Preparing for CDBG Monitoring NCDA Winter Meeting February 1, 2013

Preparing for HUD Monitoring The mail arrives – and you have a letter from your friends at HUD

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Some of those letters are good news Dear Mayor Bragg: I am pleased to inform you of your allocations for the Office of Community Planning and Development’s (CPD’s) formula programs …

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Dear Mayor Bragg: I am pleased to transmit to you the approval of the City of Murfreesboro’s Five Year Consolidated Plan and Consolidated Action Plan …

Preparing for HUD Monitoring And then there’s the day you get the letter – and we all get it sooner or later: “HUD monitors will be visiting your city soon.”

Preparing for HUD Monitoring You have two choices:

Preparing for HUD Monitoring ACCEPTANCE And since this is really your only choice … make the best of it.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring An unfortunate reality – not all monitoring visits are created equal.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring If you’re lucky, your monitor is your friend, coming in good faith to help you make sure you’re following the rules.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Or not …

Preparing for HUD Monitoring In any case,

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Your notification letter will tell you what activities and areas the monitor wants to see. Document, document, document

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Do it right and you, too, may qualify to become …

Preparing for HUD Monitoring

Some areas of HUD interest you might be seeing in the next year:  CDBG-R activities and closeout  Timeliness  Allocation of staff time to project delivery – are you keeping timesheets  National Objective documentation

Preparing for HUD Monitoring If you’re lucky, you can ask the expert what you need to do to get ready. This is what my expert told me …

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Assign a lead person for the monitoring. This person should be present for any staff discussions with the monitor.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Make sure you have a copy of the approved application and supporting funding approval documents.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Make sure your files are arranged in an orderly fashion and include basic information to determine the eligibility of each activity.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Our rehab checklist organizes the file from the first call to recording the Deed of Trust

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Review any applicable monitoring guidance and forms from your funding agency. Monitoring Handbook and exhibits: nitoring/handbook.cfm

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Get your staff ready for the visit. Discuss the monitoring visit and HUD’s expectations with each applicable staff person.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Be active during the monitoring visit

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Your letter will tell you what the monitor wants to see …. but while on-site a monitor may choose to look at other areas or activities. Try to be sure all your files are in order.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Be proactive … Are you aware of a potential problem area? Develop and implement a plan of action Notify the monitor upfront of the problem and what you are doing about it.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Is that the same thing as Self- Deportation?

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Have a designated location for the monitors …

Preparing for HUD Monitoring And allow the monitors private time to review documentation.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Sometimes on-site clarification can avoid problems which might otherwise result in a concern or a finding. Have pertinent staff available to answer questions.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring The Exit Conference Insist on a preliminary report on how the monitoring went and what needs to be addressed.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring HUD has a form …

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Ask for a copy.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring Act quickly to address any concerns and findings … today is not too soon. The policy in Tennessee is to clear as many findings in the field as possible.

Preparing for HUD Monitoring And when the monitors leave…

Preparing for HUD Monitoring