If the grantee raises an issue that must be addressed through an exception to the scoring policies as described in the 2024 ODFC/CT-503 Renewal Project Scoring Standards, the grantee’s written appeal will be evaluated by the Funding Oversight Committee.

  • The Funding Oversight Committee will review all written appeals submitted and recommend whether each appeal is granted or denied. The Non-Conflicted Members of the Coordinating Council will review these recommendations for approval. DMA/ODFC staff will adjust performance data and scores based on the final disposition of each appeal as approved by the Non-Conflicted Members of the Coordinating Council.

  • Please be thoughtful in submitting an appeal. Carefully read the criterion description and how it is evaluated to ensure you provide a solid basis for your appeal. The Funding Oversight Committee reviews all appeals, so please respect the time of these volunteers. The CoC certainly wants to correct scoring errors and provide reasonable consideration for specific circumstances that may have hindered project performance; however, we advise against submitting appeals that have no factual basis or are misunderstandings of a criterion. 

  • Grantees will be informed by email communication about the disposition of their written appeal by DMA/ODFC staff.

  • Final scoring will be reviewed by the Funding Oversight Committee and submitted to the Non-Conflicted Members of the Coordinating Council for final approval and adoption. Final scoring will be emailed to grantees and will also be posted on the ODFC website. 

All appeals MUST be submitted by 
no later than 12:00 PM on Tuesday, August 6, 2024.
Appeal Form Link: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7951527/Opening-Doors-Fairfield-County-CT-503-FY24-Renewal-Project-Appeal-Survey
 

Grantees should submit any questions to the openingdoorsoffairfieldcounty@gmail.com email address, which will be monitored by ODFC and DMA staff.

Please note that you should receive a confirmation email from Alchemer upon submitting the appeal form survey. If you do not receive an email confirming the submission of your appeal/question, please send an email to openingdoorsoffairfieldcounty@gmail.com to confirm your appeal has been submitted. We will be able to send you a confirmation and copy of your appeal if needed. Alchemer emails come from “noreply@alchemer.com” – you may want to consider adding this email address as a safe sender to receive confirmation emails.

In addition to being attached to this email, the preliminary outcomes reports document as well as all related FY2024 approved documents are available at https://www.openingdoorsfc.org/fy-2024-nofo.  

Thank you for your participation in this process and your continuing work to end homelessness.

 May 15, 2024

**THIS IS AN IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE FY2024 COC NOFO COMPETITION & COC RENEWAL PROJECT EVALUATION/SCORING. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.**


While we await the release of the FY2024 CoC Competition NOFO, the annual HUD CoC project renewal evaluations for CT-503 are set to proceed. As you were notified in prior emails, the ODFC Funding Oversight Committee and Non-Conflicted members of the ODFC Coordinating Council have approved the documents and processes required to move the renewal scoring process forward – please find them attached to this email for your reference:


>> INSTRUCTIONS <<

We will be using online survey forms to gather renewal project evaluation and scoring information, as we have done over the last several years. Please carefully review the information and questions provided in the surveys so that you are answering the specific questions asked and providing relevant information.

 
You are asked to complete the three surveys by 5:00PM on WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12th for each CoC Renewal Project your agency operates. Only one set of surveys for each project will be accepted, so applicants for projects with subrecipients should confer with the subrecipients to clarify which agency will submit the surveys.

Please be aware that submitting materials late may lead to a scoring penalty of up to 10 points. Agencies concerned that they will not be able to meet this deadline should immediately contact the CoC through the ODFC gmail account (openingdoorsoffairfieldcounty@gmail.com).

Additional details regarding this process:

  • SURVEYS: The surveys you are required to submit by 5:00PM on 6/12/24 are:

  • APR DATA: You will NOT be asked to provide APR data through the surveys. DMA will pull APRs from CT HMIS on MAY 20th for each CoC-funded project that is being evaluated. APRs pulled will cover the 04/01/2023 to 03/31/2024 time period being used for this year's evaluation and will include Q1-Q23 (client-level data may also be pulled) and a CoC-level client detail report. The data pulled will be used to evaluate APR-based project outcomes and to update FC CAN Compliance data. All CT HMIS data for CoC-funded projects should be updated by that time.

  • DV Provider APRS: DMA will reach out to DV providers to obtain APRs run from a comparable database (no client-level data will be requested).

  • Supplemental Drawdown Information Report: If a project your agency operates has >5% and/or $5000+ in unspent funds for the last fully completed contract, your agency must fill out this form to document the last 3 years of drawdowns and provide explanation for why funds were not fully drawn (also attached to this email):
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RSjN4obTuetccMqKa96qTQ5Ev8LpyE_l/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=106243883197819466463&rtpof=true&sd=true 

  • Preliminary Outcomes/Scores & Appeals: We will be working to quickly provide you with a preliminary score in July. 

  • Appeals: After the preliminary scores are released, there will be an appeals period, likely mid to late July. Please be sure that someone from your agency is available to review the data and submit any appeals your agency deems necessary. Appeals will be quickly processed and brought to Funding Oversight and the Non-Conflicted Members of the Coordinating Council for review.

  • Final Outcomes/Scores: We project the release of final scores in late July/early August.

  • Project Ranking: Ranking decisions for the FY2024 CoC Priority List submitted to HUD will not be available until after the CoC has finalized new project selections for FY2024. Once ranking decisions have been made, we will notify all agencies with renewal projects of the final ranking for the FY2024 CoC Priority List.


>> RESOURCES <<

ODFC held a webinar to review the CoC renewal project evaluation process on Wednesday, May 15th from 10am-12pm. This webinar provided an overview of criteria and the instructions for completing your submission. The webinar recording and slides are available here:

Google Drive Resources Folder - the following additional resources are available to help you complete the surveys and are also available in a Google Drive Resources Folder which you can access here:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uUo0plRIA6OvKGznH9kA-ruMtyzgPCnx?usp=sharing


>> QUESTIONS? NEED HELP? <<

Email: If you have questions, please submit them to us using the ODFC gmail account, which is being monitored by CoC staff: openingdoorsoffairfieldcounty@gmail.com. 

Office Hours: Additionally, Christy will be available during the below dates/times as “Office Hours” to answer questions and/or help troubleshoot any issues that arise. Attendance at the Office Hours is not required. Office Hours info:

  • Wednesday, 5/22/24, 9:30am-10:30am

  • Thursday, 5/30/24, 12:30pm-1:30pm

  • Tuesday, 6/4/24, 11:30am-12:30pm

  • Link for all Office Hours is: https://meet.google.com/jpf-fncx-gqm, Phone: +1 407-965-1168‬ PIN: ‪161 632 101‬#

If there are staff in your agency who are not receiving our emails but you would like to be added to the distribution list for future communications regarding the CoC renewal evaluation process, please email their information to us at the ODFC gmail account.

Thank you for your ongoing participation and engagement in this process!

May 14, 2024

In preparation for the FY24 CoC NOFO Competition, Opening Doors Fairfield County (ODFC)/ CT-503 CoC announces that it has finalized and approved both of the following policies and standards:

FY2024 Project Evaluation, Reallocation, Selection and Ranking Policies for the CoC Program Competition (Adopted April 3, 2024)

FY2024 ODFC / CT-503 CoC Renewal Project Evaluation and Scoring Standards (Adopted May 13, 2024)