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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20070491.tiff RESOLUTION RE: APPROVE REVISIONS TO POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE WELD COUNTY HOUSING REHABILITATION LOAN PROGRAM WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and WHEREAS, the Board has been presented with revisions to the Policies and Procedures for the Weld County Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program, for the Greeley/Weld County Housing Authority, and WHEREAS, after review, the Board deems it advisable to approve said revisions, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, that the revisions to the Policies and Procedures for the Weld County Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program on behalf of the Greeley/Weld County Housing Authority, be, and hereby are, approved. The above and foregoing Resolution was,on motion duly made and seconded,adopted by the following vote on the 26th day of February, A.D., 2007. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WELIftrqOUNTY, COLpRADO ATTEST: ELI/�� -�� / David E. Long, Chair �/ Weld County Clerk to the j4$ /Y `L"�� 1, Willi/ H. e) Tem Deputy Clerk to the Board _‘". Wila F. Garcia APPROVE AS TO FORM: Robert D. asden . �. . Q�ru t�Attorney C /8/c-7 Dou las Rademacher Date of signature: 2007-0491 HA0027 d O COLORADO February 23, 2007 Memo: The Board of Weld County Commissioners From: Thomas Teixeira, Executive Director /5 /4, �l� f' " = The changes that were made to the administration plan for the Weld County CDBG Program are: The Greeley/Weld County Housing Authorities will handle the financial part of the program. 1) Where loan payments are made 2) All funds will be deposited with the housing authority 3) Payments to administer the program will be made by the housing authority The interest rates were changed to reflect the current market. The income guidelines were changed to the new amount provided by HUD. The wording was changed to reflect the names and addresses to the housing authority. The names of the staff were changed to show the staff in the current position. Y � POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WELD COUNTY HOUSING REHABILITATION LOAN PRORAM REVISION DATED 2/07 I. PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM These guidelines establish the policies, priorities and procedures governing the operation the single family owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program of Weld County. Weld County agrees to develop, implement and administer a housing rehabilitation program of approximately fifteen (15) existing single-family dwellings, for the benefit of low- and moderate-income families residing in CENSUS TRACTS CT 10, 17, 18, 19.01, 19.02, 20,21, 22.01, 22.02, and 25.02 including the communities of Dacono, Eaton, Evans, Firestone, Fort Lupton, Gilcrest, Hudson, Johnstown, LaSalle, Milliken, Platteville and Windsor. It is the intent of Weld County's Housing Rehabilitation Program to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing for low- and moderate-income persons in the targeted areas by rehabilitating their homes to a condition which brings these structures into compliance with all applicable codes and regulations of Weld County or applicable municipality and the Minimum Property Rehabilitation Standards of the WCHA. II. DESIGNATED AUTHORITY A. The Weld County Housing Authority (WCHA) through Weld County has the designated responsibility for the implementation of the CDBG/HOME Contracts. B. The WCHA staff responsible for the administration of the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program are: 1. the Director of WCHA; 2. the Administrative Assistant C. The Housing Rehabilitation functions shall be contracted to the Greeley Housing Renewal Authority. The Contract with Greeley Urban Renewal Authority is a part of this document. D. Fiscal administration will be conducted by the WCHA and Greeley/Weld Housing Authority Finance Department and Accounting Department. All program funds will be deposited with the Weld County Housing Authority in a separate account of the WCHA. Most program payments will be issued as co-payee warrants, and final individual project payments will be made once 2007-0491 the Certificate of Completion forms have been executed, attesting to satisfactory project completion. Each request for payment (input document) shall be accompanied by a signed and dated contractor/service provider invoice. General contractor payments shall be issued in the following manner: 1. When approximately 80% of the contract work has been satisfactorily completed and inspected, and all sub-contractors, and suppliers notarized lien waivers have been submitted to the WCHA, a payment for 50% of the original contract amount will be issued: 2. When 100% of the contract work has been satisfactorily completed and inspected, and all subcontractors and suppliers paid-in-full notarized lien waivers have been submitted to the WCHA, a payment for 30% of original contract amount will be issued; 3. Final payment of 20% of original amount will be issued no later than 30 days following project completion, defined as satisfactory completion of all contracted work, as determined by inspection and submittal of all applicable final permits, and the execution of the Certification of Completion by the contractor, homeowner, and WCHA; 4. Any cost increase resulting from change-order additions to the contract will be paid upon contract deadline and satisfactory job completion, as defined in condition #3 and as a fourth payment; conversely, any change-order decreases shall be deducted from the contractor's third/final payment, as shall any late penalties. 