Request for Proposals: Multi-Family Housing Transfer and Prepayment Technical Assistance Grants, 8418-8422 [2018-03900]
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8418
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 83, No. 39
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
ongoing return on the public’s
investment in rural areas.
The grant funds must be used to assist
eligible loan applicants with specific
transactions to acquire Section 515
projects with maturing mortgages under
the pilot program. Grant funds are
available for obligation through
September 30, 2018.
DATES:
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
Request for Proposals: Multi-Family
Housing Transfer and Prepayment
Technical Assistance Grants
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Rural Housing Service, USDA.
Notice.
This Request for Proposal
(RFP or Notice) announces an
availability of funds and the timeframe
to submit proposals for Multi-Family
Housing (MFH) Transfer and
Prepayment Technical Assistance (TA)
grants. Section 771 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2017 appropriated
$1,000,000 to provide grants to qualified
non-profit organizations and public
housing authorities (PHA). Selected
grantees will use the funds to provide
financial and legal TA to the Rural
Housing Service (RHS) MFH loan
applicants to facilitate the acquisition of
RHS Section 515 properties with
maturing Rural Development (RD)
mortgages, in areas at risk of losing
affordable housing. Consistent with
Section 771 and the pilot program
initiated by RHS on March 1, 2017
(available at: www.rd.usda.gov/files/
RDUL-Nonprofit.pdf), this RFP is
soliciting proposals from qualified nonprofit organizations and PHA to provide
TA to MFH loan applicants who are
qualified non-profit organizations and
PHA with their acquisitions of Section
515 properties with maturing mortgages.
Work performed under these grants is
expected to result in an increased
submission of quality applications for
transfers of Section 515 properties to
eligible non-profit and PHA loan
applicants as defined in RD regulations.
Furthermore, it will result in the
preservation and continued availability
of decent, safe, and sanitary housing for
eligible Rural Rental Housing (RRH)
tenants and maximize the Government’s
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SUMMARY:
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February 27, 2018.
Complete proposals should
be addressed to Mirna Reyes-Bible,
Finance and Loan Analyst, Preservation
and Direct Loan Division, STOP 0781
(Room 1243–S), USDA Rural
Development, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250–
0781 and must be received by 5:00 p.m.
Eastern Daylight Time March 29, 2018
(deadline).
You should contact a U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) Rural
Development State Office if you have
questions. You are encouraged to
contact your State Office well in
advance of the proposal deadline to ask
any questions about the process. Contact
information for State Offices can be
found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/
contact-us/state-offices.
Program guidance as well as
application guidance may be obtained
at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/multi-family-housing-directloans.
Please review the grants.gov website
at: https://grants.gov/applicants/
organization/registration.jsp for
instructions on the process of registering
your organization as soon as possible to
ensure you are able to meet the proposal
deadline. Proposals received after the
deadline will not be evaluated.
RHS will date and time stamp
incoming proposals to evidence timely
receipt and; upon request, will provide
the responding entities with a written
acknowledgement of receipt.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mirna Reyes-Bible, Finance and Loan
Analyst, Preservation and Direct Loan
Division, STOP 0781 (Room 1243–S),
USDA Rural Development, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Washington,
DC 20250–0781, telephone: (202) 720–
1753 (this is not a toll free number), or
via email: mirna.reyesbible@
wdc.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Overview Information
Federal Agency Name: Rural Housing
Service.
Funding Opportunity Title: Request
for Proposals: Multi-Family Housing
Transfer and Prepayment Technical
Assistance Grants.
Announcement Type: Initial
Announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance: 10.447.
Dates: The deadline for receipt of all
proposals in response to this RFP is 5:00
p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on March
29, 2018.
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act, the paperwork burden
associated with this Notice has been
approved by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control
Number 0570–0006.
Funding Opportunity Description
The TA grants authorized under this
Notice are for the purpose of facilitating
the transfer and preservation of existing
RRH properties with maturing
mortgages under Section 515 of the
Housing Act of 1949, as amended. RHS
regulations for the Section 515 program
are published at 7 CFR part 3560.
Proposals must demonstrate the
responding entity’s experience and
expertise in all aspects of acquisition
and rehabilitation of affordable MFH
properties and their demonstrated
capacity to provide advisory services in
affordable housing. All responding
entities must project the net Return on
Investment (ROI) of the grant funds
being requested to demonstrate the
relative effectiveness and efficiency of
grantee’s proposed Statement of Work
(SOW) for future Agency decisions and
program revisions.
Responding entities may submit
separate requests involving properties in
multiple local areas. For the purpose of
this Notice, responding entities may and
are encouraged to submit a grant
proposal for multiple local areas
provided they are within the same
region as described in this section. A
responding entity may apply to more
than one region; however, separate
proposals must be submitted for each
region. Entities interested in responding
to this Notice must consult with the
Rural Development State Director in the
proposal’s region to develop a list of
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targeted local areas in their respective
State Office jurisdictions. To effectively
represent the geographic diversity of
projects within the RD portfolio the
Agency will consider and score all
proposals on a regional basis. RHS
intends to award at least one grant for
each of the four geographic regions
listed below.
North-East: CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH,
NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VI, WV
South: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, NC,
OK, MS, PR, SC, TN, TX, VI
Mid-West: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO,
NE, ND, OH, SD, WI
West: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV,
NM, OR, UT, WA, WY, WP
I. Award Information
RHS will evaluate and score the grant
applications according to the criteria set
forth in this Notice. RHS will select
grantees based on the scoring as well as
the goal of achieving the highest number
of different grantees, areas and loan
applicants, and cost-efficiency. The
maximum award within a region will be
$250,000. The maximum total
expenditure for all TA services,
including administrative costs, per
project is $40,000.
RHS has the authority under the Act
to utilize up to 100 percent of the
Section 771 appropriation for MFH TA
grants. Funds not obligated to initial
awardees by June 1, 2018, may be
awarded to other non-profit and/or PHA
applicants waiting for the TA grants
based on scoring.
