HOPE VI Main Street Grants, 35850-35868 [E7-12583]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 125 (Friday, June 29, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35850-35868]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-12583]



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Part IV





Department of Housing and Urban Development





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HOPE VI Main Street Grants; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 72 , No. 125 / Friday, June 29, 2007 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5139-N-01]


HOPE VI Main Street Grants

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian 
Housing, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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Overview Information

    A. Federal Agency Name. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, Office of Public and Indian Housing.
    B. Funding Opportunity Title. HOPE VI Main Street Grants.
    C. Announcement Type. Initial announcement.
    D. Funding Opportunity Number. FR-5139-N-01; OMB approval number is 
2577-0208.
    E. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number. The CFDA 
number for this NOFA is 14.878, ``Affordable Housing Development in 
Main Street Rejuvenation Projects.''
    F. Dates.
    1. Application Submission Date. The application deadline date is 
August 29, 2007. Applications must be received and validated by 
Grants.gov no later than 11:59:59 p.m. on the application deadline 
date. Validation by Grants.gov may occur up to 72 hours after 
electronic receipt of the application. See the General Section for 
application submission and timely receipt requirements.
    2. Estimated Grant Award Date. The estimated award date will be 
September 24, 2007.
    G. Electronic Application Submission. Applications for this NOFA 
must be submitted electronically through https://www.grants.gov/
applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. Registration or required annual re-
registration to submit an application electronically may take more than 
a week because of the following: (1) The applicant's requirement to 
register with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR), (2) the cross-
checking of applicant identification numbers between CCR and the 
Internal Revenue Service (IRS), (3) applicant registration with the 
Grants.gov Web site, and (4) the applicant's requirement to register 
the official who will be submitting the application. HUD's Early 
Registration Notice can be obtained through HUD's Web site at https://
www.hud.gov/ grants/.
    See ``Other Submission Requirements'' in Section IV.F of this NOFA 
and the General Section for detailed information about application 
submission.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    A. Available Funds. This NOFA announces the availability of 
approximately $1.4 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 funds and $1.1 
million in FY 2007 funds, an approximate total funds availability of 
$2.5 million.
    B. Purpose of the Program. The purpose of the HOPE VI Main Street 
program is to provide grants to small communities to assist in the 
rejuvenation of an historic or traditional central business district or 
``Main Street'' area by replacing unused commercial space in buildings 
with affordable housing units.
    1. The objectives of the program are to:
    a. Redevelop Main Street areas;
    b. Preserve historic or traditional architecture or design features 
in Main Street areas;
    c. Enhance economic development efforts in Main Street areas; and
    d. Provide affordable housing in Main Street areas.
    C. Statutory Authority.
    1. The program authority for the HOPE VI Main Street program is 
Section 24 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v), 
as amended by Section 535 of the Quality Housing and Work 
Responsibility Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-276, 112 Stat. 2461, approved 
October 21, 1998), as amended; the HOPE VI Program Reauthorization and 
Small Community Mainstreet Rejuvenation and Housing Act of 2003 (Pub. 
L. 108-186, 117 Stat. 2685, approved December 16, 2003); and the 
Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007 (Pub. L. 110-5, 
approved February 15, 2007).
    2. The funding authority for the HOPE VI Main Street program is 
provided by the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2006 (Pub. L. 109-115, approved November 30, 2005), 
under Revitalization of Severely Distressed Public Housing (HOPE VI) 
and the Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007 (Pub. L. 
110-5, approved February 15, 2007).
    3. The HOPE VI Program Reauthorization and Small Community 
Mainstreet Rejuvenation and Housing Act of 2003 states that, of the 
amount appropriated for the overall HOPE VI program for any fiscal 
year, the Secretary shall provide up to 5 percent for use only for the 
Main Street initiative. The statute amended Section 24(n) of the Act, 
which now provides for grants to smaller communities, to provide 
assistance to carry out eligible affordable housing activities.
    D. Definition of Terms.
    1. Affordable housing for this NOFA means rental or homeownership 
dwelling units that, for INITIAL occupants:
    a. Are made available to low-income families, with a subset of 
units made available to very low-income families; and
    b. Provide the same rules regarding occupant contribution toward 
rent or purchase, and basic terms of rental or purchase, as are 
provided to occupants of public housing units in a HOPE VI development. 
Rights and responsibilities vary among HOPE VI developments. HOPE VI 
public housing units use various mechanisms to set the resident portion 
of rent, resident job training or employment requirements, resident 
rights of return, and other occupancy issues. The Grantee, with HUD's 
approval, determines how to implement these initial resident 
safeguards. Strict application of public housing rules and regulations 
is not required; e.g., the use of HUD forms and record-keeping 
requirements for occupancy and income. Units developed, rehabilitated 
or reconfigured through this NOFA are NOT and statutorily MUST NOT BE 
public housing units.
    2. Applicant Team (``Team'') means the group of entities that will 
develop the Main Street affordable housing project (``project''). The 
Team includes the unit of local government that submits the application 
and, where applicable, the procured developer, the procured property 
manager, architects (including architects who are knowledgeable about 
universal design and Section 504 accessible design requirements), 
construction contractors, attorneys, investment partners that comprise 
an owner entity, and other parties that may be involved in the 
development and management of the project.
    3. Community and Supportive Services (``CSS'') means services 
provided to residents of the project that may include, but are not 
limited to:
    a. Homeownership counseling that is scheduled to begin promptly 
after grant award so that, to the maximum extent possible, qualified 
residents will be ready to purchase new homeownership units when they 
are completed;
    b. Educational life skills, job readiness and retention, employment 
training, and other activities as described on HUD's HOPE VI Web site 
at https://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/css/; and
    c. Coordination with fair housing groups to educate the Main Street

