Consolidated Multifamily Housing Technical Assistance Grant Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Fiscal Year 2024, 76065-76080 [2024-21033]
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76065
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 89, No. 180
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
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.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
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Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
The Department of Agriculture will
submit the following information
collection requirement(s) to OMB for
review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13 on or after the date
of publication of this notice. Comments
are requested regarding: (1) whether the
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of burden including
the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments regarding these
information collections are best assured
of having their full effect if received by
October 17, 2024. Written comments
and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be
submitted within 30 days of the
publication of this notice on the
following website www.reginfo.gov/
public/do/PRAMain. Find this
particular information collection by
selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day
Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or
by using the search function.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information
displays a currently valid OMB control
number and the agency informs
potential persons who are to respond to
the collection of information that such
persons are not required to respond to
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the collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Title: 2024 Tenure, Ownership, and
Transition of Agricultural Land
(TOTAL) Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0535–0240.
Summary of Collection: The 2024
Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of
Agricultural Land (TOTAL) is an
integral part of the 2022 Census of
Agriculture and is conducted under the
authority of the Census of Agriculture
Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105–113). This law
requires the Secretary of Agriculture to
conduct a census of agriculture in 1998
and every fifth year following 1998. The
primary functions of the National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
are to prepare and issue State and
national estimates of crop and livestock
production, disposition, and prices and
to collect information on related
environmental and economic factors.
Need and Use of the Information:
TOTAL will be conducted as a followon survey to the 2022 Census of
Agriculture and will use two
questionnaires, one for farm operators
and one for landlords who do not farm.
The survey will obtain data to
accurately define the economic status of
U.S. farm operations and households.
Detailed, farm level, economic data are
essential for making informed decisions
relating to the farming industry. The
combined data series will yield a
complete picture of farm expenses and
land ownership of American farmland.
Approximately every ten years
(coinciding with the Census of
Agriculture), a survey of farmland
ownership and farm operators regarding
farm revenues and expenses is
conducted. We propose to field TOTAL
to address this need. In intervening
years, the Agricultural Resource
Management Survey Phase 3 (ARMS 3)
(OMB #0535–0275), an economic survey
with content similar to the farm
operator portion of the decennial
survey, is conducted. Accordingly, in
this proposal to field TOTAL, we also
propose to suspend ARMS 3 for the
2024 crop year (would have been
enumerated in 2025) to minimize
respondent burden as well as to remove
possible duplication of data.
This is a reinstatement with change,
of the TOTAL survey to be conducted as
a follow-on survey to the 2022 Census
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of Agriculture. Changes from the
previous TOTAL survey include
collecting data from all 50 States as
opposed to excluding Alaska and
Hawaii as in previous surveys. Alaska
and Hawaii will be included in
published landlord statistics for other
States and not individually like what
will be published for the 15 largest
agricultural producing States based on
value of sales (core States).
Description of Respondents: Farms;
Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 89,600.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting:
Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 115,055.
Levi S. Harrell,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024–21069 Filed 9–16–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–20–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
[Docket No. RHS–24–MFH–0032]
Consolidated Multifamily Housing
Technical Assistance Grant Program
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
Fiscal Year 2024
Rural Housing Service, United
States Department of Agriculture
(USDA).
ACTION: Consolidated notice of funding
availability
AGENCY:
The Rural Housing Service
(RHS or the Agency), a Rural
Development (RD) agency of the USDA,
announces the availability of funding
for Multifamily Housing Nonprofit
Transfer Technical Assistance (MFH NP
TA) Grants and Farm Labor Housing
Technical Assistance (FLH TA) Grants.
This funding is available for eligible
technical assistance (TA) providers
seeking grants to provide technical
assistance services to qualified
applicants.
SUMMARY:
Complete applications must be
submitted in electronic format and must
be received by 12 p.m. ET (noon) on
November 18, 2024.
To initiate the application process,
the applicant must send an email
message, by 12 p.m. ET (noon) on
November 13, 2024 to the RHS
Production and Preservation Division at
DATES:
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NPTA.RFP@usda.gov for MFH
Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance
Grant applications or RD.FLHTA@
usda.gov for FLH Technical Assistance
Grant applications as outlined in
Section D, Application and Submission
Information. Any emails submitted after
12 p.m. ET (noon) on November 13,
2024 will be rejected and will not be
considered.
The General Section of this
consolidated notice provides the
application procedures and
requirements that are applicable to both
programs in this notice. Program
Sections A and B of this notice provide
descriptions of the specific programs for
which funding is made available and
explains any additional procedures and
requirements applicable to the specific
program. Please be sure to read both the
General Section and the Program
Sections of this consolidated notice to
ensure that all requirements have been
responded to and are included with the
application.
ADDRESSES: All applications made in
response to this notice must be
submitted electronically to the RHS
Production and Preservation Division,
Program Support Branch as outlined in
Section D, Application and Submission
Information. Entities submitting more
than one application must submit a
separate email of interest for each
submission. All email requests must be
sent to one of the following addresses:
NPTA.RFP@usda.gov for MFH NP
Transfer TA Grant applications or
RD.FLHTA@usda.gov for FLH TA Grant
applications. This grant funding
opportunity will also be announced on
www.Grants.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
General questions about this
consolidated notice may be directed to
Stephanie Vergin, Policy Advisor,
Production and Preservation Division,
Multi-Family Housing, United States
Department of Agriculture; Phone: 651–
602–7820; or email at NPTA.RFP@
usda.gov or RD.FLHTA@usda.gov.
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 Mission Area, agency, staff
office, or the 711 Federal Relay Service.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
This is the second year that MFH is
issuing a consolidated notice for its
technical assistance grant programs.
MFH designed this consolidated notice
with the intent to simplify the
application process, better coordinate
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services for applicants, and ensure
transparency and predictability in
funding cycles. It is the Agency’s belief
that consolidating the MFH TA notices
will avoid duplication of efforts within
the communities it serves and better
serve its rural stakeholders most in need
of these programs. The RHS Production
& Preservation Division will host a
virtual workshop prior to the
application deadline to provide general
information and guidance regarding this
notice. The workshop will be
announced via GovDelivery notice and
will also be posted on the MFH
Programs website at https://www.rd.
usda.gov/programs-services/multifamily-housing-programs.
Prospective respondents are
encouraged to read this entire notice
thoroughly and attend the informational
workshop for more information and
clarification prior to submitting funding
applications.
Organization of the Consolidated Notice
This notice is divided into two major
sections, the General Section and
Program Sections A and B. The standard
forms, certifications, assurances,
procedures, and requirements
applicable to both technical assistance
grant programs are included in the
General Section of this notice. Program
Sections A and B separately outline
each technical assistance grant funding
opportunity with program-specific
eligibility, statutory and regulatory
requirements, and include the factors
used for scoring and ranking
applications, the grant award process,
and any additional requirements and/or
limitations specific to each program.
Please read both the General Section
and Program Sections A–B of this notice
carefully to ensure all application and
program requirements are met. Not all
respondents are eligible to receive
awards under both funding
opportunities identified within this
consolidated notice.
Rural Development Priorities: The
Agency encourages respondents to
consider projects that will advance the
following key priorities:
• Addressing Climate Change and
Environmental Justice. Reducing
climate pollution and increasing
resilience to the impacts of climate
change through economic support to
rural communities,
• Advancing Racial Justice, PlaceBased Equity, and Opportunity.
Ensuring all rural residents have
equitable access to RD programs and
benefits from RD funded projects; and
• Creating More and Better Market
Opportunities. Assisting rural
communities to recover economically
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through more and better market
opportunities and through improved
infrastructure.
For further information, visit https://
www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.
Table of Contents: General Section
A. Program Descriptions
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information
F. Federal Award Administration
Information
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact
H. Other Information
I. General Section
RHS administers the Multifamily
Housing Programs that provide
affordable multifamily rental housing in
rural areas by financing projects geared
for low-income, elderly, and disabled
individuals and families as well as
domestic farm laborers. The MFH
programs extend their reach by
guaranteeing loans for affordable rental
housing designed for low to moderateincome residents in rural areas and
towns. MFH Programs are administered,
subject to appropriations, by the USDA
as authorized under Sections 514, 515,
516 and 521 of the Housing Act of 1949,
as amended.
A. Program Descriptions
(1) Purpose of the Programs
The Section 515 MFH NP TA Grants
are intended to provide technical
assistance to multifamily housing
borrowers and applicants to facilitate
the acquisition of Section 515 properties
by nonprofit organizations and public
housing authorities.
The FLH TA Grants are intended to
provide technical assistance to qualified
Section 514 loan and Section 516 grant
applicants to encourage the
development, repair, and preservation
of domestic and migrant FLH projects.
RHS has a strong interest in broad
geographic availability of technical
assistance services and expanding the
pool of technical assistance providers.
