Notice of Solicitation of Applications for the Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants for Fiscal Year 2016, 81279-81292 [2015-32784]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Rural Housing Service

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81279-81292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32784]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service


Notice of Solicitation of Applications for the Section 533 
Housing Preservation Grants for Fiscal Year 2016

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service (RHS), an Agency within Rural 
Development, announces that it is soliciting competitive applications 
under its Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program. This action is 
taken to comply with Agency regulations found in 7 CFR part 1944, 
subpart N, which requires the Agency to announce the opening and 
closing dates for receipt of pre-applications for HPG funds from 
eligible applicants.

DATES: The closing deadline for receipt of all pre-applications in 
response to this Notice is 5:00 p.m., local time for each Rural 
Development State Office on February 12, 2016. Rural Development State 
Office locations can be found at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. The application should be submitted to the Rural 
Development State Office where the project will be located. If 
submitting the pre-application in electronic format, the closing 
deadline for receipt is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on February 12, 
2016. The application closing deadline

[[Page 81280]]

is firm as to date and hour. RHS will not consider any application that 
is received after the closing deadline. Applicants intending to mail 
applications must provide sufficient time to permit delivery on or 
before the closing deadline date and time. Acceptance by the United 
States Postal Service or private mailer does not constitute delivery. 
Facsimile (FAX) and postage due applications will not be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, applicants 
may contact Jeaneane Shelton, Finance and Loan Analyst, Multi-Family 
Housing Preservation and Direct Loan Division, USDA Rural Development, 
STOP 0781, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-0781, 
telephone (202) 720-5443 (voice) (this is not a toll free number) or 
(800) 877-8339 (TDD-Federal Information Relay Service) or via email at, 
jeaneane.shelton@wdc.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

    Federal Agency Name: USDA Rural Housing Service.
    Funding Opportunity Title: Housing Preservation Grants.
    Announcement Type: Notice.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.433.
    Dates: February 12, 2016.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The reporting requirements contained in this Notice have been 
approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Control Number 
0575-0115.

A. Program Description

    The HPG program is a grant program, authorized under 42 U.S.C. 
1490m and implemented at 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N, which provides 
qualified public agencies, private non-profit organizations including, 
but not limited to, faith-based and neighborhood partnerships, and 
other eligible entities, grant funds to assist low- and very low-income 
homeowners in repairing and rehabilitating their homes in rural areas. 
In addition, the HPG program assists rental property owners and 
cooperative housing complexes in rural areas in repairing and 
rehabilitating their units if they agree to make such units available 
to low- and very low-income persons.

B. Federal Award Information

    The funding instrument for the HPG program will be a grant 
agreement. The term of the grant can vary from 1 to 2 years, depending 
on available funds and demand. No maximum or minimum grant levels have 
been established at the National level. In accordance with 7 CFR 
1944.652, coordination and leveraging of funding for repair and 
rehabilitation activities with housing and community development 
organizations or activities operating in the same geographic area are 
expected, but not required. You should contact the Rural Development 
State Office to determine the allocation. HPG applicants who were 
previously selected for HPG funds are eligible to submit new 
applications to apply for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 HPG program funds. New 
HPG applications must be submitted for the renewal or supplementation 
of existing HPG repair and/or rehabilitation projects that will be 
completed with FY 2016 HPG funds.
    For FY 2016, the amount of funding available for the HPG Program 
can be found at the following link: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/housing-preservation-grants. Priorities such as Rural Economic 
Area Partnership Zones and other funds will be distributed under a 
formula allocation to states pursuant to 7 CFR part 1940, subpart L, 
``Methodology and Formulas for Allocation of Loan and Grant Program 
Funds.'' Decisions on funding will be based on pre-application scores. 
Anyone interested in submitting an application for funding under this 
program is encouraged to consult the Rural Development Web site 
periodically for updated information regarding the status of funding 
authorized for this program.
    The commitment of program dollars will be made to selected 
applicants that have fulfilled the necessary requirements for 
obligation.

C. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants. Eligible entities for these competitively 
awarded grants include state and local governments, non-profit 
corporations, which may include, but not be limited to faith-based and 
community organizations, Federally recognized Indian tribes, and 
consortia of eligible entities. HPG applicants who were previously 
selected for HPG funds are eligible to submit new applications to apply 
for FY 2016 HPG program funds. More eligibility requirements can be 
found at 7 CFR 1944.658, 1944.661, and 1944.662.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching. Pursuant to 7 CFR 1944.652, grantees 
are expected to coordinate and leverage funding for repair and 
rehabilitation activities, as well as replacement housing, with housing 
and community development organizations or activities operating in the 
same geographic area. While HPG funds may be leveraged with other 
resources, cost sharing or matching is not a requirement that the HPG 
applicant do so as the HPG applicant would not be denied an award of 
HPG funds if all other project selection criteria have been met.
    3. Other. Awards made under this Notice are subject to the 
provisions contained in the Consolidated and Further Appropriations Act 
2015, Pub.L. 113-235, sections 738 and 739 regarding corporate felony 
convictions and corporate Federal tax delinquencies. To comply with 
these provisions, only selected applicants that are or propose to be 
corporations will submit this form as part of their pre-application. 
Form AD-3030 can be found here: https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad3030.

D. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Applicants wishing to 
submit a paper application in response to this Notice must contact the 
Rural Development State Office serving the State of the proposed HPG 
housing project in order to receive further information and copies of 
the paper application package. You may find the addresses and contact 
information for each State Office following this web link, https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. Rural Development will date 
and time stamp incoming paper applications to evidence timely receipt 
and, upon request, will provide the applicant with a written 
acknowledgment of receipt. You may access the electronic grant pre-
application for Housing Preservation Grants at: https://www.grants.gov.
    2. Content and Form of Application: 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N 
provides details on what information must be contained in the pre-
application package. Entities wishing to apply for assistance should 
contact the Rural Development State Office to receive further 
information, the State allocation of funds, and copies of the pre-
application package. Unless otherwise noted, applicants wishing to 
apply for assistance must make its statement of activities available to 
the public for comment. The applicant(s) must announce the availability 
of its statement of activities for review in a newspaper of general 
circulation in the project area and allow at least 15 days for public 
comment. The start of this 15-day period must occur no later than 16 
days prior to the last day for acceptance of pre-applications by the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Rural Development. Federally 
recognized Indian tribes, pursuant to 7 CFR 1944.674, are exempt from 
the