5. Payment could be paid made to the contactor in different percentages depending on the type of work, the amount and the previous history of the contractor. E. All amendments to the description of work/work write-up shall be authorized by the WCHA in the form of change-orders, and must be approved by the homeowner, contractor, and the WCHA in writing. No change-order work may be performed until such change-order documents have been signed by all parties. No payment requests will be approved for processing for work which has not been inspected as satisfactorily completed. III. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR HOUSING REHABILITATION ASSISTANCE The Staff of the Housing Authority shall have the responsibility for the eligibility determination of applicants for the Housing Rehabilitation programs. The Chairman of the Board shall sign-off on the eligibility determination made by staff, based on staff recommendation. The Weld County Housing Authority Board shall be used as the appeal process, for an applicant, and on any denial decision made by the staff. Program Eligibility Criteria A. To be considered eligible for the Housing Rehabilitation Loan program, an applicant must own and occupy a residential single-family dwelling in the designated target area. To be considered owner of record, the applicant must meet one of the following criteria: 1. The applicant must be listed as owner of the property (and in cases of mobile homes, the applicant must be listed as owner of mobile home and the land on which it is located) on the Weld County's Tax Roll, or possess a valid contract for sale or Deed of Trust, each of which has been recorded with the Weld County Clerk and Recorder, which includes "reasonable rights of redemption" and "quiet and peaceable possession of the property", or 2. The applicant must possess a Life Estate, or Fee Title evidenced by a Warranty Deed, or Quit Claim Deed which has been filed for record with the Weld County Clerk and Recorder. B. The identified property must not be located within the right-of-way of any street, highway, or other public right-of-way contemplated in the foreseeable future. C. Properties located in the 100-year floodplain, as designated by FEMA maps and data provided by the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and as interpreted and determined by WCHA staff, are not eligible for the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program. D. The identified property must be considered structurally sound for bringing other deficiencies into compliance with all applicable codes and standards, at a cost which is reasonable and appropriate, giving consideration to the condition and the value of the dwelling, and the availability of funds. If the cost for rehabilitation is likely to exceed 50% of the dwellings assessed value, the WCHA shall determine whether or not to proceed with the rehabilitation of the structure on the cost of the project. Every effort will be made to assist any displace or potentially displaced family with alternative housing, either directly or by referral. E. The applicant must have either: 1. a 5% or $1000 cash equity towards the purchase price of the home (whichever is greater); or 2. Lived in the home for a minimum of one year prior to the date of application to the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program. 3. In order for Farmers Home Housing Preservation Grant funds to be expended on a unit, the homeowner must have owned and occupied the unit for at least 12 months. F. To qualify for rehabilitation assistance, an applicant's annual income may not exceed the amount shown below. All applicants must meet the following HUD income guidelines. These limits are for adjusted gross annual income. A deduction against the adjusted gross annual income will be applied in cases of continuing medical expenses not covered by insurance, which exceed 3% of the household's gross annual income. MODERATE INCOME (80% of Area Median) One person $32,650 Two person $37,300 Thee person $42,000 Four person $46,650 Five person $50,400 Six person $54,100 Seven person $57,850 Eight person $61,600 G. Because housing rehabilitation program funds are intended to serve low and moderate income homeowners having no other means of financing rehabilitation work, applicants with substantial and available liquid resources will be considered for assistance under the following guidelines: 1. Applicants under the age of 62 having assets of more than $5,000 will be required to contribute the amount is excess of$5,000 toward the cost of