When selecting a grantee, RHS may
request changes to the SOW (see Part III
of this Notice). Grantees must execute a
Grant Agreement that will, among other
things, incorporate a SOW (see Part III
of this Notice) agreed to by the RHS. If
the selected grantee does not accept the
terms of RHS and/or does not deliver an
executed Grant Agreement to RHS
within ten business days after receiving
the Grant Agreement with the agreed
upon SOW, RHS may choose to rescind
the award and select another grantee
without further notice.
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II. Eligibility Information
Eligibility for grants under this Notice
is limited to non-profit organizations
and PHAs meeting the requirements
specified in this Notice.
A. Expertise and Capacity
Eligible grantees must have the
knowledge, ability, technical expertise,
practical experience, and capacity
necessary to develop and package
Section 515 property transfer
transactions. They must also be able to
demonstrate the ability to provide TA to
non-profits and/or PHAs to facilitate
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their acquisition of Section 515
properties, including, but not limited to,
the submission of loan application
packages. In addition, all eligible
grantees must possess the ability to
exercise leadership, organize work, and
prioritize assignments to meet work
demands in a timely and cost efficient
manner. Eligible grantees will include a
proposed SOW (see Section III of this
Notice) which will be evaluated as part
of any eligibility qualification and
award determination.
B. Organization Status
Responding entities must document
each of the following in their response:
1. Status as a non-profit and/or PHA.
2. Good standing within the State you
are organized.
3. Legal authority to operate and
deliver financial and legal TA under the
applicable State law for the State(s) you
propose to deliver the TA. Examples of
acceptable documentation include but
are not limited to bylaws, organizational
charters, and statutes or regulations.
4. No current or unresolved default or
violation of any other Federal, State or
local grant or loan agreement(s).
5. Experience in providing TA for
MFH affordable housing (describe in the
SOW).
6. The requirements above will also
apply to any entity performing services
on behalf of the respondent.
III. SOW
Responding entities must submit a
detailed SOW describing each of the
following requirements:
1. An introduction/overview with a
description of your plan to provide TA
to non-profits and PHAs in the
acquisition of Section 515 properties
with maturing mortgages.
2. Explain your organization’s
capabilities to execute your plan,
focusing on the elements described in
Section II.A of this RFP.
3. Provide a timeline projection with
when, how, and to whom you intend to
provide the TA. Include a grant funds
usage projection that corresponds with
the timeline and illustrates
administrative costs in dollars, and as a
percentage of the TA services provided.
Please see Section IV for more
information regarding eligible costs.
4. Describe the types of TA you
propose to provide for non-profits and/
or PHAs to enable them to submit
successful transfer applications to RHS.
5. Describe how you will access other
funding sources for any needed
development and/or construction, repair
and rehabilitation of the MFH
properties.
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6. Describe which services you will
provide directly and which you will
provide through third parties.
7. Describe how you will identify
potential sellers of properties to be
acquired by non-profits and/or PHAs.
8. Explain your process to use grant
funds to non-profits and/or PHAs for
actual legal and financial soft cost
expenditures.
9. Describe your direct and indirect
administrative costs that would be
associated with the administration of
this grant.
10. Describe any other strength and/
or capability not included above that
you believe qualifies you to administer
this grant.
11. Project the ROI of the requested
grant funds to demonstrate the
effectiveness and efficiency of your
proposal. Describe the method being
used to project an ROI, which must
involve a detailed examination of
outputs and outcomes.
IV. Eligible Purposes
Entities responding to this Notice are
required to provide TA to non-profits
and/or PHAs acquiring Section 515
projects with maturing mortgages for
eligible expenses in any or all of the
following areas: Assisting non-profits or
PHAs locate potential Section 515
properties with maturing mortgages for
transfer; providing TA in the transfer
analysis, negotiation, underwriting, and
application process; and working with
the non-profit or PHA to identify other
financial assistance and help secure
funding from other sources for the
purpose of leveraging those funds with
RHS funds. Costs will be limited to
those that are allowed under 2 CFR part
200. The provider will need to secure
RHS’ written approval for payment of
any services not specifically listed
below.
1. Eligible purposes may include soft
costs such as legal costs, tax
consultation fee, financial analysis,
transaction structuring analysis and
documentation of other transaction
details such as Capital Needs
Assessments (CNA), appraisals, and
market surveys or other consultation,
advisory and non-construction services
the buyer may be required to provide as
part of the application process. Build
materials, labor and trades or any costs
or expenditures otherwise typically
included as any hard costs for actual
construction, repairs, prepayment,
interest or principal payments or
reductions or other costs not disclosed
to and approved by the RHS National
Office prior to being incurred will not be
eligible for payment with any of the
grant funds awarded under this Notice.
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2. Grant funds will not be used by the
provider for TA activities that are not
directly related to a specific transaction
(such as outreach, conferences, provider
personnel education/training, etc.).
3. Grant funds will not be used by the
provider for TA activities for
transactions in which they have any
direct or indirect ownership interest
(regardless of whether it is an interest as
a current or prospective owner).
4. In addition, if selected for funding,
the respondent will be required to revise
their SOW to identify any changes in
the geographic location of the targeted
areas and will submit their revised SOW
to the National Office for approval. Any
revision must not lower the initial score
used in selection. If a revision lowers
the score, it will result in a review of the
initial scores for all applications
received in the region and the grant will
be awarded to the responding entity in
the same manner as previously
prescribed in this Notice. When
submitted for approval, the respondent
must also submit a summary of their
consultation with the RD State
Directors. At grant closing, the revised
SOW will be attached to, and become a
part of, the Grant Agreement. Revision
and consultation under this paragraph is
not an eligible purpose.