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requirement to consult with local leaders including announcing the 
availability of its statement of activities for review in a newspaper.
    All applicants will file an original and two copies of Standard 
Form (SF) 424, ``Application for Federal Assistance,'' and supporting 
information with the appropriate Rural Development State Office. A pre-
application package, including SF-424, is available in any Rural 
Development State Office. All pre-applications shall be accompanied by 
the following information which Rural Development will use to determine 
the applicant's eligibility to undertake the HPG program and to 
evaluate the pre-application under the project selection criteria of 7 
CFR 1944.679.
    (a) A statement of activities proposed by the applicant for its HPG 
program as appropriate to the type of assistance the applicant is 
proposing, including:
    (1) A complete discussion of the type of and conditions for 
financial assistance for housing preservation, including whether the 
request for assistance is for a homeowner assistance program, a rental 
property assistance program, or a cooperative assistance program;
    (2) The process for selecting recipients for HPG assistance, 
determining housing preservation needs of the dwelling, performing the 
necessary work, and monitoring/inspecting work performed;
    (3) A description of the process for identifying potential 
environmental impacts in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.672 and the 
provisions for compliance with Stipulation I, A-G of the Programmatic 
Memorandum of Agreement, also known as PMOA, (RD Instruction 2000-FF, 
available in any Rural Development State Office) in accordance with 7 
CFR 1944.673(b);
    (4) The development standard(s) the applicant will use for the 
housing preservation work; and, if not the Rural Development standards 
for existing dwellings, the evidence of its acceptance by the 
jurisdiction where the grant will be implemented;
    (5) The time schedule for completing the program;
    (6) The staffing required to complete the program;
    (7) The estimated number of very low- and low-income minority and 
nonminority persons the grantee will assist with HPG funds; and, if a 
rental property or cooperative assistance program, the number of units 
and the term of restrictive covenants on their use for very low- and 
low-income;
    (8) The geographical area(s) to be served by the HPG program;
    (9) The annual estimated budget for the program period based on the 
financial needs to accomplish the objectives outlined in the proposal. 
The budget should include proposed direct and indirect administrative 
costs, such as personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, 
contracts, and other cost categories, detailing those costs for which 
the grantee proposes to use the HPG grant separately from non-HPG 
resources, if any. The applicant budget should also include a schedule 
(with amounts) of how the applicant proposes to draw HPG grant funds, 
i.e., monthly, quarterly, lump sum for program activities, etc.;
    (10) A copy of an indirect cost proposal when the applicant has 
another source of Federal funding in addition to the Rural Development 
HPG program;
    (11) A brief description of the accounting system to be used;
    (12) The method of evaluation to be used by the applicant to 
determine the effectiveness of its program which encompasses the 
requirements for quarterly reports to Rural Development in accordance 
with 7 CFR 1944.683(b) and the monitoring plan for rental properties 
and cooperatives (when applicable) according to 7 CFR 1944.689;
    (13) The source and estimated amount of other financial resources 
to be obtained and used by the applicant for both HPG activities and 
housing development and/or supporting activities;
    (14) The use of program income, if any, and the tracking system 
used for monitoring same;
    (15) The applicant's plan for disposition of any security 
instruments held by them as a result of its HPG activities in the event 
of its loss of legal status;
    (16) Any other information necessary to explain the proposed HPG 
program; and
    (17) The outreach efforts outlined in 7 CFR 1944.671(b).
    (b) Complete information about the applicant's experience and 
capacity to carry out the objectives of the proposed HPG program.
    (c) Evidence of the applicant's legal existence, including, in the 
case of a private non-profit organization, which may include, but not 
be limited to, faith-based and community organizations, a copy of, or 
an accurate reference to, the specific provisions of State law under 
which the applicant is organized; a certified copy of the applicant's 
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws or other evidence of corporate 
existence; certificate of incorporation for other than public bodies; 
evidence of good standing from the State when the corporation has been 
in existence 1 year or more; and the names and addresses of the 
applicant's members, directors and officers. If other organizations are 
members of the applicant-organization, or the applicant is a 
consortium, pre-applications should be accompanied by the names, 
addresses, and principal purpose of the other organizations. If the 
applicant is a consortium, documentation showing compliance with 
paragraph (4)(ii) under the definition of ``organization'' in 7 CFR 
1944.656 must also be included.
    (d) For a private non-profit entity, which may include, but not be 
limited to, faith-based and community organizations, the most recent 
audited statement and a current financial statement dated and signed by 
an authorized officer of the entity showing the amounts and specific 
nature of assets and liabilities together with information on the 
repayment schedule and status of any debt(s) owed by the applicant.
    (e) A brief narrative statement which includes information about 
the area to be served and the need for improved housing (including both 
percentage and the actual number of both low-income and low-income 
minority households and substandard housing), the need for the type of 
housing preservation assistance being proposed, the anticipated use of 
HPG resources for historic properties, the method of evaluation to be 
used by the applicant in determining the effectiveness of its efforts.
    (f) A statement containing the component for alleviating any 
overcrowding as defined by 7 CFR 1944.656.
    (g) Applicant must submit an original and one copy of Form RD 1940-
20, ``Request for Environmental Information,'' prepared in accordance 
with Exhibit F-1 of RD Instruction 1944-N (available in any Rural 
Development State Office).
    (h) Applicant must also submit a description of its process for:
    (1) Identifying and rehabilitating properties listed on or eligible 
for listing on the National Register of Historic Places;
    (2) Identifying properties that are located in a floodplain or 
wetland;
    (3) Identifying properties located within the Coastal Barrier 
Resources System; and
    (4) Coordinating with other public and private organizations and 
programs that provide assistance in the rehabilitation of historic 
properties (Stipulation I, D, of the PMOA, RD