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affordable housing project's targeted population on its fair housing 
rights.
    4. Firmly committed means that the amount of match or of Leverage 
resources and their dedication to HOPE VI Main Street activities, must 
be explicit, in writing, and signed by a person authorized to make the 
commitment.
    5. General Section means the Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA); Policy Requirements and General 
Section to the FY 2007 SuperNOFA for HUD's Discretionary Programs; 
Notice, Docket No. FR-5100-N-01, published in the Federal Register on 
January 18, 2007. The General Section can be obtained through HUD's Web 
site at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm.
    6. Homeownership unit means a housing unit that a local government 
makes available through a grant from this NOFA for purchase by low-
income families for use as their principal residence.
    7. Initial occupancy period means the period of time that a rental 
unit is occupied by the initial low-income resident or the period of 
time that a homeownership unit is owned by the initial third-party, 
low-income purchaser. There is no set requirement for the length of 
this occupancy period.
    8. Jurisdiction means the physical area under the supervision of a 
local government.
    9. Leverage means non-HOPE VI-funded donations of cash and in-kind 
services that are firmly committed to the rejuvenation of the Main 
Street Area and are from non-HOPE VI sources.
    a. Leverage may include funds/in-kind services that are already 
expended, received but not expended, and firmly committed but not yet 
received. See the definition of ``firmly committed'' in Section 4., 
above.
    b. Types of resources that may be counted include:
    (1) Private mortgage-secured loans, insured loans, and other debt;
    (2) Housing trust funds;
    (3) Net sales proceeds from a homeownership project that exceed the 
amount of HOPE VI funds used to develop the homeownership unit;
    (4) Tax Increment Financing (TIF);
    (5) Proceeds from Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), Historic 
Preservation Tax Credits, and Tax Exempt Bonds;
    (6) Land Sale Proceeds. The value of land sale proceeds may be 
included as leverage only if this value is a sales proceed. Absent a 
sales transaction, the value of land will not be counted;
    (7) Other Federal Funds. Other Federal sources may include non-
public housing funds provided by HUD;
    (8) In-Kind Services, including donations of:
    (9) Staff time of either the local government applicant or the 
recognized developer entity;
    (10) Property such as land (donations of land may be counted as 
leverage only if the donating entity owns the land to be donated), 
materials, supplies, a building, a lease on a building, and other 
infrastructure;
    (11) Services such as Homeownership Counseling, other CSS and 
family self-sufficiency (FSS) resources, and time and services 
contributed by volunteers.
    (12) Leverage does NOT include, and HUD will not count, Wages 
projected to be paid to residents through jobs that are provided 
through Section 3, or by FSS/CSS partners.
    10. Local government means any city, county/parish, town, township, 
parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a 
State; Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American 
Samoa, the District of Columbia, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific 
Islands, or a general purpose political subdivision thereof; or a 
combination of such political subdivisions that is recognized by the 
Secretary.
    11. Low-income limits prescribed by HUD are stated on the internet 
at https://www.huduser.org/datasets/il/il2007/select_Geography.odb. 
Low-Income family means a family (resident) with an income equal to or 
less than 80 percent of median income for the local area, adjusted for 
family size, in accordance with Section 3(b)(2) of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937, as amended. HUD may establish a level higher or 
lower than 80 percent because of prevailing construction costs or 
unusually high or low family incomes in the area. Local area is defined 
as the nonmetropolitan county/parish or primary metropolitan 
statistical area/metropolitan statistical area (PMSA/MSA) or county/
parish, as prescribed by HUD, in which the low-income family resides.
    12. Main Street Area means an area determined and designated by the 
applicant that fulfills the requirements stated in ``Program 
Requirements,'' Section III.C of this NOFA, and:
    a. Is within the jurisdiction of the applicant;
    b. Has specific boundaries that are determined by the applicant;
    c. Is or was:
    (1) Traditionally the central business district and center for 
socio-economic interaction;
    (2) Characterized by a cohesive core of historic and/or older 
commercial and mixed-use buildings, often interspersed with civic, 
religious, and residential buildings, which represent the community's 
architectural heritage;
    d. Is the location of a downtown or ``Main Street'' rejuvenation 
effort that:
    (1) Has as its purpose the revitalization or redevelopment of the 
historic or traditional commercial area;
    (2) Involves investment, or other participation, by the applicant 
local government and private entities in the community in which the 
project is carried out; and
    (3) Involves the development of affordable housing that is located 
in the commercial area.
    13. Main Street affordable housing project (``project'') means the 
collection of affordable housing units that are developed in the Main 
Street Area using funds obtained through this NOFA, and meet the 
requirements as stated in ``Program Requirements,'' Section III.C of 
this NOFA.
    14. Match is cash or in-kind donations that will be expended on 
allowable activities under the grant. The match must:
    a. Total at least 5 percent of the requested HOPE VI Main Street 
grant amount; and
    b. Be from government or private-sector sources other than HOPE VI 
funding, including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, 
which by statute are considered local money.
    15. Owner entity is the legal entity that holds title to the real 
property that contains any affordable housing units developed through 
this NOFA.
    16. Person with disabilities means a person who:
    a. Has a condition defined as a disability in Section 223 of the 
Social Security Act;
    b. Has a developmental disability as defined in Section 102 of the 
Developmental Disabilities Assistance Bill of Rights Act; or
    c. Is determined to have a physical, mental, or emotional 
impairment that:
    (1) Is expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration;
    (2) Substantially impedes his or her ability to live independently; 
and
    (3) Is of such a nature that such ability could be improved by more 
suitable housing conditions.
    d. The term ``person with disabilities'' may include persons who 
have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or any conditions 
arising from the etiologic agent for AIDS. In addition, no individual 
shall be considered a person with disabilities, for purposes of

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eligibility for low-income housing, based solely on any drug or alcohol 
dependence.
    e. The definition provided above for persons with disabilities is 
the proper definition for determining program qualifications. However, 
the definition of a person with disabilities contained in Section 504 
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its implementing regulations must 
be used for purposes of reasonable accommodations.
    17. Program means the HOPE VI Main Street Program.
    18. Recognized developer means the local government applicant or a 
legal entity that has an agreement with the local government applicant 
to seek financing for, rehabilitation and/or construction of housing 
units, and the provision of Community and Supportive Services (if 
required), for a HOPE VI Main Street grantee.
    a. For a non-complex development, the applicant may choose not to 
use a developer and instead directly procure a design/build 
construction contractor and accountant.
    19. Site Control means the local government applicant, or its 
developer, has the legal authority to commit the owner of the property 
to the rehabilitation to be performed with HOPE VI Main Street grant 
funds. Some examples of site control are:
    a. The local government owns the property outright;
    b. The private owner of the property and the applicant have signed 
a developer agreement and the private owner is the developer;
    c. The government- or private-owner has signed a developer 
agreement with a separate developer and the agreement gives the 
developer site control;
    d. The applicant or developer has an option to purchase the 
property that covers a time period sufficient to obtain grant funds for 
purchase (at least 180 days after award), and is contingent only upon: 
(1) Receipt of a grant from this NOFA; and (2) satisfactory compliance 
with this NOFA's environmental review requirements;
    e. An owner-entity partnership was formed between the applicant, 
original owner, and, possibly, the developer and other interested 
parties.
    20. Unit of local government: See ``local government'' under this 
section.
    21. Very low-income family means a family (resident) with an income 
equal to or less than 50 percent of median income for the local area, 
adjusted for family size, in accordance with Section 3(b)(2) of the 
United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended. HUD may establish a 
level higher or lower than 50 percent because of prevailing 
construction costs or unusually high or low family incomes in the area. 
HUD-prescribed income limits are stated at https://www.huduser.org/
datasets/il/il2007/select_Geography.odb. Local area is defined as the 
PMSA/MSA or nonmetropolitan county/parish, as prescribed by HUD, in 
which the low-income family resides.
    22. General Section reference. The subsection entitled ``Funding 
Opportunity Description'' in Section I of the General Section is hereby 
incorporated by reference.