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V. Proposal and Submission
Information
All proposals must be delivered in
three identical binders organized as
follows:
A. Summary
The proposal must include a
summary page listing all of the
following items. This information
should be double-spaced between items
and not be in narrative form:
A. Responding entity’s name,
B. Responding entity’s Taxpayer
Identification Number,
C. Responding entity’s address,
D. Responding entity’s telephone
number,
E. Name of responding entity’s
contact person, telephone number, and
address,
F. Amount of grant requested,
G. The MFH TA grant region for
which the proposal is submitted (i.e.,
North-East, South, Mid-West, or West),
and
H. Responding entity’s Dun and
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number, registration in
the Central Contractor Registration
(CCR) database prior to submitting a
proposal pursuant to 2 CFR 25.200(b),
and other supporting information to
substantiate their legal authority and
good standing. Organizations can
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receive a DUNS number at no cost by
calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS
Number request line at (866) 705–5711
or via the internet at https://
www.dnb.com/. Additional information
concerning this requirement can be
obtained on the grants.gov website at
https://www.grants.gov. Similarly,
respondents may register for the CCR at
https://uscontractingregistration.com or
by calling (877) 252–2700. In addition,
the responding entity must maintain
registration in the CCR database at all
times during which it has an active
Federal award or an application or plan
under construction by the Agency.
Similarly, all recipients of Federal
financial assistance are required to
report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation in
accordance with 2 CFR part 170, so long
as an entity respondent does not have
an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b),
the grantee must have the necessary
processes and systems in place to
comply with the reporting requirements
should the responding entity receive
funding. See 2 CFR 170.200(b).
B. Felonies and Federal Tax
Delinquencies
Awards made under this Notice are
subject to Sections 745 and 746 of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017
(Pub. L. 115–31) regarding corporate
felony convictions and corporate
Federal tax delinquencies. To comply
with these provisions, all respondents
must complete and include the
proposed paragraph (A) of this
representation, and all corporate
respondents also must complete
paragraphs (B) and (C) of this
representation:
(1) The responding entity: ______
[insert name] has __ has not __ (check
one) filed articles of incorporation in
one of the fifty States, the District of
Columbia, or the various territories of
the United States including American
Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia,
Guam, Midway Islands, Northern
Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Republic
of Palau, Republic of the Marshall
Islands or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(2) Neither the responding entity nor
any key principle or member of the
controlling board, council, or governing
body, ______ [insert name] has __ has
not __ (check one) been convicted of a
felony criminal violation under Federal
or State law in the 24 months preceding
the date of application. The entity
has __ has not __ (check one) had any
officer or agent of the respondent
convicted of a felony criminal violation
for actions taken on behalf of the
respondent under Federal or State law
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in the 24 months preceding the date of
the signature on the pre-application.
(3) The responding entity ______
[insert name] has __ does not have __
(check one) any unpaid Federal tax
liability that has been assessed, for
which all judicial and administrative
remedies have been exhausted or have
lapsed, and that is not being paid in a
timely manner pursuant to an
Agreement with the authority
responsible for collecting the tax
liability.
C. Organizational and Financial Status
Proposals must include organizational
status documents reflecting the criteria
in Section II.B of this Notice, as well as
financial statements to evidence the
responding entity’s status as a properly
organized private or public non-profit or
PHA and its financial ability to carry out
the objectives of the grant program. If
other entities will be working on behalf
of the grantees, working agreements
between the respondent and those
entities must be submitted as part of the
proposal and any associated cost must
be included in the responding entity’s
budget.
Responding entities must also
disclose all RHS projects in which the
respondent and or its third-party
affiliates have a direct or indirect
ownership interest.
D. Organizational Expertise and
Experience
Responding entities must provide a
capabilities statement describing the
respondent’s qualifications under
Section II.A to provide TA on Section
515 transfers and loan applications.
1. Narrative
The responding entity must include a
narrative describing its knowledge,
demonstrated ability, and practical
experience in providing training and TA
to MFH applicants of loans or grants for
the development or rehabilitation of
MFH, and the number of projects to
which they have provided such
assistance. This includes its knowledge
and demonstrated ability in estimating
development and construction costs of
MFH and for obtaining the necessary
permits and clearances.
The responding entity must also
explain why the targeted areas are at
risk for loss of affordable housing.
2. Specific MFH Experience
For purposes of demonstrating past
MFH experience of responding entities,
the Agency will consider experience
with MFH programs beyond USDA
MFH programs.
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The responding entity must identify
the types of TA they proposed to offer
will be delivered to the potential
purchasers. Proposals must identify
types of MFH financial assistance
(loans, grants, tax credits, leveraged
funding, etc.) for which the responding
entity has applied in the last 5 years, as
well as the success ratio of those
applications.
Proposals must also identify any
applications of a third-party for MFH
financial assistance where the
responding entity assisted in the
development and packaging of the
application in the last 5 years, as well
as the success ratio of those
applications.
Proposals must identify third parties
to whom the responding entity has
provided TA on applications for
financial assistance for the
development, rehabilitation or transfer
of MFH projects in the last 5 years.
Proposals must identify MFH projects
for which the responding entity assisted
in estimating transfer, development and
rehabilitation/construction costs and
obtaining permit and clearances in the
last 5 years.
Proposals must identify specific MFH
projects for which the responding entity
has been able to leverage funding from
two or more sources for transfer,
rehabilitation, or development.
For the projects and applications
above, information must be provided
concerning the number of housing units,
their size, their design, and the amount
of grant and loan funds that were
secured.
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3. Key Personnel
Proposals must include the resumes
of the Key Personnel that will perform
the day-to-day administration of this
grant. Describe each Key Personnel’s
ability to perform the proposal’s
activities, and past experience in
successfully managing grants. Also
include an organizational plan that
includes a staffing chart complete with
name, job title, salary, hours, timelines,
and descriptions of employee duties to
achieve the objectives of the grant
program.
4. Agents
If the responding entity intends to
have other entities working on its
behalf, the narrative must identify those
entities and address their ability to meet
the stated eligibility requirements.
E. SOW
Proposals must include a detailed
SOW (see Section III of this Notice). The
ROI description and method of
evaluation is an integral part of the
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SOW and is a critical component of the
selection process and is required under
the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (Pub. L. 103–62).
