OCD Housing Conference

Wednesday, November 16, 2016 9:00am-
Friday, November 18, 2016 12:00pm

Contact Information:
http://www.sawmillcreekresort.com/

2016 Housing Conference Sessions

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

9:00 – 9:30 a.m.

 Plenary Session – Welcome and Ohio Development Services Agency Updates

Officials from the host community, the City of Huron, and the Lake Erie Region will welcome attendees to the conference. Ohio Development Services Agency leadership will provide an overview of the Agency, Community Services Division, and Office of Community Development

Target Audience: Conference Attendees

9:45 – 10:45 a.m.

Water and Wastewater Assistance for Communities: Rural Communities Assistance Program and Environmental Protection Agency Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance

The Rural Communities Assistance Program will discuss its mission to provide practical solutions to improve rural communities through environmental and community health, utility compliance, sustainable water and waste-disposal systems, and increased local capacity. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance will discuss the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund, Water Supply Revolving Loan Account, pollution prevention assessments, and other services its provides to rural communities.    

Target audience: Community Development Block Grant administrators and Local Government Officials

9:45 – 10:45 a.m.

Historic Preservation Compliance Requirements for Community and Economic Development Projects

In this session, Ohio Historic Preservation Office staff will outline the Section 106 review process and offer tips and strategies to help facilitate historic preservation coordination and compliance for HUD-funded community development projects. Session attendees will learn how to effectively use their community’s Programmatic Agreement for Coordination and how community development activities can affect architectural and archaeological properties. Attendees will also delve into the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and explore common ways to avoid adverse effects on historic architecture and archaeological resources.

Target Audience: Redevelopment and historic preservation organizations, CDBG grant administrators

9:45 –10:45 a.m.

Initiatives for Appalachian Ohio: Innovative Readiness Training and Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER)

Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley Regional Development District will share Ohio’s experience in implementing an Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Medical Mission. From June 2-11, 2015, the Ohio River Medical Mission (ORMM) provided no-cost medical, dental, vision, and veterinary services to residents of Meigs County, Ohio and the surrounding area.

The Governor’s Office of Appalachia and Ohio’s Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Local Development Districts will also share information on ARC’s new Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative, which will make funds available for coal-impacted communities for economic opportunity, workforce development, critical infrastructure, natural and cultural assets, and community capacity.

Target Audience: Community and economic development professionals and local government officials

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Effective Local Planning Techniques

Planning and structuring good projects are key to any request for grant assistance. Local planning commission staff will present innovative, low-cost, and easy to implement planning techniques to assist communities in identifying needs, preparing for funding opportunities and thinking about long-term community impact.

Target Audience: Community and economic development professionals and local government officials

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Qualifying Projects with American Community Survey or Income Survey Data

Office of Community Development (OCD) staff will provide an overview on U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) data and Section 8 Income Limits used to qualify projects under the Community Development Block Grant low- and moderate-income (LMI) area benefit and direct benefit national objectives. The overview will include how to apply this data to both place and non-place service areas. Staff will also review the appropriate methods for conducting household income surveys and provide helpful hints to ensure attendees comply with OCD’s requirements.

Target Audience: Community Development Block Grant practitioners

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Procurement Topics: Basic Concepts, Cooperative Purchasing, and Force Account Labor

Procurement in Office of Community Development programs involves applying local and state laws and regulations in accordance with federal guidelines. This session provides an overview of federal procurement standards, and describes state policies and procedures for Cooperative Purchasing and using Force Account Labor.

1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Introduction to Community Development Block Grant

The Office of Community Development will provide an introduction to the Community Development Block Grant Program. Geared toward new practitioners, the session will include a program history overview , explain national objectives and eligibility requirements, and a discuss project selection and citizen participation requirements.

Target Audience: Community Development Block Grant practitioners with less than two 2 years of experience

1:30 – 3:15 p.m.

Conflict of Interest and Ethics Considerations

More grantees are requesting legal determinations regarding conflicts of interest and ethics considerations from the Office of Community Development. To help participants understand this issue, an official from the Ohio Ethics Commission will explain conflict of interest and ethics considerations in state law. Topics will include how to identify a conflict of interest, steps to address the conflict of interest and available resources. The Office of Community Development will also provide a step-by-step process for grantees to follow when faced with a potential conflict of interest.

Target audience: Community Development Block Grant administrators and Local Government Officials

1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Environmental Review

Grantees must perform some level of environmental review for all Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program projects. This session will provide an overview of the Office of Community Development’s environmental process, required forms, and technical assistance resources. Participants will also learn how to use available resources to navigate the various environmental laws and authorities associated with an environmental assessment.

Target Audience: Novice and intermediate Community Development Block Grant administrators

3:30 – 4:30 p.m.    