II. Award Information

    A. Available Funds. A total of approximately $1.4 million 
appropriated for FY 2006 and $1.1 million appropriated for FY 2007, 
totaling approximately $2.5 million, is available for funding under 
this NOFA and must be obligated by September 30, 2007.
    B. Number of Awards. This NOFA will result in approximately 3 
awards.
    C. Range of Amounts of Each Award. Each applicant may request up to 
$1,000,000.
    D. Start Date, Period of Performance. The term of the grants that 
result from this NOFA will start on the date that the grant award 
document is signed by HUD and will continue for 30 months thereafter.
    E. Type of Instrument. Grant Agreement.
    F. Supplementation. Grants resulting from this NOFA do not 
supplement other HOPE VI grants.

III. Eligibility Information

    A. Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants include, and are 
limited to, local governments, as defined in Section I.D of this NOFA 
and Section 102 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 5302). The local government must:
    1. Have a population of 50,000 or less; and
    2. Not be served by a local government, county/parish, or regional 
or State public housing agency (PHA) that administers more than 100 
public housing units within the local government's jurisdiction. Such 
units exclude Section 8 Housing Voucher subsidized units and public 
housing units in Mixed-Finance developments where the public housing 
agency is not the General Partner in the for-profit ownership entity.
    B. Cost Sharing or match.
    1. Match. HUD is required by the Quality Housing and Work 
Responsibility Act (42 U.S.C. 1437v(c)(1)(A)) to include the 
requirement for matching funds for all HOPE VI-related grants. 
Applicants must provide matching funds or in-kind services in the 
amount of 5 percent of the requested grant amount from sources other 
than HUD HOPE VI funds. Match sources may include other Federal 
sources, CDBG funds (which are statutorily considered local funds), any 
State or local government sources, any private contributions, the value 
of any donated material or building, the value of any lease on a 
building, the value of the time and services contributed by volunteers, 
and the value of any other in-kind services provided. MATCH FUNDS MUST 
BE USED ONLY FOR CARRYING OUT ELIGIBLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACTIVITIES 
THAT RELATE TO THE MAIN STREET AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT PRESENTED IN 
THIS APPLICATION. The match may include funds that have already been 
spent or funds that are for future use.
    a. Match donations must be firmly committed to the Main Street 
affordable housing project presented in the application. See the 
definition of ``firmly committed'' in ``Definitions,'' Section I.D of 
this NOFA.
    b. The applicant may propose to use the applicant's own funds to 
meet the match requirement, provided that the match funds do not 
originate from HOPE VI funds.
    c. See Section IV.B of this NOFA for the requirements for 
documentation of match resources.
    C. Other.
    1. Eligible Uses of Grant Funds. Main Street grant funds may be 
expended on the following activities:
    a. New construction, reconfiguration, or rehabilitation of 
affordable rental and homeownership housing located within the Main 
Street Area. New construction and rehabilitation activities that are 
intrinsic to the development of the affordable housing units may extend 
to other portions of the Main Street affordable housing project; e.g., 
to the building envelope, to interior bearing walls of commercial space 
located below the affordable housing units, and to systems installation 
through commercial space located below or adjacent to the affordable 
housing units.
    b. Architectural and Engineering activities, surveys, permits, and 
other planning and implementation costs related to the construction and 
rehabilitation of the Main Street affordable housing project presented 
in the application.
    c. Tax credit syndication costs.
    d. Funding of moving expenses for low-income residents displaced as 
a result of construction or rehabilitation of the project, in 
accordance with the