F. Scoring Criteria Worksheet
Proposals must include a separate
one-page information sheet listing each
of the ‘‘Proposal Scoring Criteria’’
contained in Section VI of this Notice,
followed by the page numbers of all
relevant material and documentation
that is contained in the proposal that
supports these criteria.
VI. Proposal Review Information
Only those respondents deemed to be
qualified under Sections V.A, V.B and
V.C of this Notice will be scored under
this section. The review process
designed for this RFP will evaluate the
degree to which the proposal sets forth
measurable realistic objectives that are
consistent with this Notice and can be
completed within realistic time frames
consistent with the proposal and
processing guidance established by RD
transfer regulations. Proposals will only
compete against other proposals within
the same region previously identified in
this Notice. Selection points will be
awarded as follows:
A. Key Personnel
1. Key Personnel has successful
verifiable experience performing the
requirements of this RFP:
Less than 2 years: 0 points
2–5 years: 5 points
More than 5–8 years: 10 points
More than 8–12 years: 20 points
More than 12 years: 30 points
2. Key Personnel has successful
verifiable experience managing grants
through their lifecycle:
1 or less grants: 0 points
2–4 grants: 5 points
5–8 grants: 10 points
9–12 grants: 20 points
13 or more grants: 30 points
B. Target Areas
1. The more areas the proposal
commits to targeting, the more points
will be awarded. Points will be given
based on the number of areas within a
region that the responding entity has
targeted:
5 or less targeted areas: 0 points
6 targeted areas: 5 points
7 targeted areas: 10 points
8 targeted areas: 15 points
9 or more targeted areas: 20 points
2. RHS wants the responding entity to
cover as much of the grant region as
possible and as supported by the
respective RD State Office(s). For this
reason, additional points will be
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awarded to grant proposals that target
areas in more than two States within the
same region. All responses to this
Notice only compete within the regions
previously identified. The grant
proposal commits to targeting areas in
the following number of States:
Less than 3 States: 0 points
3 or 4 States: 5 points
5 or 6 States: 10 points
7 or 8 States: 15 points
9 or more States: 20 points
C. Multifamily Housing Experience
1. The number of individually
successful (approved, obligated or
completed) multi-family loan or grant
applications the responding entity has
assisted in developing and packaging:
0–1 applications: 0 points
2–3 applications: 5 points
4–6 applications: 10 points
7–9 applications: 20 points
10 or more applications: 30 points
2. The number of clients seeking loans
or grants for the development,
rehabilitation, or transfer of multifamily projects to whom the respondent
has provided training and TA.
0–1 clients: 0 points
2–3 clients: 5 points
4–6 clients: 10 points
7–9 clients: 15 points
10 or more clients: 20 points
3. The number of multi-family
projects for which the respondent has
assisted in estimating transfer,
development and rehabilitation/
construction costs and obtaining the
necessary permits and clearances:
0 to 1 projects: 0 points
2 to 4 projects: 5 points
5 to 7 projects: 10 points
8 to 9 projects: 15 points
10 or more projects: 20 points
4. The number of times the
responding entity has been able to
leverage funding from two or more
sources for the transfer, rehabilitation,
or development of a multi-family
project.
0 to 1 times: 0 points
2 to 4 times: 5 points
5 to 10 times: 10 points
11 to 15 times: 15 points
16 or more times: 20 points
D. Administrative Costs
Administrative costs as a percentage
of grant funds used:
More than 20%: 0 points
15% or more but less 20%: 5 points
10% or more but less 15%: 15 points
5% or more but less 10%: 25 points
Less than 5%: 40 points
E. Additional Factors
In the event two or more proposals
within a region are scored with an equal
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amount of points, the Agency will make
selections based on achieving the
maximum number of areas, regions,
grantees and loan applicants being
served, as well as cost-efficiency.
All proposals received under this
Notice and grantees will be screened for
eligibility to participate in the grant
program using Treasury’s Do Not Pay
Portal in compliance with the Improper
Payments Elimination and Recovery
Improvement Act.
RHS will notify all responding
entities whether their proposal has been
accepted or rejected and provide appeal
rights under 7 CFR part 11, as
appropriate.
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Paperwork Reduction Act
The reporting requirements contained
in this Notice have been approved by
the OMB under Control Number 0575–
0181.
Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil
rights law and U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights
regulations and policies, the USDA, its
Agencies, offices, employees, and
institutions participating in or
administering USDA programs are
prohibited from discriminating based on
race, color, national origin, religion, sex,
gender identity (including gender
expression), sexual orientation,
disability, age, marital status, familial/
parental status, income derived from a
public assistance program, political
beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior
civil rights activity, in any program or
activity conducted or funded by USDA
(not all bases apply to all programs).
Remedies and complaint filing
deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means of communication for
program information (e.g., Braille, large
print, audiotape, American Sign
Language, etc.) should contact the
responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET
Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and
TTY) or contact USDA through the
Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–8339.
Additionally, program information may
be made available in languages other
than English.
To file a program discrimination
complaint, complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form, AD–
3027, found online at https://
www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_
cust.html and at any USDA office or
write a letter addressed to USDA and
provide in the letter all of the
information requested in the form. To
request a copy of the complaint form,
call (866) 632–9992, submit your
completed form or letter to USDA by:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:49 Feb 26, 2018
Jkt 244001
Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Washington,
DC 20250–9410;
Fax: (202) 690–7442; or
Email: program.intake@usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity
provider, employer, and lender.
Dated: February 15, 2018.
Curtis M. Anderson,
Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–03900 Filed 2–26–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Notice of Public Meeting of the Maine
Advisory Committee to the U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights
U.S. Commission on Civil
Rights.
ACTION: Announcement of meeting.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given,
pursuant to the provisions of the rules
and regulations of the U.S. Commission
on Civil Rights (Commission) and the
Federal Advisory Committee Act that
the Maine Advisory Committee
(Committee) will hold a meeting on
Tuesday, February 27, 2018, at 1:00 p.m.
