Promise Zones Initiative: Second Round Application Process, 56819-56821 [2014-22569]
Download as PDF
56819
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 184 / Tuesday, September 23, 2014 / Notices
ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN HOURS
Number of
respondents
Type of respondent
Data collection type
SCTC Scientist ......................
Affiliated Partner ....................
Web Survey .................................................
Web Survey .................................................
Telephone Interview .....................................
Script to Schedule Telephone Interview ......
Telephone Interview .....................................
Telephone Interview .....................................
Telephone Interview .....................................
Expert Panel ................................................
Consent Form ..............................................
Telephone Script to Schedule Interview ......
Telephone Interview .....................................
Pilot Project ...........................
Working Group ......................
Coordinating Center ..............
PI/Co-PI .................................
60
71
21
7
6
6
2
18
18
6
21
Dated: September 17, 2014.
Karla Bailey,
NCI Project Clearance Liaison, National
Institutes of Health.
access this number through TTY by
calling the toll-free Federal Relay
Service at (800) 877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[FR Doc. 2014–22586 Filed 9–22–14; 8:45 am]
Background
In his 2013 State of the Union
address, President Obama announced
the establishment of the Promise Zones
initiative to partner with high-poverty
communities across the country to
create jobs, increase economic security,
expand educational opportunities,
increase access to quality, affordable
housing, and improve public safety.1 On
January 8, 2014, the President
announced the first five Promise Zones,
which are located in: San Antonio, TX;
Philadelphia, PA; Los Angeles, CA;
Southeastern Kentucky, KY; and the
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, OK. Each
of these communities (three urban, one
rural, and one tribal) submitted a plan
on how it will partner with local
business and community leaders to
make investments that reward hard
work and expand opportunity. In
exchange, the Federal government is
helping these Promise Zone designees
secure the resources and flexibility they
need to achieve their goals.2 The urban
designations were conferred by HUD,
while the rural and tribal designations
were conferred by USDA.
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. 5774–N–02]
Promise Zones Initiative: Second
Round Application Process
Office of Assistant Secretary for
Housing—Federal Housing
Commissioner, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Through this notice, HUD
provides notice on the selection process,
criteria, and application submission for
the second round of the Promise Zone
initiative.
DATES: Application due date is 5:00 p.m.
on November 21, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Interested eligible
organizations are invited to submit
applications for a Promise Zone
designation. Questions or comments
regarding the application process
should be directed by email to
Promisezones@hud.gov. Questions or
comments may also be directed by
postal mail to the Office of the Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Economic
Development, U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 451
Seventh Street SW., Room 7244,
Washington, DC 20410, ATTN: Second
Round Promise Zone selections.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brooke Bohnet, U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 451
7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20410;
telephone number 202–402–6693. This
is not a toll-free number. Persons with
hearing or speech impairments may
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
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17:55 Sep 22, 2014
Jkt 232001
Promise Zones Benefits
The Promise Zone designation
partners the Federal government with
local leaders who are addressing
multiple community revitalization
challenges in a collaborative way and
have demonstrated a commitment to
results. Further, Promise Zones will be
assigned Federal staff to help navigate
1 See https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/
2013/02/15/fact-sheet-president-s-plan-ensurehard-work-leads-decent-living.
2 See https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/
2014/01/08/fact-sheet-president-obama-s-promisezones-initiative.
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Number of
responses per
respondent
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Average
burden per
response
(in hours)
20/60
20/60
40/60
5/60
40/60
40/60
40/60
90/60
5/60
5/60
40/60
Total annual
burden hours
20
24
14
1
4
4
1
27
2
1
14
the array of Federal assistance and
programs already available to them. In
addition, eligible applicants in Promise
Zones will receive any available (a)
preference for certain competitive
Federal programs and (b) technical
assistance. Subject to enactment by
Congress, businesses investing in
Promise Zones or hiring residents of
Promise Zones will be eligible to receive
tax incentives. Altogether, this package
of assistance will help local leaders
accelerate efforts to revitalize their
communities.