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Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies 
Act of 1970 (URA) and Handbook CPD 02-08, ``Guidance on the Application 
of the Uniform Relocation Assurance and Real Property Acquisition 
Policies Act of 1970 (URA), as amended in HOPE VI Projects.''
    e. Management improvements necessary for the proper development and 
management of the Main Street affordable housing project presented in 
the application, similar to and including, but not limited to:
    (1) Staff training (including travel) related to affordable housing 
development and management.
    (2) Staff time and materials or contractor services to revise or 
develop:
    (a) Procedure manuals;
    (b) Accounting systems, excluding accounting services;
    (c) Lease documents;
    (d) Resident screening procedures; and
    (e) Data processing systems.
    f. Leveraging non-HOPE VI funds and in-kind services. See the 
definition of ``Leverage'' in Section I.D of this NOFA.
    g. Community and Supportive Services. See Funding Restrictions in 
Section IV.E of this NOFA.
    (1) Only 15 percent of the grant amount may be used for Community 
and Supportive Services. See ``Funding Restrictions,'' Section IV.E of 
this NOFA, for non-allowable costs and activities.
    2. Thresholds.
    a. Match. Applicants must provide matching funds in the amount of 5 
percent of the requested grant amount from sources other than HUD HOPE 
VI funds. See ``Cost Sharing or match,'' Section III.B of this NOFA.
    (1) In order to demonstrate that the applicant meets this 
threshold, for each match resource, the application must include a 
letter stating the match amount and that the match is firmly committed 
to be used for activities related to the particular Main Street 
affordable housing project presented in the application. Each match 
resource must also be listed on page 12 of the ``HOPE VI Main Street 
Application Data Sheet,'' form HUD-52861, (under the Excel Worksheet 
Tab, ``matching and Housing Resources'') which will be a part of the 
application. Columns on that page provide space to include the 
following required information for each source: Resource organization 
name, name and telephone number of a contact at the resource 
organization, the amount of the resource organization's contribution, 
and whether the contribution is in cash or in-kind services. All 
columns, except the last, ``Leverage Period More than 2 Years,'' must 
be filled in.
    (2) If the applicant does not demonstrate that there will be 
matching funds of at least 5 percent of the requested grant amount, the 
application will not be eligible for funding through this NOFA.
    b. Main Street Area. The applicant must have within its 
jurisdiction a Main Street Area. See Section I.D of this NOFA for the 
definition of a Main Street Area.
    (1) In order to demonstrate that the applicant meets this 
threshold, the application must contain the attachment ``Map of the 
Main Street Area.'' The attached map must clearly show the applicant-
determined Main Street Area boundaries. Boundaries may be streets, rail 
lines, rivers, or other man-made or natural bounds. No other 
documentation is necessary.
    (2) If the applicant's jurisdiction does not have a Main Street 
Area, the application will not be eligible for funding through this 
NOFA.
    c. Main Street Affordable Housing Project (``Project''). The 
targeted affordable housing project must conform to this NOFA's 
requirements for a Main Street affordable housing project, as defined 
in ``Program Requirements,'' Section III.C of this NOFA.
    (1) By applying for a grant through this NOFA, the applicant 
certifies that the Main Street affordable housing project meets the 
Program Requirements. No other documentation is necessary to meet this 
threshold.
    (2) If the targeted affordable housing project does not conform to 
this NOFA's requirements, the application will not be eligible for 
funding through this NOFA.
    d. One Main Street Area. Under this NOFA, the applicant must apply 
for assistance only in support of one Main Street Area. That is, if the 
local government's jurisdiction includes two neighborhoods, each with a 
traditional commercial/social center, the application must contain only 
one of those traditional commercial/social centers. However, the 
applicant's Main Street affordable housing project may consist of 
several scattered sites within that one Main Street Area. If the 
applicant applies for assistance for more than one Main Street Area 
through this NOFA, the application will not be eligible for funding 
through this NOFA.
    e. Code of Conduct.
    (1) The applicant must have developed and must maintain a written 
code of conduct (see 24 CFR 84.42 and 85.36(b)(3)). The applicant must 
provide, or have provided, documentation that demonstrates that it has 
a written code of conduct.
    (2) The applicant must submit a copy of its code of conduct as part 
of the application if its code of conduct is not already on file with 
HUD. See 24 CFR 84.42 and 85.36(b)(3).
    (3) Unless the applicant is listed on HUD's Web site at https://
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/codeofconduct/cconduct.cfm and the 
information has not been revised, the applicant is required to submit:
    (a) A copy of its code of conduct;
    (b) A description of the methods it will use to ensure that all 
officers, employees, and agents of its organization are aware of its 
code of conduct; and
    (c) The following information, as it is stated on the SF-424:
    (i) Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 
number;
    (ii) Employer Identification Number (EIN);
    (iii) Applicant's Legal Name (Note: Applicants must enter their 
legal name in box 8.a. of the SF-424 as it appears in the Central 
Contractor Register (CCR). See the General Section regarding CCR 
registration);
    (iv) Address (Street, PO Box, City, State, and ZIP Code); and
    (d) Authorized Official's information (Name, Title, Telephone 
Number, and E-mail Address).
    (4) The code of conduct must prohibit real and apparent conflicts 
of interest that may arise among officers, employees, or agents; 
prohibit the solicitation and acceptance of gifts or gratuities by the 
organization's officers, employees, or agents for their personal 
benefit in excess of minimal value; and outline administrative and 
disciplinary actions available to remedy violations of such standards.
    (5) See Section III.C of the General Section for more detailed 
information and instructions if the applicant needs to submit its code 
of conduct to HUD via facsimile.
    (6) If the applicant does not provide a copy of the code of 
conduct, and its implementation methodology in its application, or is 
not listed by HUD as having already submitted such documentation, the 
application will not be eligible for funding through this NOFA.
    f. The following sub-sections of Section III of the General Section 
are hereby incorporated by reference. The applicant must comply with 
each of the incorporated threshold requirements in order to be eligible 
for funding, including:
    (1) Ineligible Applicants;
    (2) DUNS Number Requirement;

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    (3) Compliance with Fair Housing and Civil Rights Laws;
    (4) Conducting Business In Accordance with Core Values and Ethical 
Standards;
    (5) Delinquent Federal Debts;
    (6) Pre-Award Accounting System Surveys;
    (7) Name Check Review;
    (8) False Statements;
    (9) Prohibition Against Lobbying Activities; and
    (10) Debarment and Suspension.
    3. Certification of Certain Thresholds.
    a. Certification by Application. The SF-424, ``Application for 
Federal Assistance,'' is the cover sheet to the application. By 
manually or electronically signing the SF-424, the applicant certifies 
that the following thresholds have been met:
    (1) The Main Street Area rejuvenation effort:
    (a) Is carried out within the jurisdiction of the applicant;
    (b) Involves the development of affordable housing that is located 
in the commercial area that is the subject of the rejuvenation effort; 
and
    (c) Has as its purpose the revitalization or redevelopment of a 
historic or traditional commercial area.
    (2) A portion of the Main Street affordable housing project units 
will be reserved for very low-income initial occupants.
    (3) Historic preservation requirements in Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) will be fulfilled, 
where applicable.
    (4) Environmental requirements stated in the NOFA will be 
fulfilled.
    (5) Building standards stated in the NOFA will be fulfilled.
    (6) Relocation requirements under the Uniform Relocation Assistance 
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (URA) will be 
fulfilled.
    (7) Fair Housing, Civil Rights, and Section 3 requirements will be 
followed and fulfilled.
    4. Program Requirements.
    a. Main Street Area Recognition by HUD. The applicant must have, 
within the applicant's jurisdiction, a HUD-recognized Main Street Area 
rejuvenation effort that involves affordable housing. In order to be 
recognized by HUD, a Main Street Area rejuvenation effort must:
    (1) Be located within a definable Main Street Area (See Section I.D 
of this NOFA);
    (2) Have as its purpose the rejuvenation or redevelopment of a 
historic or traditional commercial area;
    (3) Involve investment or other participation by BOTH the local 
government and locally located private entities;
    (4) Comply with historic preservation requirements as directed by 
the cognizant State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) or, if such 
historic preservation requirements are not applicable, to preserve 
significant traditional, architectural, and design features in the 
project structures or Main Street Area; and
    (5) Include the development of the Main Street affordable housing 
project that is proposed and described in the application for a grant 
under this NOFA.
    b. Main Street Affordable Housing Project (Project). The ``Main 
Street affordable housing project'' is the collection of affordable 
housing units that are rejuvenated or developed in the Main Street Area 
using funds obtained through this NOFA and related match funds. The 
project must:
    (1) Involve the construction or rehabilitation of affordable 
housing units. The number of units that will be developed through this 
NOFA must at least equal the number of units stated in form HUD-52861, 
``HOPE VI Main Street Application Data Sheet,'' on the ``Unit Mix and 
Accessibility Summary, Post-Revitalization'' page;
    (2) Be located within the boundaries of the applicant's Main Street 
Area; and
    (3) NOT replace demolished or otherwise disposed of public housing 
units.
    c. Program Schedule. The application requires a Program Schedule 
for the applicant's Project. The Program Schedule must reflect the 
Reasonable Time-Frame and Development Proposal time requirements stated 
in Section VI.B of this NOFA.
    d. Requirements During the Initial Occupancy Period.
    (1) Initial residents of affordable rental units and initial 
resident purchasers of affordable homeownership units must be subject 
to the same rules regarding occupant contribution toward rental or 
purchase, and basic terms of rental or purchase, as residents of HOPE 
VI development public housing units. Site-based waiting lists, resident 
job or training requirements, and other occupancy requirements that are 
allowed under Section 24 of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 (1937 Act) may 
be applied to the units.
    (2) The project owner entity is not required to develop and 
maintain mandatory PHA documentation; e.g., the PHA Plans as described 
in 24 CFR part 903, etc. However, before the project is initially 
rented, the ownership entity must determine, develop, and obtain HUD 
approval of a written statement of its rent determination and occupancy 
policies.
    (3) Public housing, HUD HOME, or Low-Income Housing Tax Credit 
rental requirements are not mandatory under the Main Street program, 
but may be used as examples for such policies. Such examples are 
located at 24 CFR 903.7(d) and 24 CFR 903.7(f). If other government 
programs are used in connection with the applicant's Main Street grant 
activities, such requirements apply to the extent required by the other 
programs.
    e. Main Street Homeownership. The initial sale of an affordable 
homeownership unit to a third-party, low-income purchaser must take 
place in accordance with Section 24 of the 1937 Act. Providing 
homeownership counseling to residents is mandatory if the application 
includes development of homeownership units.
    f. Use Restrictions. PROJECT UNITS MUST BE MAINTAINED AS AFFORDABLE 
HOUSING ONLY FOR THE PERIOD OF INITIAL RENTAL OCCUPANCY OR THE INITIAL 
RESIDENT'S OWNERSHIP. The applicant may elect to apply use restrictions 
for a longer period, or in excess, of this requirement.
    g. Leveraging Other Resources.
    (1) The Main Street Area rejuvenation effort must have community 
support from government and the private sector. Leverage, or the 
contribution of funds or in-kind services from sources other than a 
grant that results from this NOFA, demonstrates this support. See 
``Leverage'' in ``Definitions,'' Section I.D of this NOFA. To measure 
the amount of support that the Main Street Area rejuvenation effort 
has, this NOFA includes a Leverage rating factor. See Rating Factor 
3(c) in Section V.A.3 of this NOFA.
    (2) Unlike grant and match funds from this NOFA, Leverage is not 
limited to the funding of affordable housing development. Leverage can 
include contributions that have been made to, or are firmly committed 
to, the Main Street Area rejuvenation effort as a whole. It can include 
past or future funding for other affordable housing, retail supportive 
services, jobs, and other economic development that is part of the Main 
Street Area rejuvenation effort. Other examples of uses for Leverage 
funds include, but are not limited to:
    (a) The acquisition of existing housing units that will become 
affordable housing, but do not require rehabilitation, including 
associated costs, such as appraisals, surveys, tax settlements, broker 
fees, and other closing costs;
    (b) Off-site site improvements that are contiguous to the site;
    (c) Demolition;

