Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for the Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants for Fiscal Year 2007, 19684-19688 [E7-7455]
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(23) Applicants are encouraged, but
not required, to include a checklist of all
of the application requirements and to
have their application indexed and
tabbed to facilitate the review process.
V. Application Review Information
All applications for sections 514 and
516 funds must be filed with the
appropriate Rural Development State
Office and must meet the requirements
of this NOFA.
Selection Criteria
Section 514 loan funds and section
516 grant funds will be distributed to
States based on a national competition,
as follows:
(1) States will accept, review, and
score requests in accordance with the
NOFA. The scoring factors are:
(a) The presence and extent of
leveraged assistance, including donated
land, for the units that will serve
program-eligible tenants, calculated as a
percentage of the RHS total
development cost (TDC). RHS TDC
excludes non-RHS eligible costs such as
a developer’s fee. Leveraged assistance
includes, but is not limited to, funds for
hard construction costs, section 8 or
other non-RHS tenant subsidies, and
state or federal funds. A minimum of
ten percent leveraged assistance is
required to earn points; however, if the
total percentage of leveraged assistance
is less than ten percent and the proposal
includes donated land, two points will
be awarded for the donated land. To
count as leveraged funds for purposes of
the selection criteria, a commitment of
funds must be provided with the
preapplication. Points will be awarded
in accordance with the following table
percentages will be rounded to the next
higher or lower number. (0 to 20 points)
Percentage
Points
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75 or more ........................................
60–74 ................................................
50–59 ................................................
40–49 ................................................
30–39 ................................................
20–29 ................................................
10–19 ................................................
0–9 ....................................................
20
18
16
12
10
8
5
0
Donated land in proposals with less
than ten percent total leveraged
assistance: 2 points
(b) Percent of units for seasonal,
temporary, migrant housing. (5 points
for up to and including 50 percent of the
units; 10 points for 51 percent or more.)
(c) The selection criteria includes one
optional criteria set by the National
Office. The National Office initiative
will be used in the selection criteria as
follows: Up to 10 points will be
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awarded based on the presence of and
extent to which a tenant services plan
exists that clearly outlines services that
will be provided to the residents of the
proposed project. These services may
include, but are not limited to,
transportation related services, on-site
English as a Second Language (ESL)
classes, move-in funds, emergency
assistance funds, homeownership
counseling, food pantries, after school
tutoring, and computer learning centers.
Two points will be awarded for each
resident service included in the tenant
services plan up to a maximum of 10
points. Plans must detail how the
services are to be administered, who
will administer them, and where they
will be administered. All tenant service
plans must include letters of intent that
clearly state the service that will be
provided at the project for the benefit of
the residents from any party
administering each service, including
the applicant. (0 to 10 points)
(d) In an effort to implement USDA’s
nationwide initiative to promote
renewable energy and energy
conservation, Rural Development (RD)
has adopted incentives for energy
generation and energy conservation.
Participation in these nationwide
initiatives is voluntary, but is strongly
encouraged.
Energy Generation. Applicants will be
awarded points if the proposal includes
the installation of energy generation
systems to be funded by a third party.
The proposal must include an overview
of the energy generation system being
proposed. Evidence that an energy
generation system has been funded by a
third party and that it has a quantifiable
positive impact on energy consumption
will be required. (5 points)
Energy Conservation. Applicants will
be awarded points to construct (or
substantially rehabilitate) housing that
earns the ENERGY STAR label for new
residential construction. Units earning
the ENERGY STAR label must be
independently verified to meet
guidelines for energy efficiency as set by
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. All procedures used in
verifying a unit for the ENERGY STAR
label must comply with National Home
Energy Ratings System (HERS)
guidelines. ENERGY STAR guidelines
for residential construction apply to
homes that are three stories or less and
single or low-rise multi-family
residential buildings.
The Applicant will include in the
narrative an explanation of how they
plan to incorporate ENERGY STAR.
Construction plans pertaining to energy
efficiency must be developed with,
reviewed, and accepted by a HERS
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certified rater, the contractor, and the
owner. Progress inspections must be
made at appropriate times by a HERS
certified rater to ensure that the housing
is being constructed or rehabilitated
according to ENERGY STAR
specifications. In order to receive final
payment, applicants will be required to
submit the appropriate rating reports
from the HERS rater to RD as evidence
that the housing has been constructed to
meet the standards of ENERGY STAR.
In the event that housing does not meet
ENERGY STAR guidelines for new
residential construction, the Agency
shall, at its discretion, deduct 5 points
from future funding proposals. For
further information about ENERGY
STAR, see https://www.energystar.gov or
call the following toll-free numbers:
(888) 782–7939 or (888) 588–9920
(TTY). (5 points)
(2) Rural Development States Offices
will conduct the preliminary eligibility
review, score the applications, and
forward them to the National Office.
(3) The National Office will rank all
requests nationwide and distribute
funds to States in rank order, within
funding and RA limits. A lottery in
accordance with 7 CFR 3560.56(c)(2)
will be used for applications with tied
point scores when they all cannot be
funded. If insufficient funds or RA
remain for the next ranked proposal,
that applicant will be given a chance to
modify their application to bring it
within remaining funding levels. This
will be repeated for each next ranked
eligible proposal until an award can be
made or the list is exhausted.
Dated: April 12, 2007.
Russell T. Davis,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. E7–7444 Filed 4–18–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for
the Section 533 Housing Preservation
Grants for Fiscal Year 2007
Announcement Type: Initial Notice
inviting applications from qualified
applicants for Fiscal Year 2007.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Numbers (CFDA): 10.433.
SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service
(RHS) announces that it is soliciting
applications under its Housing
Preservation Grant (HPG) program. The
HPG program is a grant program which
provides qualified public agencies,
private nonprofit organizations, and
other eligible entities grant funds to
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assist very low- and low-income
homeowners in repairing and
rehabilitating their homes in rural areas.
In addition, the HPG program assists
rental property owners and cooperative
housing complexes in repairing and
rehabilitating their units if they agree to
make such units available to low- and
very low-income persons. This action is
taken to comply with Agency
regulations found in 7 CFR part 1944,
subpart N, which require the Agency to
announce the opening and closing dates
for receipt of preapplications for HPG
funds from eligible applicants. The
intended effect of this Notice is to
provide eligible organizations notice of
these dates.
DATES: The closing deadline for receipt
of all applications in response to this
Notice is 5 p.m., local time for each
Rural Development State Office on June
18, 2007. The application closing
deadline is firm as to date and hour.
RHS will not consider any application
that is received after the closing
deadline. Applicants intending to mail
applications must provide sufficient
time to permit delivery on or before the
closing deadline date and time.
Acceptance by the United States Postal
Service or private mailer does not
constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX) and
postage due applications will not be
accepted.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Paperwork Reduction Act
The reporting requirements contained
in this Notice have been approved by
the Office of Management and Budget
under Control Number 0575–0115.