Respondents will compete in a national
funding pool and multiple awards may
be made in a single region. However, if
there are qualified and eligible
respondents, RHS will prioritize
awarding at least one MFH NP TA Grant
and one FLH TA Grant in each of the
following four geographic regions:
Midwestern Region: IA, IL, IN, KS, MI,
MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI
Northeastern Region: CT, DE, MA, MD,
ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV
Southern Region: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY,
LA, MS, NC, OK, PR, SC, TN, TX, VI
Western Region: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI,
ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY
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Multifamily Housing’s four
geographic regions may also be found
on the following website: https://
www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/allprograms/multi-family-housingprograms.
Each entity applying for funding
under this notice, whether individually
or jointly, is limited to submission of
one grant application per technical
assistance program, per geographic
region. Entities applying in more than
one geographic region must submit
separate applications for each region in
which they apply. Respondents may
propose to serve single-State or multiState areas within geographic regions.
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(2) Statutory and Regulatory Authority
MFH NP TA Grants are authorized
under Sec. 745 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117–
103), Sec. 745 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117–
328), and Sec. 743 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118–
42) and implemented by 7 CFR part
3560.
MFH FLH TA Grants are authorized
under Section 516(i) of the Housing Act
of 1949, as amended; 42 U.S.C. 1486(i);
and implemented by 7 CFR part 3560.
To be eligible for funding under this
consolidated notice, respondents must
meet all statutory and regulatory
requirements applicable to the
program(s) for which funding is sought.
RD program regulations may be found at
the following website: https://www.rd.
usda.gov/page/regulations-andguidance.
(3) Definitions and Acronyms
The definitions and acronyms
applicable to this notice are published
at 7 CFR part 3560.11 https://
www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/
chapter-XXXV/part-3560#3560.11; 7
CFR 15.2 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/
title-7/subtitle-A/part-15; 2 CFR part
200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/
subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200; and 2
CFR part 400 https://www.ecfr.gov/
current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IV/
part-400.
The following supplementary
definitions and acronyms are applicable
to and for the purpose of this notice
only.
Applicant—one who submits an
application to receive technical
assistance services from a technical
assistance provider (Grantee), and
application means such an application.
Broad-based nonprofit organization
(as an Off-FLH loan/grant applicant)—
nonprofit organization with a
membership that reflects a variety of
interests in the market area.
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Capacity—demonstrated experience
in the areas of federal grant
administration and technical assistance
program development and delivery.
Co-respondent—a separate legal entity
made part of the application process by
the primary respondent through a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
or other agreement who will be
accountable to the primary respondent
for any federal award funds received.
Conflicts of interest—situations in
which an officer, director, board
member, agent, employee, or partner of
the non-Federal entity being considered
for a Federal award, any immediate
family member of these parties, or any
organization which employs or is about
to employ any of these parties, have a
competing personal, professional,
financial, and/or other interest in
activities performed under the Federal
award or may receive a tangible
personal benefit from activities
performed under the Federal award
which renders them unable, or gives the
appearance of being unable, to be
impartial in conducting/administering
the Federal award.
Consultant—an individual who
provides professional advice or services
for a fee but may not be an employee of
the engaging party. The term
‘‘consultant’’ may also include a firm
that provides paid professional advice
or services, or independent entities
engaged under a grant to provide a
specific service or product (product
purchase or fee-for-service). They are
not employees of the grantee, and no
employer-employee relationship exists
between the consultant and the grantee.
Contract—for the purpose of Federal
financial assistance, a legal instrument
by which a recipient or subrecipient
purchases property or services needed
to carry out the project or program
under a federal award.
Contractor—an entity that receives a
contract as defined in this section.
Curable deficiency—omission, error,
or oversight that, if corrected, would not
alter the review and/or scoring of an
application in a positive or negative
fashion.
Disallowed costs—charges to a federal
award that the Federal awarding agency
or pass- through entity determines to be
unallowable, in accordance with the
applicable Federal statutes, regulations,
or the terms and conditions of the
Federal award.
Expenditures—charges made by a
non-Federal entity to a project or
program for which a Federal award was
received.
Federal awarding agency—the Federal
agency that provides a Federal award
directly to a non-Federal entity.
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Federal share—the portion of the
Federal award costs that are paid using
Federal funds.
Grant Agreement—a legal instrument
of financial assistance between a
Federal awarding agency or passthrough entity and a non-Federal entity
that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6302,
6304: (1) Is used to enter into a
relationship the principal purpose of
which is to transfer anything of value to
carry out a public purpose authorized
by a law of the United States (see 31
U.S.C. 6101(3)); and not to acquire
property or services for the Federal
awarding agency or pass- through
entity’s direct benefit or use; (2) Is
distinguished from a cooperative
agreement in that it does not provide for
substantial involvement of the Federal
awarding agency in carrying out the
activity contemplated by the Federal
award; (3) Does not include an
agreement that provides only: (i) Direct
United States Government cash
assistance to an individual; (ii) A
subsidy; (iii) A loan; (vi) A loan
guarantee; or (v) Insurance.
Grantee—a legal entity that has been
awarded financial assistance under one
of the Agency’s grant programs and
assumes responsibility for fiscal
accountability for managing awarded
funds, supervision of grant-supported
activities, and submission of final
reports.
Indirect Costs (facilities &
administrative (F&A))—costs incurred
for a common or joint purpose
benefitting more than one cost objective,
and not readily assignable to the cost
objectives specifically benefitted,
without effort disproportionate to the
results achieved. To facilitate equitable
distribution of indirect expenses to the
cost objectives served, it may be
necessary to establish a number of pools
of indirect F&A costs. Indirect F&A cost
pools must be distributed to benefitted
cost objectives on bases that will
produce an equitable result in
consideration of relative benefits
derived.
Indirect cost rate—a percentage
established by a Federal department or
agency for a grantee organization, which
the grantee uses in computing the dollar
amount it charges to the grant to
reimburse itself for indirect costs
incurred in doing the work of the grant
project.
Key personnel services—technical
assistance service delivery and grant
administration.
Market Area—the geographic or
locational delineation of the market for
a specific project, including outlying
areas that will be impacted by the
project, i.e., the area in which
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alternative, similar properties effectively
compete with the subject property.
Non-curable deficiency—omission,
error, or oversight that, if corrected,
would alter the review and/or scoring of
the application in a positive or negative
fashion.
Non-Federal Entity—a State, local
government, Indian tribe, or nonprofit
organization that carries out a federal
award as a recipient or subrecipient.
Organizational conflicts of interest—
situations in which the non-Federal
entity being considered for a federal
award is unable, or appears to be
unable, to be impartial in conducting/
administering the Federal award
because of its relationship with a parent
company, affiliate, subsidiary
organization, or other related
organization or party.
Period of Performance—the total
estimated time interval between the
start of the initial grant award and the
planned end date.
Primary Respondent—one who
submits an application, request, or plan
required to be approved by an Agency
as a condition of eligibility for Federal
financial assistance, and application
means such an application, request, or
plan.
Respondent (see Primary
Respondent).
Supportive Services—services that
help tenants with challenges maintain
stable housing (e.g., employment
assistance, meals, transportation,
personal care assistance, housekeeping,
wellness checks, care coordination, and
outpatient health services).
Targeted service area—area targeted
to receive technical assistance services.
Technical Assistance—technical
expertise, information and services
provided by eligible entities with the
necessary knowledge, experience, and
capacity to provide the services outlined
in this notice to eligible respondents.
Commonly Used Acronyms
CFR Code of Federal Regulation
FLH Farm Labor Housing
MFH Multifamily Housing
NOFA Notice of Funding Availability
NP Nonprofit organization
OMB Office of Management and
Budget
PHA Public Housing Authority
RD Rural Development
RHS Rural Housing Service
SAM System for Award Management
SOW Statement of Work/Scope of
Work
TA Technical Assistance
TDHE Tribally Designated Housing
Entity
UEI Unique Entity Identifier
USDA United States Department of
Agriculture
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(4) Application for Awards
Awards under these programs will be
made on a competitive basis using
specific selection criteria contained in
Program Sections A and B of this notice.
The Agency advises all interested
parties that expenses incurred in
applying for this notice will be borne by
and be at the respondent’s sole risk.