[[Page 35855]]

    (d) Restoration of the Main Street affordable housing project 
facade when facade rehabilitation is not an integral part of the 
project's rehabilitation;
    (e) Rehabilitation of retail space in the Main Street affordable 
housing project, even if this rehabilitation is not an integral part of 
the rehabilitation of the rental areas of the project;
    (f) Rehabilitation of retail space elsewhere in the Main Street 
Area;
    (g) Funding of Reserves; e.g., the Initial Operating Reserve 
necessary for financial viability during the initial affordable housing 
occupancy period, Replacement Reserves, etc.;
    (h) Homeownership financial assistance, e.g., write-down of 
homeownership unit development costs and downpayment assistance;
    (i) Other uses that relate directly to the Main Street affordable 
housing project;
    (j) Site improvements, e.g., repaving streets or upgrading streets 
or sidewalks with brick or cobblestone, adding ``boulevard'' islands, 
etc.;
    (k) Legal and administrative fees and costs; and
    (l) Other uses that do not relate directly to the Main Street 
affordable housing project, but do relate to the Main Street Area 
rejuvenation effort.
    h. Transfer of Title for Tax Credits. The original owner entity of 
Main Street affordable housing project properties may transfer title 
to, or commit to a long-term lease with, an owner entity partnership 
that includes the original owner, the applicant, an equity partner and, 
when appropriate, other partners, for the purpose of obtaining Low-
Income or Historic Tax Credit equity as a leverage resource. Such a 
transfer, excluding legal fees, is an allowable grant activity. See 
Section IV.E of this NOFA for limits on the sale of real property.
    i. Section 106 Historic Preservation Requirements. Grantees may not 
commit HUD funds until HUD has completed the historic preservation 
review and consultation process under Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 470f) and its implementing 
regulation, 36 CFR part 800, as applicable, in accordance with 
environmental review requirements under 24 CFR part 50. See https://
www.achp.gov/ for details on the Section 106 review process.
    j. Environmental Requirements.
    (1) HUD's notification of award to a selected applicant constitutes 
a preliminary approval by HUD, subject to HUD's completion of an 
environmental review of proposed sites in accordance with 24 CFR part 
50. Selection for participation (preliminary approval) does not 
constitute approval of the proposed site(s).
    (2) Your application constitutes a certification that you, the 
applicant, will supply HUD with all available, relevant information 
necessary for HUD to perform any environmental review required by 24 
CFR part 50 for each property; will carry out mitigating measures 
required by HUD or, if mitigation is not feasible, select alternate 
eligible property; and will not acquire, rehabilitate, convert, 
demolish, lease, repair, or construct property, nor commit or expend 
HOPE VI, other HUD or other non-HUD funds, for these program activities 
with respect to any eligible property, until you receive written HUD 
approval of the property.
    (3) Each proposal will be subject to a HUD environmental review, in 
accordance with 24 CFR part 50, and the proposal may be modified or the 
proposed sites rejected as a result of that review.
    (4) Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments. If you are 
selected for funding, you must have a Phase I environmental site 
assessment completed in accordance with the ASTM Standards E 1527-05, 
as amended (see https://www.astm.org). The results of the Phase I 
assessment must be included in the documents that must be provided to 
HUD for the environmental review. If the Phase I assessment recognizes 
environmental concerns or if the results are inconclusive, a Phase II 
environmental site assessment will be required.
    (5) Mitigating and remedial measures. You must carry out any 
mitigating/remedial measures required by HUD. If a remediation plan, 
where required, is not approved by HUD and a fully funded contract with 
a qualified contractor licensed to perform the required type of 
remediation is not executed, HUD reserves the right to determine that 
the grant is in default.
    (6) Your application constitutes a certification that there are not 
any environmental or public policy factors, such as sewer moratoriums, 
that would preclude development in the requested Main Street Area.
    (7) Note that environmental requirements for this NOFA are found in 
24 CFR part 50, which requires HUD environmental approval. Please note 
that 24 CFR part 58, which allows State and local governments to assume 
Federal environmental responsibilities, is not applicable.
    (8) HUD's environmental Web site is located at https://www.hud.gov/
offices/cpd/environment/index.cfm.
    k. Building Standards.
    (1) Building Codes. All activities that include construction, 
rehabilitation, lead-based paint removal, and related activities must 
meet or exceed local building codes. The applicant is encouraged to 
read the policy statement and Final Report of the HUD Review of Model 
Building Codes that identify the variances between the design and 
construction requirements of the Fair Housing Act and several model 
building codes. That report can be found on the HUD Web site at https://
www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/disabilities/modelcodes/.
    (2) Deconstruction. HUD encourages the applicant to design programs 
that incorporate sustainable construction and demolition practices, 
such as the dismantling or ``deconstruction'' of housing units, 
recycling of demolition debris, and reusing of salvage materials in new 
construction. ``A Guide to Deconstruction'' can be found at https://
www.huduser.org/publications/destech/decon.html.
    (3) Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH). HUD 
encourages the applicant to use PATH technologies in the construction 
and delivery of affordable housing. PATH is a voluntary initiative that 
seeks to accelerate the creation and widespread use of advanced 
technologies to improve radically the quality, durability, 
environmental performance, energy efficiency, and affordability of our 
nation's housing.
    (a) The goal of PATH is to achieve dramatic improvement in the 
quality of U.S. housing by the year 2010. PATH encourages leaders from 
the home building, product manufacturing, insurance, and financial 
industries and representatives from Federal agencies dealing with 
housing issues to work together to spur housing design and construction 
innovations. PATH will provide technical support in design and cost 
analysis of advanced technologies to be incorporated in project 
construction.
    (b) Applicants are encouraged to employ PATH technologies to exceed 
prevailing national building practices by:
    (i) Reducing costs;
    (ii) Improving durability;
    (iii) Increasing energy efficiency;
    (iv) Improving disaster resistance; and
    (v) Reducing environmental impact.
    (c) More information, including a list of technologies, the latest 
PATH Newsletter, results from field demonstrations, and descriptions of 
PATH projects can be found at https://www.pathnet.org.
    (4) Energy Efficiency.
    (a) New construction and rehabilitation must comply with the