Program Administration
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I. Funding Opportunities Description
The funding instrument for the HPG
Program will be a grant agreement. The
term of the grant can vary from 1 to 2
years, depending on available funds and
demand. No maximum or minimum
grant levels have been established at the
National level. You should contact the
Rural Development State Office to
determine the allocation.
II. Award Information
For Fiscal Year 2007, $10,125,728 is
available for the HPG Program. The total
includes $225,728 in carryover funds.
An earmark of $594,000 has been
established for grants located in
Empowerment Zones, Enterprise
Communities, and Rural Economic Area
Partnership (REAP) Zones and other
funds will be distributed under a
formula allocation to States pursuant to
7 CFR part 1940, subpart L,
‘‘Methodology and Formulas for
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Allocation of Loan and Grant Program
Funds.’’ Decisions on funding will be
based on pre-applications.
III. Eligibility Information
7 CFR part 1944, subpart N provides
details on what information must be
contained in the preapplication
package. Entities wishing to apply for
assistance should contact their
respective Rural Development State
Office to receive further information, the
State allocation of funds, and copies of
the preapplication package. Eligible
entities for these competitively awarded
grants include state and local
governments, nonprofit corporations,
Federally recognized Indian tribes, and
consortia of eligible entities.
Federally recognized Indian tribes are
exempt from the requirement to consult
with local leaders. Pursuant to 7 CFR
1944.674, the tribal applicant must
announce the availability of its
statement of activities for review in a
newspaper, as well as obtain written
concurrence of the tribal governing body
when program participation is operated
only on tribal land.
As part of the application, all
applicants must also provide a Dun and
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number. As required by
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), all grant applicants must
provide a DUNS number when applying
for Federal grants, on or after October 1,
2003. Organizations can receive a DUNS
number at no cost by calling the
dedicated toll-free DUNS number
request line at 1–866–705–5711.
Additional information concerning this
requirement is provided in a policy
directive issued by OMB and published
in the Federal Register on June 27, 2003
(68 FR 38402–38405).
To comply with the President’s
Management Agenda, the Department of
Agriculture is participating as a partner
in the new government-wide site in FY
2007 grants.gov. The Web site can be
found at www.grants.gov. Housing
Preservation Grants [Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance #10.433] is one of
the programs included at this Web site.
Please note that you must locate the
downloadable application package for
this program by the CFDA Number or
FedGrants Funding Opportunity
Number, which can be found at https://
www.fedgrants.gov. If you are an
applicant under the Housing
Preservation Grant Program, you may
submit your application to the Agency
in either electronic or paper format. The
deadline for electronic and paper format
is based on the local time for each
USDA Rural Development State Office.
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19685
Users of grants.gov will be able to
download a copy of the application
package, complete it off line, and then
upload and submit the application via
the grants.gov site. You may not e-mail
an electronic copy of a grant application
to RHS; however, the Agency
encourages your participation in
grants.gov. The following are useful tips
and instructions on how to use the Web
site:
• When you enter the grants.gov site,
you will find information about
submitting an application electronically
through the site as well as the hours of
operation. RHS strongly recommends
that you do not wait until the
application deadline date to begin the
application process through grants.gov.
To use grants.gov, applicants must have
a DUNS number.
• You may submit all documents
electronically through the Web site,
including all information typically
included on the Application for Rural
Housing Preservation Grants, and all
necessary assurances and certifications.
• Your application must comply with
any page limit requirements described
in this NOFA.
• After you electronically submit
your application through the Web site,
you will receive an automatic
acknowledgement from grants.gov that
contains a grants.gov tracking number.
• RHS may request that you provide
original signatures on forms at a later
date.
• You must meet the closing date and
local time deadline. If you experience
technical difficulties on the closing date
and are unable to meet the 5 p.m.
(Washington, DC time) deadline, print
out your application and submit it to
your State Office.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
Applicants wishing to apply for
assistance must make its statement of
activities available to the public for
comment. The applicant(s) must
announce the availability of its
statement of activities for review in a
newspaper of general circulation in the
project area and allow at least 15 days
for public comment. The start of this 15day period must occur no later than 16
days prior to the last day for acceptance
of pre-applications by RHS.
Applicants must also contact the
Rural Development State Office serving
the place in which they desire to submit
an application to receive further
information and copies of the
application package. Rural Development
will date and time stamp incoming
applications to evidence timely receipt,
and, upon request, will provide the
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applicant with a written
acknowledgment of receipt. A listing of
Rural Development State Offices, their
addresses, telephone numbers, and
person to contact follows:
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Note: Telephone numbers listed are not
toll-free.
Alabama State Office
Suite 601, Sterling Centre, 4121
Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL
36106–3683, (334) 279–3400, TDD (334)
279–3495, James B. Harris.
Alaska State Office
800 West Evergreen, Suite 201, Palmer, AK
99645, (907) 761–7740, TDD (907) 761–
8905, Debbie Andrys.
Arizona State Office
Phoenix Courthouse and Federal Building,
230 North First Ave., Suite 206, Phoenix,
AZ 85003–1706, (602) 280–8766, TDD
(602) 280–8706, Kathy Wilhelm.
Arkansas State Office
700 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 3416, Little Rock,
AR 72201–3225, (501) 301–3258,TDD
(501) 301–3063, Clinton King.
California State Office
430 G Street, #4169, Davis, CA 95616–
4169, (530) 934–4614 ext. 123, TDD (530)
792–5848, Linda Eveland.
Colorado State Office
655 Parfet Street, Room E100, Lakewood,
CO 80215, (720) 544–2923, TDD (800)
659–2656, Mary Summerfield.
Connecticut
Served by Massachusetts State Office
Delaware and Maryland State Office
1221 College Park Drive, Suite 200, Dover,
DE 19904, (302) 857–3615, TDD (302)
857–3585, Pat Baker.
Florida & Virgin Islands State Office,
4440 NW. 25th Place, Gainesville, FL
32606–6563, (352) 338–3465, TDD (352)
338–3499, Elizabeth M. Whitaker.
Georgia State Office
Stephens Federal Building, 355 E. Hancock
Avenue, Athens, GA 30601–2768, (706)
546–2164, TDD (706) 546–2034, Wayne
Rogers.
Hawaii State Office
(Services all Hawaii, American Samoa,
Guam, and Western Pacific), Room 311,
Federal Building, 154 Waianuenue
Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933–8300,
TDD (808) 933–8321, Gayle Kuheana.
Idaho State Office
Suite A1, 9173 West Barnes Dr., Boise, ID
83709, (208) 378–5628, TDD (208) 378–
5644, Miriam Haylett.
Illinois State Office
2118 West Park Court, Suite A, Champaign,
IL 61821–2986, (217) 403–6222, TDD
(217) 403–6240, Barry L. Ramsey.
Indiana State Office
5975 Lakeside Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN
46278, (317) 290–3100 (ext. 423), TDD
(317) 290–3343,Stephen Dye.