The Promise Zone designation will be
for a term of 10 years and may be
extended as necessary to capture the full
term of availability of the Promise Zone
tax incentives, if the tax incentives are
enacted. During this term, the specific
benefits made available to Promise
Zones may vary from year to year, and
sometimes more often than annually,
due to changes in Federal agency
policies and changes in appropriations
and authorizations for relevant
programs. All assistance provided to
Promise Zones is subject to applicable
regulations, statutes, and changes in
federal agency policies, appropriations,
and authorizations for relevant
programs. Subject to these limitations,
the Promise Zone designation commits
the Federal government to partner with
local leaders who are addressing
multiple community revitalization
challenges in a collaborative way and
have demonstrated a commitment to
results.
Response to Public Comment
On April 17, 2014, HUD published a
notice in the Federal Register 79 FR
21785 to solicit comments from first
round applicants, interested parties, and
the general public on the first round of
the Promise Zones initiative and the
proposed selection process for the
second round of the Promise Zone
initiative. The public comment period
E:\FR\FM\23SEN1.SGM
23SEN1
56820
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 184 / Tuesday, September 23, 2014 / Notices
closed on June 16, 2014. HUD received
95 public comments. Comments were
submitted by members of Congress,
mayors, city council members, local
government officials, public housing
agencies, think tanks, nonprofit
organizations and the general public.
HUD and USDA, in consultation with
federal interagency partners of the
Promise Zone initiative, provided
responses to public comments and can
be found at www.hud.gov/promisezones.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Second Round Promise Zones Selection
Process
This notice announces the opening of
the application period for a second
round of Promise Zone designations.
HUD and USDA have reorganized and
revised the Application Guide to make
it more readable and user-friendly for
applicants. Applications are due by 5:00
p.m. EST on November 21, 2014 with
announcements expected in 2015. As a
result of this competition, HUD intends
to designate six urban communities and
USDA intends to designate at least one
rural and at least one tribal community.
A total of 20 Promise Zone designations
will be made by the end of calendar year
2016. Three urban, one rural and one
tribal community were designated in
January of 2014. Competitions for the
remaining round of designations will
commence in calendar year 2015. To
provide a positive user experience and
accommodate an anticipated increase in
submissions, applications will be
submitted via www.Max.gov.
Due to the cross-disciplinary nature of
the initiative, the list of eligible Lead
Applicants has been updated to reflect
that Promise Zone activities are likely to
be carried out by a variety of
organizations and organization types,
including organizations that have
specific roles in the delivery of
programs funded by different Federal
agencies. Most such organizations are
eligible under the categories of
governmental and nonprofit
organizations that were previously
listed as eligible Lead Applicants. HUD
and USDA included examples might
encourage communities to engage
organizations that are the most
appropriate to respond to their needs
and lead revitalization efforts. Eligible
Lead Applicants for Urban Promise
Zone designations are: Units of General
Local Government 3 (UGLG or local
government) including an office or
department within local government
and a county government in partnership
3 Unit of general local government as defined in
section 102(a)(1) of the Housing and Community
Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302(a)(1)). See
definition (a) (1) Unit of General Local Government.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:55 Sep 22, 2014
Jkt 232001
with the local municipality, if
applicable; or nonprofit organizations
applying in partnership with local
government; or Public Housing Agency
or Local Education Agencies (LEAs), or
Metropolitan Planning Organizations or
community colleges applying in
partnership with local government.
Eligible Lead Applicants for Rural and
Tribal Promise Zone designations are:
Local governments (which includes
county, city, town, township, parish,
village, governmental authority or other
general-purpose political subdivision of
a state or combination thereof) and
Federally-recognized tribes; 4 Nonprofit
organizations applying in partnership
with local government or tribal
government; Public housing agency
applying in partnership with local
government, or Tribally Designated
Housing Entities (TDHEs) applying in
partnership with tribal government; or
Local Education Agencies (LEAs)
applying in partnership with local or
tribal government; or community
colleges applying in partnership with
local or tribal government.
