Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Rental Assistance for Non-Elderly Persons With Disabilities in Support of Designated Housing Plans, 72513-72518 [E8-28234]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 230 / Friday, November 28, 2008 / Notices
numbers). Prior to the application
deadline, staff at the numbers given
above, will be available to provide
general guidance, but not guidance in
actually preparing the application.
Following selection, but prior to award,
HUD staff will be available to assist in
clarifying or confirming information
that is a prerequisite to the offer of an
award by HUD. Agency contacts are
those listed in Section IV. F. above in
the Housing Voucher Management and
Operations Division, (202) 708–0744.
B. Technical Corrections to the
NOFA.
1. Technical corrections to this NOFA
will be posted on the Grants.gov Web
site.
2. Any technical corrections will also
be published in the Federal Register.
3. You are responsible for monitoring
these sites during the application
preparation period.
Dated: November 18, 2008.
Paula O. Blunt,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public
and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. E8–28237 Filed 11–26–08; 8:45 am]
VIII. Other Information
SUMMARY: This NOFA announces the
availability of approximately $15
million in one-year budget authority for
Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) for
non-elderly disabled families. This
NOFA is governed by the information
and instructions found in the Notice of
HUD’s FY2008 Notice of Funding
Availability; Policy Requirements and
General Section (General Section) to
HUD’s FY2008 NOFAs for Discretionary
Programs that HUD published in the
Federal Register on March 19, 2008 (73
FR 14882), the SuperNOFA Introduction
published on May 12, 2008 (73 FR
27032), and the correction published on
June 12, 2008, (73 FR 33446).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions regarding specific program
requirements should be directed to the
agency contact identified in this
program NOFA. Questions regarding the
March 10, 2008 (73 FR 12751) Notice of
FY2008 Opportunity to Register Early
and Other Important Information for
Electronic Application Submission Via
Grants.gov, the General Section of
March 19, 2008, the SuperNOFA
Introduction of May 12, 2008, or the
correction of June 12, 2008, should be
directed to the Office of Departmental
Grants Management and Oversight at
(202) 708–0667 (this is not a toll-free
number) or the NOFA Information
Center at (800) HUD–8929 (toll-free).
Persons with hearing or speech
impairments may access these numbers
via TTY by calling the Federal
Information Relay Service at (800) 877–
8339. The NOFA Information Center is
open between the hours of 10 a.m. and
6:30 p.m. eastern time, Monday through
Friday, except federal holidays.
A. General Section References
The following sub-sections of section
VIII. of the General Section are hereby
incorporated by reference:
1. Executive Order 13132, Federalism;
2. Public Access, Documentation, and
Disclosure;
3. Section 103 of the HUD Reform
Act.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act
The information collection
requirements contained in this
document have been approved by the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction
Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501–
3520) and assigned OMB control
numbers 2577–0169 and 2577–0083. In
accordance with the PRA, HUD may not
conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of
information unless the collection
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
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C. Environmental Impact
This NOFA provides funding under,
and does not alter the environmental
requirements of 24 CFR part 982.
Accordingly, under 24 CFR 50.19(c)(5),
the NOFA is categorically excluded
from environmental review under the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321). For
environmental review of activities
funded under this NOFA, see
requirements described in section III.C.4
above.
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BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–5228–N–01]
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
for Rental Assistance for Non-Elderly
Persons With Disabilities in Support of
Designated Housing Plans
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Public and Indian
Housing, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 for Rental
Assistance for Non-Elderly Persons with
Disabilities in Support of Designated
Housing Plans.
AGENCY:
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Through today’s publication, HUD is
making available approximately $15
million in one-year budget authority for
Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) for
non-elderly disabled families. This
funding is expected to provide
assistance to approximately 2,000 nonelderly disabled families and will
enable public housing agencies (PHAs)
to provide sufficient alternative
resources to meet the housing needs of
those non-elderly disabled families who
would have been housed by the PHA if
occupancy in a designated public
housing project or building (or portion
thereof) were not restricted to elderly
households through the approval of a
Designated Housing Plan.
As is HUD’s practice in publishing the
SuperNOFA, the NOFA published today
provides the statutory and regulatory
requirements, threshold requirements,
and other factors applicable to funding
being made available. Applicants for
assistance under this NOFA must also
refer to the 2008 General Section
published on March 19, 2008, and
subsequent supplementary information
and technical corrections noted in the
Summary section above for important
application information and
requirements (including submission
requirements) which have changed this
year.
Applicants must submit their
applications electronically through
https://www.grants.gov. If applicants
have questions concerning the
registration process, registration
renewal, assigning a new Authorized
Organization Representative, or have a
question about a NOFA requirement,
please contact HUD staff identified in
this program NOFA. HUD staff cannot
help the applicant write the application,
but can clarify requirements that are
contained in the 2008 General Section
of this Notice, and in HUD’s registration
materials.
New applicants should note that they
are required to complete a five-step
registration process in order to submit
their applications electronically. The
2008 General Section, included in the
instructions download materials on
https://www.grants.gov (Grants.gov),
provides a step-by-step explanation of
the registration process, as well as
where to find, on HUD’s Web site,
materials prepared by HUD to help
guide applicants through the
registration and application submission
process.
Applications and Instructions have
been posted to Grants.gov. HUD
encourages applicants to subscribe to
the Grants.gov free notification service.
By doing so, applicants will receive an
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e-mail notification as soon as items are
posted to the Web site. The address to
subscribe to this service is https://
www.grants.gov/search/email.do. By
joining the notification service, if a
modification is made to the NOFA,
applicants will receive an e-mail
notification that a change has been
made.
HUD encourages applicants to
carefully read the 2008 General Section
and this NOFA. Carefully following the
directions provided can make the
difference in a successful application
submission.
Overview Information
A. Federal Agency Name. Department
of Housing and Urban Development,
Office of Public and Indian Housing.
B. Funding Opportunity Title. Rental
Assistance for Non-Elderly Persons with
Disabilities in Support of Designated
Housing Plans.
C. Announcement Type: Initial
announcement.
D. Funding Opportunity Number:
OMB Approval Numbers applicable to
this NOFA are 2577–0169 and 2577–
0083.
E. Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 14.871,
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.
F. Dates:
1. Application Submission Date: The
application deadline date is January 30,
2009. Applications must be received
and validated by Grants.gov by 11:59
p.m. on the application deadline date.
The validation check can take 24 to 48
hours after an application is received by
Grants.gov. As a result, HUD strongly
encourages applicants to submit their
applications 48 to 72 hours prior to the
application deadline date. See the 2008
General Section for application
submission, faxing instructions, and
timely receipt requirements. HUD will
not accept an entire application
submitted by fax.
2. Estimated Funding Award Date.
The estimated award date will be June
or July 2009.
G. Additional Important Overview
Information:
1. This NOFA announces the
availability of $15 million in one-year
budget authority for HCVs for nonelderly disabled families in support of
Designated Housing Plans that designate
public housing units for occupancy by
elderly families only. This funding is
expected to provide assistance to
approximately 2,000 non-elderly
disabled families.
Funding made available through this
NOFA will enable non-elderly disabled
families to access affordable private
housing. The HCV funding will enable
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PHAs to provide sufficient alternative
resources to meet the housing needs of
those non-elderly disabled families who
would have been housed by the PHA if
occupancy in a designated public
housing project or building (or portion
thereof) were not restricted to elderly
households through the approval of a
Designated Housing Plan.
