NAHMA HUD Update: HUD Provides CNA e-Tool 3.0 Update for TransferringWork in-Progress Prior to Launch (Aug. 24)

July 23, 2020

Dear NAHMA Members,

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is continuing the rollout of the CNA e-Tool, version 3.0., scheduled to go live on August 24, 2020. The update below describes what users must do with draft Assessment Tool files in order to be ready to use the new version and includes videos and webinars to assist users with this process.  Please see the announcement below and the attached CNA e-Tool version 3.0 Launch Schedule for more information.

Get Ready to Transfer Work in-Progress to Version 3.0 of the CNA e-Tool

At midnight EDT on July 27th a four-week window will open during which users should make sure to validate any relevant legacy Excel Assessment Tool files in progress.  Validation must be done by the authorized submitter (e.g. lenders) in the current Submission Portal which requires a user ID and password. The Submission Portal is not the same as the public validation portal commonly used by needs assessors in the legacy system.  Validation in the Submission Portal will store the data from the Excel files into HUD’s database so that it is transferred over to the new Release 3.0 where the user will be able to retrieve it using the new CNA e-Tool after it goes live on August 24th.  This “data transfer period” ends at midnight EDT on August 20.  Thereafter, the Excel Assessment Tool will no longer be accepted.  The process for data transfer is outlined in the Data Transfer video.  A summary of the process is provided below.

 

  1. Data from any CNAs with the following statuses will automatically transfer to version 3.0:
  • “Received for Validation,” but only if validated in the Submission Portal during the Data Transfer Period, July 27 through August 20.
  • In “Saved-As-Draft,” “Submitted,” “Under Review,” “Returned” or “Approved” statuses at any time prior to midnight EDT on August 20, 2020

 

  1. Data only saved in Excel Assessment Tool files that are not yet validated in the Submission Portal, or CNAs with the status “Received for Validation” but not validated during the Data Transfer Period will not transfer.  In order for the data to transfer, the Assessment Tool files must be validated in the legacy Submission Portal, by the person authorized to submit (e.g. lenders) the CNA to HUD. The following must occur:
  • Needs assessors with draft Excel Assessment Tool files not yet validated must e-mail the file to the authorized submitter with instructions to validate the file during the Data Transfer Period.
  • If a submitter has already validated an Excel file but not during the Data Transfer Period, then the submitter must advance the status to “Saved as Draft” or beyond (e.g. Submitted), or re-validate the Excel file during the Data Transfer Period (July 27 through August 20).
  • Needs assessors with system user IDs (“M IDs”) and passwords may use the Submission Portal to validate or save as draft any Excel Assessment Tool work for which they would be the authorized submitter as well as any template, sample, or “library” CNAs not intended for submission but only for use as data export sources for future work.

Please Note:  While Needs Assessors may validate work-in-progress Excel Assessment Tool files in the Submission Portal, they must NOT actually “Submit” such CNAs to HUD. 

 

Additional Information and Resources