Any Lead Applicant whose proposed
Promise Zone boundaries meet the
qualifying criteria set forth in the
Second Round Application Guide is
eligible to apply for a Promise Zone
designation. All of the following must
be present in an application for a
proposed Urban Promise Zone to be
eligible for a designation: (1) The
Promise Zone must encompass one or
more census tract(s) or portions of
census tracts across a contiguous
geography; (2) The rate of overall
poverty or Extremely Low Income rate
(whichever is greater) of residents
within the Promise Zone must be at or
above 33 percent; (3) Promise Zone
boundaries must encompass a
population of at least 10,000 but no
more than 200,000 residents; and (4)
Local leadership, including the mayors
or chief executives of all UGLGs
represented in the Promise Zone, must
demonstrate commitment to the Promise
Zone effort. Proposed Promise Zone
boundaries may cross UGLG lines, but
4 ‘‘Tribal applicants’’ are: Federally-recognized
tribes as well as duly established political
subdivisions of a Federally-recognized tribe. A
‘‘Federally-recognized tribe’’ is any Indian tribe,
band, nation, or other organized group or
community of Indians, including any Alaska Native
village or regional or village corporation as defined
in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act [43 USCS §§ 1601 et seq.],
that is recognized as eligible for the special
programs and services provided by the United
States to Indians because of their status as Indians
pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.) A
Nonprofit organization applying in partnership
with a Federally-recognized tribal government may
apply as a tribal applicant.
PO 00000
Frm 00082
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
one Lead Applicant must be identified,
and for cross-jurisdictional applications,
commitment must be demonstrated by
the leadership of all the UGLGs
involved.
All the following must be present to
be eligible for a Rural or Tribal Promise
Zone designation: (1) Rural and Tribal
Promise Zones must encompass one or
more census tract(s) across a contiguous
geography.5 Rural applicants can define
their boundaries by either census tracts
or by county, where multiple counties
are included. Tribal applicants can
define boundaries which may
encompass: One or more census tracts
and nearby tribally-controlled areas; or
reservations; or consortia of tribal and
non-tribal jurisdictions; (2) Promise
Zone boundaries must encompass a
population of no more than 200,000
residents.6 The population limit of
200,000 may not include any
incorporated municipalities or
unincorporated areas with individual
populations greater than 50,000. Rural
and tribal Promise Zones may fall in
non-metro and metro counties; (3) The
rate of overall poverty or Extremely Low
Income rate (whichever is greater) 7 of
residents within the Promise Zone must
be at or above 20 percent and the
Promise Zone must contain at least one
census tract with a poverty rate at or
above 30 percent; 8 and (4) Local
leadership must demonstrate
commitment to the Promise Zone effort.
Tribal applications must include
commitment of tribal jurisdiction(s)
represented. Proposed Promise Zone
boundaries may cross UGLG or tribal
area lines, but one Lead Applicant must
be identified, and for crossjurisdictional applications, commitment
must be demonstrated by the leadership
of all UGLGs or tribal areas involved.
5 For rural and tribal applications, Promise Zone
boundaries that cross state lines and water borders
can be considered contiguous.
6 The population limit of 200,000 is intended to
allow for regional collaboration among multiple
communities of varying sizes and capacities. The
rural eligibility criteria ensure, by definition, that
rural Promise Zone applications cannot include
communities over 50,000.
7 The estimated concentration of Extremely Low
Income (ELI) households represents an
approximation of the percent of households within
the specified area whose household combined
income is below 30% of the HUD defined Area
Median Income (AMI). This ELI indicator is
calculated with data from the block group level
from Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy
(CHAS) 2010. The final number included in this
report for ‘‘poverty rate’’ is the greater of these two
indicators.