EST for the purpose of preparing for its
public meeting on voting rights issues in
the state.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Tuesday, February 27, 2018, at 1:00 p.m.
EST
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Evelyn Bohor, at ero@usccr.gov or 202–
376–7533.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Call Information: Dial: 1–888–
724–9516, Conference ID: 315918.
Members of the public can listen to
the discussion. This meeting is available
to the public through the above listed
toll free number. Any interested
member of the public may call this
number and listen to the meeting. An
open comment period will be provided
to allow members of the public to make
a statement as time allows. The
conference call operator will ask callers
to identify themselves, the organization
they are affiliated with (if any), and an
email address prior to placing callers
into the conference room. Callers can
expect to incur regular charges for calls
they initiate over wireless lines,
according to their wireless plan. The
Commission will not refund any
incurred charges. Callers will incur no
charge for calls they initiate over landline connections to the toll-free
telephone number. Persons with hearing
impairments may also follow the
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
proceedings by first calling the Federal
Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339 and
providing the Service with the
conference call number and conference
ID number.
Members of the public are also
entitled to submit written comments;
the comments must be received in the
regional office within 30 days following
the meeting. Written comments may be
mailed to the Eastern Regional Office,
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1331
Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 1150,
Washington, DC 20425. They may also
be faxed to the Commission at (202)
376–7548, or emailed to Evelyn Bohor at
ero@usccr.gov. Persons who desire
additional information may contact the
Eastern Regional Office at (202) 376–
7533.
Records generated from this meeting
may be inspected and reproduced at the
Regional Programs Unit Office, as they
become available, both before and after
the meeting. Records of the meeting will
be available via www.facadatabase.gov
under the Commission on Civil Rights,
Maine Advisory Committee link (https://
www.facadatabase.gov/committee/
meetings.aspx?cid=252). Persons
interested in the work of this Committee
are directed to the Commission’s
website, https://www.usccr.gov, or may
contact the Regional Programs Unit
Office at the above email or street
address.
Agenda
Welcome and Roll Call
Discussion: Voting Rights in Maine
Public Comment
Future Plans and Actions
Adjournment
Exceptional Circumstance: Pursuant
to 41 CFR 102–3.150, the notice for this
meeting is given less than 15 calendar
days prior to the meeting because of the
exceptional circumstance of this
Committee doing work on the FY 2018
statutory enforcement report.
Dated: February 22, 2018.
David Mussatt,
Supervisory Chief, Regional Programs Unit.
[FR Doc. 2018–03910 Filed 2–26–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
E:\FR\FM\27FEN1.SGM
27FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8418-8422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03900]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2018 /
Notices
[[Page 8418]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
Request for Proposals: Multi-Family Housing Transfer and
Prepayment Technical Assistance Grants
AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This Request for Proposal (RFP or Notice) announces an
availability of funds and the timeframe to submit proposals for Multi-
Family Housing (MFH) Transfer and Prepayment Technical Assistance (TA)
grants. Section 771 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017
appropriated $1,000,000 to provide grants to qualified non-profit
organizations and public housing authorities (PHA). Selected grantees
will use the funds to provide financial and legal TA to the Rural
Housing Service (RHS) MFH loan applicants to facilitate the acquisition
of RHS Section 515 properties with maturing Rural Development (RD)
mortgages, in areas at risk of losing affordable housing. Consistent
with Section 771 and the pilot program initiated by RHS on March 1,
2017 (available at: www.rd.usda.gov/files/RDUL-Nonprofit.pdf), this RFP
is soliciting proposals from qualified non-profit organizations and PHA
to provide TA to MFH loan applicants who are qualified non-profit
organizations and PHA with their acquisitions of Section 515 properties
with maturing mortgages.
Work performed under these grants is expected to result in an
increased submission of quality applications for transfers of Section
515 properties to eligible non-profit and PHA loan applicants as
defined in RD regulations. Furthermore, it will result in the
preservation and continued availability of decent, safe, and sanitary
housing for eligible Rural Rental Housing (RRH) tenants and maximize
the Government's ongoing return on the public's investment in rural
areas.
The grant funds must be used to assist eligible loan applicants
with specific transactions to acquire Section 515 projects with
maturing mortgages under the pilot program. Grant funds are available
for obligation through September 30, 2018.
DATES: February 27, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Complete proposals should be addressed to Mirna Reyes-Bible,
Finance and Loan Analyst, Preservation and Direct Loan Division, STOP
0781 (Room 1243-S), USDA Rural Development, 1400 Independence Avenue
SW, Washington, DC 20250-0781 and must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Daylight Time March 29, 2018 (deadline).
You should contact a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural
Development State Office if you have questions. You are encouraged to
contact your State Office well in advance of the proposal deadline to
ask any questions about the process. Contact information for State
Offices can be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices.
Program guidance as well as application guidance may be obtained
at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/multi-family-housing-direct-loans.
Please review the grants.gov website at: https://grants.gov/applicants/organization/registration.jsp for instructions on the
process of registering your organization as soon as possible to ensure
you are able to meet the proposal deadline. Proposals received after
the deadline will not be evaluated.
RHS will date and time stamp incoming proposals to evidence timely
receipt and; upon request, will provide the responding entities with a
written acknowledgement of receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mirna Reyes-Bible, Finance and Loan
Analyst, Preservation and Direct Loan Division, STOP 0781 (Room 1243-
S), USDA Rural Development, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20250-0781, telephone: (202) 720-1753 (this is not a toll free number),
or via email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview Information
Federal Agency Name: Rural Housing Service.
Funding Opportunity Title: Request for Proposals: Multi-Family
Housing Transfer and Prepayment Technical Assistance Grants.
Announcement Type: Initial Announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: 10.447.
Dates: The deadline for receipt of all proposals in response to
this RFP is 5:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on March 29, 2018.
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the paperwork
burden associated with this Notice has been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0570-0006.