Iowa State Office
210 Walnut Street Room 873, Des Moines,
IA 50309, (515) 284–4493, TDD (515)
284–4858, Sue Wilhite.
Kansas State Office
1303 SW First American Place, Suite 100,
Topeka, KS 66604–4040, (785) 271–2721,
TDD (785) 271–2767, Virginia M.
Hammersmith.
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Kentucky State Office
771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington,
KY 40503, (859) 224–7325, TDD (859)
224–7422, Beth Moore.
Louisiana State Office
3727 Government Street, Alexandria, LA
71302, (318) 473–7962, TDD (318) 473–
7655, Yvonne R. Emerson.
Maine State Office
967 Illinois Ave., Suite 4, P.O. Box 405,
Bangor, ME 04402–0405, (207) 990–
9110, TDD (207) 942–7331, Bob Nadeau.
Maryland
Served by Delaware State Office.
Massachusetts, Connecticut, & Rhode Island
State Office
451 West Street Suite 2, Amherst, MA
01002, (413) 253–4315, TDD (413) 253–
4590, Paul Geoffroy.
Michigan State Office
3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East
Lansing, MI 48823, (517) 324–5192, TDD
(517) 337–6795, Ghulam R. Simbal.
Minnesota State Office
375 Jackson Street Building, Suite 410,St.
Paul, MN 55125, (651) 602–7804, TDD
(651) 602–7830, Thomas Osborne.
Mississippi State Office
Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 W. Capitol
Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965–
4325, TDD (601) 965–5850, Darnella
Smith-Murray.
Missouri State Office
601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade
Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203,
(573) 876–9303, TDD (573) 876–9480,
Becky Eftink.
Montana State Office
900 Technology Blvd, Suite B, Bozeman,
MT 59718, (406) 585–2515, TDD (406)
585–2562, Deborah Chorlton.
Nebraska State Office
Federal Building, room 152, 100
Centennial Mall N, Lincoln, NE 68508,
(402) 437–5035, TDD (402) 437–5093,
Sharon Kluck.
Nevada State Office
1390 South Curry Street, Carson City, NV
89703–5146, (775) 887–1222 (ext. 25),
TDD (775) 885–0633, Angilla Denton.
New Hampshire State Office
Concord Center, Suite 218, Box 317, 10
Ferry Street, Concord, NH 03301–5004,
(603) 223–6046, TDD (603) 229–0536,
Jim Fowler.
New Jersey State Office
5th Floor North, Suite 500, 8000 Midlantic
Drive, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 787–
7740, TDD (856) 787–7784, George Hyatt,
Jr.
New Mexico State Office
6200 Jefferson St., NE, Room 255,
Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761–
4944, TDD (505) 761–4938, Carmen N.
Lopez.
New York State Office
The Galleries of Syracuse, 441 S. Salina
Street, Suite 357 5th Floor, Syracuse, NY
13202, (315) 477–6404, TDD (315) 477–
6447, Tia Baker.
North Carolina State Office
4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, Raleigh, NC
27609, (919) 873–2066, TDD (919) 873–
2003, William A. Hobbs.
North Dakota State Office
Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East
Rosser, PO Box 1737, Bismarck, ND
PO 00000
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58502, (701) 530–2046, TDD (701) 530–
2113, Barry Borstad.
Ohio State Office
Federal Building, Room 507, 200 North
High Street, Columbus, OH 43215–2477,
(614) 255–2418, TDD (614) 255–2554,
Melodie Taylor-Ward.
Oklahoma State Office
100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK
74074–2654, (405) 742–1070, TDD (405)
742–1007, Ivan Graves.
Oregon State Office
1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 801, Portland,
OR 97232, (503) 414–3351, TDD
(503)414–3387, Diana Chappell.
Pennsylvania State Office
One Credit Union Place, Suite 330,
Harrisburg, PA 17110–2996, (717) 237–
2282, TDD (717) 237–2261, Martha E.
Hanson.
Puerto Rico State Office
IBM Building, Suite 601, Munoz Rivera
Ave. #654, San Juan, PR 00918, (787)
766–5095 (ext. 249), TDD (787) 766–
5332, Lourdes Colon.
Rhode Island
Served by Massachusetts State Office
South Carolina State Office
Strom Thurmond Federal Building, 1835
Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia,
SC 29201, (803) 253–3432, TDD (803)
765–5697, Larry D. Floyd.
South Dakota State Office
Federal Building, Room 210, 200 Fourth
Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350, (605) 352–
1132, TDD (605) 352–1147, Roger
Hazuka or Pam Reilly.
Tennessee State Office
Suite 300, 3322 West End Avenue,
Nashville, TN 37203–1084, (615) 783–
1375, TDD (615) 783–1397, Larry
Kennedy.
Texas State Office
Federal Building, Suite 102, 101 South
Main, Temple, TX 76501, (254) 742–
9758, TDD (254) 742–9712, Julie Hayes.
Utah State Office
Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125
S. State Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake
City, UT 84138, (801) 524–4325, TDD
(801) 524–3309, Janice Kocher.
Vermont State Office
City Center, 3rd Floor 89 Main Street,
Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828–6021,
TDD (802) 223–6365, Heidi Setien.
Virgin Islands
Served by Florida State Office
Virginia State Office
Culpeper Building, Suite 238, 1606 Santa
Rosa Road, Richmond, VA 23229, (804)
287–1596, TDD (804) 287–1753, CJ
Michels.
Washington State Office
1835 Black Lake Blvd., Suite B, Olympia,
WA 98512, (360) 704–7730, TDD (360)
704–7742, Robert L. Lund.
Western Pacific Territories
Served by Hawaii State Office
West Virginia
Parkersburg West Virginia County Office,
91 Boyles Lane, Parkersburg, WV 26104,
(304) 422–9070, TDD (304) 284–4836,
Penny Thaxton.
Wisconsin State Office
4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens Point, WI
54481, (715) 345–7608 (ext.151), TDD
(715) 345–7614, Peter Kohnen.
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Wyoming State Office
PO Box 82601, Casper, WY 82602–5006,
(307) 233–6715, TDD (307) 233–6733,
Jack Hyde.
For
general information, applicants may
contact Bonnie Edwards-Jackson, Senior
Loan Specialist, Multi-Family Housing
Processing Division, Rural Housing
Service, United States Department of
Agriculture, Stop 0781, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC, 20250–0781, telephone
(202) 690–0759 (voice) (this is not a toll
free number) or (800) 877–8339 (TDDFederal Information Relay Service) or
via e-mail at,
Bonnie.Edwards@wdc.usda.gov.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
V. Application Review Information
All applications for Section 533 funds
must be filed with the appropriate Rural
Development State Office and must
meet the requirements of this Notice
and 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N. Preapplications determined not eligible
and/or not meeting the selection criteria
will be notified by the Rural
Development State Office.