2. 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/.
3. Match. None required.
4. Application materials. Application
materials may be obtained from https://
www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_
grants.jsp. Any technical corrections
will be published in the Federal
Register and posted to Grants.gov.
Frequently asked questions will be
posted on HUD’s Web site at https://
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/
otherhud.cfm and https://www.hud.gov/
offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/grants/
fy08/.
5. 2008 General Section Reference.
Section I, ‘‘Funding Opportunity
Description’’ of the 2008 General
Section and subsequent supplementary
information and technical corrections
published in the Federal Register, are
hereby incorporated by reference.
6. Other 2008 General Section
References. See ‘‘Other Submission
Requirements’’ in Section IV.F. of this
NOFA and the 2008 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 $15 million in FY 2008
funds.
B. Purpose of this program. Vouchers
under this NOFA will assist non-elderly
disabled families that would have been
housed by a PHA if occupancy in the
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designated public housing project/
building (or portion thereof) were not
restricted to elderly households.
C. Legal Authority. Title II of Division
K of the Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2008 (Pub. L. 110–161) provides
appropriations for incremental vouchers
to assist non-elderly disabled families
affected by the designation of a public
housing development under section 7 of
the United States Housing Act of 1937,
as amended.
D. Definitions of Terms. The
following definitions apply to funding
available under this NOFA.
1. Designated Housing Plan. A HUDapproved Designated Housing Plan is
required of PHAs that have designated
a project/building (or portion thereof)
for occupancy by elderly families only.
Public and Indian Housing (PIH) Notice
2005–2 (HA), Requirements for
Designation of Public Housing Projects,
explains the process for such
designation. This Notice was most
recently extended by Notice PIH 2008–
10 (HA). Copies of PIH Notices
referenced in this NOFA may be
downloaded at https://www.hudclips.org.
2. Elderly Family. A family whose
head, spouse, or sole member is 62 years
or older. It may include two or more
elderly persons living together, or one or
more elderly persons living with one or
more persons determined under the
public housing agency plan to be
essential to their care or well being.
3. Non-elderly Disabled Family. A
family that does not meet the definition
of an elderly family whose head,
spouse, or sole member is a person with
disabilities.
4. Person with disabilities.
a. Has a disability as defined in
Section 223 of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 423);
b. Is determined, pursuant to
regulations issued by the Secretary, to
have a physical, mental, or emotional
impairment which: (i) Is expected to be
of long-continued and indefinite
duration; (ii) substantially impedes his
or her ability to live independently; and
(iii) is of such a nature that such ability
could be improved by more suitable
housing conditions; or
c. Has a developmental disability as
defined in Section 102 of the
Developmental Disabilities Assistance
and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C.
6001); and
d. Such term shall not exclude
persons who have the disease of
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
or any conditions arising from the
etiologic agent for acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome.
Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, no individual shall be considered
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a person with disabilities for purposes
of eligibility for low-income housing
solely on the basis of any drug or
alcohol dependence.
II. Award Information
A. Available Funds. This NOFA
announces the availability of $15
million in one-year budget authority for
HCVs for non-elderly disabled families
in support of Designated Housing Plans
that designate public housing units for
occupancy by elderly families only.
This funding is expected to provide
assistance to approximately 2,000 nonelderly disabled families.
Any funds remaining unobligated
under this NOFA will first be used to
fund any approvable applications under
HUD’s NOFA entitled Rental Assistance
for Non-Elderly Persons with Disabilities
Related to Certain Types of Section 8
Project-Based Developments and
Section 202, Section 221(d)(3) and
Section 236 Developments (Certain
Developments), for which there are
insufficient funds. Conversely, any
funds remaining unobligated after
funding approvable applications under
the Certain Developments NOFA will be
made available to fund approvable
applications under this NOFA. Further,
pursuant to the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2008, any funds
still remaining unobligated under this
announcement or the Certain
Developments NOFA will be made
available for other non-elderly disabled
families through a subsequent NOFA.
B. HCV Funding Process. HUD will
only fund one application per PHA
under this announcement. This oneapplication-per-PHA limit applies
regardless of whether or not the PHA is
a state or regional PHA.
1. Maximum Voucher Request. A PHA
may apply for only the number of
vouchers needed to house those nonelderly disabled families that otherwise
would have been housed if not for the
designation of a project/building (or
portion thereof) for occupancy by
elderly only. PHAs are limited to
applying for no more than the number
of public housing units that were
designated under an approved
Designated Housing Plan, the number of
non-elderly disabled families on the
public housing waiting list for those
units at the time of designation, or 100
vouchers, whichever is less.
2. Determination of Funding Amount
for the Applicant’s Requested Number
of Vouchers. HUD’s Housing Voucher
Financial Management Division will
determine the amount of one-year
budget authority that an applicant will
be awarded under this NOFA based on
the PHA’s per unit cost for 2008 renewal
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funding or 2009 renewal funding if
those costs are available. Administrative
fees are not included in this funding
and will be determined in accordance
with section 10 of Public and Indian
Housing (PIH) Notice 2008–15 (HA) or
a subsequent administrative fee notice
(a copy of all PIH notices referenced in
this NOFA may be downloaded at
https://www.hudclips.org). PIH Moving
to Work (MTW) agencies will be funded
under this NOFA in accordance with
their MTW agreements.
3. Unfunded Approvable
Applications. PHAs with approvable
applications that are not funded in
whole or in part due to insufficient
funds available under this NOFA will
not be funded.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants. PHAs that
currently administer a HCV program are
eligible to apply for funding under this
NOFA.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching. None
required.
C. Other Requirements.
1. Eligible Activities. HCVs awarded
under this NOFA will be subject to all
of the requirements of 24 CFR part 982
with exceptions noted in regard to
waiting list selection in section III.C.3.
MTW agencies may administer these
vouchers in accordance with their MTW
agreements unless they are inconsistent
with Appropriations Act requirements
or the requirements of this NOFA. All
PHAs (including MTW agencies) must
comply with the requirements of PIH
Letter 2007–1 (New Freedom Initiative,
Executive Order 13217: ‘‘CommunityBased Alternatives for Individuals with
Disabilities,’’ and the Housing Choice
Voucher Program) which extended
Notice PIH 2006–21 (HA) which
reinstated Notice PIH Notice 2005–5
(HA). These requirements include, but
are not limited to, re-issuance upon
turnover of these vouchers to nonelderly disabled families on the PHA’s
waiting list and entering appropriate
data into the Public and Indian Housing
Information Center (PIC). In addition,
Section 213 of the FY 2008
Appropriations Act states that amounts
available under this Act or previous
appropriations acts for tenant-based
rental assistance and used for nonelderly disabled families or for the
Family Unification Program shall, to the
extent practicable, remain available for
each respective purpose upon turnover.
2. Threshold Requirements.
a. All applicants must meet all
threshold requirements in Section III.C
of the 2008 General Section with the
following exceptions:
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72515
(1) Section III.C.2.d. (Conducting
Business in Accordance with Core
Values and Ethical Standards). To
reflect core values, all applicant PHAs
shall develop and maintain a written
code of conduct in the PHA’s
administrative plan that:
(a) Requires compliance with the
conflict of interest requirements of the
HCV program cited in 24 CFR 982.161;
and
(b) Prohibits the solicitation or
acceptance of gifts or gratuities in excess
of a nominal value by an officer or
employee of the HA or any contractor,
subcontractor, or agent of the PHA. The
PHA’s administrative plan shall state
the PHA policies concerning PHA
administrative and disciplinary
remedies for violation of the PHA code
of conduct. The PHA shall inform all
officers, employees and agents of its
organization of the PHA’s code of
conduct.