Funding Opportunity Description
The TA grants authorized under this Notice are for the purpose of
facilitating the transfer and preservation of existing RRH properties
with maturing mortgages under Section 515 of the Housing Act of 1949,
as amended. RHS regulations for the Section 515 program are published
at 7 CFR part 3560. Proposals must demonstrate the responding entity's
experience and expertise in all aspects of acquisition and
rehabilitation of affordable MFH properties and their demonstrated
capacity to provide advisory services in affordable housing. All
responding entities must project the net Return on Investment (ROI) of
the grant funds being requested to demonstrate the relative
effectiveness and efficiency of grantee's proposed Statement of Work
(SOW) for future Agency decisions and program revisions.
Responding entities may submit separate requests involving
properties in multiple local areas. For the purpose of this Notice,
responding entities may and are encouraged to submit a grant proposal
for multiple local areas provided they are within the same region as
described in this section. A responding entity may apply to more than
one region; however, separate proposals must be submitted for each
region. Entities interested in responding to this Notice must consult
with the Rural Development State Director in the proposal's region to
develop a list of
[[Page 8419]]
targeted local areas in their respective State Office jurisdictions. To
effectively represent the geographic diversity of projects within the
RD portfolio the Agency will consider and score all proposals on a
regional basis. RHS intends to award at least one grant for each of the
four geographic regions listed below.
North-East: CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VI, WV
South: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, NC, OK, MS, PR, SC, TN, TX, VI
Mid-West: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI
West: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY, WP
I. Award Information
RHS will evaluate and score the grant applications according to the
criteria set forth in this Notice. RHS will select grantees based on
the scoring as well as the goal of achieving the highest number of
different grantees, areas and loan applicants, and cost-efficiency. The
maximum award within a region will be $250,000. The maximum total
expenditure for all TA services, including administrative costs, per
project is $40,000.
RHS has the authority under the Act to utilize up to 100 percent of
the Section 771 appropriation for MFH TA grants. Funds not obligated to
initial awardees by June 1, 2018, may be awarded to other non-profit
and/or PHA applicants waiting for the TA grants based on scoring.
When selecting a grantee, RHS may request changes to the SOW (see
Part III of this Notice). Grantees must execute a Grant Agreement that
will, among other things, incorporate a SOW (see Part III of this
Notice) agreed to by the RHS. If the selected grantee does not accept
the terms of RHS and/or does not deliver an executed Grant Agreement to
RHS within ten business days after receiving the Grant Agreement with
the agreed upon SOW, RHS may choose to rescind the award and select
another grantee without further notice.
II. Eligibility Information
Eligibility for grants under this Notice is limited to non-profit
organizations and PHAs meeting the requirements specified in this
Notice.
A. Expertise and Capacity
Eligible grantees must have the knowledge, ability, technical
expertise, practical experience, and capacity necessary to develop and
package Section 515 property transfer transactions. They must also be
able to demonstrate the ability to provide TA to non-profits and/or
PHAs to facilitate their acquisition of Section 515 properties,
including, but not limited to, the submission of loan application
packages. In addition, all eligible grantees must possess the ability
to exercise leadership, organize work, and prioritize assignments to
meet work demands in a timely and cost efficient manner. Eligible
grantees will include a proposed SOW (see Section III of this Notice)
which will be evaluated as part of any eligibility qualification and
award determination.
B. Organization Status
Responding entities must document each of the following in their
response:
1. Status as a non-profit and/or PHA.
2. Good standing within the State you are organized.
3. Legal authority to operate and deliver financial and legal TA
under the applicable State law for the State(s) you propose to deliver
the TA. Examples of acceptable documentation include but are not
limited to bylaws, organizational charters, and statutes or
regulations.
4. No current or unresolved default or violation of any other
Federal, State or local grant or loan agreement(s).
5. Experience in providing TA for MFH affordable housing (describe
in the SOW).
6. The requirements above will also apply to any entity performing
services on behalf of the respondent.
III. SOW
Responding entities must submit a detailed SOW describing each of
the following requirements:
1. An introduction/overview with a description of your plan to
provide TA to non-profits and PHAs in the acquisition of Section 515
properties with maturing mortgages.
2. Explain your organization's capabilities to execute your plan,
focusing on the elements described in Section II.A of this RFP.
3. Provide a timeline projection with when, how, and to whom you
intend to provide the TA. Include a grant funds usage projection that
corresponds with the timeline and illustrates administrative costs in
dollars, and as a percentage of the TA services provided. Please see
Section IV for more information regarding eligible costs.
4. Describe the types of TA you propose to provide for non-profits
and/or PHAs to enable them to submit successful transfer applications
to RHS.
5. Describe how you will access other funding sources for any
needed development and/or construction, repair and rehabilitation of
the MFH properties.
6. Describe which services you will provide directly and which you
will provide through third parties.
7. Describe how you will identify potential sellers of properties
to be acquired by non-profits and/or PHAs.
8. Explain your process to use grant funds to non-profits and/or
PHAs for actual legal and financial soft cost expenditures.
9. Describe your direct and indirect administrative costs that
would be associated with the administration of this grant.
10. Describe any other strength and/or capability not included
above that you believe qualifies you to administer this grant.
11. Project the ROI of the requested grant funds to demonstrate the
effectiveness and efficiency of your proposal. Describe the method
being used to project an ROI, which must involve a detailed examination
of outputs and outcomes.
IV. Eligible Purposes
Entities responding to this Notice are required to provide TA to
non-profits and/or PHAs acquiring Section 515 projects with maturing
mortgages for eligible expenses in any or all of the following areas:
Assisting non-profits or PHAs locate potential Section 515 properties
with maturing mortgages for transfer; providing TA in the transfer
analysis, negotiation, underwriting, and application process; and
working with the non-profit or PHA to identify other financial
assistance and help secure funding from other sources for the purpose
of leveraging those funds with RHS funds. Costs will be limited to
those that are allowed under 2 CFR part 200. The provider will need to
secure RHS' written approval for payment of any services not
specifically listed below.