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Instruction 2000-FF, available as an electronic document and in any 
Rural Development State Office).
    (i) The applicant must also submit evidence of the State Historic 
Preservation Office's, (SHPO), concurrence in the proposal, or in the 
event of non-concurrence, a copy of SHPO's comments together with 
evidence that the applicant has received the Advisory Council on 
Historic Preservation's advice as to how the disagreement might be 
resolved, and a copy of any advice provided by the Council.
    (j) The applicant must submit written statements and related 
correspondence reflecting compliance with 7 CFR 1944.674(a) and (c) 
regarding consultation with local government leaders in the preparation 
of its program and the consultation with local and state government 
pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order 12372.
    (k) The applicant is to make its statement of activities available 
to the public for comment prior to submission to Rural Development 
pursuant to 7 CFR 1944.674(b). The application must contain a 
description of how the comments (if any were received) were addressed.
    (1) The applicant must submit an original and one copy of Form RD 
400-1, ``Equal Opportunity Agreement,'' and Form RD 400-4, ``Assurance 
Agreement,'' in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.676.
    Applicants should review 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N for a 
comprehensive list of all application requirements.
    3. Address unique entity identifier and System for Award Management 
(SAM). As part of the application, all applicants, except for 
individuals or agencies excepted under 2 CFR 25.110(d), must be: (1) 
Registered in the System for Award Management (SAM); (2) provide a 
valid unique entity identifier in its applications; and (3) maintain an 
active SAM registration with current information at all times during 
which it has an active Federal award or application. An award may not 
be made to the applicant until the applicant has complied with the 
unique entity identifier and SAM requirements.
    4. Intergovernmental Review Intergovernmental Review. The HPG 
program is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, which 
requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials.
    5. Funding Restrictions. There are no limits on proposed direct and 
indirect costs. Expenses incurred in developing pre-applications will 
be at the applicant's risk.
    6. Other Submission Requirements. To comply with the President's 
Management Agenda, the Department of Agriculture is participating as a 
partner in the Government-wide Grants.gov site. Housing Preservation 
Grants [Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance #10.433] is one of the 
programs included at this Web site. If you are an applicant under the 
Housing Preservation Grant program, you may submit your pre-application 
to the Agency in either electronic or paper format. Please be mindful 
that the pre-application deadline for electronic format differs from 
the deadline for paper format. The electronic format deadline will be 
based on Eastern Standard Time. The paper format deadline is local time 
for each Rural Development State Office.
    Users of Grants.gov will be able to download a copy of the pre- 
application package, complete it off line, and then upload and submit 
the application via the Grants.gov site. You may not email an 
electronic copy of a grant pre-application to USDA Rural Development; 
however, the Agency encourages your participation in Grants.gov.
    The following are useful tips and instructions on how to use the 
Web site:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site as well as the hours of operation. USDA Rural Development strongly 
recommends that you do not wait until the application deadline date to 
begin the application process through Grants.gov. To use Grants.gov, 
applicants must have a DUNS number.
     You may submit all documents electronically through the 
Web site, including all information typically included on the 
Application for Rural Housing Preservation Grants, and all necessary 
assurances and certifications.
     After you electronically submit your application through 
the Web site, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from 
Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number.
     RHS may request that you provide original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
     If you experience technical difficulties on the closing 
date and are unable to meet the 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) 
deadline, print out your application and submit it to your State 
Office, you must meet the closing date and local time deadline.
     Please note that you must locate the downloadable 
application package for this program by the CFDA Number or FedGrants 
Funding Opportunity Number, which can be found at https://www.grants.gov.
    In addition to the electronic pre- application at the https://www.grants.gov Web site, all applicants must complete and submit the FY 
2016 pre-application package, detailed later in this Notice, for 
Section 533 HPG. A copy of a suggested coversheet is included with this 
Notice. Applicants are encouraged to submit this pre-application 
coversheet electronically by accessing the Web site: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/housing-preservation-grants. Click on 
the Forms & Resources tab to access the ``FY 2016 Pre-application for 
Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants (HPG).''
    Applicants are encouraged but not required, to also provide an 
electronic copy of all hard copy forms and documents submitted in the 
pre-application/application package as requested by this Notice. The 
forms and documents must be submitted as read-only Adobe Acrobat PDF 
files on an electronic media such as CDs, DVDs or USB drives. For each 
electronic device that you submit, you must include a Table of Contents 
listing all of the documents and forms on that device. The electronic 
medium must be submitted to the local Rural Development State Office 
where the project will be located.