Heritage Ohio Resources and Initiatives

As Ohio’s official historic preservation and Main Street organization, Heritage Ohio fosters economic development and sustainability by preserving historic buildings, revitalizing downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts, and promoting cultural tourism. Heritage Ohio staff will discuss the Ohio Main Street Program, a powerful economic development tool to help communities revitalize historic and traditional commercial areas. Heritage Ohio will also introduce Save Our Treasures and Preservation Easements, two new initiatives to revitalize and preserve historic building integrity.

Target Audience: Community Development Block Grant administrators and downtown revitalization and redevelopment organization members

Thursday, November 17, 2016

9:00 a.m. -– 12:00 p.m.

Labor Standards Compliance and Prevailing Wage Requirements

Labor standards compliance is an essential component of project management for HUD-funded construction and rehabilitation projects. This session, presented by HUD’s Ohio Labor Relations Specialist, will provide a detailed overview of labor standards applicability, concepts, and enforcement. Participants will explore the mechanics of labor standards contract and payroll administration, and learn how to detect and address various types of violations.

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Floodplain Management and Hazard Mitigation

Floodplain management is a critical aspect of community planning in areas with flood-prone waterways. HUD’s environmental review requirements ensure that Office of Community Development grantees evaluate floodplain impacts for HUD-assisted projects, but smart floodplain management should extend far beyond the bounds of federally-assisted actions.  This session, co-presented by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, will provide a comprehensive overview of floodplain concepts, mapping, and regulation. Participants will also learn about methods and funding sources for flood hazard mitigation.

1:30 – 3:00 p.m.

Community Development Program Competitive Set-Asides Programs

During the first half of the session, the Office of Community Development will provide an overview of the Critical Infrastructure, Neighborhood Revitalization, and Downtown Revitalization Competitive Set-Aside programs. Attendees will receive guidance to qualify projects, select appropriate service areas, and identify beneficiaries. OCD will also discuss the required community participation process for each program, eligibleleveraged funds sources , and program design requirements. A panel of current grant recipients will share best practices on project structuring, application submission, and grants administration during the second half of the session.

Target Audience: Community Development Block Grant administrators and members of downtown revitalization and redevelopment organizations

1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Ohio Development Services Agency Resources for Community and Economic Development Professionals

Staff from the Business Services and Community Services Divisions will present information on program resources available for community and economic development projects. Panelists will discuss Ohio Historic Tax Credits, and Abandoned Gas Station Clean-up and Local Government Safety grants.  

Target Audience: Community and economic development professionals, members of downtown revitalization, redevelopment, and historic preservation organizations

1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Fair Housing: Concepts, Compliance, and Practice

This session will provide an overview of fair housing history, concepts, legislation, and compliance. Participants will learn about the protected classes covered by the federal Fair Housing Act and Ohio fair housing law, and explore ways to identify different forms of housing discrimination. Presenters will outline the Ohio’s Standard Fair Housing Program requirements and provide additional insight into the Local Fair Housing Contact’s role. The session will have an interactive component to help Local Fair Housing Contacts recognize illegal discrimination.

Target Audience: Community Development Block Grant administrators and Local Fair Housing Contacts

3:15 – 4:30 p.m.

Community Development Implementation Strategy Best Practices

The Office of Community Development will provide an overview of the Community Development Implementation Strategy (CDIS). OCD designed the CDIS to provide a way for local communities to identify, coordinate, and prioritize investments through community participation. The session will review requirements, lessons learned from the first two years, and best practices. A panel of local administrators will join OCD staff to share experiences, anecdotes and advice.

Target audience: Community Development Block Grant administrators and Local Government Officials

3:15 – 4:30 p.m.

Federal, State, and Local Resources: United State Department of Agriculture - Rural Development and Community Development Finance Fund

The United States Department of Agriculture – Rural Development will provide an overview of key programs designed to assist Ohio communities with community and economic development and housing needs. The presentation will feature Business and Industry, Water and Waste Disposal, Community Facilities, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, and Multi-and Single-Family Housing programs. The Community Development Finance Fund Finance Fund (Finance Fund) will discuss predevelopment and economic development grants, urban and rural lending and gap financing to support small business, health care facilities and equipment, community facilities and affordable housing construction and rehabilitation.

Target Audience: Community and economic development professionals

Friday, November 18, 2016

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

OCEAN: Organizational Contacts and User Roles, Reporting, and Drawing Funds

The Office of Community Development will present information on the next phase of OCEAN implementation. OCD will review application development, present highlights from the PY 2015 and 2016 funding rounds, and seek feedback from system users. OCD will also introduce new features, including presentations on how to update organizational contacts, submit status and final performance reports, and draw grant funds.

Hotel Accommodations

The 2016 Housing Conference is being held at the Sawmill Creek Resort and Conference Center in Huron, Ohio. A reduced room rate of $90 per night (not including taxes and fees) is available to conference participants. Reservations must be made by October 4, 2015 in order to receive the reduced room rate and can be directly made with the resort at 800-729-6455.