Resources
Public Facilities/Community Facilities, Infrastructure, Downtown Growth and Development
HUD Community Investment Tool
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today unveiled the Community Assessment Reporting Tool (CART) – an innovative reference and mapping tool created to help answer the question, “How is HUD investing in my community?” CART provides a snapshot of HUD investments across a community, cutting the time it takes to generate this information from several business days to minutes.
CART uses geospatial technology to show the wide variety of HUD investments by city, state, county, metropolitan area, or congressional district. It also provides an interactive mapping interface that allows users to explore HUD investments within their community and see property- and grant-level detail at a variety of geographies.
“This tool provides real-time information on HUD investments in communities across the country with just a few clicks,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro. “In today’s 21st century global economy where information is needed almost immediately, HUD is committed to making our resources more accessible and easier to find.”
CART includes information on many of HUD’s major programs invested in communities across the country including:
• Community Planning and Development Competitive and Formula Grants
• Rental Assistance through HUD's Multifamily programs, Housing Choice Vouchers and Public Housing properties
• Housing Counseling
• Signature programs – Promise Zones, Strong Cities Strong Communities and Rental Assistance Demonstration.
• Census demographic information
ADVANCING RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Recipients HOME and CDBG grants are encouraged to integrate renewable energy generation and energy efficiency measures in their projects. These measures helps reduce energy costs, which can facilitate improved operations and maintenance, and HUD released a toolkit to help grantees integrate renewable energies into their project
HUD and the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a goal of generating 300 MW of energy through renewables for low-and-moderate income housing by 2020, and broadening the goal to include community and shared solar installations. More information on HUD’s Renew 300 initiative can be found online here.
HUD also released a toolkit to help HOME and CDBG grantees integrate renewable energies into their projects that can be found on HUD’s website here.
DAVIS-BACON WAGE DETERMINATIONS
The Community MT Division provides weekly updates on Davis Bacon Wage Rate (DBWR) Determination modifications for Montana. Following are the links to the Current, Advance Notice, and Archived State of Montana General Decision County Index for Davis-Bacon.
Davis-Bacon Act Wage Determinations
Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) Frequently Asked Questions
Department of Labor's Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Overview
Federal Labor Standards Requirements in Housing and Urban Development Programs
HUD Labor Standards and Enforcement OLR Library
HUD Federal Labor Standards Provision Form 2010
Making Davis-Bacon Work: A Contractor's Guide to Prevailing Wage Requirements for Federally-Assisted Construction Projects
SECTION 3 AND DBE/MBE/WBE
Section 3, a provision of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, ensures that employment, contracting, and other economic opportunities generated by certain HUD financial assistance shall, to the greatest extent feasible, be directed to low- and very low-income persons, particularly those who are recipients of government assistance for housing, and to business concerns that provide economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons. Section 3 covered activities include housing rehabilitation, housing construction, and other public construction.
Section 281 of the National Affordable Housing Act requires that recipients of HUD financial assistance reach out to disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned business enterprises (DBE/MBE/WBE) for all contracting activities facilitating the provision of affordable housing authorized under federal law.
Section 3 and DBE/MBE/WBE covered projects may be funded by one or a combination of the following federal sources administered by the Montana Department of Commerce: the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) Program, or the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.
Section 3 and DBE/MBE/WBE toolkit
Contract and Employment Reporting Form (Excel)
**COVID-19 UPDATE**
HUD has indicated that the statutory, regulatory, and reporting requirements of Section 3 are not waived due to COVID-19. Additionally, HUD has indicated that Section 3 covered recipients and contractors are still required to provide notice of Section 3 opportunities; however, because noticing may not be possible in conventional ways, HUD encourages virtual methods (e.g., telephone blast messages, text messages, emails, Facebook ads, Twitter/Instagram ads, YouTube videos) and notes that all outreach, virtual or otherwise, must be documented.
For project-specific Section 3 and DBE/MBE/WBE guidance, please contact your program specialist.