Celebrate Veterans Day with Montgomery County

The Department of Energy and Environment is still accepting applications for its no-cost benchmarking data verification initiative! If you have a building over 50,000 square feet that is currently covered by the District’s benchmarking law, then you are eligible for free data verification. Data verification is a new benchmarking requirement established in the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018 and will need to be conducted by a third-party licensed professional in future reporting years. However, DOEE is offering a one-time no-cost data verification for your 2019 benchmarking data. With the upcoming Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS),having accurate and verified benchmarking data is especially crucial, as this data will be used to set the performance standards for the first BEPS cycle starting in 2021, as well as determine which properties fall above or below those standards.
If you are interested in receiving free data verification of your 2019 benchmarking data, you can access the application portal here. In order to receive data verification, you must completely fill out the application, answer all required questions, and provide all requested documents. If you would like to have more than one property verified, you will need to fill out an application for each unique property within the portal.
Public Allies is a social justice organization committed to changing the face and practice of leadership by recruiting and training talented young leaders, with a passion for social impact, to create meaningful change in our community. Allies are diverse, equity-centered, innovative problem solvers, dedicated to mobilizing community assets to develop solutions to local challenges. In partnership with nonprofit partners, the organization delivers its nationally recognized, values-driven, results-led apprenticeship to advance our mission to create a just and equitable society and the diverse leadership to sustain it. Public Allies Washington, D.C. is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network.
What do Allies Do?
Allies work on capacity-building projects that are likely to have an impact beyond their terms. This can include but is not limited to: recruiting volunteers, building partnerships, expanding outreach, and launching new programs.
What do Allies Learn?
The leadership development program challenges and supports Allies to become leaders who connect across social boundaries, facilitate collaborative action, recognize and mobilize community assets, commit to continuous learning and self development, and are accountable for creating impact. Allies gain a deep knowledge of their community and important skills from local community leaders, practitioners, educators, and residents. They also learn from the diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of their fellow Allies.
For more details, check out these FAQs or visit the website.
Calling all DC Property Owners & Managers! Under the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018, your property will be required to obtain third-party verification every 3 years for benchmarking data submitted to the District Department of Energy Environment (DOEE). Given this is a new requirement, DOEE is partnering with the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) to offer a one-time no-cost data verification for your 2019 benchmarking data.
With the upcoming Building Energy Performance Standards, having accurate and verified benchmarking data is crucial, as this data will be used to set the performance standard that this property will be required to meet starting in 2021. In future years, data verification will need to be conducted by a third-party licensed professional, so we highly recommend taking advantage of this no-cost offering.
If you are interested in having your 2019 benchmarking data verified by DOEE or the DCSEU for free, please fill out this interest form. In the interim, you can start gathering information that you will need in order to have your benchmarking data verified (i.e. 2019 utility bills and property use details) and start submitting an application here.
If you have any additional questions about this new requirement or this no-cost offering, please email DOEE directly at info.benchmark@dc.gov.
The Todd A. Lee Scholarship commemorates an outstanding District of Columbia legend. Todd A. Lee was the Executive Director and CEO of the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency from 2016 to 2020.
During his lifetime his career focus was on innovation, infrastructure/process, and financing in real estate. He came to DCHFA because he wanted to have an impact in the city through the preservation and construction of affordable and workforce housing in the District of Columbia.
Graduate students that aspire to be future leaders in the field of affordable housing are encouraged to apply by July 31st to be considered for the awarding of the first Todd A. Lee Scholarship.
View eligibility requirements and the application on DCHFA’s website.
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is intended to offer businesses hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic economic assistance with completely forgivable principal. But to get that full loan forgiveness, recipients must navigate a process with complex rules and calculations, and any forgiveness application errors, documentation missteps, and other lapses mean exposure: A risk of leaving some PPP loan forgiveness on the table.
If you or your business received a PPP loan, CohnReznick is here to assist you with navigating the forgiveness process and calculation. The organization offers customized assistance with PPP loan forgiveness consulting and support, as well as agreed-upon procedures (AUP) engagements.
It can provide the following services to help ensure proper governance through the PPP loan forgiveness process based on your businesses’ individual needs:
PPP loan forgiveness consulting
Gain confidence that the complex PPP forgiveness calculations have been done correctly, with the right methods. Customized to your needs, the consulting services help support your application and optimize your forgiveness, taking into consideration such items as eligible payroll and non-payroll costs, optimization and calculation of full-time equivalent employees (FTEs), salary computations, rehire exemptions, required documentation, and other items relating to the forgiveness calculation.
Agreed-upon procedures (AUP) engagements
Acting in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) guidelines, the Assurance team members will conduct procedures relating to your documentation of expenses supporting your PPP loan forgiveness application. These procedures help ensure proper governance and can offer your boards, audit committees, and investors a sense of security.