All applicants will file an original and
two copies of Standard Form (SF) 424,
‘‘Application For Federal Assistance,’’
and supporting information with the
appropriate Rural Development State
Office. A pre-application package,
including SF–424, is available in any
Rural Development State Office. All
preapplications shall be accompanied
by the following information which
Rural Development will use to
determine the applicant’s eligibility to
undertake the HPG program and to
evaluate the preapplication under the
project selection criteria of § 1944.679 of
7 CFR part 1944, subpart N.
(a) A statement of activities proposed
by the applicant for its HPG program as
appropriate to the type of assistance the
applicant is proposing, including:
(1) A complete discussion of the type
of and conditions for financial
assistance for housing preservation,
including whether the request for
assistance is for a homeowner assistance
program, a rental property assistance
program, or a cooperative assistance
program;
(2) The process for selecting
recipients for HPG assistance,
determining housing preservation needs
of the dwelling, performing the
necessary work, and monitoring/
inspecting work performed;
(3) A description of the process for
identifying potential environmental
impacts in accordance with 7 CFR
1944.672 and the provisions for
compliance with Stipulation I, A–G of
the Programmatic Memorandum of
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Agreement, also known as PMOA, (RD
Instruction 2000–FF, available in any
Rural Development State Office) in
accordance with 7 CFR 1944.673(b);
(4) The development standard(s) the
applicant will use for the housing
preservation work; and, if not the Rural
Development standards for existing
dwellings, the evidence of its
acceptance by the jurisdiction where the
grant will be implemented;
(5) The time schedule for completing
the program;
(6) The staffing required to complete
the program;
(7) The estimated number of very lowand low-income minority and nonminority persons the grantee will assist
with HPG funds; and, if a rental
property or cooperative assistance
program, the number of units and the
term of restrictive covenants on their
use for very low- and low-income;
(8) The geographical area(s) to be
served by the HPG program;
(9) The annual estimated budget for
the program period based on the
financial needs to accomplish the
objectives outlined in the proposal. The
budget should include proposed direct
and indirect administrative costs, such
as personnel, fringe benefits, travel,
equipment, supplies, contracts, and
other cost categories, detailing those
costs for which the grantee proposes to
use the HPG grant separately from nonHPG resources, if any. The applicant
budget should also include a schedule
(with amounts) of how the applicant
proposes to draw HPG grant funds, i.e.,
monthly, quarterly, lump sum for
program activities, etc.;
(10) A copy of a indirect cost proposal
as required in 7 CFR parts 3015, 3016,
and 3019, when the applicant has
another source of federal funding in
addition to the Rural Development HPG
program;
(11) A brief description of the
accounting system to be used;
(12) The method of evaluation to be
used by the applicant to determine the
effectiveness of its program. The
evolution method should include the
requirements for quarterly reports to
Rural Development in accordance with
7 CFR § 1944.683(b) and the monitoring
plan for rental properties and
cooperatives (when applicable)
according to 7 CFR § 1944.689;
(13) The source and estimated amount
of other financial resources to be
obtained and used by the applicant for
both HPG activities and housing
development and/or supporting
activities;
(14) The use of program income, if
any, and the tracking system used for
monitoring same;
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Sfmt 4703
19687
(15) The applicant’s plan for
disposition of any security instruments
held by them as a result of its HPG
activities in the event of its loss of legal
status;
(16) Any other information necessary
to explain the proposed HPG program;
and
(17) The outreach efforts outlined in
7 CFR 1944.671(b).
(b) Complete information about the
applicant’s experience and capacity to
carry out the objectives of the proposed
HPG program.
(c) Evidence of the applicant’s legal
existence, including, in the case of a
private nonprofit organization, a copy of
or an accurate reference to, the specific
provisions of State law under which the
applicant is organized; a certified copy
of the applicant’s Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws or other
evidence of corporate existence;
certificate of incorporation for entities
other than public bodies; evidence of
good standing from the State when the
corporation has been in existence 1 year
or more; and the names and addresses
of the applicant’s members, directors
and officers. If other organizations are
members of the applicant-organization,
or the applicant is a consortium, preapplications should be accompanied by
the names, addresses, and principal
purpose of the other organizations. If the
applicant is a consortium,
documentation showing compliance
with paragraph (4)(ii) under the
definition of ‘‘organization’’ in 7 CFR
1944.656 must also be included.
(d) For a private nonprofit entity, the
most recent audited statement and a
current financial statement dated and
signed by an authorized officer of the
entity showing the amounts and specific
nature of assets and liabilities together
with information on the repayment
schedule and status of any debt(s) owed
by the applicant.
(e) A brief statement which includes
information about the area to be served
and the need for improved housing
(including both percentage and the
actual number of both low-income and
low-income minority households and
substandard housing for the area to be
covered by HPG funds), the need for the
type of housing preservation assistance
being proposed, the anticipated use of
HPG resources for historic properties,
the method of evaluation to be used by
the applicant in determining the
effectiveness of its efforts.
(f) Applicant must submit an original
and one copy of Form RD 1940–20
prepared in accordance with Exhibit F–
1 of RD Instruction 1944–N (available in
any Rural Development State Office).
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cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
(g) Applicant must also submit a
description of its process for:
(1) Identifying and rehabilitating
properties listed on or eligible for listing
on the National Register of Historic
Places;
(2) Identifying properties that are
located in a floodplain or wetland;
(3) Identifying properties located
within the Coastal Barrier Resources
System; and
(4) Coordinating with other public
and private organizations and programs
that provide assistance in the
rehabilitation of historic properties
(Stipulation I, D, of the PMOA, RD
Instruction 2000–FF, available in any
Rural Development State Office).
(h) The applicant must also submit
evidence of the State Historic
Preservation Office’s (SHPO)
concurrence in the proposal, or in the
event of nonconcurrence, a copy of
SHPO’s comments together with
evidence that the applicant has received
information from the Advisory Council
on Historic Preservation’s advice as to
how the disagreement might be
resolved, and a copy of any advice
provided by the Council.
(i) The applicant must submit written
statements and related correspondence
reflecting compliance with § 1944.674
(a) and (c) of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart
N regarding consultation with local
government leaders in the preparation
of its program and the consultation with
local and state government pursuant to
the provisions of Executive Order
12372.
(j) The applicant is to make its
statement of activities available to the
public for comment prior to submission
to Rural Development pursuant to
§ 1944.674 (b) of 7 CFR part 1944,
subpart N. The application must contain
a description of how the comments (if
any were received) were addressed.
(k) The applicant must submit an
original and one copy of Form RD 400–
1, ‘‘Equal Opportunity Agreement,’’ and
Form 400–4, ‘‘Assurance Agreement,’’
in accordance with § 1944.676 of 7 CFR
part 1944, subpart N.
Applicants should review 7 CFR part
1944, subpart N for a comprehensive list
of all application requirements.