(2) Section III.C.4.b.(1) through (3)
(Specific Steps to Affirmatively
Furthering Fair Housing). The PHA
must comply with Section III.C.4.b. of
the General Section; the exceptions only
apply to providing specific steps in the
application. In addition, prior to the
application due date under this NOFA,
each applicant must submit to the
public housing director in the
applicant’s local HUD field office an
addendum to the applicant’s HCV
administrative plan that outlines
reasonable steps the applicant will take
to affirmatively further fair housing in
regard to the vouchers awarded under
this NOFA. Reasonable steps must
include: (a) Identifying non-elderly
disabled families on its public housing
waiting list that will not be housed due
to an approved or submitted Designated
Housing Plan; and (b) Inform
individuals on how to file a fair housing
complaint including the provision of the
toll free number for the Housing
Discrimination Hotline: 1–800–669–
9777. Further, an applicant must
comply with the affirmatively furthering
fair housing requirements of 24 CFR
Section 903.7(o) by: (1) Examining its
programs or proposed programs; (2)
identifying any impediments to fair
housing choice within those programs;
(3) addressing those impediments in a
reasonable fashion in view of the
resources available; (4) working with
local jurisdictions to implement any of
the jurisdiction’s initiatives to
affirmatively further fair housing that
require the PHA’s involvement; and (5)
maintaining records reflecting these
analyses and actions. Further, applicant
PHAs are encouraged to take the
following proactive steps in addressing
accessibility problems for persons with
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disabilities: (1) Where requested by an
individual, assist program applicants
and participants to gain access to
supportive services available within the
community, but not require eligible
applicants or participants to accept
supportive services as a condition of
continued participation in the program;
(2) Identify public and private funding
sources to assist participants with
disabilities in covering the costs of
structural alterations and other
accessibility features that are needed as
accommodations for their disabilities;
(3) Not deny persons who qualify for a
HCV under this program other housing
opportunities, or otherwise restrict
access to PHA programs to eligible
applicants who choose not to
participate; (4) Provide housing search
assistance; (5) In accordance with rent
reasonableness requirements, approve
higher rents to owners that provide
accessible units with structural
modifications for persons with
disabilities, and (6) Provide technical
assistance, through referrals to local fair
housing and equal opportunity offices,
to owners interested in making
reasonable accommodations or units
accessible to persons with disabilities.
b. Applications under this NOFA
must also meet the following threshold
requirements to be eligible for funding
under this NOFA.
(1) Each applicant must have a HUDapproved Designated Housing plan.
These Designated Housing Plans must
be listed on the following Web site:
https://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/
programs/ph/dhp/designated.cfm (Click
on MS-Excel file).
(2) Each applicant must meet the PIC
reporting requirements under PIH
Notice 2007–29 (HA) that will be
assessed for the month immediately
preceding the month in which the
applications under this NOFA are due.
This threshold requirement will not
apply to MTW agencies.
(3) Each applicant must have
achieved points (15 or 20) under the
Section 8 Management Assessment
Program (SEMAP) leasing indicator (24
CFR 985.3(n)) and not be designated as
troubled for its most recent assessed
fiscal year. MTW agencies that are not
required to report under SEMAP shall
be held to the 95 percent lease-up and
budget authority utilization
requirements referenced above. These
MTW agencies are required to submit a
certification with their application
certifying that they are not required to
report under SEMAP, and that they
meet the 95 percent lease-up or budget
authority utilization requirements.
(4) The PHA applicant must not have
any major unresolved program
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management findings from an Inspector
General audit, HUD management review
or Independent Public Accountant (IPA)
audit for the PHA’s HCV program or
other significant program compliance
problems (such as fair housing and/or
civil rights violations or findings) that
were not resolved prior to this NOFA’s
application deadline. Major program
management findings, or significant
program compliance problems, are those
that would cast doubt on the capacity of
the applicant to effectively administer
any new HCV funding in accordance
with applicable HUD regulatory and
statutory requirements.
(5) The PHA must not be involved in
litigation where HUD determines that
the litigation may seriously impede the
ability of the applicant to administer the
vouchers.
3. Eligible Participants. Non-elderly
disabled families that are income
eligible under 24 CFR 982.201(b)(1) and
were on the PHA’s public housing
waiting list at the time of designation
may receive a HCV awarded under this
NOFA. Such families need not be listed
on the PHA’s HCV waiting list in order
to be offered a voucher. These families
may be admitted to the HCV program as
special admissions under 24 CFR
Section 982.203. Additional information
on the eligibility requirements is located
on the following HUD Web site:
www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/
pwd/designated.cfm.
4. Environmental Review. In
accordance with 24 CFR 50.19(b)(11)
and 58.35(b)(1) of the HUD regulations,
tenant-based rental activities under this
program are categorically excluded from
the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA) and are not subject to
environmental review under the related
laws and authorities. Activities under
the homeownership option for existing
units and for units under construction at
the time the family enters into the
contract for sale are categorically
excluded from NEPA requirements and
excluded from other environmental
requirements under 24 CFR 58.5 in
accordance with 24 CFR Section
58.35(b)(5), but PHAs are responsible for
the environmental requirements in 24
CFR Section 982.626(c). With regard to
activities under the homeownership
option for units not yet under
construction at the time the family
enters into the contract for sale, the
additional environmental review
requirements referenced in 24 CFR
982.628(e), 982.631(c)(3) and 982.637(b)
also apply in addition to Section
982.626(c), and the PHA shall submit all
relevant environmental information to
the responsible entity or to HUD to
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assist in the completion of those
requirements.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
A. Addresses to Request Application
Package. Please read the 2008 General
Section under Section IV.A. for full
details on Web sites, electronic forms
and electronic applicant submission
requirements.
B. Content and Form of Application
Submission. Please carefully read
Section IV. of the 2008 General Section.
1. Content of Application under this
NOFA.
a. Each PHA must complete the
following forms:
(1) Form HUD–52515, Funding
Application, Section 8 Tenant-Based
Assistance, Rental Certificate Program,
Rental Voucher Program.
(A) When completing this form, only
complete the box for total dwelling
units under vouchers in section B. Do
not complete section C.
(B) In section D of the form, the PHA
must include the following information
related to its HUD-approved Designated
Housing Plan:
(i) The number of vouchers requested,
which may not exceed: (a) The number
of units designated for elderly families
only in its approved Designated
Housing Plan; (b) the number of nonelderly disabled families on the PHA’s
waiting list for those units at the time
of designation (which must be stated in
the application); or (c) 100 whichever is
less;
(ii) The number of previously
awarded vouchers for units designated
for elderly families only in its approved
Designated Housing Plan;
(iii) The minimum number of
vouchers that the PHA will accept if
selected under a lottery system (See
Section V.B.3. below).
(2) Form SF–424, Application for
Federal Assistance. When completing
this form, the Federal Identifier
requested in section 5a is the PHA’s five
digit number (e.g., MD035 or AK002).
