Although many grantees are familiar with regular CDBG programs, CDBG disaster recovery programs have important differences that require adjustments to existing CDBG policies, and sometimes even the development of new policies. “You can’t treat your CDBG-DR program like a regular CDBG program,” says IBTS Economic Development and Disaster Recovery Program Director Mike Spletto. “Disaster recovery… Read more
During contractor procurement, grantees are required to meet the federal minority- and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE) goals to remain in compliance with the program. This guidance document includes checklists for meeting minimum acceptable outreach standards; guidelines for M/WBE outreach programs; section 3 requirements; and compliance and recordkeeping requirements. Guidance on Minority Business Enterprise and Women’s… Read more
Returning home after weathering a natural disaster is not always a simple process. However, providing homeowners with information on post-disaster repairs and reconstruction before a disaster hits can help residents in your community return to their homes as quickly and safely as possible. These tips are intended for a local agency, NGO, or other agency tasked… Read more
Natural disasters are unpredictable and can happen at any time. They often catch homeowners off-guard and unprepared to provide the legal documentation for their home required to begin the reconstruction process. If you are a local agency, NGO, or other agency tasked with preparing your community for natural disasters, it’s important to provide homeowners with… Read more
“The biggest mistake I’ve seen across the country in programs is not following proper procurement,” says IBTS Corporate Disaster Recovery Executive Mike Spletto. “I’ve seen local governments have the entire procurement become null and void for not following federal competitive bid requirements.” Because the CDBG-DR program is federally funded, grantees must follow federal procurement policies when… Read more
Cities and counties can incur millions of dollars in disaster response and recovery costs. Although most of these costs are eligible for FEMA reimbursement, if cost and time expenditures aren’t properly recorded localities may be denied assistance or forced to return money years after the disaster hits. Some municipalities have an appointed disaster financial manager,… Read more
Before work begins on a post-disaster recovery project funded by the program, grantees must perform an environmental review to evaluate the impact of the project on the environment, and vice versa. The review, which must be in accordance with requirements, provides documentation to prove that no harm is done to either the environment or the… Read more
State, local and tribal recipients of assistance assume environmental responsibility over projects, which means they are required to perform an environmental review that meets requirements on any CDBG-DR funded project before work can begin. This document provides the step-by-step instructions for conducting an environmental review on a particular project or activity, in addition to guidance… Read more
Successful program management requires adequate recordkeeping systems that allow subrecipients and grantees to track their performance against contract goals. This chapter of ‘s Playing by the Rules: A Handbook for CDBG Subrecipients on Administrative Systems, provides an overview of the minimum standards required for documentation and also provides a checklist of key administrative, financial and project records.… Read more
monitors certain community planning and development (CPD) program recipients, including recipients, to assess program efficiency, quality of performance, and to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. The CPD Monitoring Handbook outlines monitoring standards and processes and is intended for use by all HUD CPD staff involved in monitoring programs. However, CDBG-DR subreceipients and grantees can use… Read more
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