B. Federal Award Information
Funding Opportunity Title:
Consolidated MFH Technical Assistance
Grant Program NOFA FY 2024
Announcement Type: Notice of
Funding Availability (NOFA)
Assistance Listing (AL) Numbers:
• Multifamily Housing Nonprofit
Transfer Technical Assistance Grants:
10.494
• Farm Labor Housing Technical
Assistance Grants: 10.495
Funding Opportunity Number:
USDA–RD–HCFP–NPTA–FLHTA
Dates: Complete applications must be
submitted in electronic format and must
be received by 12 p.m. ET (noon) on
November 18, 2024. To initiate the
application process, the applicant must
send an email message, by 12 p.m. ET
(noon) on November 13, 2024 to the
RHS Production and Preservation
Division at NPTA.RFP@usda.gov for
MFH Nonprofit Transfer Technical
Assistance Grant applications or
RD.FLHTA@usda.gov for FLH Technical
Assistance Grant applications as
outlined in Section D, Application and
Submission Information. Any emails
submitted after 12 p.m. ET (noon) on
November 13, 2024 will be rejected and
will not be considered.
Available Funds:
• $4.9 million for MFH NP TA
Grants—Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2022, FY
2023, and FY 2024
• $2 million for FLH TA Grants—
Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2024
Type of Award: Technical Assistance
Grants
Award Amounts:
• The minimum and maximum award
amounts per funded MFH NP TA Grant
application are $100,000 and $750,000,
respectively.
• The minimum and maximum award
amounts per funded FLH TA Grant
application are $50,000 and $250,000,
respectively.
Anticipated Award Date: The Agency
anticipates making awards 120 days
after the application deadline.
Performance Period: 24 months from
executed grant agreement.
Renewal or Supplemental Awards
None.
Type of Assistance Instrument: Grant
Agreement.
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Respondents selected for funding will
complete a grant agreement suitable to
the Agency, which outlines the terms
and conditions of the Grant award. The
Agency may request changes to the
SOW which will be incorporated into
the grant agreement. If a selected grantee
does not accept the terms of the Agency
and/or does not deliver an executed
Grant Agreement to the Agency within
ten (10) business days after receiving the
Grant Agreement with the Agencyapproved SOW, the Agency may choose
to rescind the award and select another
grantee based on scoring without further
notice.
The grant period of performance is 24
months with an extension allowed for
up to an additional 12 months at the
Agency’s discretion. However,
proposals should be structured to utilize
all grant funds within 24 months from
the date of the award. The grant term
will be defined in the Grant Agreement
and will become effective once signed
by the Grantee and the Agency. Grant
funds will be obligated within ten (10)
business days after both parties have
executed the Grant Agreement.
C. Eligibility Information
(1) Eligible Respondents
To be considered eligible for funding
under this notice, all respondents are
required to meet both the general
eligibility requirements outlined below,
as well as the program specific
requirements outlined in Program
Sections A or B of this notice, as
applicable.
Except as may be modified in Program
Sections A and B of this notice, the
general requirements, procedures, and
principles outlined below apply to
respondents for both funding
opportunities contained in this notice.
(a) All respondents 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.
(b) Debarment and suspension
information is required in accordance
with 2 CFR 180 (OMB’s Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide
Debarment and Suspension
(Nonprocurement)) supplemented by 2
CFR 417 (Nonprocurement Debarment
and Suspension) if it applies. The
section heading is ‘‘What information
must I provide before entering into a
covered transaction with a Federal
agency?’’ located at 2 CFR 180.335. It is
part of OMB’s Guidance for Grants and
Agreements concerning
Governmentwide Debarment and
Suspension. Respondents are not
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eligible if they have been debarred or
suspended or otherwise excluded from,
or ineligible for, participation in Federal
assistance programs under 2 CFR parts
180 and 417.
(c) Conflicts of Interest. No Grantee
funded under this notice or its officers,
directors, board members, agents,
employees, or partners can participate
in conducting or administering the grant
award if a real or apparent conflict of
interest exists.
Entities applying for funding under
this notice and all funded Grantees must
disclose in writing any potential
conflicts of interest to the Agency,
including situations that would create a
conflict of interest, potential for conflict
of interest, or any appearance of a
conflict of interest.
Unless approved by the Agency,
Grantees may not provide TA for
projects in which they or their thirdparty affiliates have a direct or indirect
ownership interest. Respondents must
disclose all MFH projects in which they
or their third-party affiliates have a
direct or indirect ownership interest.
Unless approved by the Agency,
neither the Grantee nor any officer,
director, board member or partner of the
Grantee may accept or share any
compensation or remuneration, directly
or indirectly, in any form whatsoever,
from or with any party interested in the
activities performed under the grant
agreement.
Unless approved by the Agency,
neither the Grantee nor any officer,
director, board member, partner or any
person employed by the Grantee may
accept compensation or remuneration
contrary to the intentions of the grant
agreement.
Unless approved by the Agency,
neither the Grantee nor any officer,
director, board member or partner of the
Grantee may be involved as an officer,
director, board member or general
partner in a business venture with an
officer, director, board member or
general partner of any other party
interested in the activities performed
under the grant agreement.
Grantees funded under this notice
must maintain written standards of
conduct governing organizational
conflicts of interest and conflicts of
interest related to the performance of its
officers, directors, board members,
agents, and employees in conducting/
administering Federal grant awards. The
standards of conduct must provide for
disciplinary actions to be applied for
violations of such standards by the
Grantee and its directors, board
members, officers, employees, and
agents.
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(2) Cost Sharing or Matching
There are no cost sharing or matching
requirements for either program.
(3) Discretionary Points
Please refer to Program Sections A
and B.
(4) Other
Each entity applying for funding
under this notice, whether individually
or jointly, may submit only one
application per program, per geographic
region. MFH’s geographic regions are
listed in the General Section A.1. of this
notice.
The use of consultants/contractors for
key personnel services (technical
assistance service delivery and grant
administration) is limited to a maximum
of 20 percent of the total key personnel
services budget. This requirement is
intended to advance the Agency’s goal
of increasing the capacity of Agencyfunded nonprofit TA providers to
deliver technical assistance services
directly to recipients.
The total direct and indirect
administrative costs associated with the
administration of the grant should not
exceed 20 percent of the total technical
assistance grant fund.
Any respondent with an open MFH
Transfer or FLH technical assistance
funding award must demonstrate
satisfactory progress toward completion
of the work plan identified in their
Agency-approved grant agreement to be
eligible for funding under this notice. In
evaluating satisfactory progress, RHS
will consider past performance in
managing funds, including, but not
limited to, the ability to account for
funds appropriately; timely use of funds
received from RHS; meeting
performance targets for completion of
activities; and receipt of promised
matching or leveraged funds.
D. Application and Submission
Information
(1) Content and Form of Application
Submissions
Applications to this notice must be
submitted electronically using the
process described below. To initiate the
application process, the applicant must
send an email message, by 12 p.m. ET
(noon) on November 13, 2024 to the
RHS Production and Preservation
Division at NPTA.RFP@usda.gov for
MFH Nonprofit Transfer Technical
Assistance Grant applications or
RD.FLHTA@usda.gov for FLH Technical
Assistance Grant applications. The
email message must contain the
following information:
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(a) Subject line: TA Grant Application
Submission
(b) Body of email: Respondent Name
and complete Contact Information
(including address, phone number,
email address to receive application
submission information).
(c) Request language: Please provide
application submission instructions so
that we may submit our MFH Nonprofit
Transfer TA Grant application or Farm
Labor Housing TA Grant application.
Application submission instructions
will be emailed to all interested
respondents supplying valid email
addresses within two (2) business days
from the date the email of interest is
received by the Agency. Any email
submitted after 12 p.m. ET (noon) on
November 13, 2024 will be rejected and
will not be considered. Entities
submitting more than one application
must submit a separate email of interest
for each submission. The Agency is not
liable for technical issues or systemrelated difficulties that affect an
applicant’s ability to submit
applications in a timely fashion in
accordance with the instructions of this
NOFA.
(2) Forms, Requirements and Procedures
for All Respondents
All respondents are required to
electronically submit signed copies of
the standard forms, certifications, and
assurances listed in this section, unless
the requirements in the Program Section
specify otherwise. All forms should be
completed in their entirety using the
most current versions of unexpired
OMB-approved forms. All application
packages must include a Table of
Contents and a separate one-page sheet
listing each of the Scoring Criteria from
Program Sections A or B, followed by
the page numbers of all relevant
material and documentation contained
within the submitted application
materials to support those criteria.
(i) Except as may be modified in the
Program Sections A and B, the forms
and standard certifications and
assurances required for all respondents
are:
(A) SF–424, ‘‘Application for Federal
Assistance’’ which can be obtained at:
https://www.grants.gov/.
(B) Standard Form 424A, ‘‘Budget
Information-Non-Construction
Programs’’ which can be obtained at:
https://www.grants.gov/.
(C) Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate
Agreement (NICRA), if applicable, or a
statement certifying the entity’s election
to charge the de minimis rate of 10
percent of the modified total direct costs
(MTDC).
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(D) Form SF–LLL, ‘‘Disclosure Form
to Report Lobbying,’’ if applicable, or a
statement certifying that the
organization does not lobby.