IV. Selection Criteria
The Rural Development State Offices
will utilize the project selection criteria
for applicants in accordance with
§ 1944.679.
In addition to the criteria established
in 7 CFR part 1944.679 and in an effort
to implement USDA’s nationwide
initiative to promote renewable energy
and energy conservation, Rural
Development (RD) has adopted
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:39 Apr 18, 2007
Jkt 211001
incentives for energy generation and
energy conservation. Participation in
these nationwide initiatives is
voluntary, but is strongly encouraged.
Energy Generation. Applicants will be
awarded points if the proposal includes
the installation of energy generation
systems to be funded by a third party.
The proposal must include an overview
of the energy generation system being
proposed. Evidence that an energy
generation system has been funded by a
third party and that it has a quantifiable
positive impact on energy consumption
will be required. (5 points)
Energy Conservation. Applicants will
be awarded points to construct (or
substantially rehabilitate) housing that
earns the ENERGY STAR label for new
residential construction. Units earning
the ENERGY STAR label must be
independently verified to meet
guidelines for energy efficiency as set by
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. All procedures used in
verifying a unit for the ENERGY STAR
label must comply with National Home
Energy Ratings System (HERS)
guidelines. ENERGY STAR guidelines
for residential construction apply to
homes that are three stories or less and
single or low-rise multi-family
residential buildings.
The Applicant will include in the
narrative an explanation of how they
plan to incorporate ENERGY STAR.
Construction plans pertaining to energy
efficiency must be developed with,
reviewed, and accepted by a HERS
certified rater, the contractor, and the
owner. Progress inspections must be
made at appropriate times by a HERS
certified rater to ensure that the housing
is being constructed or rehabilitated
according to ENERGY STAR
specifications. In order to receive final
payment, applicants will be required to
submit the appropriate rating reports
from the HERS rater to RD as evidence
that the housing has been constructed to
meet the standards of ENERGY STAR.
In the event that housing does not meet
ENERGY STAR guidelines for new
residential construction, the Agency
shall, at its discretion, deduct 5 points
from future funding proposals. For
further information about ENERGY
STAR, see https://www.energystar.gov or
call the following toll-free numbers:
(888) 782–7939 or (888) 588–9920
(TTY). (5 points)
In the event more than one
preapplication receives the same
amount of points, those preapplications
will then be ranked based on the actual
percentage figure used for determining
the points. Further, in the event that
preapplications are still tied, then those
pre-applications still tied will be ranked
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
based on the percentage for HPG fund
use (low to high). Further, for
applications where assistance to rental
properties or cooperatives is proposed,
those still tied will be further ranked
based on the number of years the units
are available for occupancy under the
program (a minimum of 5 years is
required).
For this part, ranking will be based
from most to least number of years.
Finally, if there is still a tie, then a
lottery system will be used.
Dated: April 12, 2007.
Russell T. Davis,
Administrator Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. E7–7455 Filed 4–18–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
(A–580–816)
Corrosion–Resistant Carbon Steel Flat
Products from Korea: Extension of
Time Limits for the Preliminary Results
of Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review
Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Victoria Cho at (202) 482–5075, AD/
CVD Operations, Office 3, Import
Administration, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution
Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20230.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
AGENCY:
Background
On September 29, 2006, the U.S.
Department of Commerce
(‘‘Department’’) published a notice of
initiation of the administrative review of
the antidumping duty order on
corrosion–resistant carbon steel flat
products from Korea, covering the
period August 1, 2005 to July 31, 2006.
See Initiation of Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Administrative
Reviews, 71 FR 57465 (September 29,
2006). The preliminary results of this
review are currently due no later than
May 3, 2007.
Extension of Time Limit of Preliminary
Results
Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act
of 1930, as amended (‘‘the Act’’),
requires the Department to make a
preliminary determination within 245
days after the last day of the anniversary
month of an order or finding for which
a review is requested. Section
E:\FR\FM\19APN1.SGM
19APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 75 (Thursday, April 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19684-19688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7455]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for the Section 533 Housing
Preservation Grants for Fiscal Year 2007
Announcement Type: Initial Notice inviting applications from
qualified applicants for Fiscal Year 2007.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers (CFDA): 10.433.
SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service (RHS) announces that it is
soliciting applications under its Housing Preservation Grant (HPG)
program. The HPG program is a grant program which provides qualified
public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, and other eligible
entities grant funds to
[[Page 19685]]
assist very low- and low-income homeowners in repairing and
rehabilitating their homes in rural areas. In addition, the HPG program
assists rental property owners and cooperative housing complexes in
repairing and rehabilitating their units if they agree to make such
units available to low- and very low-income persons. This action is
taken to comply with Agency regulations found in 7 CFR part 1944,
subpart N, which require the Agency to announce the opening and closing
dates for receipt of preapplications for HPG funds from eligible
applicants. The intended effect of this Notice is to provide eligible
organizations notice of these dates.
DATES: The closing deadline for receipt of all applications in response
to this Notice is 5 p.m., local time for each Rural Development State
Office on June 18, 2007. The application closing deadline is firm as to
date and hour. RHS will not consider any application that is received
after the closing deadline. Applicants intending to mail applications
must provide sufficient time to permit delivery on or before the
closing deadline date and time. Acceptance by the United States Postal
Service or private mailer does not constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX)
and postage due applications will not be accepted.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Paperwork Reduction Act
The reporting requirements contained in this Notice have been
approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Control Number
0575-0115.
Program Administration
I. Funding Opportunities Description
The funding instrument for the HPG Program will be a grant
agreement. The term of the grant can vary from 1 to 2 years, depending
on available funds and demand. No maximum or minimum grant levels have
been established at the National level. You should contact the Rural
Development State Office to determine the allocation.
II. Award Information
For Fiscal Year 2007, $10,125,728 is available for the HPG Program.
The total includes $225,728 in carryover funds. An earmark of $594,000
has been established for grants located in Empowerment Zones,
Enterprise Communities, and Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP)
Zones and other funds will be distributed under a formula allocation to
States pursuant to 7 CFR part 1940, subpart L, ``Methodology and
Formulas for Allocation of Loan and Grant Program Funds.'' Decisions on
funding will be based on pre-applications.
III. Eligibility Information
7 CFR part 1944, subpart N provides details on what information
must be contained in the preapplication package. Entities wishing to
apply for assistance should contact their respective Rural Development
State Office to receive further information, the State allocation of
funds, and copies of the preapplication package. Eligible entities for
these competitively awarded grants include state and local governments,
nonprofit corporations, Federally recognized Indian tribes, and
consortia of eligible entities.
Federally recognized Indian tribes are exempt from the requirement
to consult with local leaders. Pursuant to 7 CFR 1944.674, the tribal
applicant must announce the availability of its statement of activities
for review in a newspaper, as well as obtain written concurrence of the
tribal governing body when program participation is operated only on
tribal land.