8 Applicants are required to use the Promise
Zones mapping tool to determine the overall
poverty rate. The mapping tool determines the
overall poverty rate in two ways and uses the higher
percentage.
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 184 / Tuesday, September 23, 2014 / Notices
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Under the second round process, only
one Promise Zone application may be
submitted in association with an UGLG
or tribal area per application cycle. If
more than one application is submitted
for a Promise Zone meeting the
qualifying criteria, the one submitted
with local government support will be
accepted. If more than one application
is submitted with local government
support in association with a UGLG or
tribal area, including applications that
cross jurisdictional lines, all of the
applications from that UGLG or tribal
area will be disqualified for the current
application cycle.
If a Promise Zone designated in
Round 1 is located within a UGLG in
which a new application is being made,
the applicant is directed to include an
explanation of how, if a second Promise
Zone designation is made, the UGLG
plans to work with all of the Promise
Zone designees at the same time and
sustain the level of effort, resources, and
support committed to each Promise
Zone under its respective Promise Zone
plan for the full term of each
designation. This explanation should be
evidenced by commitments from the
UGLG in materials submitted by the
mayor or local official in support of the
application.
Application Review
Applications for Promise Zone
designations will be reviewed by
representatives from the Department of
Agriculture, the Department of Housing
and Urban Development, the
Department of Education, the
Department of Justice, the Department
of Health and Human Services, the
Department of Labor, and the
Department of Transportation.
Additional Federal agencies and outside
entities may contribute reviewers,
depending upon the anticipated volume
of applications.
Reviewers will first verify that the
application is submitted by an applicant
eligible for selection, by verifying that
the proposed Promise Zone meets the
qualifying criteria and that the Lead
Applicant meets the eligibility criteria
for the second round selection process.
For urban applications, reviewers will
confirm the subcategory in which each
application should be considered (large
Metropolitan Core Based Statistical Area
(Metro CBSA) or small/medium Metro
CBSA).9
9 Urban application subcategories are defined as:
Large Metro CBSA: The proposed Promise Zone
community is located in a Metropolitan Core Based
Statistical Area (Metro CBSA) with a total
population of 500,000 or more. Small/medium
Metro CBSA: The proposed Promise Zone
community is located within the geographic
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17:55 Sep 22, 2014
Jkt 232001
Rural applications will be ranked
against other rural applications, tribal
applications will be ranked against
other tribal applications, and urban
applications will be ranked against
other urban applications. An
application must score a total of 75
points or more out of 100 points, to be
considered for a designation (scoring 75
points or more means that applications
fall within the ‘‘competitive range’’).
Once scored, applications will be
ranked competitively within each of the
three Promise Zones categories and
within the urban subcategories, as
applicable.
HUD intends to designate at least one
small/medium Metro CBSA. If the
number of eligible applications
determined to belong to the small/
medium Metro CBSA subcategory is
fewer than the greater of (1) five total
applications, or (2) ten percent of the
total number of urban applications
received, then the applications in the
small/medium Metro CBSA subcategory
will be included in the large Metro
CBSA subcategory and ranked against
those applications. In addition to the
application materials, reviewers may
consider public information available
from participating agency records, the
name check review, public sources such
as newspapers, Inspector General or
Government Accountability Office
reports or findings. Any evidence cited
in the Goals and Activities Template
may also be reviewed.
Application Submission
Applications must provide a clear
description of how the Promise Zone
designation would accelerate and
strengthen the community’s efforts at
comprehensive community
revitalization. No substantive or
technical corrections will be accepted or
reviewed after the application deadline.
The Second Round Application Guide
can be found at www.hud.gov/
promisezones. Applications are due via
the Promise Zone application portal at
www.Max.gov by 5:00 p.m. EST on
November 21, 2014. Directions on how
to access and use the application portal
are available at www.hud.gov/
promisezones.