(E) Form RD 3560–30, ‘‘Certification
of no Identity of Interest (IOI),’’ if
applicable: https://forms.sc.egov.
usda.gov/efcommon/eFileServices/
eForms/RD3560-30.PDF.
(F) Form RD 3560–31, ‘‘Identity of
Interest Disclosure/Qualification
Certification’’ if applicable (IOI is
defined in 7 CFR 3560.11): https://forms.
sc.egov.usda.gov/efcommon/eFile
Services/eForms/RD3560-31.PDF.
(G) Form RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance
Agreement’’: https://forms.sc.egov.
usda.gov/efcommon/eFileServices/
eForms/RD400-4.PDF.
(H) Form RD 400–6, ‘‘Compliance
Statement’’: https://formsadmin.sc.egov.
usda.gov/eFormsAdmin/browse
FormsAction.do?pageAction=display
PDF&formIndex=0.
(ii) All responding entities must
include organizational status documents
and current (within six months of this
notice’s deadline date) financial
statements to evidence their status as a
properly organized private or public
nonprofit agency, or public/tribal
housing authority, with the financial
ability to carry out the approved
objectives of the TA grant program
under which funding is sought. This
requirement includes (at minimum):
(A) Status as a NP (i.e., Articles of
Incorporation, IRS nonprofit
certification) or PHA.
(B) Good standing within the State or
Tribe in which the entity is organized.
(C) Legal authority to provide services
stated in the application under the
applicable laws for the state(s) in which
operation is proposed. (Examples of
acceptable documentation for this
requirement include, but are not limited
to, bylaws, organizational charters, and
statutes or regulations).
(D) Certification of no current or
unresolved default or violation of any
other Federal, Tribal, State, or local
grant or loan agreement(s).
(E) The requirements above will also
apply to all entities performing services
on behalf of the respondent.
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(3) System for Award Management and
Unique Entity Identifier
(a) At the time of application, each
respondent must have an active
registration in the System for Award
Management (SAM) before submitting
its application in accordance with 2
CFR 25. In order to register in SAM,
entities will be required to obtain a
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
Instructions for obtaining the UEI are
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available at https://sam.gov/content/
entity-registration.
(b) Respondent must maintain an
active SAM registration, with current,
accurate and complete information, at
all times during which it has an active
Federal award or an application under
consideration by a Federal awarding
agency.
(c) Respondent must complete the
Financial Assistance General
Certifications and Representations in
SAM.
(d) Respondent must provide a valid
UEI in its application, unless
determined exempt under 2 CFR 25.110.
(e) The Agency will not make an
award until the respondent has
complied with all SAM requirements
including providing the UEI. If a
respondent has not fully complied with
the requirements by the time the Agency
is ready to make an award, the Agency
may determine that the respondent is
not qualified to receive a Federal award
and use that determination as a basis for
making a Federal award to another
respondent.
(4) Submission Dates and Times
Submission dates and times can be
found in the DATES section of this
notice.
(5) Intergovernmental Review
Applications under this notice are not
subject to Executive Order 12372,
‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.’’
(6) Funding Restrictions
Refer to Program Sections A and B for
Ineligible Grant Fund Purposes/Costs.
E. Application Review Information
(1) Application Review Criteria
To be eligible for funding under this
notice, respondents must meet the
criteria set forth in the individual
Program Sections A and B of this notice,
as well as all general eligibility criteria
as follows:
a. The application must be complete
as specified by this notice;
b. The complete application must be
received by the submission deadline
specified in this notice;
c. The application proposal must be
for authorized purposes; and
d. The respondent must be an eligible
entity and must not currently be
debarred, suspended, or delinquent on
any Federal debt.
No application will be accepted after
the specified deadline unless the date
and time is extended by another notice
published in the Federal Register.
Applications will first be reviewed to
determine if they meet the ‘‘Eligible
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Respondents’’ eligibility requirements
outlined in Program Sections A or B as
applicable. If all ‘‘Eligible Respondents’’
eligibility requirements are met,
applications will then be reviewed for
completeness. All complete applications
will be reviewed for eligible grant
activities, eligible costs, and eligible
purposes. If the Agency determines that
any application is ineligible or
incomplete, application processing will
be discontinued, which means the
application will be rejected and
returned to the respondent without
being scored.
RHS may contact respondents to
clarify items and/or to correct curable
(correctable) technical deficiencies
identified within application packages
after the application deadline is
reached. RHS will notify respondents of
any curable deficiencies and will do so
on a uniform basis for all respondents.
If deficiencies are not corrected within
the period prescribed by RHS, the
application will be rejected as
incomplete, and will not be considered
for funding.
Only applications meeting all the
general eligibility criteria above will be
scored and ranked. RHS will consider
the scoring factors outlined in Program
Sections A and B to score and rank
application(s) for each TA program
respectively. Points will be awarded
only for factors that are welldocumented in the application package
and, in the opinion of the Agency, meet
the objectives outlined in each of the
evaluation criteria. References to
external websites, publications, and/or
other information not submitted as part
of the application package will not be
reviewed or considered. Therefore, full
documentation and support of all
criteria is recommended and
encouraged.
Risk Review: The Agency may request
additional documentation from selected
respondents in order to evaluate the
financial, management, and
performance risk posed by awardees as
required by 2 CFR 200.206. Based on the
risk review, the Agency may apply
special conditions that correspond to
the degree of risk assessed, either preaward or post-award.
If the Agency determines it is unable
to select an application for funding, the
respondent will be informed in writing.
Such notification will include the
reasons the respondent was not
selected. The Agency will advise
respondents whose applications do not
meet eligibility and/or selection criteria
of applicable review rights or appeal
rights in accordance with 7 CFR part 11.
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(2) Review and Selection Process
Refer to Program Sections A and B for
program specific application reviewing,
scoring and selection processes.
F. Federal Award Administration
Information
(1) Federal Award Notice
The Agency will notify in writing
respondents whose applications have
been selected for funding. At the time of
notification, the Agency will advise
respondents what additional
information and documentation is
required along with a timeline for
submitting the additional information.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
(2) Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
The following additional
requirements apply to grantees selected
for these TA Grant program awards:
(a) Grantees must complete Form RD
1942–46 ‘‘Letter of Intent to Meet
Conditions.’’
(b) Grantees must complete Form RD
1940–1, ‘‘Request for Obligation of
Funds.’’
(c) Grantees must use Form SF 270,
‘‘Request for Advance or
Reimbursement,’’ to request
reimbursements and provide receipts for
expenditures, timesheets, and any other
documentation to support the request
for reimbursement, as determined by the
Agency.
(d) Grantees must maintain a financial
management system that is acceptable to
the Agency.
(e) Grantees must certify that the U.S.
has not obtained an outstanding
judgment against their organization in a
Federal Court (other than in the United
States Tax Court).
(f) MFH NP TA Grants are authorized
under Sec. 745 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117–
103), Sec. 745 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117–
328), and Sec. 743 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118–
42) and implemented by 7 CFR part
3560.
MFH FLH TA Grants are authorized
under Section 516(i) of the Housing Act
of 1949, as amended; 42 U.S.C. 1486(i);
and implemented by 7 CFR part 3560.
(g) Workplace identification is
required under the drug-free workplace
requirements in 2 CFR part 182, which
provides guidance on the portion of the
Drug-Free Workplace Act applicable to
grants, as adopted by 2 CFR part 421.
Therefore, grantees must identify all
organizational known workplaces by
including the actual physical addresses
of buildings (or parts of buildings) or
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other sites where work under the award
takes place.
(h) Grantees must comply with all
other requirements in 2 CFR part 182
(Governmentwide Requirements for
Drug-Free Workplace (Financial
Assistance)) and 2 CFR part 421
(Requirements for Drug Free Workplace
(Financial Assistance).
(3) Reporting
(a) Grantees must comply with
reporting requirements of 2 CFR part
200 and must provide the required
financial status and project performance
reports for the period after grant
approval and throughout the grant
period of performance as outlined in the
Agency approved grant agreement.
(b) Grantees must maintain records to
document all activities and
expenditures utilizing technical
assistance grant funds. Receipts for
expenditures will be included in this
documentation.
(c) Grantees must provide a final
project performance report as outlined
in the Agency approved grant
agreement.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)
Stephanie Vergin, Policy Advisor,
Production and Preservation Division,
Multi-Family Housing, United States
Department of Agriculture at
NPTA.RFP@usda.gov or RD.FLHTA@
usda.gov.
H. Other Information
1. Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), OMB must approve all
‘‘collection of information’’ as defined at
42 U.S.C. 3502(3). In accordance with
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
the information collection reporting and
recordkeeping requirements as covered
in this notice, are exempt because the
requirements are not imposed on 10 or
more people, as defined at 44 U.S.C.
3502(3)(A)(i)).
