1. Can I bring more than 3 people?
   
   Due to space constraints, we are unable to allow invitees to send more than 3 people. Thank you for understanding.
    
2. Can HUD provide an approval letter for travel costs for our local processes?
   
   The Office of HIV/AIDS Housing has issued a Memo indicating how HOPWA funds can be used to pay for travel and staff time associated with attending the HOPWA Institute. You can find that here: https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/CPD/documents/2024-HOPWA-Institute-Funds-Memo.pdf
    
3. Who should we send from our organization?
   
   The Office of HIV/AIDS Housing expects that whoever is sent by your agency, there will be at least one with decision-making authority. Who your agency chooses to send in addition to that person will be up to your discretion. We will be providing information about IDIS, building budgets, creating client-centered programs, NSPIRE, and other aspects of designing and operating a strong, compliant HOPWA program.
    
4. Will there be food provided at the Institute? Can HOPWA funds pay for food while I am attending the institute?
   
   There will be coffee, tea, and water provided at the Institute. All meals will be on-your-own. The HOPWA funds listed in the Memo can be used to pay for your travel-related costs, including food.
    
5. Is there a HUD-approved per diem rate for travel?
   
   All organizations are expected to have policies and procedures for employee travel and training which should be followed. HUD uses the General Services Administration per diem rates for travel. You can find those here: https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates.
    
6. What time will the Institute start and end so I can book my travel?
   
   There will be three (3) pre-Institute sessions that begin at 10 a.m. on October 21, 2024. The Welcome Plenary will begin at 1:30 p.m. on October 21, 2024.
   Please do not make any non-refundable travel reservations until your registration is confirmed.
    
7. Will there be gender-neutral bathrooms?
   
   Yes, there will be gender-neutral bathrooms.
    
8. Will sessions be available in other languages? Will interpretation services be available?
   
   Yes, during registration participants will be asked to select the sessions they would like to attend and indicate if they will require language access assistance, and if so, in what language.
    
9. Can a grantee pay for all their project sponsors to send participants, including from organizations that don't meet the $250k threshold?
   
   No. Due to space constraints, we are unable to allow invitees to send additional people. Thank you for understanding.
    
10. Will the content be entry-level only or will there be advanced training sessions?
    
    There will be a mix of different levels of sessions. Specifically geared toward entry-level staff, there will be a HOPWA Reset pre-Institute session that will cover the HOPWA basics and an IDIS 101 session. There are 25 discrete sessions at the Institute that should cover all levels of the agency.
     
11. How many staff can attend?
    
    We are limiting attendance to three (3) people per HOPWA-funded agency. If your agency does not employ three people who directly administer the HOPWA program, consider bringing the staff that support the HOPWA program within your agency.
     
12. Can a grantee use its funds to assist Project Sponsors to attend or is that strictly for their staff to attend?
    
    HOPWA Project Sponsors that receive $250,000 or more per year are also expected to attend the Institute, and they may use their own budget for this purpose. Grantees may also elect to pay for their project sponsor’s staff to participate directly from their own budget. This should be based on local funding decisions. For those project sponsors that are awarded less than this amount, a virtual, listen-only option will be available. Further, the Institute sessions will be recorded and made available on-line shortly after the Institute.
     
13. If a grantee has a competitive grant and is meeting the threshold as a formula project sponsors, would you send staff for each of those grants or would it just be three for the org?
    
    If your agency is both a large (≥$250,000 or more per year) project sponsor and also a competitive grantee, you may send up to six (6) staff, three for the project sponsor and three for competitive grant.
    
    Grantee agencies with multiple grants, for example a competitive grant and a formula grant, may send three (3) staff per grant. Agencies that act as a grantee and are a large (≥$250,000 or more per year) project sponsor) may send three (3) grantee staff and three (3) staff that are affiliated with the project sponsor activities.
    
    A HOPWA formula grant counts as one grant, regardless of the number of annual allocations currently being administered by the grantee.
     
14. Is there a registration fee?
    
    No. There is no fee to register for the 2024 HOPWA Institute.
     
15. Is food included?
    
    No. HUD is unable to provide food at its events. All meals are on your own.
     
16. We are a grantee and have a small, public-facing staff. We are concerned that sending our team to the Institute may negatively impact our ability to do our jobs. Can we attend virtually?
    
    The 2024 HOPWA Institute is the first time in almost ten years that the Office of HIV/AIDS Housing has had the opportunity to gather with our HOPWA grantees and large project sponsors to provide in-person training. While we recognize that attending this in-person event could present some challenges for smaller teams we hope that you are able to make arrangements to ensure key staff working on HOPWA can attend. We are planning to stream the Institute but this option is expected to be listen-only and those on-line attendees will not have the opportunity to ask clarifying questions of the presenters. Additionally, the time commitment to attend the virtual Institute is similar to that of the in-person Institute, as grantees and large project sponsors would be expected to attend sessions in the same way as if they were in DC. So although it is not mandatory for grantees and large project sponsors to send all three staff they are allowed to send, we strongly encourage you to send at least one person to Washington, DC.to participate.

Content current as of July 25, 2024.