To prepare for the number of
applications, an optional Letter of Intent
is available in the Promise Zone
application portal at www.Max.gov and
is requested by October 17, 2014. If the
Lead Applicant requests to use
boundaries of a Metro CBSA with a population of
499,999 or less. Additional information regarding
Metropolitan Core Based Statistical Areas and
Principal City can be found at https://
www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/
bulletins/2013/b13-01.pdf.
PO 00000
Frm 00083
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
56821
alternative data sources to meet the
eligibility criteria or for the Need
application section, a one-page
explanation noting the alternative data
source must be submitted to
pzapplications@hud.gov with the
subject line ‘‘Alternative data source
request’’ by October 17, 2014 to be
approved by the relevant designating
agency (HUD or USDA).
Dated: September 17, 2014.
Carol Galante,
Assistant Secretary for Housing—Federal
Housing Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 2014–22569 Filed 9–22–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R4–ES–2014–N133;
FXES11130900000C2–145–FF09E32000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; 5-Year Status Reviews of
27 Southeastern Species
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of initiation of reviews;
request for information.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating
5-year status reviews of 27 species
under the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (Act). We conduct
these reviews to ensure that the
classification of species as threatened or
endangered on the Lists of Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife and Plants is
accurate. A 5-year review is an
assessment of the best scientific and
commercial data available at the time of
the review. We are requesting
submission of information that has
become available since the last review
of each of these species.
DATES: To allow us adequate time to
conduct these reviews, we must receive
your comments or information on or
before November 24, 2014. However, we
will continue to accept new information
about any listed species at any time.
ADDRESSES: For instructions on how to
submit information and review
information we receive on these species,
see ‘‘Request for New Information.’’
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
species-specific information, see
‘‘Request for New Information.’’
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Why do we conduct a 5-year review?
Under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.),
we maintain lists of endangered and
threatened wildlife and plant species in
E:\FR\FM\23SEN1.SGM
23SEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 184 (Tuesday, September 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56819-56821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22569]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. 5774-N-02]
Promise Zones Initiative: Second Round Application Process
AGENCY: Office of Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing
Commissioner, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Through this notice, HUD provides notice on the selection
process, criteria, and application submission for the second round of
the Promise Zone initiative.
DATES: Application due date is 5:00 p.m. on November 21, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Interested eligible organizations are invited to submit
applications for a Promise Zone designation. Questions or comments
regarding the application process should be directed by email to
Promisezones@hud.gov. Questions or comments may also be directed by
postal mail to the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Economic Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
451 Seventh Street SW., Room 7244, Washington, DC 20410, ATTN: Second
Round Promise Zone selections.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brooke Bohnet, U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Washington, DC
20410; telephone number 202-402-6693. This is not a toll-free number.
Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number
through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at (800)
877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama announced
the establishment of the Promise Zones initiative to partner with high-
poverty communities across the country to create jobs, increase
economic security, expand educational opportunities, increase access to
quality, affordable housing, and improve public safety.\1\ On January
8, 2014, the President announced the first five Promise Zones, which
are located in: San Antonio, TX; Philadelphia, PA; Los Angeles, CA;
Southeastern Kentucky, KY; and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, OK. Each
of these communities (three urban, one rural, and one tribal) submitted
a plan on how it will partner with local business and community leaders
to make investments that reward hard work and expand opportunity. In
exchange, the Federal government is helping these Promise Zone
designees secure the resources and flexibility they need to achieve
their goals.\2\ The urban designations were conferred by HUD, while the
rural and tribal designations were conferred by USDA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/15/fact-sheet-president-s-plan-ensure-hard-work-leads-decent-living.