PHA applicants should estimate
proposed start date and end date in
section 17. In Section 18 (Estimated
Funding), complete only 18.a and 18.g.
The amount entered in both fields
should be the total number of vouchers
requested in Section B of the form
HUD–52515 times the per housing
assistance payments unit cost for 2008
HCV renewal funding or the per unit
cost for 2009 renewal funding, if those
costs are available.
(3) Form HUD–2880, Applicant/
Recipient Disclosure/Update Report;
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(4) Form HUD–2993,
Acknowledgment of Application
Receipt;
(5) Form HUD–96011, Third Party
Documentation Facsimile Transmittal;
if applicable for cover letter;
(6) Form HUD–2991, Certification of
Consistency with the Consolidated Plan,
or a copy of the signed PHA
Certification of Compliance for its
current Annual PHA Plan; and
(7) SF–LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying
Activities, if applicable.
C. Submission Date and Time. Your
completed application must be received
and validated by Grants.gov no later
than 11:59:59 p.m. eastern time on the
application deadline date.
D. Intergovernmental Review. This
NOFA is not subject to Executive Order
12372, Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs.
E. Funding Restrictions. Funds under
this NOFA may only be used for
housing assistance for eligible
participants and may not be used for
performance of routine HCV program
functions that are reimbursed through
HCV administrative fees.
F. Other Submission Requirements.
See section IV.F.3. of the 2008 General
Section. Electronic application
submission is mandatory unless an
applicant requests, and is granted, a
waiver to the requirement. Applicants
should submit their waiver requests in
writing using e-mail. Waiver requests
must be submitted no later than 15 days
prior to the application deadline date
and should be submitted to
Danielle.L.Bastarache@hud.gov and
Phyllis.A.Smelkinson@hud.gov. The
subject line of the e-mail message
should be FY 2008 Designated Housing
NOFA Waiver Request. If an applicant
is granted a waiver, then the approval
will provide instructions for submitting
paper copies to the appropriate HUD
office(s). All paper applications must be
received by the application deadline
date to meet the requirements for timely
submission.
V. Application Review Information
A. Criteria.
1. Factors Used to Evaluate and Rate
Applications. None.
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B. Review and Selection Process.
1. Technically Acceptable
Applications. All technically acceptable
applications that meet the threshold
criteria of section III.C.2. above will be
funded to the extent funds are available.
a. Funding Priority Categories. None.
b. Order of Funding. If funding under
this NOFA is not available to fund all
applications received by the NOFA
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17:16 Nov 26, 2008
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deadline, a lottery will be used until all
funding is exhausted
c. Insufficient Funds. Not applicable.
2. Corrections to Deficient
Applications. The 2008 General Section
provides the procedures for corrections
to deficient applications. Please note
that clarifications or corrections of
technical deficiencies in accordance
with the information provided by HUD
to the applicant must be submitted
within 14 calendar days of the date of
receipt of the HUD notification.
3. Unacceptable Applications. After
the technical deficiency correction
period (as provided in the 2008 General
Section), the HUD Grants Management
Center (GMC) will disapprove PHA
applications that it determines are not
acceptable for processing. Applications
from PHAs that fall into any of the
following categories are ineligible for
funding under this NOFA and will not
be processed:
a. Any PHA that does not meet the
threshold requirements of the 2008
General Section.
b. Any PHA that does not meet the
threshold requirements of Section III.C.
c. A PHA’s whose application does
not comply with the requirements of
this NOFA after the expiration of the 14calendar day technical deficiency
correction period.
d. A PHA whose application was
submitted after the application due date.
e. A PHA whose application was not
submitted to the official place of receipt.
C. Anticipated Announcement and
Award Dates. It is anticipated that
award announcements will take place
during the month of June or July, 2009.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices. Successful
applicants will receive an award letter
from HUD. Funding will be provided to
successful applicants as an amendment
to the Annual Contributions Contract of
the applicant PHA.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive a
notification of rejection letter from the
GMC that will state the basis for the
decision. The applicant may request an
applicant debriefing. Beginning not less
than 30 days after the awards for
assistance are announced publicly,
upon receiving a written request, HUD
will provide a debriefing to the
requesting applicant. (See the 2008
General Section for additional
information regarding a debriefing.)
Applicants requesting to be debriefed
must send a written request to: Keia
Neal, Acting Director, Grants
Management Center, U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 501
School Street, SW., Suite 800,
Washington, DC 20024.
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72517
B. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements.
1. HUD’s Strategic Goals. HUD is
committed to ensuring that programs
result in the achievement of HUD’s
strategic mission. HCVs awarded under
this NOFA support the Department’s
strategic goals of: (1) Increasing
homeownership opportunities, and (2)
promoting decent, affordable housing by
expanding access to these opportunities
for non-elderly persons with
disabilities. For more information about
HUD’s Strategic Plan and Annual
Performance Plan, you may visit HUD’s
Web site at https://www.hud.gov/offices/
cfo/reports/cforept.cfm.
2. HUD Policy Priorities. HCVs
awarded under this NOFA supports
HUD’s policy of: Providing increased
homeownership and rental
opportunities for low- and moderateincome persons with disabilities.
C. Reporting. Successful applicants
(including MTW agencies) must report
the usage of voucher funds under this
NOFA through required submissions of
the form HUD–50058, Family Report.
PHAs must enter the program code
‘‘PHDES’’ on line 2n of the Family
Report for families who are assisted
with vouchers under this NOFA. PHAs
must maintain this code on the form
HUD–50058 for the duration of the
family’s participation in the HCV
program. HUD’s assessment of PHA
compliance under this NOFA will be
based on PIC system data.
VII. Agency Contacts
A. For Technical Assistance. For
answers to your questions, you may
contact the Public and Indian Housing
Resource Center at 1–800–955–2232.
Persons with hearing or speech
impairments may access this number
via TTY (text telephone) by calling the
Federal Information Relay Service at 1–
800–877–8339. (These are toll-free
numbers.) Prior to the application
deadline, staff at the numbers given
above, will be available to provide
general guidance, but not guidance in
actually preparing the application.
Following selection, but prior to award,
HUD staff will be available to assist in
clarifying or confirming information
that is a prerequisite to the offer of an
award by HUD.
VIII. Other Information
A. Paperwork Reduction Act. The
information collection requirements
contained in this document have been
approved by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3501–3520) and assigned OMB control
numbers 2577–0169 and 2577–0083. In
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accordance with the PRA, HUD may not
conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of
information unless the collection
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
B. Public Access, Documentation, and
Disclosure. See Section VIII. G. of the
2008 General Section.
C. Environmental Impact. This NOFA
provides funding under, and does not
alter the environmental requirements of
24 CFR part 982. Accordingly, under 24
CFR 50.19(c)(5), the NOFA is
categorically excluded from
environmental review under the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321). For
environmental review of activities
funded under this NOFA, see
requirements described in section III.C.4
above.
Dated: November 18, 2008.
Paula O. Blunt,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public
and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. E8–28234 Filed 11–26–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary
Proposed Renewal of Information
Collection: OMB Control Number
1091–0001, Applicant Background
Survey
Office of Civil Rights.
Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: In compliance with section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of
Civil Rights, Office of the Secretary,
Department of the Interior (DOI)
announces the proposed extension of a
public information collection and seeks
public comments on the provisions
thereof.
