Employment and Training Administration Workforce Investment Act-Migrants and Seasonal Farmworkers Program-Solicitation for Grant Applications-National Farmworker Jobs Program, Housing Assistance for Program Year 2007, 19966-19972 [E7-7496]

Agencies

• Employment and Training Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 76 (Friday, April 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19966-19972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7496]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Employment and Training Administration Workforce Investment Act--
Migrants and Seasonal Farmworkers Program--Solicitation for Grant 
Applications--National Farmworker Jobs Program, Housing Assistance for 
Program Year 2007

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training 
Administration.

ACTION: New. Initial announcement of a grant competition for operating 
the Housing Assistance portion of the National Farmworker Jobs Program 
(NFJP), under section 167 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
(WIA), 29 U.S.C. 2912.

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    Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA-PY 06-05.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.264.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (the Department or DOL), 
Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of Workforce 
Investment (OWI), Division of Adult Services (DAS), announces a grant 
competition for operating the housing assistance portion of the 
National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP), under section 167 of the 
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), 29 U.S.C. 2912. All applicants 
for grant funds should read this notice in its entirety.
    Section 167, paragraph (a) of WIA requires the Secretary to award 
grants or contracts on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the 
purposes of carrying out the activities authorized under section 167. 
Although housing assistance is identified in WIA as one of the 
allowable activities under the NFJP, Congressional appropriations 
language directs the Department to make available a specific amount of 
the funds appropriated for the NFJP for migrant and seasonal 
farmworkers housing assistance grants, and that no less than 70 percent 
of the specified amount must be used for permanent housing activities. 
Therefore, under this solicitation, of the $4,950,000 appropriated for 
NFJP Housing assistance, approximately $3,465,000 will be available for 
permanent housing assistance and approximately $1,485,000 for temporary 
and/or emergency housing assistance.

DATES: Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under 
this announcement is May 29, 2007. Applications must be received at the 
address below no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be directed to the U.S. Department of 
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal 
Assistance, Attention: James Stockton, Room N-4673, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Supplementary Information

Funding Opportunity Description

    The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training 
Administration, Office of Workforce Investment (OWI), Division of Adult 
Services (DAS), is requesting applications for grants to operate the 
housing assistance portion of the National Farmworker Jobs Program 
(NFJP) in accordance with Section 167 of WIA, 29 U.S.C. 9201. The NFJP 
serves economically disadvantaged persons who primarily depend on 
employment in agricultural labor performed within the United States, 
including Puerto Rico, and who experience chronic unemployment or 
underemployment. Housing assistance is a supportive service offered to 
assist migrant and seasonal farmworkers to retain employment or enter 
into or complete training. Funds for housing assistance activities are 
made available through the NFJP appropriation included in the FY 2007 
Continuing Appropriations Resolution, Pub. L. 110-5.
    Housing assistance under the NFJP became available three decades 
ago as a tool to improve economic outcomes for farmworkers and was 
included as one of a number of supportive services to assist 
farmworkers to retain employment or enter into and/or remain in 
training. The NFJP regulations consider housing assistance one of a 
number of related assistance and/or supportive services available to 
eligible farmworkers through the NFJP (20 CFR 669.430). Over time, 
however, a strong link between the provision of housing assistance and 
achievement of employment, training, and earnings has eroded.
    To once again establish a strong link between housing assistance 
activities and improved economic outcomes for farmworkers, the 
Department engaged in a dialogue with current and former housing 
assistance grantees to develop a set of principles and definitions of 
housing assistance that renewed the focus on employment and training 
objectives in future solicitations/competitions. The results of the 
dialogue are the Guiding Principles and Definitions that follow. Please 
note that a factor in scoring applications will be how well these 
Principles are applied to the proposed plan of services requested by 
this solicitation. The Definitions are intended to provide clarity for 
applicants as they develop their applications, and will also be 
factored into the scoring of the applications.