\2\ See https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/01/08/fact-sheet-president-obama-s-promise-zones-initiative.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Promise Zones Benefits
The Promise Zone designation partners the Federal government with
local leaders who are addressing multiple community revitalization
challenges in a collaborative way and have demonstrated a commitment to
results. Further, Promise Zones will be assigned Federal staff to help
navigate the array of Federal assistance and programs already available
to them. In addition, eligible applicants in Promise Zones will receive
any available (a) preference for certain competitive Federal programs
and (b) technical assistance. Subject to enactment by Congress,
businesses investing in Promise Zones or hiring residents of Promise
Zones will be eligible to receive tax incentives. Altogether, this
package of assistance will help local leaders accelerate efforts to
revitalize their communities.
The Promise Zone designation will be for a term of 10 years and may
be extended as necessary to capture the full term of availability of
the Promise Zone tax incentives, if the tax incentives are enacted.
During this term, the specific benefits made available to Promise Zones
may vary from year to year, and sometimes more often than annually, due
to changes in Federal agency policies and changes in appropriations and
authorizations for relevant programs. All assistance provided to
Promise Zones is subject to applicable regulations, statutes, and
changes in federal agency policies, appropriations, and authorizations
for relevant programs. Subject to these limitations, the Promise Zone
designation commits the Federal government to partner with local
leaders who are addressing multiple community revitalization challenges
in a collaborative way and have demonstrated a commitment to results.
Response to Public Comment
On April 17, 2014, HUD published a notice in the Federal Register
79 FR 21785 to solicit comments from first round applicants, interested
parties, and the general public on the first round of the Promise Zones
initiative and the proposed selection process for the second round of
the Promise Zone initiative. The public comment period
[[Page 56820]]
closed on June 16, 2014. HUD received 95 public comments. Comments were
submitted by members of Congress, mayors, city council members, local
government officials, public housing agencies, think tanks, nonprofit
organizations and the general public. HUD and USDA, in consultation
with federal interagency partners of the Promise Zone initiative,
provided responses to public comments and can be found at www.hud.gov/promisezones.
Second Round Promise Zones Selection Process
This notice announces the opening of the application period for a
second round of Promise Zone designations. HUD and USDA have
reorganized and revised the Application Guide to make it more readable
and user-friendly for applicants. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. EST
on November 21, 2014 with announcements expected in 2015. As a result
of this competition, HUD intends to designate six urban communities and
USDA intends to designate at least one rural and at least one tribal
community. A total of 20 Promise Zone designations will be made by the
end of calendar year 2016. Three urban, one rural and one tribal
community were designated in January of 2014. Competitions for the
remaining round of designations will commence in calendar year 2015. To
provide a positive user experience and accommodate an anticipated
increase in submissions, applications will be submitted via
www.Max.gov.
Due to the cross-disciplinary nature of the initiative, the list of
eligible Lead Applicants has been updated to reflect that Promise Zone
activities are likely to be carried out by a variety of organizations
and organization types, including organizations that have specific
roles in the delivery of programs funded by different Federal agencies.
Most such organizations are eligible under the categories of
governmental and nonprofit organizations that were previously listed as
eligible Lead Applicants. HUD and USDA included examples might
encourage communities to engage organizations that are the most
appropriate to respond to their needs and lead revitalization efforts.
Eligible Lead Applicants for Urban Promise Zone designations are: Units
of General Local Government \3\ (UGLG or local government) including an
office or department within local government and a county government in
partnership with the local municipality, if applicable; or nonprofit
organizations applying in partnership with local government; or Public
Housing Agency or Local Education Agencies (LEAs), or Metropolitan
Planning Organizations or community colleges applying in partnership
with local government. Eligible Lead Applicants for Rural and Tribal
Promise Zone designations are: Local governments (which includes
county, city, town, township, parish, village, governmental authority
or other general-purpose political subdivision of a state or
combination thereof) and Federally-recognized tribes; \4\ Nonprofit
organizations applying in partnership with local government or tribal
government; Public housing agency applying in partnership with local
government, or Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) applying in
partnership with tribal government; or Local Education Agencies (LEAs)
applying in partnership with local or tribal government; or community
colleges applying in partnership with local or tribal government.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Unit of general local government as defined in section
102(a)(1) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42
U.S.C. 5302(a)(1)). See definition (a) (1) Unit of General Local
Government.