[[Page 35856]]

2003 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2003), which 
incorporates American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air 
Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 90.1 2001 by reference for high-rise 
multifamily housing.
    (i) IECC 2003 Administrative Guidance. IECC 2003 applies to all 
construction and rehabilitation of residential and commercial property. 
The standard contains exceptions that allow for its reasonable 
application to Main Street NOFA activities.
    (A) IECC 2003 Section ``101.2.2.3 Historic buildings. The 
provisions of this code * * * shall not be mandatory for existing 
buildings or structures specifically identified and classified as 
historically significant by the State or local jurisdiction, listed in 
The National Register of Historic Places, or which have been determined 
to be eligible for such listing.''
    (B) IECC 2003 Section ``101.2.3 Mixed occupancy. [For mixed-use 
buildings,] * * * each portion of the building shall conform to the 
requirements for the occupancy housed therein. Buildings [with more 
than two housing units] with a height of four or more stories above 
grade shall be considered commercial buildings * * * regardless of the 
number of floors that are classified as residential.'' That is, if 
there is a store in the building, that part of the building is 
considered commercial. The rest of the building would incorporate low-
rise residential requirements.
    (C) IECC 2003 Section ``101.2.2.2 Additions, alterations or 
repairs. Additions [and rehabilitation of a building or portion of a 
building] * * * shall conform to the provisions of this code * * * 
without requiring the unaltered portions(s) of the existing system to 
comply with all of the requirements of this code. Additions [or 
rehabilitation] shall not cause any one of the aforementioned and 
existing systems to become unsafe, hazardous or overloaded.''
    (b) Where local or State energy-related building codes exceed the 
above standards, new construction and rehabilitation must comply with 
those local or State standards.
    (c) The applicant must use new technologies that will conserve 
energy and decrease operating costs, where cost effective. Examples of 
such technologies include:
    (i) Geothermal heating and cooling;
    (ii) Placement of buildings and size of eaves that take advantage 
of the directions of the sun throughout the year;
    (iii) Photovoltaics (technologies that convert light into 
electrical power);
    (iv) Extra insulation;
    (v) Smart windows;
    (vi) Energy Star appliances; and
    (vii) Combined heat and power (cogeneration).
    (5) Universal Design. HUD encourages the applicant to incorporate 
the principles of universal design in the construction or 
rehabilitation of housing, retail establishments, and community 
facilities, and when communicating with community residents at public 
meetings or events. Universal Design is the design of products and 
environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent 
possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. The 
intent of Universal Design is to simplify life for everyone by making 
products, communications, and the built environment more usable by as 
many people as possible at little or no extra cost. Universal Design 
benefits people of all ages and abilities. Examples include designing 
wider doorways, installing levers instead of doorknobs, and putting 
bathtub/shower grab bars in all units. Computers and telephones can 
also be set up in ways that enable as many residents as possible to use 
them. The Department has a publication that contains a number of ideas 
about how the principles of Universal Design can benefit persons with 
disabilities. To order a copy of ``Strategies for Providing 
Accessibility and Visitability for HOPE VI and Mixed Finance 
Homeownership,'' go to the publications and resource page of the HOPE 
VI Web site at https://www.huduser.org/publications/pubasst/
strategies.html.
    (6) Energy Star. HUD has adopted a wide-ranging energy action plan 
for improving energy efficiency in all program areas. As a first step 
in implementing the energy plan, HUD, the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA), and the Department of Energy have signed a partnership to 
promote energy efficiency in HUD's affordable housing efforts and 
programs. The purpose of the Energy Star partnership is to promote 
energy efficiency of the affordable housing stock, but also to help 
protect the environment. Applicants constructing, rehabilitating, or 
maintaining housing or community facilities are encouraged to promote 
energy efficiency in design and operations. They are urged especially 
to build to Energy Star qualifications and to purchase and use Energy 
Star-labeled products. Applicants providing housing assistance or 
counseling services are encouraged to promote Energy Star building to 
homebuyers and renters. Program activities can include developing 
Energy Star promotional and informational materials, outreach to low- 
and moderate-income renters and buyers on the benefits and savings when 
using Energy Star products and appliances, and promoting the 
designation of community buildings and homes as Energy Star compliant. 
For further information about Energy Star, see https://
www.energystar.gov or call (888) STAR-YES ((888) 782-7937) or, for the 
hearing-impaired, (888) 588-9920 (TTY).
    l. Lead-Based Paint. The applicant must comply with lead-based 
paint evaluation and reduction requirements as provided for under the 
Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 U.S.C. 4821, et seq.), 
the EPA's Pre-Renovation Education Rule (40 CFR 745, subpart E), HUD's 
Lead Safe Housing Rule (24 CFR 35, subparts B-R), and the Lead 
Disclosure Rule (24 CFR 35, subpart A), which addresses documents 
provided to pre-1978 housing owners regarding lead paint or hazard 
testing or lead hazard reduction activities, as they may be amended or 
revised from time to time. The applicant will be responsible for lead-
based paint evaluation and reduction activities for housing constructed 
prior to 1978. The National Lead Information Hotline is (800) 424-5323.
    m. Labor Standards. Davis-Bacon wage rates do NOT apply to grants 
from this NOFA, with the following exceptions:
    (1) If other Federal programs are used in connection with the 
applicant's HOPE VI Main Street activities, Davis-Bacon requirements 
apply to the extent required by the other Federal programs.
    (2) If any grant funds from an award through this NOFA are expended 
by a PHA, acting as a developer, partnering with a developer, or as a 
partner in an ownership entity partnership, Davis-Bacon wage rates will 
apply to laborers and mechanics (other than volunteers under 24 CFR 
part 70) employed in development of all housing units, and HUD-
determined wage rates will apply to laborers and mechanics (other than 
volunteers) employed in the operation of all housing units, regardless 
of whether such units are public housing or non-public housing.
    n. Relocation Requirements. The Uniform Relocation Assistance and 
Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1979 (42 U.S.C. 4601-4655), 
implementing regulations at 49 CFR part 24, and ``Handbook CPD 02-08, 
Guidance on the Application of the Uniform Relocation Assurance and 
Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (URA), as amended in 
HOPE VI Projects'' apply to anyone who is displaced as a result of 
acquisition,