Guiding Principles

Housing Assistance Should Leverage Improved Economic Outcomes for 
Farmworkers
    Housing assistance should enable migrant and seasonal farmworkers 
to retain employment, enter into, or complete job training activities, 
and improve their earnings. Housing is a service that supports the 
economic objectives of the NFJP.
Housing Assistance Services, and the Strategies Used To Deliver Them, 
Should Meet the Needs of All Farmworkers
    Farmworkers seeking to improve their economic future have diverse 
housing needs. Moreover, these needs are not static but change over 
time. Strategies used to meet these diverse and dynamic housing 
assistance needs must be flexible and based on a mix of permanent and 
temporary housing and emergency assistance solutions tailored to 
regional and local needs.
Housing Developed With WIA 167 (NFJP) Funding Should Be Actively 
Marketed, and Broadly Accessible, to NFJP-Eligible Farmworkers
    While occupancy of year-round and migrant rental units is not 
restricted to NFJP-eligible farmworkers, the strong link between 
housing assistance and the economic objectives of the NFJP should 
translate directly into broad access by NFJP farmworkers to housing 
assistance. Providing housing assistance to NFJP-eligible farmworkers 
should be a priority.

Definitions

    Permanent Housing (and its corresponding housing assistance 
services) is defined as housing intended to be owner-occupied, or 
occupied on a permanent, year-round basis (notwithstanding ownership) 
as the farmworker's primary residence to which he/she typically returns 
at the

[[Page 19967]]

end of the work or training day, and assists the farmworker to stay 
employed or enter into or complete job training.
    Permanent housing (services) includes: Rental units, single family, 
duplexes, and other multi-family structures, dormitory, group home and 
other housing types that provide short-term, seasonal, or year-round 
housing opportunities in permanent structures. Modular structures, 
manufactured housing or mobile units placed on permanent foundations 
and supplied with appropriate utilities and other infrastructure are 
also considered permanent housing.
    Managing permanent housing assistance activities may require 
investments in development services, project management, resource 
development to secure acquisition, construction/renovation and 
operating funds, property management services and program management. 
New construction, purchase of existing structures, and rehabilitation 
of existing structures, as well as the infrastructure, utilities and 
other improvements necessary to complete or maintain those structures 
may also be considered part of managing permanent housing.
    Temporary housing (and its corresponding housing services, 
including emergency housing assistance) is defined as housing intended 
to meet the farmworker's need to temporarily occupy a unit of housing 
for reasons related to seeking or retaining employment, or engaging in 
training. It is not owner-occupied housing, and those farmworkers most 
likely to utilize it are those engaged in migratory employment or 
seasonal workers whose employment requires occasional travel outside 
their normal commuting area.
    Temporary housing includes housing units intended for temporary 
occupancy located in permanent structures, such as rental units in an 
apartment complex. Yurts, mobile structures, and tents that provide 
short-term, seasonal housing opportunities are also included. They may 
be moved from site to site, dismantled and re-erected when needed for 
farmworker occupancy, closed during the off-season, or other similar 
arrangements.
    Temporary housing may also be off-farm housing operated 
independently of employer interest in or control of the housing, or on-
farm housing operated by a nonprofit, including faith based or 
community non-profit organizations, but located on property owned by an 
agricultural employer. Managing temporary housing assistance may 
involve property management of temporary housing facilities, case 
management and referral services, and emergency housing payments, 
including vouchers and cash payments for rent/lease and utilities.
    As mentioned earlier, applicants must design their programs around 
the aforementioned Guiding Principles and Definitions, since they will 
be used as scoring factors.
    Applicants may propose to provide permanent housing assistance 
services only, temporary/emergency housing assistance services only, or 
both permanent and temporary/emergency housing assistance services. The 
proposal must describe the proposed housing services to be provided and 
discuss the reasons why the proposed service mix is best suited to meet 
the employment and training and program performance objectives of the 
NFJP. Awards made in cases where housing assistance services are 
proposed in a single category only (permanent or temporary/emergency) 
will reflect ETA's compliance with the Congressional mandate that 
seventy (70) percent of housing assistance funds be used to provide 
permanent housing assistance services.
    Applicants proposing to offer both types of housing assistance 
services must clearly describe the permanent and temporary/emergency 
housing assistance services proposed to be provided, and discuss the 
reasons why the proposed service strategy is best suited to meet the 
employment and training and program performance objectives of the NFJP. 
Such applications must include separate budgets for the proposed 
permanent and temporary/emergency housing assistance, respectively. 
These separate budget requests must conform to the Congressional 
mandate that seventy (70) percent of housing assistance funds be used 
to provide permanent housing assistance services.
    Housing assistance under the NFJP is subject to the requirements of 
WIA section 167 and the Department's regulations at 20 CFR part 669. 
This program is also subject to the requirements of 29 CFR parts 93 
(New Restrictions on Lobbying), 96 (Audit Requirements), and 98 
(Debarment, Suspension, and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements); the 
Department's non-discrimination regulations at 29 CFR part 34, the non-
discrimination regulations implementing WIA Section 188 at 29 CFR part 
37, and the Equal treatment regulations found at 29 CFR Part 2, Subpart 
D. Applicants should be familiar with and consult the WIA regulations 
at 20 CFR parts 660 through 671 in developing their grant proposals. 
Should the regulations at part 669 of WIA conflict with regulations 
elsewhere in 20 CFR, the regulations at part 669 will control.
    In addition, this program is subject to the provisions of the 
``Jobs for Veterans Act,'' Public Law 107-288, which provides priority 
of service to veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt 
of employment, training, and placement services in job training 
programs directly funded, in whole or in part, by the U.S. Department 
of Labor. In circumstances where NFJP housing assistance grant 
recipients must choose between two equally qualified candidates for 
housing assistance, one of whom is a veteran, the Jobs for Veterans Act 
requires that NFJP housing assistance grant recipients give the veteran 
priority of service by admitting him or her into the program. Please 
note that, to obtain priority of service, a veteran must meet the 
program's eligibility requirements. ETA Training and Employment 
Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 5-03, along with additional guidance, is 
available at the ``Jobs for Veterans Priority of Service'' Web site at 
https://www.doleta.gov/programs/vets. 
    DAS will continue to work with grantees to develop a reporting and 
performance management and accountability system that allows for 
improved tracking of activities and performance results. Until such 
system is established, applicants awarded grants will be expected to 
report in narrative form on a quarterly basis. Instructions will be 
provided to organizations once grants are awarded.