rehabilitation; 2. Applicants 62 years of age and older having assets of more than $10,000 will be required to contribute the amount in excess of$10,000 toward the cost of rehabilitation. The WCHA Board reserves the right to waive any part of this asset policy under extenuating circumstances as presented to the WCHA Board and staff by an applicant. H. The WCHA will rank clients using a point system based on the following schedule: Financial: Income at or below 50% 15 pts Assets $5,000-$9,999 -5 pts Assets over $10,000 -10 pts Household Make-up: For each member age 62 or older 5 pts For single, female head of household 5 pts For Female head of household w/dependents 5 pts For each household member 18 or younger 5 pts For household w/disabled member 20 pts Housing Condition: Plumbing Severe 10 pts Electrical Moderate 5 pts Heating Minor 3 pts Structural Standard 0 pts Overcrowding Other Prior Assistance: Prior Award was $2,000 or less -10 pts Prior Award over $2,000 -20 pts Award was grant only -10 pts All clients receiving more than 50 points will be given a priority ranking. Those receiving less than 50 points will be put on a waiting list for future consideration. I. Credit Considerations All credit decisions shall be based on the applicant's ability to repay the loan. Action on a loan shall not be based on the race, creed, color, religion, national order, familial status, sex, handicap or the age of the applicant. 1. Any applicant in arrears on their mortgage of sixty (60) days or more shall be denied assistance through the Housing Rehabilitation program. 2. Any applicant who has delinquent property taxes shall be determined ineligible for Housing Rehabilitation Assistance. 3. Any time there is a pattern to a payment history of an applicant that exhibits bankruptcy, unpaid charge-offs, or collection accounts, the staff may consider this pattern when determining the applicant's credit worthiness for the Housing Rehabilitation program. An applicant may be denied when there is evidence, based on the credit history, that an applicant is unlikely to re-pay a loan. Any circumstances which may be considered as mitigating the poor credit history include: a. Medically related expenses; b. A significant change in income which contributed to the credit difficulty. J. Definitions 1. Adverse Information—Information which a creditor's policy will cause a credit applicant to be denied or restricted. Examples: past due accounts. Unpaid judgments, bankruptcy filings. 2. Bankruptcy—Federal law providing relief from burdensome debts. The law contains several chapters which relate to different methods of relief: Chapter 7 — Straight Bankruptcy Chapter 11 —Business Reorganizations Chapter 12—Farm Debt Bankruptcy Chapter 13 —Adjustment of Debts of an Individual with Regular Income (also called a wage earner plan) 3. Charge off—Accounting term to indicate the creditor does not expect to collect a balance owing. 4. Collection account—Refers to status of account owing a creditor when it has been transferred from a routine debt to a Collection Department — either of the creditor's firm, or to a separate professional debt collection firm. 5. Judgment - Formal decision of a court in a legal controversy. Credit bureaus obtain data about judgments from court records periodically down as public record. These usually are civil judgments where money is the source of the controversy between the parties. 6. Judgment satisfied— When a judgment is paid in full, the creditor may file a satisfaction of judgment form. However, this often is not done and the only way to determine if a judgment has been paid or not is to contact the parties to the suit themselves. This also applies to settlements where the creditor accepts less than the full amount due. 7. Repossession—Forced, or voluntary, surrender of merchandise as a result of the customer's failure to pay as promised. There are several types and descriptions of repossession actions, each quite different: RLD—Paid by dealer. RLP —Proceeds applied to debt. RRE—Repossession redeemed RVD —Returned voluntarily; paid by dealer RVN —Returned voluntarily. RVP—Returned voluntarily; proceeds applied to debt. RVR—Returned voluntarily; redeemed. 8. Straight Bankruptcy—A bankruptcy filed in accordance with Chapter Seven of the Bankruptcy Act. An individual asks (petitions) for relief from all debts (after exemptions) and the remaining assets, if any, are then converted to cash which is divided among the participation creditors. IV. HOUSING REHABILITATION ASSISTANCE AMOUNTS Once all eligibility requirements have been met by an applicant and verified by WCHA staff, s/he will be notified of approval for rehabilitation assistance, based on the availability of funds. All rehabilitation deferred payment loans and non-deferred loans are subject to the provisions of this Management Plan. A. All deferred payment loans and non-deferred loans shall be secured by Promissory Notes and Deeds of Trust, and, if applicable, Security Agreements, which shall be in first or second position in the chain of title. The WCHA Board reserves the right to waive any part of this lien policy. Loans must be