[[Page 35857]]

rehabilitation, or demolition due to a HUD-assisted activity.
    o. Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Requirements. Fair Housing 
and Equal Opportunity requirements stated in Section III.C of the 
General Section apply as referenced in this NOFA. In addition, the 
following requirement applies:
    (1) Accessibility Requirements.
    (a) All ``multifamily'' HOPE VI developments, defined as projects 
with more than five units, are subject to the accessibility 
requirements contained in several Federal laws, as implemented in 24 
CFR part 8. PIH Notice 2003-31, available at https://www.hud.gov/
offices/pih/publications/notices/ and subsequent updates, provide an 
overview of all pertinent laws and implementing regulations pertaining 
to HOPE VI.
    (b) Generally, for substantial rehabilitation of projects with more 
than 15 housing units, or new construction of a multifamily project, at 
least 5 percent of the units, or one unit, whichever is greater, must 
be accessible to persons with mobility impairments. An additional 2 
percent, but not less than one unit, must be made accessible for 
persons with hearing or vision impairment. See, in particular, 24 CFR 
parts 8.20 through 8.32.
    (c) In addition, under the Fair Housing Act, all new construction 
of covered multifamily buildings must contain certain features of 
accessible and adaptable design. The relevant accessibility 
requirements are provided on HUD's FHEO Web site at https://www.hud.gov
/groups/fairhousing.cfm. Units covered are all those in elevator 
buildings with four or more units and all ground floor units in 
buildings without elevators. See also ``program accessibility'' at 
https://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/disabilities/
sect504faq.cfm#anchor263905. This section is in addition to, and does 
not replace, other non-HUD accessibility requirements to which the 
applicant local government may be subject.
    p. Procurement. City governments are required to follow the 
procurement regulations at 24 CFR 85.36. State and local procurement 
requirements apply to the extent required by those governments.
    5. General Section References. The following subsections of Section 
III of the General Section are hereby incorporated by reference:
    a. Additional Nondiscrimination and Other Requirements;
    (1) Civil Rights Laws, including the Americans with Disabilities 
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.);
    (2) The Age Discrimination Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.); 
and
    (3) Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 
1681 et seq.)
    b. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing;
    c. Economic Opportunities for Low- and Very Low-Income Persons 
(Section 3);
    d. Ensuring the Participation of Small Businesses, Small 
Disadvantaged Businesses, and Women-Owned Businesses;
    e. Relocation;
    f. Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons 
With Limited English Proficiency (LEP);
    g. Executive Order 13279, Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-
Based and Community Organizations;
    h. Accessible Technology;
    i. Procurement of Recovered Materials;
    j. Participation in HUD-Sponsored Program Evaluation;
    k. Executive Order 13202, Preservation of Open Competition and 
Government Neutrality Towards Government Contractors' Labor Relations 
on Federal and Federally Funded Construction Projects;
    l. Salary Limitation for Consultants;
    m. OMB Circulars and Government-wide Regulations Applicable to 
Financial Assistance Programs;
    n. Environmental Requirements;
    o. Conflict of Interest;
    p. Drug-Free Workplace; and
    q. Safeguarding Resident/Client Files.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    A. Addresses to Request Application Package. This section describes 
how you may obtain application forms, additional information about the 
General Section of this NOFA, and technical assistance.
    1. Copies of this published NOFA and related application forms may 
be downloaded from the Grants.gov Web site at https://www.grants.gov/
applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. If you have difficulty accessing the 
information, you may receive customer support from Grants.gov by 
calling the help line at (800) 518-GRANTS ((800) 518-4726) or by 
sending an e-mail to support@grants.gov. The operators will assist you 
in accessing the information. If you do not have Internet access and 
need to obtain a copy of this NOFA, you can contact HUD's NOFA 
Information Center toll-free at (800) HUD-8929. Persons with hearing or 
speech impairments may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 
(800) 877-8339.
    2. The published Federal Register document is the official document 
that HUD uses to evaluate applications. Therefore, if there is a 
discrepancy between any materials published by HUD in its Federal 
Register publications and other information provided in paper copy, 
electronic copy, or at https://www.grants.gov, the Federal Register 
publication prevails. Please be sure to review the application 
submission against the requirements in this NOFA.
    B. Content and Form of Application Submission.
    1. Number of Applications Permitted. Each applicant may submit only 
one application.
    2. Joint Applications. Joint applications are not permitted. 
However, the applicant may enter into subgrant agreements with procured 
developers, other partners, nonprofit organizations, State governments, 
or other local governments to perform the activities proposed under the 
application.
    3. General Format and Length of Application.
    a. Applicant Name. The applicant's official name is the name that 
is submitted to Grants.gov on the form SF-424. (Note: Applicants must 
enter their legal name in box 8.a. of the SF-424 as it appears in the 
Central Contractor Register (CCR). See the General Section regarding 
CCR registration).
    b. Electronic Format.
    (1) General.
    (a) Sections of the application are as listed below.
    (b) In accordance with the General Section, applications are to be 
submitted electronically via https://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_
for_grants.jsp. See the General Section for additional instructions.
    (2) File Names.
    (a) The name of each submission file should include the information 
below so that a HUD reviewer will be able to identify it as part of the 
application:
    (i) Short version of applicant's name, e.g., town, city, county/
parish, etc., and State; and
    (ii) The word ``Narrative'' or ``Attachment,'' as applicable, and 
the Section letter(s) (A through U) that are included in the file, as 
listed below.
    (b) Examples of file names are ``AtlantaGANarrative SectionD--
ABC.doc'' and ``NewYorkNYAttachment SectionM--KL.pdf.'' Do not include 
spaces in the file names. Replace spaces with underscore marks.
    (3) Summary and Rating Factor Narrative Files.
    (a) In the Application Package, the form SF-424, ``Application for 
Federal