As part of the application, all applicants must also provide a Dun
and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. As
required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), all grant
applicants must provide a DUNS number when applying for Federal grants,
on or after October 1, 2003. Organizations can receive a DUNS number at
no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at
1-866-705-5711. Additional information concerning this requirement is
provided in a policy directive issued by OMB and published in the
Federal Register on June 27, 2003 (68 FR 38402-38405).
To comply with the President's Management Agenda, the Department of
Agriculture is participating as a partner in the new government-wide
site in FY 2007 grants.gov. The Web site can be found at
www.grants.gov. Housing Preservation Grants [Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance 10.433] is one of the programs included at
this Web site. Please note that you must locate the downloadable
application package for this program by the CFDA Number or FedGrants
Funding Opportunity Number, which can be found at https://
www.fedgrants.gov. If you are an applicant under the Housing
Preservation Grant Program, you may submit your application to the
Agency in either electronic or paper format. The deadline for
electronic and paper format is based on the local time for each USDA
Rural Development State Office.
Users of grants.gov will be able to download a copy of the
application package, complete it off line, and then upload and submit
the application via the grants.gov site. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to RHS; however, the Agency
encourages your participation in grants.gov. The following are useful
tips and instructions on how to use the Web site:
When you enter the grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site as well as the hours of operation. RHS strongly recommends that
you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the
application process through grants.gov. To use grants.gov, applicants
must have a DUNS number.
You may submit all documents electronically through the
Web site, including all information typically included on the
Application for Rural Housing Preservation Grants, and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
Your application must comply with any page limit
requirements described in this NOFA.
After you electronically submit your application through
the Web site, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from
grants.gov that contains a grants.gov tracking number.
RHS may request that you provide original signatures on
forms at a later date.
You must meet the closing date and local time deadline. If
you experience technical difficulties on the closing date and are
unable to meet the 5 p.m. (Washington, DC time) deadline, print out
your application and submit it to your State Office.
IV. Application and Submission Information
Applicants wishing to apply for assistance must make its statement
of activities available to the public for comment. The applicant(s)
must announce the availability of its statement of activities for
review in a newspaper of general circulation in the project area and
allow at least 15 days for public comment. The start of this 15-day
period must occur no later than 16 days prior to the last day for
acceptance of pre-applications by RHS.
Applicants must also contact the Rural Development State Office
serving the place in which they desire to submit an application to
receive further information and copies of the application package.
Rural Development will date and time stamp incoming applications to
evidence timely receipt, and, upon request, will provide the
[[Page 19686]]
applicant with a written acknowledgment of receipt. A listing of Rural
Development State Offices, their addresses, telephone numbers, and
person to contact follows:
Note: Telephone numbers listed are not toll-free.
Alabama State Office
Suite 601, Sterling Centre, 4121 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL
36106-3683, (334) 279-3400, TDD (334) 279-3495, James B. Harris.
Alaska State Office
800 West Evergreen, Suite 201, Palmer, AK 99645, (907) 761-7740,
TDD (907) 761-8905, Debbie Andrys.
Arizona State Office
Phoenix Courthouse and Federal Building, 230 North First Ave.,
Suite 206, Phoenix, AZ 85003-1706, (602) 280-8766, TDD (602) 280-
8706, Kathy Wilhelm.
Arkansas State Office
700 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 3416, Little Rock, AR 72201-3225, (501)
301-3258,TDD (501) 301-3063, Clinton King.
California State Office
430 G Street, 4169, Davis, CA 95616-4169, (530) 934-
4614 ext. 123, TDD (530) 792-5848, Linda Eveland.
Colorado State Office
655 Parfet Street, Room E100, Lakewood, CO 80215, (720) 544-
2923, TDD (800) 659-2656, Mary Summerfield.
Connecticut
Served by Massachusetts State Office
Delaware and Maryland State Office
1221 College Park Drive, Suite 200, Dover, DE 19904, (302) 857-
3615, TDD (302) 857-3585, Pat Baker.
Florida & Virgin Islands State Office,
4440 NW. 25th Place, Gainesville, FL 32606-6563, (352) 338-3465,
TDD (352) 338-3499, Elizabeth M. Whitaker.
Georgia State Office
Stephens Federal Building, 355 E. Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA
30601-2768, (706) 546-2164, TDD (706) 546-2034, Wayne Rogers.
Hawaii State Office
(Services all Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and Western
Pacific), Room 311, Federal Building, 154 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo,
HI 96720, (808) 933-8300, TDD (808) 933-8321, Gayle Kuheana.
Idaho State Office
Suite A1, 9173 West Barnes Dr., Boise, ID 83709, (208) 378-5628,
TDD (208) 378-5644, Miriam Haylett.
Illinois State Office
2118 West Park Court, Suite A, Champaign, IL 61821-2986, (217)
403-6222, TDD (217) 403-6240, Barry L. Ramsey.
Indiana State Office
5975 Lakeside Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290-3100
(ext. 423), TDD (317) 290-3343,Stephen Dye.
Iowa State Office
210 Walnut Street Room 873, Des Moines, IA 50309, (515) 284-
4493, TDD (515) 284-4858, Sue Wilhite.
Kansas State Office
1303 SW First American Place, Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040,
(785) 271-2721, TDD (785) 271-2767, Virginia M. Hammersmith.
Kentucky State Office
771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40503, (859) 224-
7325, TDD (859) 224-7422, Beth Moore.
Louisiana State Office
3727 Government Street, Alexandria, LA 71302, (318) 473-7962,
TDD (318) 473-7655, Yvonne R. Emerson.
Maine State Office
967 Illinois Ave., Suite 4, P.O. Box 405, Bangor, ME 04402-0405,
(207) 990-9110, TDD (207) 942-7331, Bob Nadeau.
Maryland
Served by Delaware State Office.
Massachusetts, Connecticut, & Rhode Island State Office
451 West Street Suite 2, Amherst, MA 01002, (413) 253-4315, TDD
(413) 253-4590, Paul Geoffroy.
Michigan State Office
3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 48823, (517)
324-5192, TDD (517) 337-6795, Ghulam R. Simbal.
Minnesota State Office
375 Jackson Street Building, Suite 410,St. Paul, MN 55125, (651)
602-7804, TDD (651) 602-7830, Thomas Osborne.
Mississippi State Office
Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 W. Capitol Street, Jackson, MS
39269, (601) 965-4325, TDD (601) 965-5850, Darnella Smith-Murray.
Missouri State Office
601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade Center, Suite 235, Columbia,
MO 65203, (573) 876-9303, TDD (573) 876-9480, Becky Eftink.
Montana State Office
900 Technology Blvd, Suite B, Bozeman, MT 59718, (406) 585-2515,
TDD (406) 585-2562, Deborah Chorlton.
Nebraska State Office
Federal Building, room 152, 100 Centennial Mall N, Lincoln, NE
68508, (402) 437-5035, TDD (402) 437-5093, Sharon Kluck.