Consideration will be given to all
comments received by January 27, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Send your written
comments to the U.S. Department of the
Interior, Office of the Secretary, Office
of Civil Rights, Attn. John Burden,
Deputy Director, 1849 C St. NW., MS
2607 MIB, Washington, DC 20240. Send
any faxed comments to (202) 208–6112,
attn. John Burden. Comments may also
be emailed to John_Burden@ios.doi.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information on
this renewed information collection or
its Applicant Background Survey Form
should be directed to U.S. Department
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DATES:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:16 Nov 26, 2008
Jkt 217001
of the Interior, Office of the Secretary,
Office of Civil Rights, Attn. John
Burden, Deputy Director, 1849 C St.
NW., MS 2607 MIB, Washington, DC
20240. Before including your address,
phone number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
DOI is below parity with the Relevant
Civilian Labor Force representation for
many mission critical occupations. The
Department’s Strategic Human Capital
management Plan identifies the job
skills that will be needed in its current
and future workforce. The job skills it
will need are dispersed throughout its
eight bureaus and include, among
others, making visitors welcome to
various facilities, such as parks and
refuges, processing permits for a wide
variety of uses of the public lands,
collecting royalties for minerals
extracted from the public lands,
rounding-up and adopting-out wild
horses and burros found in the west,
protecting archeological and cultural
resources of the public lands, and
enforcing criminal laws of the United
States. As a result of this broad
spectrum of duties and services, the
Department touches the lives of most
Americans.
The people who deal with the
Department bring with them a wide
variety of backgrounds, cultures, and
experiences. A diverse workforce
enables the Department to provide a
measure of understanding to its
customers by relating to the diverse
background of those customers. By
including employees of all backgrounds,
all DOI employees gain a measure of
knowledge, background, experience,
and comfort in serving all of the
Department’s customers.
In order to determine if there are
barriers in our recruitment and selection
processes, DOI must track the
demographic groups that apply for its
jobs. There is no other statistically valid
method to make these determinations,
and no source of this information other
than directly from applicants. The data
collected is not provided to selecting
officials and plays no part in the merit
staffing or the selection processes. The
data collected will be used in summary
form to determine trends covering the
PO 00000
Frm 00077
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
demographic make-up of applicant
pools and job selections within a given
occupation or organizational group. The
records of those applicants not selected
are destroyed in accordance with DOI’s
records management procedures.
II. Data
(1) Title: Applicant Background
Survey.
OMB Control Number: 1091–0001.
Current Expiration Date: April 30,
2009.
Type of Review: Information
Collection Renewal.
Affected Entities: Applicants for DOI
jobs.
Estimated annual number of
respondents: 13433.
Frequency of Response: Once per job
application.
(2) Annual reporting and record
keeping burden: Average reporting
burden per application: 5 minutes.
Total annual reporting: 1119 hours.
(3) Description of the need and use of
the information: This information is
required to obtain the source of
recruitment, ethnicity, race, and
disability data on job applicants to
determine if the recruitment is
effectively reaching all aspects of
relevant labor pools and to determine if
there are proportionate acceptance rates
at various stages of the recruitment
process. Response is optional. The
information is used for evaluating
recruitment only, and plays no part in
the selection of who is hired.
III. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate
of the burden of the proposed
information collection; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility and clarity
of the information to be collected; and
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the
information collection on respondents,
including through the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Burden means the total time, effort, or
financial resources expended by persons
to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or
provide information to or for a federal
agency. This includes the time needed
to review instructions; to develop,
acquire, install and utilize technology
and systems for the purpose of
collecting, validating and verifying
information, processing and
maintaining information, and disclosing
and providing information; to train
personnel and to be able to respond to
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 230 (Friday, November 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72513-72518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-28234]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-5228-N-01]
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Rental Assistance for
Non-Elderly Persons With Disabilities in Support of Designated Housing
Plans
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian
Housing, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 for
Rental Assistance for Non-Elderly Persons with Disabilities in Support
of Designated Housing Plans.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This NOFA announces the availability of approximately $15
million in one-year budget authority for Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs)
for non-elderly disabled families. This NOFA is governed by the
information and instructions found in the Notice of HUD's FY2008 Notice
of Funding Availability; Policy Requirements and General Section
(General Section) to HUD's FY2008 NOFAs for Discretionary Programs that
HUD published in the Federal Register on March 19, 2008 (73 FR 14882),
the SuperNOFA Introduction published on May 12, 2008 (73 FR 27032), and
the correction published on June 12, 2008, (73 FR 33446).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding specific program
requirements should be directed to the agency contact identified in
this program NOFA. Questions regarding the March 10, 2008 (73 FR 12751)
Notice of FY2008 Opportunity to Register Early and Other Important
Information for Electronic Application Submission Via Grants.gov, the
General Section of March 19, 2008, the SuperNOFA Introduction of May
12, 2008, or the correction of June 12, 2008, should be directed to the
Office of Departmental Grants Management and Oversight at (202) 708-
0667 (this is not a toll-free number) or the NOFA Information Center at
(800) HUD-8929 (toll-free). Persons with hearing or speech impairments
may access these numbers via TTY by calling the Federal Information
Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. The NOFA Information Center is open
between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. eastern time, Monday through
Friday, except federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Through today's publication, HUD is making available approximately
$15 million in one-year budget authority for Housing Choice Vouchers
(HCVs) for non-elderly disabled families. This funding is expected to
provide assistance to approximately 2,000 non-elderly disabled families
and will enable public housing agencies (PHAs) to provide sufficient
alternative resources to meet the housing needs of those non-elderly
disabled families who would have been housed by the PHA if occupancy in
a designated public housing project or building (or portion thereof)
were not restricted to elderly households through the approval of a
Designated Housing Plan.
As is HUD's practice in publishing the SuperNOFA, the NOFA
published today provides the statutory and regulatory requirements,
threshold requirements, and other factors applicable to funding being
made available. Applicants for assistance under this NOFA must also
refer to the 2008 General Section published on March 19, 2008, and
subsequent supplementary information and technical corrections noted in
the Summary section above for important application information and
requirements (including submission requirements) which have changed
this year.
Applicants must submit their applications electronically through
https://www.grants.gov. If applicants have questions concerning the
registration process, registration renewal, assigning a new Authorized
Organization Representative, or have a question about a NOFA
requirement, please contact HUD staff identified in this program NOFA.
HUD staff cannot help the applicant write the application, but can
clarify requirements that are contained in the 2008 General Section of
this Notice, and in HUD's registration materials.
New applicants should note that they are required to complete a
five-step registration process in order to submit their applications
electronically. The 2008 General Section, included in the instructions
download materials on https://www.grants.gov (Grants.gov), provides a
step-by-step explanation of the registration process, as well as where
to find, on HUD's Web site, materials prepared by HUD to help guide
applicants through the registration and application submission process.
Applications and Instructions have been posted to Grants.gov. HUD
encourages applicants to subscribe to the Grants.gov free notification
service. By doing so, applicants will receive an
[[Page 72514]]
e-mail notification as soon as items are posted to the Web site. The
address to subscribe to this service is https://www.grants.gov/search/
email.do. By joining the notification service, if a modification is
made to the NOFA, applicants will receive an e-mail notification that a
change has been made.