II. Award Information

    The type of assistance instrument to be used for the NFJP Housing 
Assistance program is a grant. Grants awarded through this solicitation 
will be for a two-year period, as prescribed in WIA section 167. Please 
be advised that the $4,950,000 provides funding for the NFJP for PY 
2007 only (July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008). Therefore, second year 
funding will be dependent on the availability of funding through the FY 
2008 appropriation process.
    The amount available nationally for the NFJP Housing Assistance 
program is $4,950,000. The FY 2007 Continuing Appropriations 
Resolution, Public Law 110-5, provides that no less than 70 percent of 
this amount shall be used for permanent housing activities. Therefore, 
approximately $3,465,000 will be available for permanent housing 
activities, and $1,485,000 will be available for temporary and 
emergency housing activities. Applicants are reminded that separate 
budgets and descriptions of activities are required for permanent and 
temporary and/or

[[Page 19968]]

emergency housing assistance, particularly in cases where the applicant 
organization intends to provide both types of services.
    In the past, housing grantees have typically provided housing 
assistance services in more than one state or area of a state. 
Therefore, for applications covering more than one area, applicants 
will be required to submit detailed information about the services to 
be provided in each of the areas covered by the proposal, including 
information regarding sub-grantees, if any. The application must 
include a detailed budget for each of the sub-grantees and describe the 
housing assistance services to be provided by each sub-grantee. 
Applications that propose to use sub-grantees but contain one budget 
for the entire project, without the breakdown for the sub-grantees, 
will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.
    The number and funding amount of grants awarded will vary depending 
on the number of applications received and found to be fundable. In the 
past, awards have ranged from approximately $150,000 to approximately 
$1,000,000.

    Note: Selection of an organization as a grantee does not 
constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before 
the actual grant is awarded, the Department may enter into 
negotiations about such items as program components, the budget 
proposal, staffing and funding levels, and administrative systems in 
place to support grant implementation. If the negotiations do not 
result in a mutually acceptable submission, the Grant Officer 
reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline to fund 
the application.

III. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

    Applicants need not be a current or prior housing assistance 
grantee to be eligible for a grant award under this solicitation. State 
workforce agencies and State Workforce Boards, Local Workforce 
Investment Boards (LWIBs), and faith-based and community organizations 
are examples of the entities eligible to apply for a grant award.
    To provide housing assistance services to eligible migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers under WIA section 167, whether permanent, 
temporary/emergency, or a mix of both, the Department will select those 
proposals that are deemed most responsive to the requirements of this 
solicitation, as reviewed and scored during the review panel process. 
To that end, proposals must show that the applicant:

--Has an understanding of the housing market in the area(s) they 
propose to serve, as well as an understanding of the housing needs of 
migrant and seasonal farmworkers;
--Has a familiarity with the housing conditions in the proposed service 
area, the housing assistance available from other agencies in the 
service area, and the impact of both those elements on the housing 
needs of farmworkers; and
--Has the capacity to effectively administer a housing assistance 
program with the proper administrative and fiscal oversight and 
integrity.
    Additionally, to be responsive to the requirements of this 
solicitation, applicants must demonstrate how the proposed service plan 
will reflect the Guiding Principles described in Section I of this 
solicitation.
    Applicants must describe their collaboration and working 
relationships with other agencies in the proposed service area that may 
provide housing or employment assistance, such as the One-Stop system 
and the wider community of social service agencies, including faith-
based and community organizations.
    The proposal should describe the expected results of those 
relationships on the development of and enhanced housing assistance 
services for farmworkers under this grant, if an award is made.

Cost Sharing or Matching

    The WIA section 167 program does not require grantees to share 
costs or provide matching funds.

Other Eligibility Criteria

    In accordance with 29 CFR part 98, entities that are debarred or 
suspended are excluded from Federal financial assistance and are 
ineligible to receive a WIA section 167 housing assistance grant.
    Prior to awarding a grant, the Department will conduct a 
responsibility review of each potential grantee through available 
records. The responsibility review relies on testing available records 
to determine if an applicant has a satisfactory history of accounting 
for Federal funds and property. The responsibility review is 
independent of the competitive process. Applicants failing to meet the 
requirements of this section may be disqualified for selection as 
grantees, irrespective of their standing in the competition. Any 
applicant not selected as a result of the responsibility review will be 
advised of their appeal rights. The responsibility tests that will be 
applied are those present in the WIA regulations (20 CFR 667.170).

Legal Rules Pertaining to Inherently Religious Activities by 
Organizations That Receive Federal Financial Assistance

    The government is generally prohibited from providing direct 
financial assistance for inherently religious activities. Please note 
that, in this context, the term direct financial assistance means 
financial assistance that is provided directly by a government entity 
or an intermediate organization, as opposed to financial assistance 
that an organization receives as the result of the genuine and 
independent private choice of a beneficiary. These grants may not be 
used for religious instruction, worship, prayer, proselytizing, or 
other inherently religious activities. Neutral, non-religious criteria 
that neither favor nor disfavor religion must be utilized in the 
selection of grant recipients and sub-recipients. The Department's 
Equal Treatment regulations can be found at 29 CFR Part 2, Subpart D.

IV. Application and Submission Information

Address To Request Application Package

    This SGA includes all information and forms needed to apply for 
this funding opportunity. If additional copies of forms are needed, 
they can be found at https://www.doleta.gov/msfw and https://
www.doleta.gov/sga.

Content and Form of Application Submission

    An application must include two (2) separate and distinct parts: 
Part I--a cost proposal, and Part II--a technical proposal. 
Applications that fail to adhere to the instructions in this section 
will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed. Part I of 
the proposal is the Cost Proposal and must include the following items:
     A cover letter, an original plus two (2) copies of the 
proposal, and an ink-signed original SF 424, ``Application for Federal 
Assistance,'' must be submitted. As of October 12, 2003, all applicants 
for federal grant and funding opportunities are required to have a Dun 
and Bradstreet (DUNS) number (see OMB Notice of Final Policy Issuance, 
68 FR 38402, dated June 27, 2003). Applicants must supply their DUNS 
number in item 8 of the new SF 424 issued by OMB (Rev. 10-
2005). The DUNS number is a nine digit identification number that 
uniquely identifies business entities.
    Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a 
DUNS number, access this Web site: https://

[[Page 19969]]