Nevada State Office
1390 South Curry Street, Carson City, NV 89703-5146, (775) 887-
1222 (ext. 25), TDD (775) 885-0633, Angilla Denton.
New Hampshire State Office
Concord Center, Suite 218, Box 317, 10 Ferry Street, Concord, NH
03301-5004, (603) 223-6046, TDD (603) 229-0536, Jim Fowler.
New Jersey State Office
5th Floor North, Suite 500, 8000 Midlantic Drive, Mt. Laurel, NJ
08054, (856) 787-7740, TDD (856) 787-7784, George Hyatt, Jr.
New Mexico State Office
6200 Jefferson St., NE, Room 255, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505)
761-4944, TDD (505) 761-4938, Carmen N. Lopez.
New York State Office
The Galleries of Syracuse, 441 S. Salina Street, Suite 357 5th
Floor, Syracuse, NY 13202, (315) 477-6404, TDD (315) 477-6447, Tia
Baker.
North Carolina State Office
4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, Raleigh, NC 27609, (919) 873-2066,
TDD (919) 873-2003, William A. Hobbs.
North Dakota State Office
Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East Rosser, PO Box 1737,
Bismarck, ND 58502, (701) 530-2046, TDD (701) 530-2113, Barry
Borstad.
Ohio State Office
Federal Building, Room 507, 200 North High Street, Columbus, OH
43215-2477, (614) 255-2418, TDD (614) 255-2554, Melodie Taylor-Ward.
Oklahoma State Office
100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK 74074-2654, (405) 742-1070,
TDD (405) 742-1007, Ivan Graves.
Oregon State Office
1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 801, Portland, OR 97232, (503) 414-
3351, TDD (503)414-3387, Diana Chappell.
Pennsylvania State Office
One Credit Union Place, Suite 330, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996,
(717) 237-2282, TDD (717) 237-2261, Martha E. Hanson.
Puerto Rico State Office
IBM Building, Suite 601, Munoz Rivera Ave. 654, San
Juan, PR 00918, (787) 766-5095 (ext. 249), TDD (787) 766-5332,
Lourdes Colon.
Rhode Island
Served by Massachusetts State Office
South Carolina State Office
Strom Thurmond Federal Building, 1835 Assembly Street, Room
1007, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 253-3432, TDD (803) 765-5697, Larry
D. Floyd.
South Dakota State Office
Federal Building, Room 210, 200 Fourth Street, SW., Huron, SD
57350, (605) 352-1132, TDD (605) 352-1147, Roger Hazuka or Pam
Reilly.
Tennessee State Office
Suite 300, 3322 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203-1084, (615)
783-1375, TDD (615) 783-1397, Larry Kennedy.
Texas State Office
Federal Building, Suite 102, 101 South Main, Temple, TX 76501,
(254) 742-9758, TDD (254) 742-9712, Julie Hayes.
Utah State Office
Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 S. State Street, Room
4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84138, (801) 524-4325, TDD (801) 524-3309,
Janice Kocher.
Vermont State Office
City Center, 3rd Floor 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602,
(802) 828-6021, TDD (802) 223-6365, Heidi Setien.
Virgin Islands
Served by Florida State Office
Virginia State Office
Culpeper Building, Suite 238, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA
23229, (804) 287-1596, TDD (804) 287-1753, CJ Michels.
Washington State Office
1835 Black Lake Blvd., Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512, (360) 704-
7730, TDD (360) 704-7742, Robert L. Lund.
Western Pacific Territories
Served by Hawaii State Office
West Virginia
Parkersburg West Virginia County Office, 91 Boyles Lane,
Parkersburg, WV 26104, (304) 422-9070, TDD (304) 284-4836, Penny
Thaxton.
Wisconsin State Office
4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens Point, WI 54481, (715) 345-7608
(ext.151), TDD (715) 345-7614, Peter Kohnen.
[[Page 19687]]
Wyoming State Office
PO Box 82601, Casper, WY 82602-5006, (307) 233-6715, TDD (307)
233-6733, Jack Hyde.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, applicants
may contact Bonnie Edwards-Jackson, Senior Loan Specialist, Multi-
Family Housing Processing Division, Rural Housing Service, United
States Department of Agriculture, Stop 0781, 1400 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC, 20250-0781, telephone (202) 690-0759 (voice) (this
is not a toll free number) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD-Federal Information
Relay Service) or via e-mail at, Bonnie.Edwards@wdc.usda.gov.
V. Application Review Information
All applications for Section 533 funds must be filed with the
appropriate Rural Development State Office and must meet the
requirements of this Notice and 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N. Pre-
applications determined not eligible and/or not meeting the selection
criteria will be notified by the Rural Development State Office.
All applicants will file an original and two copies of Standard
Form (SF) 424, ``Application For Federal Assistance,'' and supporting
information with the appropriate Rural Development State Office. A pre-
application package, including SF-424, is available in any Rural
Development State Office. All preapplications shall be accompanied by
the following information which Rural Development will use to determine
the applicant's eligibility to undertake the HPG program and to
evaluate the preapplication under the project selection criteria of
Sec. 1944.679 of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N.
(a) A statement of activities proposed by the applicant for its HPG
program as appropriate to the type of assistance the applicant is
proposing, including:
(1) A complete discussion of the type of and conditions for
financial assistance for housing preservation, including whether the
request for assistance is for a homeowner assistance program, a rental
property assistance program, or a cooperative assistance program;
(2) The process for selecting recipients for HPG assistance,
determining housing preservation needs of the dwelling, performing the
necessary work, and monitoring/inspecting work performed;
(3) A description of the process for identifying potential
environmental impacts in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.672 and the
provisions for compliance with Stipulation I, A-G of the Programmatic
Memorandum of Agreement, also known as PMOA, (RD Instruction 2000-FF,
available in any Rural Development State Office) in accordance with 7
CFR 1944.673(b);
(4) The development standard(s) the applicant will use for the
housing preservation work; and, if not the Rural Development standards
for existing dwellings, the evidence of its acceptance by the
jurisdiction where the grant will be implemented;
(5) The time schedule for completing the program;
(6) The staffing required to complete the program;
(7) The estimated number of very low- and low-income minority and
non-minority persons the grantee will assist with HPG funds; and, if a
rental property or cooperative assistance program, the number of units
and the term of restrictive covenants on their use for very low- and
low-income;
(8) The geographical area(s) to be served by the HPG program;
(9) The annual estimated budget for the program period based on the
financial needs to accomplish the objectives outlined in the proposal.