HUD encourages applicants to carefully read the 2008 General
Section and this NOFA. Carefully following the directions provided can
make the difference in a successful application submission.
Overview Information
A. Federal Agency Name. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, Office of Public and Indian Housing.
B. Funding Opportunity Title. Rental Assistance for Non-Elderly
Persons with Disabilities in Support of Designated Housing Plans.
C. Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
D. Funding Opportunity Number: OMB Approval Numbers applicable to
this NOFA are 2577-0169 and 2577-0083.
E. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 14.871,
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.
F. Dates:
1. Application Submission Date: The application deadline date is
January 30, 2009. Applications must be received and validated by
Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. on the application deadline date. The
validation check can take 24 to 48 hours after an application is
received by Grants.gov. As a result, HUD strongly encourages applicants
to submit their applications 48 to 72 hours prior to the application
deadline date. See the 2008 General Section for application submission,
faxing instructions, and timely receipt requirements. HUD will not
accept an entire application submitted by fax.
2. Estimated Funding Award Date. The estimated award date will be
June or July 2009.
G. Additional Important Overview Information:
1. This NOFA announces the availability of $15 million in one-year
budget authority for HCVs for non-elderly disabled families in support
of Designated Housing Plans that designate public housing units for
occupancy by elderly families only. This funding is expected to provide
assistance to approximately 2,000 non-elderly disabled families.
Funding made available through this NOFA will enable non-elderly
disabled families to access affordable private housing. The HCV funding
will enable PHAs to provide sufficient alternative resources to meet
the housing needs of those non-elderly disabled families who would have
been housed by the PHA if occupancy in a designated public housing
project or building (or portion thereof) were not restricted to elderly
households through the approval of a Designated Housing Plan.
2. 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/.
3. Match. None required.
4. Application materials. Application materials may be obtained
from https://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. Any
technical corrections will be published in the Federal Register and
posted to Grants.gov. Frequently asked questions will be posted on
HUD's Web site at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/otherhud.cfm
and https://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/grants/fy08/.
5. 2008 General Section Reference. Section I, ``Funding Opportunity
Description'' of the 2008 General Section and subsequent supplementary
information and technical corrections published in the Federal
Register, are hereby incorporated by reference.
6. Other 2008 General Section References. See ``Other Submission
Requirements'' in Section IV.F. of this NOFA and the 2008 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 $15 million in FY 2008 funds.
B. Purpose of this program. Vouchers under this NOFA will assist
non-elderly disabled families that would have been housed by a PHA if
occupancy in the designated public housing project/building (or portion
thereof) were not restricted to elderly households.
C. Legal Authority. Title II of Division K of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2008 (Pub. L. 110-161) provides appropriations for
incremental vouchers to assist non-elderly disabled families affected
by the designation of a public housing development under section 7 of
the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended.
D. Definitions of Terms. The following definitions apply to funding
available under this NOFA.
1. Designated Housing Plan. A HUD-approved Designated Housing Plan
is required of PHAs that have designated a project/building (or portion
thereof) for occupancy by elderly families only. Public and Indian
Housing (PIH) Notice 2005-2 (HA), Requirements for Designation of
Public Housing Projects, explains the process for such designation.
This Notice was most recently extended by Notice PIH 2008-10 (HA).
Copies of PIH Notices referenced in this NOFA may be downloaded at
https://www.hudclips.org.
2. Elderly Family. A family whose head, spouse, or sole member is
62 years or older. It may include two or more elderly persons living
together, or one or more elderly persons living with one or more
persons determined under the public housing agency plan to be essential
to their care or well being.
3. Non-elderly Disabled Family. A family that does not meet the
definition of an elderly family whose head, spouse, or sole member is a
person with disabilities.
4. Person with disabilities.
a. Has a disability as defined in Section 223 of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 423);
b. Is determined, pursuant to regulations issued by the Secretary,
to have a physical, mental, or emotional impairment which: (i) Is
expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration; (ii)
substantially impedes his or her ability to live independently; and
(iii) is of such a nature that such ability could be improved by more
suitable housing conditions; or
c. Has a developmental disability as defined in Section 102 of the
Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000
(42 U.S.C. 6001); and
d. Such term shall not exclude persons who have the disease of
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or any conditions arising from the
etiologic agent for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Notwithstanding
any other provision of law, no individual shall be considered
[[Page 72515]]
a person with disabilities for purposes of eligibility for low-income
housing solely on the basis of any drug or alcohol dependence.
II. Award Information
A. Available Funds. This NOFA announces the availability of $15
million in one-year budget authority for HCVs for non-elderly disabled
families in support of Designated Housing Plans that designate public
housing units for occupancy by elderly families only. This funding is
expected to provide assistance to approximately 2,000 non-elderly
disabled families.
Any funds remaining unobligated under this NOFA will first be used
to fund any approvable applications under HUD's NOFA entitled Rental
Assistance for Non-Elderly Persons with Disabilities Related to Certain
Types of Section 8 Project-Based Developments and Section 202, Section
221(d)(3) and Section 236 Developments (Certain Developments), for
which there are insufficient funds. Conversely, any funds remaining
unobligated after funding approvable applications under the Certain
Developments NOFA will be made available to fund approvable
applications under this NOFA. Further, pursuant to the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2008, any funds still remaining unobligated under
this announcement or the Certain Developments NOFA will be made
available for other non-elderly disabled families through a subsequent
NOFA.
B. HCV Funding Process. HUD will only fund one application per PHA
under this announcement. This one-application-per-PHA limit applies
regardless of whether or not the PHA is a state or regional PHA.
1. Maximum Voucher Request. A PHA may apply for only the number of
vouchers needed to house those non-elderly disabled families that
otherwise would have been housed if not for the designation of a
project/building (or portion thereof) for occupancy by elderly only.
PHAs are limited to applying for no more than the number of public
housing units that were designated under an approved Designated Housing
Plan, the number of non-elderly disabled families on the public housing
waiting list for those units at the time of designation, or 100
vouchers, whichever is less.
2. Determination of Funding Amount for the Applicant's Requested
Number of Vouchers. HUD's Housing Voucher Financial Management Division
will determine the amount of one-year budget authority that an
applicant will be awarded under this NOFA based on the PHA's per unit
cost for 2008 renewal funding or 2009 renewal funding if those costs
are available. Administrative fees are not included in this funding and
will be determined in accordance with section 10 of Public and Indian
Housing (PIH) Notice 2008-15 (HA) or a subsequent administrative fee
notice (a copy of all PIH notices referenced in this NOFA may be
downloaded at https://www.hudclips.org). PIH Moving to Work (MTW)
agencies will be funded under this NOFA in accordance with their MTW
agreements.
3. Unfunded Approvable Applications. PHAs with approvable
applications that are not funded in whole or in part due to
insufficient funds available under this NOFA will not be funded.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants. PHAs that currently administer a HCV
program are eligible to apply for funding under this NOFA.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching. None required.