\4\ ``Tribal applicants'' are: Federally-recognized tribes as
well as duly established political subdivisions of a Federally-
recognized tribe. A ``Federally-recognized tribe'' is any Indian
tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community of
Indians, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village
corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act [43 USCS Sec. Sec. 1601 et seq.], that
is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services
provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as
Indians pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.) A Nonprofit organization
applying in partnership with a Federally-recognized tribal
government may apply as a tribal applicant.
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Any Lead Applicant whose proposed Promise Zone boundaries meet the
qualifying criteria set forth in the Second Round Application Guide is
eligible to apply for a Promise Zone designation. All of the following
must be present in an application for a proposed Urban Promise Zone to
be eligible for a designation: (1) The Promise Zone must encompass one
or more census tract(s) or portions of census tracts across a
contiguous geography; (2) The rate of overall poverty or Extremely Low
Income rate (whichever is greater) of residents within the Promise Zone
must be at or above 33 percent; (3) Promise Zone boundaries must
encompass a population of at least 10,000 but no more than 200,000
residents; and (4) Local leadership, including the mayors or chief
executives of all UGLGs represented in the Promise Zone, must
demonstrate commitment to the Promise Zone effort. Proposed Promise
Zone boundaries may cross UGLG lines, but one Lead Applicant must be
identified, and for cross-jurisdictional applications, commitment must
be demonstrated by the leadership of all the UGLGs involved.
All the following must be present to be eligible for a Rural or
Tribal Promise Zone designation: (1) Rural and Tribal Promise Zones
must encompass one or more census tract(s) across a contiguous
geography.\5\ Rural applicants can define their boundaries by either
census tracts or by county, where multiple counties are included.
Tribal applicants can define boundaries which may encompass: One or
more census tracts and nearby tribally-controlled areas; or
reservations; or consortia of tribal and non-tribal jurisdictions; (2)
Promise Zone boundaries must encompass a population of no more than
200,000 residents.\6\ The population limit of 200,000 may not include
any incorporated municipalities or unincorporated areas with individual
populations greater than 50,000. Rural and tribal Promise Zones may
fall in non-metro and metro counties; (3) The rate of overall poverty
or Extremely Low Income rate (whichever is greater) \7\ of residents
within the Promise Zone must be at or above 20 percent and the Promise
Zone must contain at least one census tract with a poverty rate at or
above 30 percent; \8\ and (4) Local leadership must demonstrate
commitment to the Promise Zone effort. Tribal applications must include
commitment of tribal jurisdiction(s) represented. Proposed Promise Zone
boundaries may cross UGLG or tribal area lines, but one Lead Applicant
must be identified, and for cross-jurisdictional applications,
commitment must be demonstrated by the leadership of all UGLGs or
tribal areas involved.
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\5\ For rural and tribal applications, Promise Zone boundaries
that cross state lines and water borders can be considered
contiguous.
\6\ The population limit of 200,000 is intended to allow for
regional collaboration among multiple communities of varying sizes
and capacities. The rural eligibility criteria ensure, by
definition, that rural Promise Zone applications cannot include
communities over 50,000.
\7\ The estimated concentration of Extremely Low Income (ELI)
households represents an approximation of the percent of households
within the specified area whose household combined income is below
30% of the HUD defined Area Median Income (AMI). This ELI indicator
is calculated with data from the block group level from
Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) 2010. The final
number included in this report for ``poverty rate'' is the greater
of these two indicators.
\8\ Applicants are required to use the Promise Zones mapping
tool to determine the overall poverty rate. The mapping tool
determines the overall poverty rate in two ways and uses the higher
percentage.