The budget should include proposed direct and indirect administrative
costs, such as personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies,
contracts, and other cost categories, detailing those costs for which
the grantee proposes to use the HPG grant separately from non-HPG
resources, if any. The applicant budget should also include a schedule
(with amounts) of how the applicant proposes to draw HPG grant funds,
i.e., monthly, quarterly, lump sum for program activities, etc.;
(10) A copy of a indirect cost proposal as required in 7 CFR parts
3015, 3016, and 3019, when the applicant has another source of federal
funding in addition to the Rural Development HPG program;
(11) A brief description of the accounting system to be used;
(12) The method of evaluation to be used by the applicant to
determine the effectiveness of its program. The evolution method should
include the requirements for quarterly reports to Rural Development in
accordance with 7 CFR Sec. 1944.683(b) and the monitoring plan for
rental properties and cooperatives (when applicable) according to 7 CFR
Sec. 1944.689;
(13) The source and estimated amount of other financial resources
to be obtained and used by the applicant for both HPG activities and
housing development and/or supporting activities;
(14) The use of program income, if any, and the tracking system
used for monitoring same;
(15) The applicant's plan for disposition of any security
instruments held by them as a result of its HPG activities in the event
of its loss of legal status;
(16) Any other information necessary to explain the proposed HPG
program; and
(17) The outreach efforts outlined in 7 CFR 1944.671(b).
(b) Complete information about the applicant's experience and
capacity to carry out the objectives of the proposed HPG program.
(c) Evidence of the applicant's legal existence, including, in the
case of a private nonprofit organization, a copy of or an accurate
reference to, the specific provisions of State law under which the
applicant is organized; a certified copy of the applicant's Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws or other evidence of corporate existence;
certificate of incorporation for entities other than public bodies;
evidence of good standing from the State when the corporation has been
in existence 1 year or more; and the names and addresses of the
applicant's members, directors and officers. If other organizations are
members of the applicant-organization, or the applicant is a
consortium, pre-applications should be accompanied by the names,
addresses, and principal purpose of the other organizations. If the
applicant is a consortium, documentation showing compliance with
paragraph (4)(ii) under the definition of ``organization'' in 7 CFR
1944.656 must also be included.
(d) For a private nonprofit entity, the most recent audited
statement and a current financial statement dated and signed by an
authorized officer of the entity showing the amounts and specific
nature of assets and liabilities together with information on the
repayment schedule and status of any debt(s) owed by the applicant.
(e) A brief statement which includes information about the area to
be served and the need for improved housing (including both percentage
and the actual number of both low-income and low-income minority
households and substandard housing for the area to be covered by HPG
funds), the need for the type of housing preservation assistance being
proposed, the anticipated use of HPG resources for historic properties,
the method of evaluation to be used by the applicant in determining the
effectiveness of its efforts.
(f) Applicant must submit an original and one copy of Form RD 1940-
20 prepared in accordance with Exhibit F-1 of RD Instruction 1944-N
(available in any Rural Development State Office).
[[Page 19688]]
(g) Applicant must also submit a description of its process for:
(1) Identifying and rehabilitating properties listed on or eligible
for listing on the National Register of Historic Places;
(2) Identifying properties that are located in a floodplain or
wetland;
(3) Identifying properties located within the Coastal Barrier
Resources System; and
(4) Coordinating with other public and private organizations and
programs that provide assistance in the rehabilitation of historic
properties (Stipulation I, D, of the PMOA, RD Instruction 2000-FF,
available in any Rural Development State Office).
(h) The applicant must also submit evidence of the State Historic
Preservation Office's (SHPO) concurrence in the proposal, or in the
event of nonconcurrence, a copy of SHPO's comments together with
evidence that the applicant has received information from the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation's advice as to how the disagreement
might be resolved, and a copy of any advice provided by the Council.
(i) The applicant must submit written statements and related
correspondence reflecting compliance with Sec. 1944.674 (a) and (c) of
7 CFR part 1944, subpart N regarding consultation with local government
leaders in the preparation of its program and the consultation with
local and state government pursuant to the provisions of Executive
Order 12372.
(j) The applicant is to make its statement of activities available
to the public for comment prior to submission to Rural Development
pursuant to Sec. 1944.674 (b) of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N. The
application must contain a description of how the comments (if any were
received) were addressed.
(k) The applicant must submit an original and one copy of Form RD
400-1, ``Equal Opportunity Agreement,'' and Form 400-4, ``Assurance
Agreement,'' in accordance with Sec. 1944.676 of 7 CFR part 1944,
subpart N.
Applicants should review 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N for a
comprehensive list of all application requirements.
IV. Selection Criteria
The Rural Development State Offices will utilize the project
selection criteria for applicants in accordance with Sec. 1944.679.
In addition to the criteria established in 7 CFR part 1944.679 and
in an effort to implement USDA's nationwide initiative to promote
renewable energy and energy conservation, Rural Development (RD) has
adopted incentives for energy generation and energy conservation.
Participation in these nationwide initiatives is voluntary, but is
strongly encouraged.
Energy Generation. Applicants will be awarded points if the
proposal includes the installation of energy generation systems to be
funded by a third party. The proposal must include an overview of the
energy generation system being proposed. Evidence that an energy
generation system has been funded by a third party and that it has a
quantifiable positive impact on energy consumption will be required. (5
points)
Energy Conservation. Applicants will be awarded points to construct
(or substantially rehabilitate) housing that earns the ENERGY STAR
label for new residential construction. Units earning the ENERGY STAR
label must be independently verified to meet guidelines for energy
efficiency as set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. All
procedures used in verifying a unit for the ENERGY STAR label must
comply with National Home Energy Ratings System (HERS) guidelines.
ENERGY STAR guidelines for residential construction apply to homes that
are three stories or less and single or low-rise multi-family
residential buildings.
The Applicant will include in the narrative an explanation of how
they plan to incorporate ENERGY STAR. Construction plans pertaining to
energy efficiency must be developed with, reviewed, and accepted by a
HERS certified rater, the contractor, and the owner. Progress
inspections must be made at appropriate times by a HERS certified rater
to ensure that the housing is being constructed or rehabilitated
according to ENERGY STAR specifications. In order to receive final
payment, applicants will be required to submit the appropriate rating
reports from the HERS rater to RD as evidence that the housing has been
constructed to meet the standards of ENERGY STAR. In the event that
housing does not meet ENERGY STAR guidelines for new residential
construction, the Agency shall, at its discretion, deduct 5 points from
future funding proposals. For further information about ENERGY STAR,
see https://www.energystar.gov or call the following toll-free numbers:
(888) 782-7939 or (888) 588-9920 (TTY). (5 points)
In the event more than one preapplication receives the same amount
of points, those preapplications will then be ranked based on the
actual percentage figure used for determining the points. Further, in
the event that preapplications are still tied, then those pre-
applications still tied will be ranked based on the percentage for HPG
fund use (low to high). Further, for applications where assistance to
rental properties or cooperatives is proposed, those still tied will be
further ranked based on the number of years the units are available for
occupancy under the program (a minimum of 5 years is required).
For this part, ranking will be based from most to least number of
years. Finally, if there is still a tie, then a lottery system will be
used.
Dated: April 12, 2007.
Russell T. Davis,
Administrator Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. E7-7455 Filed 4-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P