re-paid in accordance with the terms of the Promissory Note and the Truth in Lending Agreement. B. Homeowner's insurance coverage in an amount sufficient to cover the remaining balance of the loan(s) must be maintained for the term of the Note and Deed. In addition, the rehabbed unit must continue to be occupied by the eligible homeowner during the term of the Note and Deed. C. The total costs of the rehabbed project shall be considered as the total loan. The following types of loans may be provided to qualified applicants: 1. Deferred payment loans where no payment is due until a specific date, or when the property is sold or changes ownership; 2. Fully amortized loans at varying interest rates and terms; 0% to 40% Median Income 0% Interest Rate 41% to 60% Median Income 2% Interest Rate 61% to 80% Median Income 3% Interest Rate 3. Blended loans,where two loans are made-one by commercial lender and/or another state or federal agency and one by WCHA. 4. Interest rates for households with income at/or around the high or low end on income level maybe moved up or down above 0% but will not exceed our maximum. 5. Interest rates for the program will be reviewed yearly or as needed depending on the private interest rate and adjusted accordingly. 6. Loans may be deferred for elderly, disabled and handicapped applicants. D. The Housing Rehabilitation program shall utilize the definition as provided under the Section 8 Program. 1. Elderly shall be considered as age 62 or over 2. A disabled household who has been determined eligible for Social Security Disability, SSI or Aid to the Needy Disabled 3. Handicapped within the meaning of Section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959; a handicapped person is one who has a physical or mental impairment which: a) is expected to be of long continued and indefinite duration, b) substantially impedes his/her ability to live independently; and c) Is of such a nature that such disability could be improved by suitable housing conditions. E. If a debtor vacates or transfers ownership of his/her Promissory Note and deed of Trust prior to the maturity, the balance of the loan and the deferred payment loan shall become immediately due and payable to WCHA. If a joint owner dies or in some way becomes incapacitated, the surviving spouse or lineal heir/s may assume the responsibilities of the lien. If a debtor vacates or transfers ownership of his/her rehabilitated property under extenuation circumstances, the WCHA Board reserves the right to exercise the following options: 1. waive or defer the conditions of the Promissory Note and Deed of Trust; 2. negotiate a percentage of the balance due; and/or 3. Provide for assumption of the loan to the new property owner. The WCHA shall cancel the Promissory Note and have the Public Trustee release the Deed of Trust for each client when the conditions of each have been fully satisfied by the debtor, surviving spouse of lineal heir/s. F. No applicant may receive a grant/loan of more than $24,999 unless: 1. $24,999 is insufficient to bring the property up to local building codes and WCHA's minimum property rehabilitation standards; 2. Every effort has been made by the applicant to secure funding from other sources; 3. In the event that alternative funding becomes available to the applicant for rehabilitation, s/he may be required to reimburse the WCHA for an amount expended prior to alternative funding availability. G. The purpose of the Housing Rehabilitation program is to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing for low and moderate income persons through the rehabilitation of owner-occupied dwellings, to a condition which brings the unit into compliance with applicable County Building standards of the Housing Authority. H. Federal regulations require that when funds are designated for the rehabilitation of properties fifty years of age and older, prior review from the State Historical Society must be provided so that a determination can be made whether the property is eligible for inclusion in the National Register. Historically, properties which are designated for inclusion require significant aesthetic rehabilitation which can cause the cost of the project to exceed the budgeted amount. Any project approved by the Colorado Historical Society for inclusion in the National Register shall require the review and approval of the Housing Authority Board prior to the approval of a loan. The Board shall have the discretion to reject the project if it determines that the rehabilitation of the project is not consistent with the specified purpose of the program. V. APPICATION PROCESSING A. The WCHA shall maintain accurate case files, reports for each applicant. The case files shall consist of personal data concerning each applicant and the members of the applicant's household, and shall be held in strict confidence. Information regarding payment records, work write-ups, contract awards, and bidding qualifications and procedures shall be made available for public inspection at the offices of the WCHA, located at 315 B North 11 Avenue in Greeley, Colorado, during regular business hours by appointment. All