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711.
     The Standard Form (SF) 424-A. In preparing the budget 
form, the applicant must provide a concise narrative explanation to 
support the request. The budget narrative should break down the budget 
and discuss precisely how the administrative costs support the project 
goals.
     EEO Survey. Applicants are required to submit OMB Survey 
No. 1890-0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants, 
which can be found at https://www.doleta.gov/sga/forms.cfm.
    Part II of the application is the Technical Proposal, which 
demonstrates the applicant's capabilities to plan and implement the 
grant project in accordance with the provisions of this solicitation. 
The Technical Proposal should be limited to 20 numbered pages, double-
spaced and single-sided, in 12-point text font with one-inch margins. 
Any pages over the 20 page limit will not be reviewed. It should be 
noted that letters of support and any required attachments will not be 
subject to the page limitations; letters of support will not be 
included in the materials provided to the panel for review of the 
proposal.
    No cost data or reference to prices should be included in the 
Technical Proposal. Instead, applicants should include a two-page 
abstract summarizing the proposed project and applicant profile 
information including the applicant's name, the project title, and the 
funding level requested. The two-page abstract is not included in the 
20-page limitation. Applications that do not meet these requirements 
will not be reviewed.

Submission Dates and Times

    The closing date for receipt of applications under this 
announcement is May 29, 2007. Applications must be received at the 
address below no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. 
Applications may be submitted by mail or electronically through 
Grants.gov at the address listed below. Applications sent by e-mail, 
telegram, or facsimile (fax) will not be accepted. Applications that do 
not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will not be honored. 
No exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set forth in 
this notice will be granted.
    Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of 
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal 
Assistance, Attention: James Stockton, Reference SGA/DFA PY 04-07, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-4673, Washington, DC 20210. Applicants 
are advised that mail delivery in the Washington, DC area may be 
delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand-delivered 
proposals will be received at the above address.
    Applicants may apply online at https://www.grants.gov. Any 
application received after the deadline will not be accepted. For 
applicants submitting electronic applications via Grants.gov, it is 
strongly recommended that they immediately initiate and complete the 
``Get Started'' steps to register with Grants.gov, at https://
www.grants.gov/GetStarted. These steps will probably take multiple days 
to complete, which should be factored in to an applicant's plans for 
electronic applications submission in order to avoid unexpected delays 
that could result in the rejection of the application. Also, it is 
recommended that applicants experiencing problems with electronic 
submissions submit their proposals by overnight mail until the 
electronic issues are resolved. Other submission options are discussed 
in Section IV of this announcement.

Late Applications

    Any application received after the closing date and time specified 
for receipt at the office designated in this notice will not be 
considered, unless it is received before awards are made and (a) it was 
sent by the U.S. Postal Service registered or certified mail no later 
than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of 
applications (e.g.; an application required to be received by the 20th 
of the month must be postmarked by the 15th of that month); or (b) it 
was sent via professional overnight delivery service or submitted on 
Grants.gov to the addressee not later than one working day prior to the 
date specified for receipt of applications.
    The term ``working days'' excludes weekends and Federal holidays. 
``Postmarked'' means that a printed, stamped, or otherwise placed 
impression that is readily identifiable, without further action, as 
having been supplied or affixed on the date of mailing by an employee 
of the U.S. Postal Service.

Intergovernmental Review

    Executive Order (E.O.) No. 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of 
Federal Programs,'' and the implementing regulations at 29 CFR part 17 
are applicable to this program. Under these requirements, an applicant 
must provide a copy of the funding proposal for comment to the states 
that have established a consultation process under the E.O. 
Applications must be submitted to the state's Single Point of Contact 
(SPOC), no later than the deadline for submission of the application to 
the Department. For states that have not established a consultative 
process under E.O. 12372, but have a State Workforce Investment Board 
(State Board), the State Board will be the SPOC. For WIA implementation 
purposes, this consultative process fulfills the requirement of WIA 
Section 167(e) concerning consultation with Governors and Local 
Workforce Investment Boards (LWIB). To strengthen the implementation of 
the E.O., the Department establishes a timeframe for the treatment of 
comments from the state's SPOC on WIA Section 167 applications 
(including housing assistance). The SPOC must submit comments, if any, 
to the Department and the applicant no later than 30 days after the 
deadline for submission of the application. The applicant's response to 
the SPOC comments, if any, must be submitted to the Department no later 
than 15 days after the postmarked date of the comments from the SPOC. 
The Department will notify the SPOC of its decision regarding the SPOC 
comments and the applicant's response, and implement that decision 
within 10 days after notification to the SPOC.
    The names and addresses of the SPOCs are listed in the Office of 
Management and Budget's (OMB) home page at https://www.whitehouse.gov/
omb/grants/spoc.html.

