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City of Springfield Seeks Applicants for Two Grant Programs

Springfield, MA – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced today that the City of Springfield is seeking applicants and proposals for two grant programs.

The City of Springfield’s Office of Community Development is seeking proposals for inclusion in its 2022-2023 Action Plan.  The RFP’s will be available beginning Monday, February 7, 2022 through Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

 

The RFP for public services (CDBG) can be found at:

https://www.cognitoforms.com/CityOfSpringfield1/publicserviceprogram2

 

The City of Springfield’s Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) is designed to expand opportunities for low and moderate income citizens through the provision of public services, acquisition, improvements to public facilities, neighborhood improvements, housing and economic development opportunities.

 

Proposals must be consistent with the HUD Consolidated Plan, CDBG requirements, City Code, and other City policies. This RFP is an open, competitive process to award available resources based upon satisfaction of the described criteria. Submission of a proposal does not guarantee funding. The City may choose not to allocate all available resources. All applicants must be current on all Federal, State, and City taxes, as well as all City fees.

 

The City of Springfield invites proposals from Public Service Organizations who provide programs for a specific group of people where at least 51% of whom are L/M income persons. The clientele served must be from the City of Springfield.

 

The proposal must be complete and include information regarding the organization name, program name, location of the program, detailed scope of service/activity description, a complete budget and must meet the HUD National Objective to benefit low and moderate income persons; persons who earn at or below 80% of the median income and /or reside in census tracts with at least 51% of the population at low and moderate income levels.

 

Activities that are eligible for funding include, but are not limited to:

 

  • Youth Services;
  • Elderly Services;
  • Health Services;
  • Adult Basic Ed (ABE);
  • General Education Development (GED);
  • Homelessness-prevention programming for Homeless Persons and Persons at Risk of becoming Homeless;
  • Job training and Placement; programs that focus on hard to serve population; individuals who are out of the educational system and or workforce;
  • Fund supportive services that reduce risk of the “cliff effect”;
  • Substance abuse services; including counseling, treatment and mental health;
  • Domestic violence;
  • Crime Prevention and Public Safety;
  • Foreclosure Prevention;
  • Fair Housing Counseling;
  • Services for Disabled Persons

 

All Public Service agencies are encouraged to submit a completed RFP. Extra points will be given to proposals for those programs who focus on Job Training and Placement with preference given to programs that focus on hard to serve population; and for programs that fund Supportive Services that reduce barriers for low to moderate income households seeking employment, reducing the risk of the “cliff effect”.

 

Proposals will be reviewed by a review committee made up of City of Springfield staff and evaluated on a scale of 1-100 points in three categories; Organizational Experience & Performance, Program Need & Importance and Financial Feasibility.  The selection process is expected to be completed by May 2022 and funds will be made available for programs to begin July 1, 2022.  The programs will run from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

 

All potential applicants are encouraged to review the entire RFP before completing.

 

Agencies must follow CDC guidelines.  All applicants will be required to submit as part of the RFP an overview of their organizations COVID-19 guidelines.  Organizations without safe CDC guidelines in place will not be awarded.

 

Questions regarding Public Service maybe submitted in writing to lsibilia@springfieldcityhall.com by February 18, 2022.  Responses will be posted on the Office of Community Development’s website at: https//www.springfield-ma.gov/comm-dev/ by 4:00 pm February 22, 2022.

 

 

Additionally, the City of Springfield is seeking applicants for the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program for the program year July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. The ESG program provides funds to non-profit agencies to operate programs providing homelessness prevention, street outreach, emergency shelter, essential services for people in shelter, and rapid rehousing.

 

The ESG Request for Proposals is available at:

https://www.cognitoforms.com/CityOfSpringfield1/emergencysolutionsgrant.

 

Applications are due by 12:00 noon on March 8, 2022.

 

ESG funds may be used for the following costs that are incurred in carrying out the eligible activities:

 

  1. Rental Assistance for short-term (up to 3 months) or medium-term (up to 24 months) housing to people who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness.

 

  1. Housing Relocation or Stabilization Services for people who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, including housing search, mediation or outreach to property owners, providing security or utility deposits, utility payments, rental assistance for final month at a location, assistance with moving costs, or other activities that are effective at (A) stabilizing individuals and families in their current housing; or (B) quickly moving such individuals and families to other permanent housing.

 

  1. Shelter operating costs:  Maintenance, operation, insurance, provision of utilities, and provision of furnishings related to emergency shelter.  The City will consider proposals for operating costs for shelter when the shelter provides beds not otherwise funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

  1. Street Outreach to individuals living on the streets where the goal of the outreach is directed toward assisting such individuals to access permanent housing.

 

Programs must serve people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness within the City of Springfield.

 

The City will hold a questions-and-answer session of the ESG grant opportunity on February 23, 2022, 10:00 am, via Zoom. Please email gmccafferty@springfieldcityhall.com for the link for the meeting.