C. Other Requirements.
1. Eligible Activities. HCVs awarded under this NOFA will be
subject to all of the requirements of 24 CFR part 982 with exceptions
noted in regard to waiting list selection in section III.C.3. MTW
agencies may administer these vouchers in accordance with their MTW
agreements unless they are inconsistent with Appropriations Act
requirements or the requirements of this NOFA. All PHAs (including MTW
agencies) must comply with the requirements of PIH Letter 2007-1 (New
Freedom Initiative, Executive Order 13217: ``Community-Based
Alternatives for Individuals with Disabilities,'' and the Housing
Choice Voucher Program) which extended Notice PIH 2006-21 (HA) which
reinstated Notice PIH Notice 2005-5 (HA). These requirements include,
but are not limited to, re-issuance upon turnover of these vouchers to
non-elderly disabled families on the PHA's waiting list and entering
appropriate data into the Public and Indian Housing Information Center
(PIC). In addition, Section 213 of the FY 2008 Appropriations Act
states that amounts available under this Act or previous appropriations
acts for tenant-based rental assistance and used for non-elderly
disabled families or for the Family Unification Program shall, to the
extent practicable, remain available for each respective purpose upon
turnover.
2. Threshold Requirements.
a. All applicants must meet all threshold requirements in Section
III.C of the 2008 General Section with the following exceptions:
(1) Section III.C.2.d. (Conducting Business in Accordance with Core
Values and Ethical Standards). To reflect core values, all applicant
PHAs shall develop and maintain a written code of conduct in the PHA's
administrative plan that:
(a) Requires compliance with the conflict of interest requirements
of the HCV program cited in 24 CFR 982.161; and
(b) Prohibits the solicitation or acceptance of gifts or gratuities
in excess of a nominal value by an officer or employee of the HA or any
contractor, subcontractor, or agent of the PHA. The PHA's
administrative plan shall state the PHA policies concerning PHA
administrative and disciplinary remedies for violation of the PHA code
of conduct. The PHA shall inform all officers, employees and agents of
its organization of the PHA's code of conduct.
(2) Section III.C.4.b.(1) through (3) (Specific Steps to
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing). The PHA must comply with
Section III.C.4.b. of the General Section; the exceptions only apply to
providing specific steps in the application. In addition, prior to the
application due date under this NOFA, each applicant must submit to the
public housing director in the applicant's local HUD field office an
addendum to the applicant's HCV administrative plan that outlines
reasonable steps the applicant will take to affirmatively further fair
housing in regard to the vouchers awarded under this NOFA. Reasonable
steps must include: (a) Identifying non-elderly disabled families on
its public housing waiting list that will not be housed due to an
approved or submitted Designated Housing Plan; and (b) Inform
individuals on how to file a fair housing complaint including the
provision of the toll free number for the Housing Discrimination
Hotline: 1-800-669-9777. Further, an applicant must comply with the
affirmatively furthering fair housing requirements of 24 CFR Section
903.7(o) by: (1) Examining its programs or proposed programs; (2)
identifying any impediments to fair housing choice within those
programs; (3) addressing those impediments in a reasonable fashion in
view of the resources available; (4) working with local jurisdictions
to implement any of the jurisdiction's initiatives to affirmatively
further fair housing that require the PHA's involvement; and (5)
maintaining records reflecting these analyses and actions. Further,
applicant PHAs are encouraged to take the following proactive steps in
addressing accessibility problems for persons with
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disabilities: (1) Where requested by an individual, assist program
applicants and participants to gain access to supportive services
available within the community, but not require eligible applicants or
participants to accept supportive services as a condition of continued
participation in the program; (2) Identify public and private funding
sources to assist participants with disabilities in covering the costs
of structural alterations and other accessibility features that are
needed as accommodations for their disabilities; (3) Not deny persons
who qualify for a HCV under this program other housing opportunities,
or otherwise restrict access to PHA programs to eligible applicants who
choose not to participate; (4) Provide housing search assistance; (5)
In accordance with rent reasonableness requirements, approve higher
rents to owners that provide accessible units with structural
modifications for persons with disabilities, and (6) Provide technical
assistance, through referrals to local fair housing and equal
opportunity offices, to owners interested in making reasonable
accommodations or units accessible to persons with disabilities.
b. Applications under this NOFA must also meet the following
threshold requirements to be eligible for funding under this NOFA.
(1) Each applicant must have a HUD-approved Designated Housing
plan. These Designated Housing Plans must be listed on the following
Web site: https://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/dhp/designated.cfm
(Click on MS-Excel file).
(2) Each applicant must meet the PIC reporting requirements under
PIH Notice 2007-29 (HA) that will be assessed for the month immediately
preceding the month in which the applications under this NOFA are due.
This threshold requirement will not apply to MTW agencies.
(3) Each applicant must have achieved points (15 or 20) under the
Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) leasing indicator (24
CFR 985.3(n)) and not be designated as troubled for its most recent
assessed fiscal year. MTW agencies that are not required to report
under SEMAP shall be held to the 95 percent lease-up and budget
authority utilization requirements referenced above. These MTW agencies
are required to submit a certification with their application
certifying that they are not required to report under SEMAP, and that
they meet the 95 percent lease-up or budget authority utilization
requirements.
(4) The PHA applicant must not have any major unresolved program
management findings from an Inspector General audit, HUD management
review or Independent Public Accountant (IPA) audit for the PHA's HCV
program or other significant program compliance problems (such as fair
housing and/or civil rights violations or findings) that were not
resolved prior to this NOFA's application deadline. Major program
management findings, or significant program compliance problems, are
those that would cast doubt on the capacity of the applicant to
effectively administer any new HCV funding in accordance with
applicable HUD regulatory and statutory requirements.
(5) The PHA must not be involved in litigation where HUD determines
that the litigation may seriously impede the ability of the applicant
to administer the vouchers.
3. Eligible Participants. Non-elderly disabled families that are
income eligible under 24 CFR 982.201(b)(1) and were on the PHA's public
housing waiting list at the time of designation may receive a HCV
awarded under this NOFA. Such families need not be listed on the PHA's
HCV waiting list in order to be offered a voucher. These families may
be admitted to the HCV program as special admissions under 24 CFR
Section 982.203. Additional information on the eligibility requirements
is located on the following HUD Web site: www.hud.gov/offices/pih/
programs/hcv/pwd/designated.cfm.
4. Environmental Review. In accordance with 24 CFR 50.19(b)(11) and
58.35(b)(1) of the HUD regulations, tenant-based rental activities
under this program are categorically excluded from the requirements of
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and are not
subject to environmental review under the related laws and authorities.
Activities under the homeownership option for existing units and for
units under construction at the time the family enters into the
contract for sale are categorically excluded from NEPA requirements and
excluded from other environmental requirements under 24 CFR 58.5 in
accordance with 24 CFR Section 58.35(b)(5), but PHAs are responsible
for the environmental requirements in 24 CFR Section 982.626(c). With
regard to activities under the homeownership option for units not yet
under construction at the time the family enters into the contract for
sale, the additional environmental review requirements referenced in 24
CFR 982.628(e), 982.631(c)(3) and 982.637(b) also apply in addition to
Section 982.626(c), and the PHA shall submit all relevant environmental
information to the responsible entity or to HUD to assist in the
completion of those requirements.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Addresses to Request Application Package. Please read the 2008
General Section under Section IV.A. for full details on Web sites,
electronic forms and electronic applicant submission requirements.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission. Please carefully
read Section IV. of the 2008 General Section.
1. Content of Application under this NOFA.
a. Each PHA must complete the following forms:
(1) Form HUD-52515, Funding Application, Section 8 Tenant-Based
Assistance, Rental Certificate Program, Rental Voucher Program.
(A) When completing this form, only complete the box for total
dwelling units under vouchers in section B. Do not complete section C.