Funding Restrictions

    As mentioned earlier in this document, appropriations language 
requires that no less than 70 percent of the funds available through 
this solicitation must be spent on permanent housing activities. Given 
this requirement, applicants should clearly identify the types of 
housing assistance services that will be provided to farmworkers, 
particularly in cases where an applicant is proposing to provide both 
permanent and temporary housing assistance.
    Applicants are advised that the requirement to spend 70 percent of 
the funds available through this solicitation on permanent housing may 
affect the number of applications funded and/or the amount of funding 
per grant.
    Administrative costs are limited to fifteen (15) percent of the 
grant (see definition of administrative costs at 20 CFR 667.220). 
Administrative costs limits higher than fifteen (15) percent will not 
be approved.

[[Page 19970]]

Indirect Cost Rate

    An indirect cost rate is required when an organization operates 
under more than one grant or other activity, whether Federally-assisted 
or not. Organizations must use the indirect cost rate supplied by the 
cognizant Federal agency. If an organization requires a new indirect 
cost rate or has a pending indirect cost rate, the Grant Officer will 
award a billing rate for 90 days until a provisional rate can be 
issued.

Allowable Costs

    The Department shall determine what constitutes allowable cost in 
accordance with the following Federal cost principles, as applicable: 
OMB Circular A-87, State and Local Governments; OMB Circular A-21, 
Educational Institutions; OMB Circular A-122, Nonprofit Organizations; 
and 48 CFR Part 31, Profit-making Commercial Firms.

Other Submission Requirements

    All other submission materials are identified in the various 
sections of this solicitation.

V. Application Review Information Criteria

    The following full review criteria, totaling a maximum of 100 
points, applies to all applications:

Understanding the Housing Assistance Needs of the Eligible Migrant and 
Seasonal Farmworkers in the Proposed Service Area(s)--20 Points

    The Guiding Principles contained in Section I of this solicitation 
reflect critical elements for a sound housing assistance strategy, 
including how housing assistance services should leverage improved 
outcomes for farmworkers, and that housing developed with NFJP funding 
should be actively marketed and broadly accessible to NFJP-eligible 
farmworkers. These Principles, along with an understanding of the 
housing market in the proposed service area(s) and the problems faced 
by migrant and seasonal farmworkers in accessing that market, are 
critical to the formulation of an effective housing assistance 
strategy. In addition, an effective strategy of outreach to migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers is essential to meeting their housing assistance 
needs, as discussed in the Principles.
    Applicants must describe the housing market in the proposed service 
area(s), including a description of employer-provided housing, if any; 
publicly-subsidized housing, if any; and the problems encountered by 
migrant and seasonal farmworkers in accessing affordable housing. 
Include a discussion of the problems faced by migrant and seasonal 
farmworkers in getting and keeping a job, or in participating in 
training activities that lead to improved economic outcomes, as a 
result of housing needs going unmet. Applicants must also describe 
their strategy for identifying and conducting outreach to eligible 
farmworkers with housing needs. In cases where a number of different 
organizations are jointly applying, this section must include the 
requested information for each of the areas covered by the potential 
sub-grantee organizations. Scoring on this factor will be based on how 
the tenets included in the Principles were incorporated in the 
applicant's analysis of the housing market in the area(s) of proposed 
services, as well as any studies and analyses conducted to determine 
farmworker housing assistance needs. Scoring will also take into 
account the quality of the applicant's analysis of housing assistance 
available through other housing assistance organizations, including 
faith-based and community organizations, and the applicants' plans to 
integrate their housing assistance services with those already present 
in the proposed area(s). The applicant's analysis must demonstrate an 
in-depth knowledge of the housing market in the service area(s) and how 
housing availability impacts a farmworker's ability to obtain and 
retain employment, or participate in training or other activities that 
lead to improved economic outcomes.