RHS has concluded that the reporting
requirements contained in this NOFA
will involve less than 10 persons and do
not require approval under the
provisions of the Act.
2. National Environmental Policy Act
In accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969,
Public Law 91–190, this funding
announcement has been reviewed in
accordance with 7 CFR part 1970
(Environmental Policies and
Procedures). As permitted by 7 CFR
1970.51(b), The Agency has determined
that because:
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• this action meets the criteria
established in 7 CFR 1970.53(f);
• no ‘‘extraordinary circumstances
exist’’ as defined at 7 CFR 1970.52(a);
and
• the action is not ‘‘connected’’ (see
40 CFR 1508.25(a)(1)) to other actions
with potentially significant impacts, is
not considered a ‘‘cumulative action,’’
and;
• the action is not precluded by 40
CFR 1506.1.
Therefore, the Agency has determined
that the action does not have a
significant effect on the human
environment, and therefore neither an
Environmental Assessment nor an
Environmental Impact Statement is
required. All recipients under this
notice are subject to the requirements of
7 CFR part 1970.
• For Non-Construction Programs
under the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA):
Technical assistance awards for
financial and technical assistance under
this notice are classified as a Categorical
Exclusion according to 7 CFR
1970.53(b), and usually do not require
any additional documentation. MFH
will review each grant application to
determine its compliance with 7 CFR
1970. The respondent may be asked to
provide additional information or
documentation to MFH with this
determination.
3. Federal Funding Accountability and
Transparency Act
All respondents, in accordance with 2
CFR part 25 (https://www.ecfr.gov/
current/title-2/part-25), must be
registered in SAM and have a UEI
number as stated in Section D.3. of this
notice. All recipients of Federal
financial assistance are required to
report information about first-tier subawards and executive total
compensation in accordance with 2 CFR
part 170 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/
title-2/part-170).
4. Civil Rights Act
All grants made under this notice are
subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 as required by the USDA 7 CFR
part 15, subpart A and Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VIII
of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, Title IX,
Executive Order 13166 (Limited English
Proficiency), Executive Order 11246,
and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of
1974.
All respondents must certify to
compliance with 7 CFR part 15, subpart
A—Nondiscrimination in Federally
Assisted Programs of the Department of
Agriculture—Effectuation of Title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964, by
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completing the Financial Assistance
General Certification and
Representations in SAM.
Civil Rights compliance includes, but
is not limited to the following:
(a) Collecting and maintaining data
provided by ultimate recipients on race,
sex, and national origin.
(b) Collection of race and ethnicity
data in accordance with Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Federal
Register notice, ‘‘Revisions to the
Standards for the Classification of
Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity’’
(published October 30, 1997 at 62 FR
58782). Sex data will be collected in
accordance with Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972.
This data should not be submitted
with the application but should be
available upon request by the Agency.
5. USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil
rights laws and USDA civil rights
regulations and policies, the USDA, its
Mission Areas, agencies, staff 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, family/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.
Program information may be made
available in languages other than
English. Persons with disabilities who
require alternative means of
communication to obtain program
information (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, American Sign Language)
should contact the responsible Mission
Area, agency, staff office, or the 711
Federal Relay Service.
To file a program discrimination
complaint, a complainant should
complete a Form AD–3027, USDA
Program Discrimination Complaint
Form, which can be obtained online at
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/
files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any
USDA office, by calling (866) 632–9992,
or by writing a letter addressed to
USDA. The letter must contain the
complainant’s name, address, telephone
number, and a written description of the
alleged discriminatory action in
sufficient detail to inform the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about
the nature and date of an alleged civil
rights violation. The completed AD–
3027 form or letter must be submitted to
USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Washington,
DC 20250–9410; or
(2) Fax: (833) 256–1665 or (202) 690–
7442; or
(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov
USDA is an equal opportunity
provider, employer, and lender.
II. Program Sections
Organization of the Program Sections
Program Sections A and B of this
notice provide descriptions for both of
the specific programs. In addition to the
requirements set forth in the General
section, the following program sections
outline additional procedures and
requirements applicable to each
program.
Both funding opportunities contained
in this consolidated notice are identified
in the following chart entitled
Consolidated Multifamily Housing
Technical Assistance Grant Program
Funding Chart FY 2024. This chart
includes Program Name, the Assistance
Listing Number for each program, the
Funding Amounts Available, and the
Program Section Reference for programspecific application requirements.
CONSOLIDATED MULTIFAMILY HOUSING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING CHART
FY 2024
Assistance
listing
No.
TA program name
Multifamily Housing Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance Grants ........................................
Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance Grants .....................................................................
Program Section A
Multifamily Housing Nonprofit
Transfer Technical Assistance Grants
Table of Contents
A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission
Information
E. Application Review Information
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A. Program Description
The technical assistance (TA) grants
offered under this funding opportunity
are for the purpose of facilitating the
transfer and preservation of existing
Rural Rental Housing properties under
Section 515 of the Housing Act of 1949,
as amended (42 U.S.C. 1485). Agency
regulations for the Section 515 program
are published at 7 CFR part 3560. The
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Agency is authorized to utilize the
appropriations from each fiscal year, for
a total appropriation of $4.9 million, to
provide grants to NPs and PHAs
meeting the qualification standards of
this Notice, who will then provide
technical assistance, including financial
and legal services, to MFH borrowers to
facilitate the acquisition of Section 515
MFH properties by nonprofit
organizations and public housing
authorities. Public Law 117–103, Sec.
745; Public Law 117–328, Sec. 745; and
Public Law 118–42, Sec. 743. These
grants must be provided in areas where
the USDA Secretary determines there is
a risk of loss of affordable housing in
order to keep such properties in the
MFH program. Risk of loss of affordable
housing may be driven by market
conditions or may be due to propertyspecific factors, including mortgages
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10.494
10.495
Funding
available
Program
section
reference
$4.9 million
2 million
A
B
reaching maturity, owner ability to
prepay existing Agency loans, poor
physical condition of the property, or
failing ownership.
B. Federal Award Information
Type of Award: Grant
Fiscal Year (FY) Funds: 2022, 2023
and 2024
Award Amounts: $4.9 million for
MFH Nonprofit Transfer TA Grants
C. Eligibility Information
(1) Eligible Respondents
Eligibility for MFH Nonprofit Transfer
Technical Assistance Grants is limited
to private and public nonprofit
organizations and public housing
authorities meeting the qualification
requirements of this Notice. Potentially
qualifying NPs and PHAs include
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tribally designated housing entities
(TDHE) and Tribal housing NPs.
Eligible entities responding to this
notice must have the knowledge, ability,
technical expertise, practical
experience, and capacity necessary to
develop and package Section 515
property transfer transactions. They
must also demonstrate the ability to
provide technical assistance to NPs and/
or PHAs to facilitate their acquisition of
Section 515 properties. In addition, all
eligible entities must demonstrate the
ability to exercise leadership, organize
work, and prioritize assignments to
meet work demands in a cost-efficient
and timely manner within the 24-month
grant term.
(2) Eligible Grant Activities
Grantees awarded under this notice
are expected to provide technical
assistance services to NPs and/or PHAs
who are acquiring Section 515 projects
in order to increase TA recipients’
capacity (knowledge, skills, and
abilities) in the following areas:
Locating potential Section 515
properties for transfer; completing the
transfer analysis, negotiation,
application, underwriting, and closing
processes; and identifying and securing
capital and operating funding from the
Agency and/or other sources for the
purpose of acquisition, repair,
rehabilitation, and/or ongoing
operations of the property, including the
coordination and provision of
supportive services for tenants.
(3) Eligible Costs
Costs will be limited to those allowed
under 2 CFR 200. Grantees may, with
Agency concurrence and approval,
utilize MFH NP TA grant funds for the
following purposes: soft costs such as
financial analysis, transaction
structuring analysis and completion of
other transaction details such as Capital
Needs Assessments, appraisals, market
surveys or other consultation, and
advisory and non-construction services
required as part of the application
process. Grantees may request Agency
approval on a case-by-case basis for
costs not included in this list.
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(4) Ineligible Purposes/Costs
In addition to costs identified as
unallowable by 2 CFR parts 200 and
400, grant funds cannot be used for the
following:
(a) Grant funds cannot be used by the
grantee for activities that are not directly
related to preservation transactions
(such as conferences, sponsorships,
provider personnel education/training,
etc.).
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(b) Grant funds cannot be used by the
grantee for activities or transactions in
which they have any direct or indirect
ownership interest (regardless of
whether it is an interest as a current or
prospective owner).
(c) Grant funds cannot be used to
reimburse grantees for technical
assistance services provided to another
nonprofit or public body applicant in
the development and packaging of its
loan/grant docket and project when
those applicant entities have requested
reimbursement for technical assistance
expenses as part of their total project
development cost (See 7 CFR
3560.553(c) and 7 CFR 3560.53(o)(3)).