If you’re interested in learning more and reaching out to the CohnReznick team, visit the website here.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88493971563?pwd=RkpEUzE3V1BqcDEwVld0MEpDbkFEZz09
Meeting ID: 884 9397 1563
Password: 091820
Dial: +1 301 715 8592
Meeting ID: 884 9397 1563
Password: 091820
Save the date for September 18, 2020 for the Race, Equity & the Future of Greater Washington Regional Summit at Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC), where over 800 regional leaders from Greater Washington—D.C., Northern Virginia, and Suburban Maryland—will convene to examine existing disparities and co-create a new path toward a racially just and equitable region. While Greater Washington is one of the most socially, culturally, and economically vibrant regions in the country, it is also impacted by disparities in every aspect of life— housing, employment, education, justice, wealth and health; and through aligned and measurable action, cross-sector leaders can close the gaps.
The Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, in partnership with HAND, Bridges Across the River, Center for Nonprofit Advancement, Greater Washington Community Foundation, Leadership Greater Washington, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and United Way of the National Capital Region, will host this one-of-a-kind summit with three overarching goals:
1. Develop a regional action agenda to advance racial equity;
2. Elevate and expand existing racial equity work in the region and promote alignment across sectors; and
3. Launch a 5-year regional scorecard to develop accountability framework and track sector progress in closing racial disparities in key areas.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, serving as a participant pre/during/post-summit or joining a committee, email RaceEquitySummit@gmail.com.
A new partnership with Bank of America enables Howard University to provide testing and health care to DC’s most vulnerable and under-served neighborhoods. An excerpt from the press release reads:
Bank of America has awarded a $1M grant to the Howard University Faculty Practice Plan (HUFPP) to improve access to COVID-19 testing in the diverse Washington, D.C. communities located east of the river.
‘We’re excited to partner with Bank of America to get these critical resources to the areas that need them the most,” says Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “Many of our patients travel great distances to come to Howard University Hospital, which makes it challenging to seek medical attention at the first sign of illness. Our goal is to meet the community where they live so their access to care greatly improves and hopefully we can reduce the spread of the coronavirus significantly.’
Beginning on Tuesday, May 5, Howard University Faculty Practice Plan will host testing at the new Benning Road Center, located at 4414 Benning Road, N.E., Washington, D.C., Suite 2400. The free testing will be available on Tuesdays and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the next three months. Residents can sign up by appointment by calling 202-865-2119, option 3. The team will see patients who are showing symptoms or who believe they are asymptomatic.
‘You will not need to have a doctor’s prescription in advance to get tested at our location,” says Dr. Hugh E. Mighty, Howard University vice president of clinical affairs. “We want to eliminate the obstacles so more people can be tested because we believe everyone should be tested. We want to screen our community neighbors in the areas where there are higher incidents of hypertension, heart disease and diabetes because those pre-existing conditions are linked to the higher incidents of coronavirus that we’ve seen in African American communities.’
As the need increases, the Howard team will look at expanding to include a mobile unit to provide testing options in a second area of the city. In addition to funding the tests and equipment, a portion of the grant will be used to enhance Howard University Hospital’s telehealth services. This will expand a doctor’s ability to see patients remotely and increase the patient’s access to care.
The Housing Authority of Prince George’s County (HAPGC) is soliciting proposals (RFP 2020-01) from experienced law firms and solo practitioners to provide legal services for the Housing Authority of Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The Request for Proposals, including scope of work, instructions for submission and evaluation criteria are available at: Housing Authority of Prince George’s County, 9200 Basil Court, Suite 500, Largo, Maryland 20774 or by contacting Josephine Clay, Special Assistant to the Executive Director via email at: jbclay@co.pg.md.us .
The Request for Proposal is also available on HAPGC’s website https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/bids.aspx?bidID=73 beginning January 23, 2020. The deadline for submission is February 24, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.
Our partners at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLB) have opened the window for their Affordable Housing Program Competitive Grants.
Applications are due April 2, 2020. The AHP Competitive program provides funding to develop or rehabilitate housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income families. Real estate developers partner with financial institutions to apply for up to $500,000 per project to help finance the construction of apartments, supportive housing, subdivisions, single-family homes, and more.
By participating in AHP Competitive projects, your institution can generate new business with developers and other stakeholders while achieving your affordable lending mission and/or compliance goals related to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).
If you have identified a project for the 2020 Competitive Round, please note, we do offer technical assistance to both Sponsors and Members regarding their applications.
Additionally, a number of helpful resources are available to you:
You can refer to the AHP Implementation Plan for additional program information or reach out to one of their staff for assistance with your application:
Joel Brockmann, Production and Portfolio Manager
404.888.8156 jbrockmann@fhlbatl.com
James Monaghan, Production and Portfolio Analyst
404.888.8429 jmonaghan@fhlbatl.com
John Florio, Production and Portfolio Analyst
404.888.8341 jflorio@fhlbatl.com
Andrea Rattray, Production and Portfolio Team Leader
404.888.8443 arattray@fhlbatl.com
Richard Mauney, Production and Portfolio Analyst
404.888.5642 rmauney@fhlbatl.com
Jessie Marquardt, Production and Portfolio Team Lead
404.888.8230 jmarquardt@fhlbatl.com