Familiarity With the Proposed Service Area(s)--20 Points

    Familiarity with the housing conditions in the proposed service 
area(s) and the housing assistance available from other sources in that 
area(s) is essential to providing housing assistance services that are 
appropriate for the migrant and seasonal farmworkers in need of 
services, to assure non-duplicative use of WIA Section 167 housing 
assistance funds, and to reflect the Principles described in Section I 
of this solicitation.
    Applicants must provide an analysis of the housing assistance 
resources available from all sources in the proposed service area(s), 
including employer-sponsored housing, state and local agencies, the 
One-Stop system, and housing assistance organizations, including faith-
based and community organizations. Applicants must describe their 
efforts to engage these resources on behalf of farmworkers, including 
any successful efforts in the past, and the results of those efforts. 
Applicants must also describe the strategies they propose to ensure 
access to these housing opportunities by eligible migrant and seasonal 
farmworkers, emphasizing the different strategies for each farmworker 
population. In cases where a number of different organizations are 
jointly applying, this section must include the requested information 
for each of the areas covered by the potential sub-grantees.
    Scoring on this factor will be based on the comprehensiveness and 
quality of the mapping of housing assistance resources available from 
sources other than WIA section 167 funds, and the applicant's strategy 
for using other housing assistance funds to maximize the housing 
assistance services available to migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

Administrative Capacity--20 Points

    The capacity to effectively administer a housing assistance program 
is contingent on effective and efficient systems to assure program and 
fiscal oversight and integrity.
    Applicants must describe the management information and performance 
management systems to be used for reporting, and its performance 
accountability and management, fiscal management, and case management 
systems. The applicant must include a clear description of its 
experience with performance management systems and how the results 
achieved were applied to improved customer service. The discussion 
should include:
     A description of how eligibility to receive housing 
assistance services will be determined, including how that relates to 
improved employment outcomes for farmworkers;
     a discussion of whether the criteria used to determine 
eligibility differs among migrant and seasonal farmworker groups, and, 
if so, what the differences are, and the rationale for them.
    Applicants must also describe their recordkeeping system in 
sufficient detail to demonstrate that it is sufficient to prepare 
financial reports and to trace funds to adequate levels of expenditures 
to ensure lawful spending. Please note that in cases where a number of 
different organizations are applying together, the lead agency will be 
expected to prepare a ``roll-up'' or aggregated report that clearly 
identifies the expenditures of each sub-grantee individually, as well 
as the combined total.
    The WIA section 167 housing assistance program is required to use 
electronic reporting via the Internet. The applicant must describe its 
capacity to provide the equipment (including Personal Computers, 
software for word

[[Page 19971]]

processing and spreadsheets, individual e-mail accounts), access 
(including Internet access), and staff qualified to perform on-line 
reporting.
    Scoring on this factor will be based on the quality and 
comprehensiveness of evidence presented to demonstrate that the 
applicant has effective management, program and fiscal accounting and 
reporting systems.

Proposed Activities and Services--40 Points

    The applicant's discussion of the proposed approach to providing 
specific housing assistance services (permanent, temporary/emergency, 
or both) is the most important single element of the application, and 
must reflect the Principles contained in Section I of this 
solicitation. With regard to the requirements below, this section 
should clearly indicate whether different housing services strategies 
will be employed to meet the housing and related employment and 
training needs of seasonal farmworkers versus migrant farmworkers.

Permanent Housing Assistance

    Applicants proposing to carry out permanent housing activities only 
must describe their system for identifying farmworkers in need of 
permanent housing assistance, including the process for eligibility 
determination and coordination with the NFJP grantee and the relevant 
state and local One-Stop system to ensure that the housing assistance 
supports an employment outcome or training objective for farmworkers 
eligible for NFJP services.
    The proposal must:
     Describe all the phases of the permanent housing project, 
including pre-development activities, housing development, 
construction, lease-up, and post-leasing activities (or the activities 
leading to successful rehabilitation of existing permanent housing), 
and include a timeline that estimates the length of time required for 
each project to be undertaken;
     Include a description of the housing counseling activities 
to be provided to farmworkers (including information on first-time home 
ownership);
     Include the types of technical assistance to be provided 
to other housing organizations, if appropriate; and
     A description of the system that will be used to capture 
the number of referrals made from the NFJP grantee or other One-Stop 
system partners to permanent housing facilities or units established 
through a permanent housing program.
    The proposal should include an estimate of the number of 
farmworkers to be assisted through the permanent housing program, and 
an estimate of how many of those farmworkers are also NFJP-eligible 
farmworkers.