files shall be retained by WCHA under the authority of the Retention and Custodial Requirements for Records section of the CDBG Grantee Handbook. B. Applications for housing rehabilitation assistance will be made available to all residents of the target area. The length of the application period will be determined by the WCHA staff, based of the size of application pool after the time of initial outreach. The application period may be extended or re-opened in the event that an insufficient number of applicants have been approved for assistance for the program year. Dates of application acceptance and deadlines shall be made public through local media resources. C. A file will be established for each approved applicant, which shall contain the following: 1. application, signed and dated by the applicant; 2. authorization for release of information; 3. verification forms for income, employment, benefits, property ownership, mortgage, assets, and home owner insurance, credit history report; 4. lead based paint notice; 5. civil rights notice; 6. lien requirement notice; 7. temporary relocation notice; 8. HUD environment standards checklist; 9. environmental review draw-down checklist; 10. work write-up, notes, drawings; 11. applicant ranking form; 12. loan work sheet; 13. WCHA Board approval form; 14. contract between owner and contractor, with additional conditions, addendum to the contract and federal labor standards; 15. notice of rescission; 16. proceed order; 17. affidavit of subcontractors; 18. change orders, if necessary; 19. lien waivers; 20. LOCCS Set-up 21. LOCCS Draw-down Requests 22. LOCCS Project Completion Reports 23. payment record and payment documentation; 24. correspondence, including copy of client's letter of determination; 25. inspection permits and certificate of completion; and 26. project completion checklist. D. Upon receipt of all requested verification, the WCHA shall determine each applicant's eligibility, and rank that applicant's need based on the date of application receipt, the applicant's personal data, and the initial inspection by the Greeley Urban Renewal Authority. All applicants who are denied assistance shall be given the WCHA reasons for determination. Should a denied applicant be in a situation considered rectifiable, which would reactivate the application, s/he would be given the opportunity to do so, and a determination shall be made. E. The WCHA and locality's building inspector shall conduct a preliminary inspection of the dwelling of each approved applicant, and a preliminary work write-up shall be prepared, based on the results of this inspection. VI. CONTRACTION REHABILITATION WORK This section sets forth requirements and procedures with respect to construction contracts for rehabilitation financed through a deferred payment loan and/pr non-deferred loan and shall be undertaken only through a written contract between the contractor and the recipient of the loan. The Housing Authority shall assist the recipient in arranging for and obtaining an acceptable rehabilitation contract. A. Form of Contract: The housing rehabilitation contract shall consist of: 1. The Contract Document; 2. The Addendum to the Contract; 3. The bid proposal from the contractor; 4. The final work write-up as approved by the homeowner. B. Contractors interested in bidding on the project are encouraged to contact the homeowner for an inspection of the property. General contractors must either come in to the office to pick up a bid packet or request a bid packet through the mail. The bid packet will contain the following: 1. the invitation to bid, giving the date, time and location of the bid opening; 2. the instructions to bidders, giving the requirements of acceptable bid formant; 3. the bid and proposal form, on which the general contractor shall declare the lump sum bid price and all subcontractors, names, and addresses; 4. a copy of the final work write-up, giving all line item bid prices requested. Contractor's bids will be evaluated on the basis of a. the contractor's ability to complete the project in a timely manner; b. the most responsive and responsible bid; c. the Housing Authority's project cost determinations. The homeowner shall have the right to select the most responsive and responsible bid. Any or all bids may be rejected by the homeowner for any reason. The WCHA and their Board reserve the right to enforce compliance with all the provisions of the General Contractor's Certificate of Participation. C. The WCHA Board shall give the staff of the WCHA the right to use it's discretion in disallowing the bids of any general contractor who is simultaneously in-progress with two or more projects under the CDBG Program. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that a general contractor's obligations are met with regard to contractual deadlines and quality of workmanship; further, this policy ensures that the WCHA acting as program administrator under Weld County meets their contractual obligations and deadline with the State of Colorado. This policy may be waived or enforced, at the WCHA's discretion, based on; such factor's as the size and estimated duration of a project under bid, and the capacity of a general contractor to complete a project on schedule. Proceed Orders and/or contract deadlines may be amended to allow for simultaneous projects using the same general contractor. D. Each participating general contractor must have signed a General Contractor's Certificate of Participate prior to signing a housing rehabilitation contract with a homeowner. E. Contractor Qualifications: I. Contractor must submit evidence of current worker's compensation insurance coverage, naming the WCHA as certificate holder for the duration of the project (and contractors having no employees are exempt from this requirement); 2. Contractor's must submit evidence of general liability coverage, effective for the term of the project, which covers: a. $100,000 bodily injury and property damage (each occurrence) b. $300,000 bodily injury and property damage (aggregate), and c. $100,000 personal injury; 3. Contractors must furnish three written references for previous similar work; 4. Contractors must provide a letter of credit for $10,000 with a local lending institution. An alternative may be to provide proof of lines of credit with various suppliers and subcontractors, sufficient to carry rehabilitation activities through the term of the contract. No contract may be awarded to any contractor who has not been cleared through the State Department of Local Affairs. 5. Contractors failing to meet ay of these requirements shall be considered unqualified, and their bids shall be rejected. F. Once a qualified contractor has been selected for a job, a meeting shall be conducted at the homeowner's home, with the homeowner, contractor and WCHA staff in attendance. All contract documents shall be reviewed, and their execution by the homeowner shall be witnessed by the WCHA. Any changes to the final work write-up shall be in the form of change orders, which are agreed to and signed by all parties. A proceed order shall be signed, indicating the start-up of the rehab work. The contract stipulates penalties assessed the general contractor for delays which are not approved in writing by the WCHA and the homeowner. The homeowner shall be issued a notice of rescission, effective for three business days from the date of execution of the documents. The homeowner shall be required to sign a Deed of Trust and Promissory Note as lien document, prior to signing the contract with the general contractor. The Deed of Trust and Promissory Note will be retained by the Housing Authority until the completion of the project. Should the contract amount change, a revised Deed and Note will be executed by the homeowner(s). Upon completion of the project the Note and Deed shall be filed with the Weld County Clerk and Recorder. Frequent inspections of on- going work shall be conducted by the Housing Authority to ensure code and contract compliance. All work is covered by a one-year warranty. VII. REHABILITATION ASSISTANCE CONDITIONS A. In cases for which it has been determined by the WCHA that the applicant's continued residence during the period of rehab activities would be detrimental to the completion of the work, or would pose a threat to the health and safety of the household members, the occupants will be encouraged to relocate for the duration of the rehabilitation activities. In the event that relocation is necessary, the WCHA will follow the procedures set forth in the Uniform Relocation Act of 1970, Title II, and its policies regarding conditions and monetary assistance under the WCHA's Temporary Relocation Assistance policies. In the event that the applicant refuses to relocate, as determined necessary by the WCHA, the WCHA reserves the right to deny any assistance to the applicant. B. Each recipient of Housing Rehabilitation Program assistance will be required to execute a Deed of Trust and Promissory Note for the amount of the rehabilitation deferred payment loan and non-deferred loan. These instruments will be filed for record with the Weld County Clerk and Recorder. Property liens will be enforced, pursuant to conditions set forth in the Deed of Trust, Promissory Note, Truth-in-Lending Agreement, any applicable Security Agreement, and the conditions outlined in this management plan. VIII. OUTREACH PROCEDURES A. Information concerning the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program goals, objectives and guidelines and grant conditions has been and will be distributed through civic, religious and social services organizations • throughout the target area. Various media resources will be utilized, as will door-to-door outreach, to further publicize the program. B. As a condition of the application submitted to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), the WCHA has conducted at least one public hearing in the target area, in order to familiarize its residents with the Program's intent and the eligibility guidelines. IX. EMERGENCY REHABILITATION ASSISTANCE (ERA) PROGRAM In the event that the applicant's dwelling is determined by the ECHA and the locality's building inspector and/or the local health department to be an immediate threat to