Duplication of service costs is not
allowed.
(d) Grant funds cannot be used when
an identity of interest exists between the
technical assistance provider (or any
third-party entity acting on their behalf)
and the loan/grant applicant. Identity of
interest is defined in 7 CFR 3560.11.
(e) Grant funds cannot be used for
building materials, labor costs, or
expenditures otherwise typically
included as any hard costs for actual
construction or repairs, prepayment,
interest, or principal payments.
D. Application and Submission
Information
(1) Electronic Application Submissions
All materials must be submitted
electronically as outlined above in
Section D, Application and Submission
Information in the General Section of
this notice.
(2) Content and Form of Application
Submissions
In addition to the forms, certifications
and assurances required of all
respondents as outlined in the General
Section of this notice, complete
application packages for the MFH NP
TA Grant must also contain a written
grant proposal that includes the
following required information:
(a) Summary page, which must
include the following:
a. Responding entity’s name, address,
telephone number, and complete
contact information for the entity’s main
point of contact;
b. Responding entity’s Taxpayer
Identification Number;
c. Grant Amount requested;
d. The State(s), area(s), and/or
geographic region for which the
application is being submitted; and
e. Responding entity’s Unique Entity
Identifier (UEI) number required for
registration in the System for Award
Management (SAM) prior to submitting
an application pursuant to 2 CFR
25.200(b).
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(b) Organizational Expertise and
Experience Capabilities Statement.
Responding entities must provide a
capabilities statement describing their
knowledge, demonstrated ability,
practical experience, and capacity to
develop and package Section 515
property transfer transactions. They
must also describe their ability to
provide technical assistance to NPs and/
or PHAs to facilitate the acquisition,
repair, and rehabilitation of Section 515
MFH properties. In addition,
respondents must demonstrate the
ability to exercise leadership, organize
work, and prioritize assignments to
meet work demands in a cost-efficient
and timely manner within the 24-month
grant term. If the respondent intends to
have other entities working on its
behalf, those entities must be identified
and their abilities to meet the stated
eligibility requirements and experience
in delivering approved technical
assistance services must also be
addressed.
(c) Narrative. The responding entity
must include a written narrative
describing its knowledge, demonstrated
ability, and practical experience in
completing transfers of Section 515
properties and/or providing training and
technical assistance to NPs and PHAs
for the transfer and rehabilitation of
Section 515 properties. 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 and
experience in delivering approved
technical assistance services.
Respondents must identify Section
515 transfer transactions for which the
respondent and/or other entities
working on its behalf has provided
technical assistance to the transferor or
transferee on applications for the
transfer of Section 515 projects in the
last five years. For the projects and
applications noted above, the
respondent must provide the Section
515 property name and location (city
and state), technical assistance recipient
organizational name and location (city
and state), source of technical assistance
funding, and outcome of the transaction
(i.e., no ownership change, transaction
in process, transfer completed).
(d) Key Personnel and Staffing Plan.
Proposals must include the resumes of
all staff personnel that will perform key
personnel services of (1) delivery of
technical assistance and (2)
administration of the grant. (Capital
Needs Assessments (CNAs), appraisals,
and market surveys are not considered
to be key personnel services). The
staffing plan must describe each staff
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member’s ability to perform the
proposed activities and/or their
experience in successfully managing
service delivery of TA grants. The plan
must include a staffing chart complete
with name, job title, salary, hours,
timelines, and descriptions of all
proposed employee duties that will
achieve the objectives of the grant
program. If respondents intend to
contract for any key personnel services
from outside their organization (not to
exceed the 20% limit), the qualifications
of all entities acting on behalf of
respondents must also be addressed.
(e) Statement of Work (SOW).
Responding entities must submit a
detailed SOW that includes the
following requirements:
a. Introduction/overview with a
description of the organization’s
proposed plan to provide technical
assistance to NPs and PHAs in the
acquisition of Section 515 properties.
b. The organization’s capabilities to
execute the proposed plan within the
prescribed 24-month grant term.
c. The organization’s plan to identify
potential sellers of Section 515
properties.
d. The organization’s plan to identify
and provide services to NPs and PHAs
interested in acquiring these properties.
e. Types of proposed technical
assistance and legal and/or financial
services that will enable NPs and/or
PHAs to submit transfer applications to
the Agency within the prescribed 24month grant term. Clearly explain the
services to be provided directly by the
respondent’s organization and all
services that will be provided by third
parties. The responding entity must
specify the State(s), area(s), and/or
geographic region in which they and
any proposed third-party subrecipients/
contractors/consultants will offer
technical assistance services.
Respondents must also explain why
each targeted service area and/or
property is at risk of loss of affordable
housing.
f. The organization’s experience in
identifying and successfully assisting
entities in the acquisition, repair, and
rehabilitation of Section 515 MFH
properties.
g. A detailed budget justification that
aligns with the key project tasks/
activities and a grant funds usage
projection that corresponds with a 24month timeline for service delivery. The
grant funds usage projection should
illustrate direct and indirect
administrative costs in dollars, and as a
percentage of the technical assistance
services provided (not to exceed 20
percent).
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h. Additional strengths,
qualifications, or capabilities not
included above that enhance the
respondent’s capacity to deliver services
under this grant.
i. Current working agreements or
contracts between the respondent and
any entity performing services on its
behalf must be submitted as part of the
application package and any associated
costs must be included in the
responding entity’s budget.
E. Application Review Information
All application packages will be
reviewed to determine eligibility and
completeness. All eligible, complete
applications will be evaluated and
competitively scored using the
Application Scoring Criteria outlined
below. Points will be awarded only for
factors that are well-documented in the
application package and, in the opinion
of the Agency, meet the objectives
outlined in each of the evaluation
criteria. References to external websites,
publications and/or other information
not submitted as part of the application
package will not be reviewed. Therefore,
full documentation and support of all
criteria is encouraged.
The review process designed for this
notice will evaluate the degree to which
the application sets forth measurable,
realistic objectives that are consistent
with this notice and can be completed
within a 24-month grant period
consistent with the application and
processing guidance established by
Agency transfer regulations.
Application Scoring Criteria (Points
Can Be Earned In All Sections)
1. Respondent Experience (RHS Section
515)
a. Respondent has successful,
verifiable experience completing
Section 515 transfers during the past
five years. Experience must be
demonstrated by submitting a list of
past 515 project transfers. To receive
points, the respondent must have acted
as the developer or technical assistance
provider for the project and, at a
minimum must have a submitted
transfer application currently pending
approval or closed with the Agency:
• 1–2 Section 515 project transfers: 10
points
• 3–5 Section 515 project transfers: 20
points
• 6–8 Section 515 project transfers: 30
points
• 9 or more Section 515 project
transfers: 40 points
b. Respondent has successful,
verifiable experience providing
technical assistance that has increased
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the capacity of NPs and/or PHAs to
complete Section 515 transfers.
Experience must be demonstrated by
submitting a list of past instances of
providing technical assistance. Points
will be awarded according to the
number of NP and/or PHA clients to
whom the respondent has provided
Section 515 technical assistance
services during the past five years:
• 1–4 Section 515 technical assistance
clients: 10 points
• 5–8 Section 515 technical assistance
clients: 20 points
• 9 or more Section 515 technical
assistance clients: 30 points
2. Respondent Experience (Other
Affordable Multifamily Housing
Programs)
a. Respondent has successful,
verifiable experience completing other
affordable MFH project transfers during
the past five years. Experience must be
demonstrated by submitting a list of
other affordable housing (non-515) past
project transfers. To receive points, the
respondent must have acted as the
developer or technical assistance
provider for the project and, at a
minimum, obtained funding approval:
• 1–2 affordable housing project
transfers: 5 points
• 3–5 affordable housing project
transfers: 10 points
• 6–8 affordable housing project
transfers: 15 points
• 9 or more affordable housing project
transfers: 20 points
b. Respondent has successful,
verifiable experience providing
technical assistance that has increased
the capacity of NPs and/or PHAs to
complete other (non-Section 515)
affordable MFH project transfers.
Experience must be demonstrated by
submitting a list of past instances of
providing technical assistance. Points
will be awarded according to the
number of NP and/or PHA clients to
whom the respondent has provided
affordable MFH project technical
assistance during the past five years:
• 1–4 affordable housing project clients:
5 points
• 5–8 affordable housing project clients:
10 points
• 9 or more affordable housing project
clients: 15 points
3. Proposed Outcomes
a. Respondent uses technical
assistance resources to maximize the
number of Section 515 projects assisted
with grant funding. Scoring is based on
the Statement of Work. Points will be
awarded according to the proposed
number of projects to be assisted under
the grant:
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• 1–5 projects: 5 points
• 6–10 projects: 10 points
• 11 or more projects: 15 points
b. Respondent uses technical
assistance resources to increase the
capacity of NPs and PHAs to complete
transfers of Section 515 properties.