Temporary and/or Emergency Housing Assistance

    Applicants proposing to carry out temporary and/or emergency 
housing assistance only must describe their system for identifying 
farmworkers in need of temporary and/or emergency housing assistance, 
including the process for eligibility determination and coordination 
with the NFJP grantee in the state and, if applicable, with the 
relevant state and local One-Stop system, to ensure that the housing 
assistance supports an employment outcome or training objective for 
those farmworkers who are NFJP-eligible. The proposal must:
     Include a description of the case management approach to 
be used and the way the organization proposes to manage the delivery of 
temporary and/or emergency housing assistance services; and
     Describe the specific housing assistance services to be 
offered and the estimated number of migrant and seasonal farmworkers to 
be served through each proposed service (i.e., temporary and emergency 
housing, respectively). Separate information should be provided for 
temporary housing and for emergency housing;
     Describe how eligible farmworkers' housing assistance will 
be coordinated with training and related assistance services provided 
through the NFJP grantee if the applicant did not apply for or is not 
awarded an NFJP grant, as well as the Local Workforce Investment 
Board(s), which oversees strategic planning for all One-Stop partner 
programs.

Permanent and Temporary/Emergency Housing Assistance

    Applicants proposing to conduct a plan of service that encompasses 
both permanent and temporary/emergency housing activities must provide 
all of the information requested above.
    All applicants are responsible for clearly identifying the 
organization that will be responsible for delivering the services, 
whether permanent or temporary and/or emergency, in each proposed 
service area, i.e., the descriptions requested above must be included 
for each organization that will deliver housing services in cases where 
a number of different organizations are applying jointly.
    Scoring on this factor will be based on evidence that the applicant 
has effectively used its knowledge and experience as presented in the 
previous sections, as applicable, to develop a housing assistance 
strategy. The housing strategy and plan of service must successfully 
meet the objectives of the Guiding Principles described in Section I of 
this solicitation and be tailored appropriately to meet the needs of 
migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the service area(s).

Review and Selection Process

    The Grant Officer will select potential grantees utilizing all 
information available to him/her. A review panel will rate each 
proposal according to the criteria specified in this solicitation. 
Panel reviews are critical to the selection of grantees but are 
advisory in nature, and their recommendations are not binding on the 
Grant Officer. The Grant Officer will make the final selection 
determination based on what best meets the needs of migrants and 
seasonal farmworkers. The Grant Officer may, at his/her discretion, 
request an applicant to submit additional or clarifying information if 
needed to make a selection. Please note that selections may be made 
without further contact with the applicants. In such situations, an 
award will be based on the SF 424, which constitutes a binding offer.

VI. Award Administration Information

Award Notices

    The Grant Officer will notify applicants, in writing, if they are 
selected as potential grantees. The notification will invite each 
potential grantee to negotiate the final terms and conditions of the 
grant, as applicable, will establish a reasonable time and place for 
negotiations, and will indicate the specific service delivery area and 
amount of funds to be allocated under the grant. FY 2007 funds will be 
awarded for the period July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008.
    An applicant that is not selected as a potential grantee or whose 
application has been denied in whole or in part by the Department will 
be notified in writing by the Grant Officer and advised of all appeal 
rights.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    There are no additional administrative or national policy 
requirements besides those discussed elsewhere in this solicitation.

Reporting

    Reporting for the WIA section 167 housing assistance program is 
under

[[Page 19972]]

consideration; applicants awarded grants will be apprised of the 
progress and the implications for grantees. Grantees will be required 
to submit reports on financial expenditures on a quarterly basis. In 
addition, until a reporting system is operational, grantees will be 
required to submit narrative reports on program participation and 
participant outcomes.

VII. Agency Contacts

    Questions related to this solicitation may be directed to Ms. Mamie 
Williams, Grants Management Specialist; phone 202-693-3341; fax: 202-
693-2879 (this is not a toll-free number). Please include a contact 
name, fax and telephone number.
    This announcement is also being made available on the ETA Web site 
at https://doleta.gov/sga/sga.cfm and https://www.grants.gov.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 16th day of April, 2007.
James W. Stockton,
Grant Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-7496 Filed 4-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P