1. Eligible purposes may include soft costs such as legal costs,
tax consultation fee, financial analysis, transaction structuring
analysis and documentation of other transaction details such as Capital
Needs Assessments (CNA), appraisals, and market surveys or other
consultation, advisory and non-construction services the buyer may be
required to provide as part of the application process. Build
materials, labor and trades or any costs or expenditures otherwise
typically included as any hard costs for actual construction, repairs,
prepayment, interest or principal payments or reductions or other costs
not disclosed to and approved by the RHS National Office prior to being
incurred will not be eligible for payment with any of the grant funds
awarded under this Notice.
[[Page 8420]]
2. Grant funds will not be used by the provider for TA activities
that are not directly related to a specific transaction (such as
outreach, conferences, provider personnel education/training, etc.).
3. Grant funds will not be used by the provider for TA activities
for transactions in which they have any direct or indirect ownership
interest (regardless of whether it is an interest as a current or
prospective owner).
4. In addition, if selected for funding, the respondent will be
required to revise their SOW to identify any changes in the geographic
location of the targeted areas and will submit their revised SOW to the
National Office for approval. Any revision must not lower the initial
score used in selection. If a revision lowers the score, it will result
in a review of the initial scores for all applications received in the
region and the grant will be awarded to the responding entity in the
same manner as previously prescribed in this Notice. When submitted for
approval, the respondent must also submit a summary of their
consultation with the RD State Directors. At grant closing, the revised
SOW will be attached to, and become a part of, the Grant Agreement.
Revision and consultation under this paragraph is not an eligible
purpose.
V. Proposal and Submission Information
All proposals must be delivered in three identical binders
organized as follows:
A. Summary
The proposal must include a summary page listing all of the
following items. This information should be double-spaced between items
and not be in narrative form:
A. Responding entity's name,
B. Responding entity's Taxpayer Identification Number,
C. Responding entity's address,
D. Responding entity's telephone number,
E. Name of responding entity's contact person, telephone number,
and address,
F. Amount of grant requested,
G. The MFH TA grant region for which the proposal is submitted
(i.e., North-East, South, Mid-West, or West), and
H. Responding entity's Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number, registration in the Central Contractor
Registration (CCR) database prior to submitting a proposal pursuant to
2 CFR 25.200(b), and other supporting information to substantiate their
legal authority and good standing. Organizations can receive a DUNS
number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number
request line at (866) 705-5711 or via the internet at https://www.dnb.com/. Additional information concerning this requirement can be
obtained on the grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov. Similarly,
respondents may register for the CCR at https://uscontractingregistration.com or by calling (877) 252-2700. In
addition, the responding entity must maintain registration in the CCR
database at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an
application or plan under construction by the Agency. Similarly, all
recipients of Federal financial assistance are required to report
information about first-tier sub-awards and executive compensation in
accordance with 2 CFR part 170, so long as an entity respondent does
not have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b), the grantee must have the
necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting
requirements should the responding entity receive funding. See 2 CFR
170.200(b).
B. Felonies and Federal Tax Delinquencies
Awards made under this Notice are subject to Sections 745 and 746
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Pub. L. 115-31) regarding
corporate felony convictions and corporate Federal tax delinquencies.
To comply with these provisions, all respondents must complete and
include the proposed paragraph (A) of this representation, and all
corporate respondents also must complete paragraphs (B) and (C) of this
representation:
(1) The responding entity: ______ [insert name] has __ has not __
(check one) filed articles of incorporation in one of the fifty States,
the District of Columbia, or the various territories of the United
States including American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam,
Midway Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Republic of
Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(2) Neither the responding entity nor any key principle or member
of the controlling board, council, or governing body, ______ [insert
name] has __ has not __ (check one) been convicted of a felony criminal
violation under Federal or State law in the 24 months preceding the
date of application. The entity has __ has not __ (check one) had any
officer or agent of the respondent convicted of a felony criminal
violation for actions taken on behalf of the respondent under Federal
or State law in the 24 months preceding the date of the signature on
the pre-application.
(3) The responding entity ______ [insert name] has __ does not have
__ (check one) any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed,
for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted
or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant
to an Agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax
liability.
C. Organizational and Financial Status
Proposals must include organizational status documents reflecting
the criteria in Section II.B of this Notice, as well as financial
statements to evidence the responding entity's status as a properly
organized private or public non-profit or PHA and its financial ability
to carry out the objectives of the grant program. If other entities
will be working on behalf of the grantees, working agreements between
the respondent and those entities must be submitted as part of the
proposal and any associated cost must be included in the responding
entity's budget.
Responding entities must also disclose all RHS projects in which
the respondent and or its third-party affiliates have a direct or
indirect ownership interest.
D. Organizational Expertise and Experience
Responding entities must provide a capabilities statement
describing the respondent's qualifications under Section II.A to
provide TA on Section 515 transfers and loan applications.
1. Narrative
The responding entity must include a narrative describing its
knowledge, demonstrated ability, and practical experience in providing
training and TA to MFH applicants of loans or grants for the
development or rehabilitation of MFH, and the number of projects to
which they have provided such assistance. This includes its knowledge
and demonstrated ability in estimating development and construction
costs of MFH and for obtaining the necessary permits and clearances.
The responding entity must also explain why the targeted areas are
at risk for loss of affordable housing.
2. Specific MFH Experience
For purposes of demonstrating past MFH experience of responding
entities, the Agency will consider experience with MFH programs beyond
USDA MFH programs.
[[Page 8421]]
The responding entity must identify the types of TA they proposed
to offer will be delivered to the potential purchasers. Proposals must
identify types of MFH financial assistance (loans, grants, tax credits,
leveraged funding, etc.) for which the responding entity has applied in
the last 5 years, as well as the success ratio of those applications.
Proposals must also identify any applications of a third-party for
MFH financial assistance where the responding entity assisted in the
development and packaging of the application in the last 5 years, as
well as the success ratio of those applications.