Scoring is based on the Statement of
Work. Points will be awarded according
to the proposed number of NPs or PHAs
to be served under the grant:
• 1–3 NPs/PHAs: 5 points
• 4–6 NPs/PHAs: 10 points
• 7 or more NPs/PHAs: 15 points
c. Respondent uses technical
assistance resources to increase the
capacity of NPs and PHAs to offer
supportive services for tenants. Scoring
is based on the Statement of Work.
Points will be awarded according to the
proposed number of projects assisted
where new supportive services will be
included:
• 1–3 projects: 5 points
• 4–6 projects: 10 points
• 7 or more projects: 15 points
4. Grant Administration
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a. Respondent uses grant resources to
maximize the funding available for
direct program delivery to TA
recipients. Points will be awarded
according to the administrative costs as
a percentage of grant funds used (not to
exceed 20%):
• Administrative costs 10 percent to 20
percent: 5 points
• Administrative costs less than 10
percent: 10 points
b. Respondent has successful,
verifiable experience managing service
delivery or technical assistance through
the grant lifecycle during the past five
years. Experience must be demonstrated
by submitting a list of past instances of
managing service delivery or providing
technical assistance. Experience
considered for scoring purposes
includes submitting timely requests for
funding, meeting reporting
requirements, and closing out awards.
Points will be awarded according to the
degree of experience:
• Previous experience as described with
1–4 grants: 5 points
• Previous experience as described with
5 or more grants: 10 points
5. Multifamily Housing Program
Delivery Goals
All applications meeting the
minimum scoring requirement of 50
points may be eligible for up to 15
additional points for proposals that offer
TA services to support the MFH
program delivery goals outlined in a.
and b. below.
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a. Geographic coverage (10 points):
The respondent proposes to serve a
geographic area that is underserved by
other technical assistance providers or
proposes to serve areas with a
significant number of properties in need
of preservation, as identified by the
respondent and verified by the Agency.
b. Innovative TA service delivery
models (5 points). The agency seeks to
test a range of TA delivery models to
assess the methods of TA delivery that
are most effective to facilitate
preservation; therefore, points may be
awarded for respondents proposing a
TA service delivery model that is
different from other proposed models.
6. Administrator Discretionary Points
Respondents that meet the minimum
scoring requirement may be considered
for up to 15 discretionary scoring points
(5 points for each category) as
determined by the Administrator, which
advance any or all of the Agency’s three
key funding priorities, provided that all
other requirements set forth in this
notice are otherwise met. The three key
priorities are:
(i) Creating More and Better Markets:
Assisting rural communities to recover
economically through more and better
market opportunities through improved
infrastructure. (5 points): Applicants
receive priority points if the project is
located in or serving a rural community
whose economic well-being ranks in the
most distressed tier of the Distressed
Communities Index. The Distressed
Communities Index provides a score
between 1–100 for every community at
the zip code level. The most distressed
tier of the index are those communities
with a score over 80. For additional
information on data sources used for
this priority determination, please
download the Data Sources for Rural
Development Priorities document at the
following website: https://www.rd.
usda.gov/media/file/download/rd-icprioritiesdatasupplementalupdatedfy
2024.pdf. Note: US Territories are
considered distressed and qualify for
priority points. Provide a copy of the
map showing the project is eligible to
claim points.
(ii) Advancing Racial Justice, PlaceBased Equity, and Opportunity:
Ensuring all rural residents have
equitable access to RD programs and
benefits from RD funded projects (5
points). Applicant receives priority
points if the project is located in or
serving a community with score 0.75 or
above on the CDC Social Vulnerability
Index. Please use the Community LookUp Map to look up a map or list to
determine if your project qualifies for
priority points. Provide a copy of the
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map showing the project is eligible to
claim points.
Applications from and benefiting a
Rural Partner’s Network’s (RPN)
community network will receive
priority points (rural.gov) in applicable
funding notices. Currently RPN
Networks exist in Alaska, Arizona,
Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada,
New Mexico, North Carolina, Puerto
Rico, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Please use the Community Look-Up
map to determine if your project
qualifies for priority points.
Applications from Federally
Recognized Tribes, including Tribal
instrumentalities and entities that are
wholly owned by Tribes will receive
priority points. Federally Recognized
Tribes are classified as any Indian or
Alaska Native tribe, band, nation,
pueblo, village or community as defined
by the Federally Recognized Indian
Tribe List Act (List Act) of 1994 (Pub.
L. 103–454). Please refer to the Bureau
of Indian Affairs for the listing of
Federally Recognized Tribes that was
published on January 1, 2023, in the
Federal Register [88 FR 2112].
Additionally, projects where at least 50
percent of the project beneficiaries are
members of Federally Recognized
Tribes, will receive priority points if
applications from non-Tribal applicants
include a Tribal Resolution of Consent
from the Tribe or Tribes that the
applicant is proposing to serve. For
additional information on data sources
used for this priority determination,
please download the Data Sources for
Rural Development Priorities document
by using the following link: https://
www.rd.usda.gov/media/file/download/
rd-ic-prioritiesdatasupplemental
updatedfy2024.pdf. Note: US Territories
are considered socially vulnerable and
qualify for priority points.
(iii) Addressing Climate Change and
Environmental Justice: Reducing
climate pollution and increasing
resilience to the impacts of climate
change through economic support to
rural communities (5 points). Applicant
can receive priority points through one
of the three options listed below:
Option 1: Applicants will receive
points if the project is located in or
serves a Disadvantaged Community as
defined by the Climate and Economic
Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), from the
White House Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ). CEJST is a tool to help
Federal agencies identify disadvantaged
communities that will benefit from
programs included in the Justice40
initiative. Census tracts are considered
disadvantaged if they meet the
thresholds for at least one of the CEJST’s
eight (8) categories of burden: Climate,
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Energy, Health, Housing, Legacy
Pollution, Transportation, Water and
Wastewater, or Workforce Development.
Option 2: Applicants will receive
points if the project is located in or
serves an Energy Community as defined
by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The IRA defines energy communities as:
• A ‘‘brownfield site’’ (as defined in
certain subparagraphs of the
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act of 1980 (CERCLA)).
• A ‘‘metropolitan statistical area’’ or
‘‘non-metropolitan statistical area’’ that
has (or had at any time after 2009). 0.17
percent or greater direct employment or
25 percent or greater local tax revenues
related to the extraction, processing,
transport, or storage of coal, oil, or
natural gas; and has an unemployment
rate at or above the national average
unemployment rate for the previous
year.
• A census tract (or directly adjoining
census tract) in which a coal mine has
closed after 1999; or in which a coalfired electric generating unit has been
retired after 2009.
Option 3: Applicants will receive
points by demonstrating through written
narrative how proposed climate-impact
projects improve the livelihoods of
community residents and meet
pollution mitigation or clean energy
goals.
Information on whether your project
qualifies for priority points can be found
at the following website: https://
www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. To
determine if your project qualifies for
priority points under Option 1 or
Option 2, please use the Disadvantaged
Community & Energy Community LookUp Map on the following website:
https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.
Provide a copy of the map showing the
project is eligible to claim points.
The minimum score requirement for
grants awarded under this funding
opportunity is 50 points. Final scores
are determined by the Agency. The
Agency reserves the right to withhold
the awarding of funds for applications
that fail to meet the minimum required
final score. Meeting the minimum
scoring requirement and/or receiving
priority funding points or discretionary
points from the Administrator does not
guarantee a funding award.
The Agency will notify all responding
entities whether their application has
been accepted or rejected and provide
appeal rights under 7 CFR part 11, as
appropriate.
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Program Section B
Farm Labor Housing Technical
Assistance Grant Program
Table of Contents
A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information
A. Program Description
The technical assistance grants
authorized under this funding
opportunity are for the purpose of
encouraging farm labor housing
development, repair, and preservation
activities under Section 516(i) of the
Housing Act of 1949, as amended (42
U.S.C. 1486(i)). RHS regulations for
Section 514 and Section 516 FLH
programs and provisions for FLH
technical assistance grants are
published at 7 CFR part 3560, subparts
L and M. FLH grants are authorized
under Section 516(i) of the Housing Act
of 1949, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 1486(i),
and implemented by 7 CFR part 3560.
The primary objective of this funding
opportunity is to improve the overall
quality of Section 514 FLH loan and
Section 516 FLH grant application
packages submitted to the Agency for
funding consideration in areas
determined to have unmet need and
unsatisfied market demand for farm
labor housing development, repair, and
preservation activities, as identified by
the respondent and verified by the
Agency.