    Please Note: If you receive a loan or grant award under this 
Notice, USDA reserves the right to post all information that is not 
protected by the Privacy Act submitted as part of the pre-
application/application package on a public Web site with free and 
open access to any member of the public.

E. Application Review Information

    1. Criteria. All paper applications for Section 533 funds must be 
filed with the appropriate Rural Development State Office and all paper 
or electronic applications must meet the requirements of this Notice 
and 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N. Pre-applications determined not 
eligible and/or not meeting the selection criteria will be notified by 
the Rural Development State Office.
    2. Review and Selection Process. The Rural Development State 
Offices will utilize the following threshold project selection criteria 
for applicants in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.679:
    (a) Providing a financially feasible program of housing 
preservation assistance. ``Financially feasible'' is defined as 
proposed assistance which will be affordable to the intended recipient 
or result in affordable housing for very low- and low-income persons.
    (b) Serving eligible rural areas with a concentration of 
substandard housing for households with very low- and low-income.

[[Page 81283]]

    (c) Being an eligible applicant as defined in 7 CFR 1944.658.
    (d) Meeting the requirements of consultation and public comment in 
accordance with 7 CFR 1944.674.
    (e) Submitting a complete pre-application as outlined in 7 CFR 
1944.676.
    3. Scoring. For applicants meeting all of the requirements listed 
above, the Rural Development State Offices will use weighted criteria 
in accordance with 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N as selection for the 
grant recipients. Each pre-application and its accompanying statement 
of activities will be evaluated and, based solely on the information 
contained in the pre-application, the applicant's proposal will be 
numerically rated on each criteria within the range provided. The 
highest-ranking applicant(s) will be selected based on allocation of 
funds available to the state.
    (a) Points are awarded based on the percentage of very low-income 
persons that the applicant proposes to assist, using the following 
scale:

 
 
 
(1) More than 80%........................  20 points.
(2) 61% to 80%...........................  15 points.
(3) 41% to 60%...........................  10 points.
(4) 20% to 40%...........................  5 points.
(5) Less than 20%........................  0 points.
 

    (b) The applicant's proposal may be expected to result in the 
following percentage of HPG fund use (excluding administrative costs) 
to total cost of unit preservation. This percentage reflects maximum 
repair or rehabilitation with the least possible HPG funds due to 
leveraging, innovative financial assistance, owner's contribution or 
other specified approaches. Points are awarded based on the following 
percentage of HPG funds (excluding administrative costs) to total 
funds:

 
 
 
(1) 50% or less..........................  20 points.
(2) 51% to 65%...........................  15 points.
(3) 66% to 80%...........................  10 points.
(4) 81% to 95%...........................  5 points.
(5) 96% to 100%..........................  0 points.
 

    (c) The applicant has demonstrated its administrative capacity in 
assisting very low- and low-income persons to obtain adequate housing 
based on the following:
    (1) The organization or a member of its staff has at least one or 
more years experience successfully managing and operating a 
rehabilitation or weatherization type program: 10 points.
    (2) The organization or a member of its staff has at least one or 
more years experience successfully managing and operating a program 
assisting very low- and low-income persons obtain housing assistance: 
10 points.
    (3) If the organization has administered grant programs, there are 
no outstanding or unresolved audit or investigative findings which 
might impair carrying out the proposal: 10 points.
    (d) The proposed program will be undertaken entirely in rural areas 
outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas, also known as MSAs, identified 
by Rural Development as having populations below 10,000 or in remote 
parts of other rural areas (i.e., rural areas contained in MSAs with 
less than 5,000 population) as defined in 7 CFR 1944.656: 10 points.
    (e) The program will use less than 20 percent of HPG funds for 
administration purposes:

 
 
 
(1) More than 20%........................  Not eligible.
(2) 20%..................................  0 points.
(3) 19%..................................  1 point.
(4) 18%..................................  2 points.
(5) 17%..................................  3 points.
(6) 16%..................................  4 points.
(7) 15% or less..........................  5 points.
 