Proposals must identify third parties to whom the responding entity
has provided TA on applications for financial assistance for the
development, rehabilitation or transfer of MFH projects in the last 5
years.
Proposals must identify MFH projects for which the responding
entity assisted in estimating transfer, development and rehabilitation/
construction costs and obtaining permit and clearances in the last 5
years.
Proposals must identify specific MFH projects for which the
responding entity has been able to leverage funding from two or more
sources for transfer, rehabilitation, or development.
For the projects and applications above, information must be
provided concerning the number of housing units, their size, their
design, and the amount of grant and loan funds that were secured.
3. Key Personnel
Proposals must include the resumes of the Key Personnel that will
perform the day-to-day administration of this grant. Describe each Key
Personnel's ability to perform the proposal's activities, and past
experience in successfully managing grants. Also include an
organizational plan that includes a staffing chart complete with name,
job title, salary, hours, timelines, and descriptions of employee
duties to achieve the objectives of the grant program.
4. Agents
If the responding entity intends to have other entities working on
its behalf, the narrative must identify those entities and address
their ability to meet the stated eligibility requirements.
E. SOW
Proposals must include a detailed SOW (see Section III of this
Notice). The ROI description and method of evaluation is an integral
part of the SOW and is a critical component of the selection process
and is required under the Government Performance and Results Act of
1993 (Pub. L. 103-62).
F. Scoring Criteria Worksheet
Proposals must include a separate one-page information sheet
listing each of the ``Proposal Scoring Criteria'' contained in Section
VI of this Notice, followed by the page numbers of all relevant
material and documentation that is contained in the proposal that
supports these criteria.
VI. Proposal Review Information
Only those respondents deemed to be qualified under Sections V.A,
V.B and V.C of this Notice will be scored under this section. The
review process designed for this RFP will evaluate the degree to which
the proposal sets forth measurable realistic objectives that are
consistent with this Notice and can be completed within realistic time
frames consistent with the proposal and processing guidance established
by RD transfer regulations. Proposals will only compete against other
proposals within the same region previously identified in this Notice.
Selection points will be awarded as follows:
A. Key Personnel
1. Key Personnel has successful verifiable experience performing
the requirements of this RFP:
Less than 2 years: 0 points
2-5 years: 5 points
More than 5-8 years: 10 points
More than 8-12 years: 20 points
More than 12 years: 30 points
2. Key Personnel has successful verifiable experience managing
grants through their lifecycle:
1 or less grants: 0 points
2-4 grants: 5 points
5-8 grants: 10 points
9-12 grants: 20 points
13 or more grants: 30 points
B. Target Areas
1. The more areas the proposal commits to targeting, the more
points will be awarded. Points will be given based on the number of
areas within a region that the responding entity has targeted:
5 or less targeted areas: 0 points
6 targeted areas: 5 points
7 targeted areas: 10 points
8 targeted areas: 15 points
9 or more targeted areas: 20 points
2. RHS wants the responding entity to cover as much of the grant
region as possible and as supported by the respective RD State
Office(s). For this reason, additional points will be awarded to grant
proposals that target areas in more than two States within the same
region. All responses to this Notice only compete within the regions
previously identified. The grant proposal commits to targeting areas in
the following number of States:
Less than 3 States: 0 points
3 or 4 States: 5 points
5 or 6 States: 10 points
7 or 8 States: 15 points
9 or more States: 20 points
C. Multifamily Housing Experience
1. The number of individually successful (approved, obligated or
completed) multi-family loan or grant applications the responding
entity has assisted in developing and packaging:
0-1 applications: 0 points
2-3 applications: 5 points
4-6 applications: 10 points
7-9 applications: 20 points
10 or more applications: 30 points
2. The number of clients seeking loans or grants for the
development, rehabilitation, or transfer of multi-family projects to
whom the respondent has provided training and TA.
0-1 clients: 0 points
2-3 clients: 5 points
4-6 clients: 10 points
7-9 clients: 15 points
10 or more clients: 20 points
3. The number of multi-family projects for which the respondent has
assisted in estimating transfer, development and rehabilitation/
construction costs and obtaining the necessary permits and clearances:
0 to 1 projects: 0 points
2 to 4 projects: 5 points
5 to 7 projects: 10 points
8 to 9 projects: 15 points
10 or more projects: 20 points
4. The number of times the responding entity has been able to
leverage funding from two or more sources for the transfer,
rehabilitation, or development of a multi-family project.
0 to 1 times: 0 points
2 to 4 times: 5 points
5 to 10 times: 10 points
11 to 15 times: 15 points
16 or more times: 20 points
D. Administrative Costs
Administrative costs as a percentage of grant funds used:
More than 20%: 0 points
15% or more but less 20%: 5 points
10% or more but less 15%: 15 points
5% or more but less 10%: 25 points
Less than 5%: 40 points
E. Additional Factors
In the event two or more proposals within a region are scored with
an equal
[[Page 8422]]
amount of points, the Agency will make selections based on achieving
the maximum number of areas, regions, grantees and loan applicants
being served, as well as cost-efficiency.
All proposals received under this Notice and grantees will be
screened for eligibility to participate in the grant program using
Treasury's Do Not Pay Portal in compliance with the Improper Payments
Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act.
RHS will notify all responding entities whether their proposal has
been accepted or rejected and provide appeal rights under 7 CFR part
11, as appropriate.
Paperwork Reduction Act
The reporting requirements contained in this Notice have been
approved by the OMB under Control Number 0575-0181.
Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its
Agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or
administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital
status, familial/parental status, income derived from a public
assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for
prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or
funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and
complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible
Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or
contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages
other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or
write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the
information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint
form, call (866) 632-9992, submit your completed form or letter to USDA
by:
Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410;
Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
Email: [email protected].
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Dated: February 15, 2018.
Curtis M. Anderson,
Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-03900 Filed 2-26-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P