the health and safety of its occupants, and the applicant lives in Weld County, (but outside the CDBG Program target area exclusive of the City of Greeley), s/he may be eligible for ERA Program funds. Though a separate program from the Housing Rehabilitation Program, the ERA Program shares some of the same eligibility requirements and policies, as follows: A. Applicants must meet the income eligibility guidelines as set forth in the Housing Rehabilitation sections of this management plan. B. Verification of all personal data of applicant's household members is required. However, the WCHA reserves the right to waive verification prior to approval of assistance, in cases of immediate assistance. C. Homeowners insurance shall be required when the cost of the project is $2,000 or more; D. Properties located in 100 year floodplains are ineligible; E. Emergency assistance may not exceed $5,000; F. No applicant may receive more than one ERA deferred payment loan/non deferred payment loan; G. Loan conditions of the Housing Rehabilitation Program apply to the ERA program; H. Applicant's receiving $2,000 or more in ERA assistance will be required to execute a Promissory Note and Deed of Trust, which shall mature at the end of the loan terms; I. Applicants are required to secure two bids (WCHA may secure these to expedite the process) for emergency work and submit them to the WCHA, which will choose the low bid and arrange for contract signing between the homeowner and the contractor. The WCHA staff reserves the right to solicit bids instead, based on brief work write-ups and emergency. J. Fees charged for bids are not eligible costs under ERA Program; K. Contractors participating in the ERA Program are not required to meet contactor standards. The WCHA staff reserves the right to request references and other information of contractors under consideration, and to bar from consideration an contractor which it feels cannot perform such work as required to standards of the WCHA and the locality. L. An emergency situation shall be defined as one in which there exists an imminent and correctable threat to the health and safety of the occupants, who were not the cause, either through negligence or abuse, and who were aware of such situation for fewer than three months, unless such situation could not be determined sooner (due to weather, etc.) the WCHA reserves the right to solicit the assistance and expertise of outside resources to make such a determination of emergency status before approval of any assistance. X. APPEALS PROCEDURES A. Applicant/Borrower Appeals: If an applicant has a grievance concerning the actions of the WCHA staff or the procedures of the WCHA or the CDBG Program with regard to his/her application for assistance the grievance shall forward such complaint to the Director of the Housing Authority. If, after contact with Director, the applicant wishes to appeal any decision, he is required to submit a written request to appeal, stating all pertinent information, complaints, comments, and relief sought, to the WCHA Board. The Board shall hold a hearing with the applicant and WCHA staff in attendance. The Board shall make a determination based on the findings of the hearing, and mail such information to the applicant. A copy of this written information shall be kept on file at the WCHA office. All WCHA Board determinations are final. B. Contractor Debarment: Following a finding that the act complained of did occur, the Board must then determine whether to debar or temporarily suspend the contractor. The Board may take further testimony to determine whether aggravating or mitigating circumstances existed for the violation. Aggravating circumstances may include: 1. Willful or intentional acts resulting in violation;pattern or practice of violation; 2. Prior disciplinary actions Mitigating circumstances include circumstances outside the control of the contractor contributing to the violation; the violation being an isolated incident; and lack of impact on the homeowner. XI. LOAN ADMINISTRATION All loans and deferred payment loans are administered by the Weld County Housing Authority Staff. Updated file and computer records shall be maintained to reflect client loan payment. All payment accounts shall be established through the Weld County Accounts Receivable system. Payments from clients shall be made directly to the accounts receivable system. Delinquent accounts shall be assessed late fees, not to exceed thirty percent of the monthly loan payment as agreed to in the client's signed Truth-in-Lending Agreement (which outlines all specific loan terms). Clients in delinquent of default status shall be notified of such status in writing, and shall be given the opportunity to rectify their status, and/or make alterative payment arrangements. Failure on the part of the client to rectify default or delinquent loan status, after two month's arrearage in which time the WCHA has contacted the client in writing, shall result in lien enforcement. Client shall be notified in writing of the commencement of foreclosure proceedings by an ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. Hello