    (f) The proposed program contains a component for alleviating 
overcrowding as defined in 7 CFR 1944.656: 5 points.
    In the event more than one pre-application receives the same amount 
of points, those pre-applications will then be ranked based on the 
actual percentage figure used for determining the points. Further, in 
the event that pre-applications are still tied, then those pre-
applications still tied will be ranked based on the percentage for HPG 
fund use (low to high). Further, for applications where assistance to 
rental properties or cooperatives is proposed, those still tied will be 
further ranked based on the number of years the units are available for 
occupancy under the program (a minimum of 5 years is required). For 
this part, ranking will be based from most to least number of years.
    Finally, if there is still a tie, then a lottery system will be 
used. After the award selections are made, all applicants will be 
notified of the status of their applications by mail.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

    1. Federal Award Notices. The Agency will notify, in writing, 
applicants whose pre-applications have been selected for funding. At 
the time of notification, the Agency will advise the applicant what 
further information and documentation is required along with a timeline 
for submitting the additional information. If the Agency determines it 
is unable to select the application for funding, the applicant will be 
so informed in writing. Such notification will include the reasons the 
applicant was not selected. The Agency will advise applicants, whose 
pre-applications did not meet eligibility and/or selection criteria, of 
their review rights or appeal rights in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.682.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Rural 
Development is encouraging applications for projects that will support 
rural areas where, according to the American Community Survey data by 
census tracts, at least 20 percent of the population is living in 
persistent poverty. This emphasis will support Rural Development's 
mission of improving the quality of life for Rural Americans and 
commitment to directing resources to those who most need them. A 
persistent poverty county is a classification for counties in the 
United States that have had a relatively high rate of poverty over a 
long period.
    3. Reporting. Post-award reporting requirements can be found in the 
Grant Agreement.

G. Non-Discrimination Statement

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination 
against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the 
basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender 
identity, religion, reprisal and where applicable, political beliefs, 
marital status, familial or parental status, religion, sexual 
orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from 
any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in 
employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the 
Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or 
employment activities.)
    If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of 
discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form 
(PDF), found online at https://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-
9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of 
the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint 
form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at 
program.intake@usda.gov.
    Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech 
disabilities and you wish to file either an EEO or program complaint 
please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 
or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish).

[[Page 81284]]

    Persons with disabilities, who wish to file a program complaint, 
please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or 
by email. If you require alternative means of communication for program 
information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please 
contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Dated: December 14, 2015.
Tony J. Hernandez,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.

Fiscal Year 2016 Pre-Application for Section 533 Housing Preservation 
Grants (HPG) Instructions

    Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to submit this pre-
application form electronically by accessing the Web site: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/housing-preservation-grants. Click on 
the Forms & Resources tab to access the ``Fiscal Year 2016 Pre-
application for Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants (HPG).'' Please 
note that electronic submittals are not on a secured Web site. If you 
do not wish to submit the form electronically by clicking on the Send 
Form button, you may still fill out the form, print it and submit it 
with your application package to the State Office. You also have the 
option to save the form, and submit it on an electronic media to the 
State Office.
    Supporting documentation required by this pre-application may be 
attached to the email generated when you click the Send Form button to 
submit the form. However if the attachments are too numerous or large 
in size, the email box will not be able to accept them. In that case, 
submit the supporting documentation for this pre-application to the 
State Office with your complete application package under item IX.
    Documents Submitted, indicate the supporting documents that you are 
submitting either with the pre-application or to the State Office.

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[FR Doc. 2015-32784 Filed 12-28-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P