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Under the second round process, only one Promise Zone application
may be submitted in association with an UGLG or tribal area per
application cycle. If more than one application is submitted for a
Promise Zone meeting the qualifying criteria, the one submitted with
local government support will be accepted. If more than one application
is submitted with local government support in association with a UGLG
or tribal area, including applications that cross jurisdictional lines,
all of the applications from that UGLG or tribal area will be
disqualified for the current application cycle.
If a Promise Zone designated in Round 1 is located within a UGLG in
which a new application is being made, the applicant is directed to
include an explanation of how, if a second Promise Zone designation is
made, the UGLG plans to work with all of the Promise Zone designees at
the same time and sustain the level of effort, resources, and support
committed to each Promise Zone under its respective Promise Zone plan
for the full term of each designation. This explanation should be
evidenced by commitments from the UGLG in materials submitted by the
mayor or local official in support of the application.
Application Review
Applications for Promise Zone designations will be reviewed by
representatives from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of
Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Education, the
Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, the
Department of Labor, and the Department of Transportation. Additional
Federal agencies and outside entities may contribute reviewers,
depending upon the anticipated volume of applications.
Reviewers will first verify that the application is submitted by an
applicant eligible for selection, by verifying that the proposed
Promise Zone meets the qualifying criteria and that the Lead Applicant
meets the eligibility criteria for the second round selection process.
For urban applications, reviewers will confirm the subcategory in which
each application should be considered (large Metropolitan Core Based
Statistical Area (Metro CBSA) or small/medium Metro CBSA).\9\
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\9\ Urban application subcategories are defined as: Large Metro
CBSA: The proposed Promise Zone community is located in a
Metropolitan Core Based Statistical Area (Metro CBSA) with a total
population of 500,000 or more. Small/medium Metro CBSA: The proposed
Promise Zone community is located within the geographic boundaries
of a Metro CBSA with a population of 499,999 or less. Additional
information regarding Metropolitan Core Based Statistical Areas and
Principal City can be found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/bulletins/2013/b13-01.pdf.
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Rural applications will be ranked against other rural applications,
tribal applications will be ranked against other tribal applications,
and urban applications will be ranked against other urban applications.
An application must score a total of 75 points or more out of 100
points, to be considered for a designation (scoring 75 points or more
means that applications fall within the ``competitive range''). Once
scored, applications will be ranked competitively within each of the
three Promise Zones categories and within the urban subcategories, as
applicable.
HUD intends to designate at least one small/medium Metro CBSA. If
the number of eligible applications determined to belong to the small/
medium Metro CBSA subcategory is fewer than the greater of (1) five
total applications, or (2) ten percent of the total number of urban
applications received, then the applications in the small/medium Metro
CBSA subcategory will be included in the large Metro CBSA subcategory
and ranked against those applications. In addition to the application
materials, reviewers may consider public information available from
participating agency records, the name check review, public sources
such as newspapers, Inspector General or Government Accountability
Office reports or findings. Any evidence cited in the Goals and
Activities Template may also be reviewed.
Application Submission
Applications must provide a clear description of how the Promise
Zone designation would accelerate and strengthen the community's
efforts at comprehensive community revitalization. No substantive or
technical corrections will be accepted or reviewed after the
application deadline. The Second Round Application Guide can be found
at www.hud.gov/promisezones. Applications are due via the Promise Zone
application portal at www.Max.gov by 5:00 p.m. EST on November 21,
2014. Directions on how to access and use the application portal are
available at www.hud.gov/promisezones.
To prepare for the number of applications, an optional Letter of
Intent is available in the Promise Zone application portal at
www.Max.gov and is requested by October 17, 2014. If the Lead Applicant
requests to use alternative data sources to meet the eligibility
criteria or for the Need application section, a one-page explanation
noting the alternative data source must be submitted to
pzapplications@hud.gov with the subject line ``Alternative data source
request'' by October 17, 2014 to be approved by the relevant
designating agency (HUD or USDA).
Dated: September 17, 2014.
Carol Galante,
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 2014-22569 Filed 9-22-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P