[[Page 35858]]

Assistance,'' should be completed first. Other Exhibits are part of the 
Application Instructions that you will download from Grants.gov, which 
are described in Sections IV.B.5 through 6 and in the ``Rating 
Factors,'' Section V.A of this NOFA. The following instructions apply 
to those Narrative Exhibits.
    (b) Each narrative submission file must be formatted so it can be 
read by MS Word (version 9 or earlier).
    (c) Each Narrative Exhibit, for each section of the application, 
should be contained in a separate file, as listed in Section IV.A.3.d 
of this NOFA, directly below.
    (d) Narrative Exhibit Title Pages. HUD will use title pages to 
identify each section of the application. Each Narrative Exhibit file 
should contain one title page (the first page of the file. Do not 
create title pages separately from the documents they go with). 
Provided the information on the title page is limited to the list in 
section (i) below, the title pages will not be counted when HUD 
determines the length of each Narrative Exhibit, or the overall length 
of the Narrative Exhibits.
    (i) Each title page should contain only:
    (A) The name of the Narrative Exhibit, as described in ``File 
Names,'' Section IV.B.3.b.(2), above, e.g., ``Narrative Exhibit B: 
Executive Summary'';
    (B) The name of the applicant; and
    (C) The name of the file that contains the Narrative Exhibit.
    (4) Entering Narrative Files into the Application.
    (a) Each narrative submission file must be formatted so it can be 
read by MS Word (version 9 or earlier).
    (b) To be included in the application, each file must be entered 
into the Grants.gov ``Project Narrative Attachment Form'' located in 
the Mandatory Documents area of the ``Grant Application Package.''
    (i) After the form is open, enter your first file as the 
``Mandatory Project Narrative File.'' Add subsequent files, if any, as 
``Optional Project Narrative Files'' by clicking on ``Attach'' in the 
Attachments window.
    (5) Attachment Files.
    (a) In the Grants.gov Grant Application Package, certain form 
Attachments have been converted into documents for completion by the 
applicant on the screen. The applicant must simply fill these forms in 
and submit them. Other Attachments are part of Grants.gov Application 
Instructions and are defined in this Section IV of this NOFA. The 
following instructions apply to those Attachments.
    (b) Each Attachment file must be formatted so it can be read by MS 
Word (.doc), MS Excel (.xls) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). See the General 
Section for format version specifications.
    (c) Downloaded files, e.g., forms HUD-52861 and HUD-52825A, should 
be submitted in their original format.
    (d) Existing and third-party documents, e.g., Main Street Plan, 
maps, and drawings, should be submitted in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, 
or faxed using the HUD Facsimile Transmittal (HUD-96011) form.
    (e) You must complete these Attachments in stand-alone computer 
applications, such as MS Excel. To include these downloaded Attachments 
in the application, you must enter each Attachment's file into the 
Grants.gov ``Other Attachments Form,'' which is located in the 
Mandatory Documents area of the Grant Application Package.
    (i) After the form is open, enter your first file as the 
``Mandatory Other Attachment.'' Add subsequent files, if any, as 
``Optional Other Attachments'' by clicking on ``Attach'' in the 
Attachments window.
    c. Maximum Length of Application.
    (1) There is no overall maximum application length. However, there 
are maximum page limits for specific parts of the application. Pages 
beyond the below listed limits will not be reviewed. Page limits are as 
follows:
    (a) All of the Narrative Sections' responses together, including 
the Rating Factor responses, are limited to a maximum of 20 pages;
    (b) The Program Schedule is limited to a maximum of one page;
    (c) The Main Street Area Map, including identification of all 
project sites, is limited to a maximum of one page. The map may be 
hand-drawn, but must be approximately to scale and must be of 
sufficient quality to be legible at 11 x 17 
printed size. Computer-Aided Design software is not necessary;
    (d) The representative affordable housing unit layout is limited to 
a maximum of one page; and
    (e) Applicant Team Resumes are limited to a maximum of five pages. 
More than one resume may be placed on each page.
    (2) Page Definition and Layout.
    (a) A page is the electronic equivalent of an 8\1/2\ x 
11 paper page, with one-inch top, bottom, left, and right 
margins.
    (b) For .doc files, a ``page'' contains a maximum of 23 double-
spaced lines. The length of each line is limited to 6\1/2\ inches. The 
font must be 12-point Times New Roman. Each page must be numbered. The 
page numbers may be within the bottom one inch of the page, e.g., in 
the footer area.
    (c) Third-party and existing documents converted into PDF format 
may retain their original page layout. They must not be shrunk to fit 
more than one original page on each application page. To add page 
numbers to PDF files using Adobe Acrobat 6, click on Document; Add 
Headers & Footers; Footer; Align Right; and Insert Page Number. Page 
numbers may also be added manually.
    (d) Pages of HUD forms and certification formats furnished by HUD 
must remain as numbered by HUD. These forms do not count toward any 
page limits.
    d. List of Application Sections and Related Documents.
    (1) Summary Information:
    (a) Section A: Application for Federal Assistance, form SF-424;
    (b) Section B: Executive Summary;
    (2) Rating Factor Responses:
    (a) Section C: Rating Factor 1, Capacity, Narrativ