(B) In section D of the form, the PHA must include the following
information related to its HUD-approved Designated Housing Plan:
(i) The number of vouchers requested, which may not exceed: (a) The
number of units designated for elderly families only in its approved
Designated Housing Plan; (b) the number of non-elderly disabled
families on the PHA's waiting list for those units at the time of
designation (which must be stated in the application); or (c) 100
whichever is less;
(ii) The number of previously awarded vouchers for units designated
for elderly families only in its approved Designated Housing Plan;
(iii) The minimum number of vouchers that the PHA will accept if
selected under a lottery system (See Section V.B.3. below).
(2) Form SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. When
completing this form, the Federal Identifier requested in section 5a is
the PHA's five digit number (e.g., MD035 or AK002). PHA applicants
should estimate proposed start date and end date in section 17. In
Section 18 (Estimated Funding), complete only 18.a and 18.g. The amount
entered in both fields should be the total number of vouchers requested
in Section B of the form HUD-52515 times the per housing assistance
payments unit cost for 2008 HCV renewal funding or the per unit cost
for 2009 renewal funding, if those costs are available.
(3) Form HUD-2880, Applicant/Recipient Disclosure/Update Report;
[[Page 72517]]
(4) Form HUD-2993, Acknowledgment of Application Receipt;
(5) Form HUD-96011, Third Party Documentation Facsimile
Transmittal; if applicable for cover letter;
(6) Form HUD-2991, Certification of Consistency with the
Consolidated Plan, or a copy of the signed PHA Certification of
Compliance for its current Annual PHA Plan; and
(7) SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, if applicable.
C. Submission Date and Time. Your completed application must be
received and validated by Grants.gov no later than 11:59:59 p.m.
eastern time on the application deadline date.
D. Intergovernmental Review. This NOFA is not subject to Executive
Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.
E. Funding Restrictions. Funds under this NOFA may only be used for
housing assistance for eligible participants and may not be used for
performance of routine HCV program functions that are reimbursed
through HCV administrative fees.
F. Other Submission Requirements. See section IV.F.3. of the 2008
General Section. Electronic application submission is mandatory unless
an applicant requests, and is granted, a waiver to the requirement.
Applicants should submit their waiver requests in writing using e-mail.
Waiver requests must be submitted no later than 15 days prior to the
application deadline date and should be submitted to
Danielle.L.Bastarache@hud.gov and Phyllis.A.Smelkinson@hud.gov. The
subject line of the e-mail message should be FY 2008 Designated Housing
NOFA Waiver Request. If an applicant is granted a waiver, then the
approval will provide instructions for submitting paper copies to the
appropriate HUD office(s). All paper applications must be received by
the application deadline date to meet the requirements for timely
submission.
V. Application Review Information
A. Criteria.
1. Factors Used to Evaluate and Rate Applications. None.
B. Review and Selection Process.
1. Technically Acceptable Applications. All technically acceptable
applications that meet the threshold criteria of section III.C.2. above
will be funded to the extent funds are available.
a. Funding Priority Categories. None.
b. Order of Funding. If funding under this NOFA is not available to
fund all applications received by the NOFA deadline, a lottery will be
used until all funding is exhausted
c. Insufficient Funds. Not applicable.
2. Corrections to Deficient Applications. The 2008 General Section
provides the procedures for corrections to deficient applications.
Please note that clarifications or corrections of technical
deficiencies in accordance with the information provided by HUD to the
applicant must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the date of
receipt of the HUD notification.
3. Unacceptable Applications. After the technical deficiency
correction period (as provided in the 2008 General Section), the HUD
Grants Management Center (GMC) will disapprove PHA applications that it
determines are not acceptable for processing. Applications from PHAs
that fall into any of the following categories are ineligible for
funding under this NOFA and will not be processed:
a. Any PHA that does not meet the threshold requirements of the
2008 General Section.
b. Any PHA that does not meet the threshold requirements of Section
III.C.
c. A PHA's whose application does not comply with the requirements
of this NOFA after the expiration of the 14-calendar day technical
deficiency correction period.
d. A PHA whose application was submitted after the application due
date.
e. A PHA whose application was not submitted to the official place
of receipt.
C. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates. It is anticipated that
award announcements will take place during the month of June or July,
2009.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices. Successful applicants will receive an award
letter from HUD. Funding will be provided to successful applicants as
an amendment to the Annual Contributions Contract of the applicant PHA.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive a notification of rejection
letter from the GMC that will state the basis for the decision. The
applicant may request an applicant debriefing. Beginning not less than
30 days after the awards for assistance are announced publicly, upon
receiving a written request, HUD will provide a debriefing to the
requesting applicant. (See the 2008 General Section for additional
information regarding a debriefing.) Applicants requesting to be
debriefed must send a written request to: Keia Neal, Acting Director,
Grants Management Center, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 501 School Street, SW., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20024.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements.
1. HUD's Strategic Goals. HUD is committed to ensuring that
programs result in the achievement of HUD's strategic mission. HCVs
awarded under this NOFA support the Department's strategic goals of:
(1) Increasing homeownership opportunities, and (2) promoting decent,
affordable housing by expanding access to these opportunities for non-
elderly persons with disabilities. For more information about HUD's
Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan, you may visit HUD's Web
site at https://www.hud.gov/offices/cfo/reports/cforept.cfm.
2. HUD Policy Priorities. HCVs awarded under this NOFA supports
HUD's policy of: Providing increased homeownership and rental
opportunities for low- and moderate-income persons with disabilities.
C. Reporting. Successful applicants (including MTW agencies) must
report the usage of voucher funds under this NOFA through required
submissions of the form HUD-50058, Family Report. PHAs must enter the
program code ``PHDES'' on line 2n of the Family Report for families who
are assisted with vouchers under this NOFA. PHAs must maintain this
code on the form HUD-50058 for the duration of the family's
participation in the HCV program. HUD's assessment of PHA compliance
under this NOFA will be based on PIC system data.
VII. Agency Contacts
A. For Technical Assistance. For answers to your questions, you may
contact the Public and Indian Housing Resource Center at 1-800-955-
2232. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number
via TTY (text telephone) by calling the Federal Information Relay
Service at 1-800-877-8339. (These are toll-free numbers.) Prior to the
application deadline, staff at the numbers given above, will be
available to provide general guidance, but not guidance in actually
preparing the application. Following selection, but prior to award, HUD
staff will be available to assist in clarifying or confirming
information that is a prerequisite to the offer of an award by HUD.
VIII. Other Information
A. Paperwork Reduction Act. The information collection requirements
contained in this document have been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520) and assigned OMB control numbers 2577-0169
and 2577-0083. In
[[Page 72518]]
accordance with the PRA, HUD may not conduct or sponsor, and a person
is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the
collection displays a currently valid OMB control number.
B. Public Access, Documentation, and Disclosure. See Section VIII.
G. of the 2008 General Section.
C. Environmental Impact. This NOFA provides funding under, and does
not alter the environmental requirements of 24 CFR part 982.
Accordingly, under 24 CFR 50.19(c)(5), the NOFA is categorically
excluded from environmental review under the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321). For environmental review of
activities funded under this NOFA, see requirements described in
section III.C.4 above.
Dated: November 18, 2008.
Paula O. Blunt,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. E8-28234 Filed 11-26-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P