Eligible entities responding to this
notice are expected to have knowledge,
experience, and expertise in farm labor
housing development, repair, and
preservation activities; federal grant
administration; and technical assistance
program development, implementation,
and delivery. In addition, eligible
entities must possess the ability to
exercise leadership, organize work, and
prioritize assignments to meet work
demands in a timely and cost-efficient
manner within a 24-month grant
performance period.
B. Federal Award Information
Type of Award: Grant
Fiscal Year (FY) Funds: 2024
Award Amounts: $2 million.
C. Eligibility Information
(1) Respondent Eligibility
Eligibility for FLH Technical
Assistance Grants is limited to qualified
nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit
organizations must meet the definition
of nonprofit organization in 7 CFR
3560.11. Qualifying nonprofit
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organizations include tribal housing
nonprofits.
(2) Eligible Grant Activities
The primary work permitted under
these FLH TA grant awards will focus
on eligible nonprofit organizations
delivering direct technical assistance
advisory services to qualified FLH loan/
grant applicants who lack the
knowledge, experience and/or capacity
to develop, package, and submit their
own loan and grant dockets to the
Agency for funding consideration.
Grantees may assist FLH loan/grant
applicants with analysis, negotiation,
application, underwriting, and closing
processes; and identifying and securing
capital and operating funding from the
Agency and/or other sources for the
purpose of new construction,
acquisition, repair and/or rehabilitation,
and ongoing operations of the property,
including the coordination and
provision of supportive services for
tenants.
Qualified applicants for Section 514
Off-FLH loans and Section 516 Off-FLH
grants may include broad-based
nonprofit organizations, nonprofit
organizations of farmworkers, federally
recognized Indian tribes, community
organizations, agencies or political
subdivisions of State, Tribal or local
Governments (such as housing
authorities), and other eligible FLH
organizations.
Qualified applicants for Section 514
On-Farm Labor Housing (On-FLH) loans
must be farm owners, family farm
partnerships, family farm corporations,
or associations of farmers engaged in
agricultural or aquacultural farming
operations whose farming operations
demonstrate a need for On-FLH and
who will own the housing and operate
it on a nonprofit basis.
Section 516 grants are not available
for On-FLH.
Farm labor housing may be
constructed in either urban or rural
areas if need and demand for such
housing is supported. However,
respondents should concentrate their
proposed technical assistance grant
activities in areas identified as having
unmet need and unsatisfied market
demand for FLH development, repair,
and preservation activities, as identified
by the respondent and verified by the
Agency.
(3) Eligible Costs
Costs will be limited to those allowed
under 2 CFR part 200. Grantees may,
with Agency concurrence and approval,
utilize FLH TA grant funds for the
following purposes: Conducting targeted
outreach efforts to inform and recruit
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potential FLH applicants; providing
advisory services to eligible FLH
applicants for conducting site searches,
estimating construction costs, resolving
planning, and zoning issues, and
negotiating and executing property
acquisitions; assisting applicants during
the application development, packaging,
submission, underwriting and closing
processes; and for other transaction
details that are considered part of the
application process, such as financial
analyses, Capital Needs Assessments
(CNAs), appraisals, market surveys/
studies, and other consultation,
advisory and non-construction services.
Grantees may request Agency approval
on a case-by-case basis for costs not
included in the list.
Grantees may also on a case-by-case
basis, and with advance approval by the
Agency, provide technical assistance to
entities approved for FLH funding
during the construction and rent-up/
lease-up phases of development, and
provide training to Agency-funded FLH
projects to support successful long-term
management of FLH properties.
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(4) Ineligible Purposes/Costs
In addition to costs identified as
unallowable by 2 CFR parts 200 and
400, grant funds cannot be used for the
following:
(a) Construction (in any form)
including building materials, labor, and
costs or expenditures otherwise
typically included as hard costs for
actual construction.
(b) To reimburse grantees for
technical assistance services provided to
another nonprofit or public body
applicant in the development and
packaging of its loan/grant docket and
project when those applicant entities
have requested reimbursement for
technical assistance expenses as part of
their total project development cost (See
7 CFR 3560.553(c) and 7 CFR part
3560.53(o)(3)) (Duplication of service
costs is not allowed).
(c) In counties with Agency-financed
FLH properties currently operating
under a ‘‘diminished need’’ occupancy
waiver (7 CFR 3560.576(e)), which are
listed on RD’s website at https://
www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/
multifamily-housing-programs/farmlabor-housing-technical-assistancegrants#to-apply.
(d) When an identity of interest exists
between the technical assistance
provider (or any third-party entity
acting on their behalf) and the loan/
grant applicant. Identity of interest is
defined in 7 CFR 3560.11.
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D. Application and Submission
Information
(1) Electronic Application Submissions
All materials must be submitted
electronically as outlined above in
Section D, Application and Submission
Information in the General Section of
this notice.
(2) Content and Format of Application
Packages
In addition to the forms, certifications
and assurances required of all
respondents as outlined in the General
Section of this notice, complete
application packages for FLH TA Grants
must also contain a written grant
proposal that includes the following
required information:
(a) Summary page, which must
include the following:
1. Responding entity’s name, address,
telephone number, and complete
contact information for the entity’s main
point of contact;
2. Responding entity’s Taxpayer
Identification Number;
3. Grant Amount requested;
4. The State(s), area(s), and/or
geographic region for which the
application is being submitted; and
5. Responding entity’s Unique Entity
Identifier (UEI) number required for
registration in the System for Award
Management (SAM) prior to submitting
an application pursuant to 2 CFR
25.200(b).
(b) Organizational Expertise and
Experience Capabilities Statement. The
responding entity must provide a
capabilities statement describing overall
organizational knowledge, demonstrated
ability, and practical experience in
developing, packaging, and submitting
Section 514/516 development, repair,
and preservation activity transactions
for Agency funding consideration;
developing, implementing, and
delivering farm labor housing technical
assistance programs; and managing
Federal technical assistance grants
throughout their lifecycle. In addition,
respondents must demonstrate the
ability to exercise leadership, organize
work, and prioritize assignments to
meet work demands in a cost-efficient
and timely manner within the 24-month
grant term. If the respondent intends to
have other entities working on its
behalf, those entities must be identified
and their abilities to meet the stated
eligibility requirements and experience
in delivering approved technical
assistance services must also be
addressed.
(c) Narrative. The responding entity
must include a written narrative
describing its knowledge, demonstrated
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ability, and practical experience in farm
labor housing development, Federal
grant administration, and technical
assistance program development,
implementation, and delivery. If the
respondent intends to have other
entities working on its behalf, those
entities must be identified and their
abilities to meet the stated eligibility
requirements and experience in
delivering approved technical assistance
services must also be addressed.
To demonstrate overall organizational
knowledge, experience, and expertise in
farm labor housing development, repair,
and preservation activities, respondents
must identify by property name, type,
and location, all FLH projects (both
Section 514/516 and non-RHS) their
organization has successfully
developed, repaired and/or preserved in
the past five (5) years. Please specify
projects that continue to operate
successfully to meet farm labor housing
demand in the communities where they
were developed. Respondents may also
include a list of any successful,
verifiable experience in completing or
obtaining funding for other affordable
Multifamily Housing projects during the
past five years.
To demonstrate overall organizational
knowledge, experience, and expertise in
developing, implementing, and
delivering farm labor housing technical
assistance programs, respondents must
identify by name and location the
organizations and communities to
which they have provided farm labor
housing technical assistance services,
the types of TA services provided to
these entities, the sources of the
technical assistance funding (including
any leveraged funding sources), the
number of Section 514/516 loan/grant
packages developed and submitted for
Agency funding consideration on behalf
of these entities, and a description of
how the respondent’s technical
assistance services contributed to the
development, repair, and/or
preservation of farm labor housing that
continues to operate successfully to
meet farm labor housing demand in the
community where it was developed.
Include the outcomes/success ratios of
all transactions/projects listed above
that were initiated within the past five
years (e.g., project approved for funding,
project currently in development,
project completed, etc.).
To demonstrate overall organizational
knowledge, experience, and expertise in
managing Federal technical assistance
grants throughout their lifecycle
(including submitting timely requests
for reimbursements, meeting reporting
requirements, and closing out awards),
respondents must identify the total
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number and type(s) of Federal technical
assistance grants their organization has
successfully administered within the
past five years, including the awarding
Federal agencies involved.
(d) Key Personnel and Staffing Plan.
Proposals must include the resumes of
all personnel who will perform key
personnel services of (1) technical
assistance delivery and (2) grant
administration (CNAs, appraisals, and
market surveys are not considered key
personnel services). The staffing plan
must describe each staff member’s
ability to perform the proposed
activities and/or their experience in
successfully managing service delivery
of TA grants. The plan must include a
staffing chart complete with name, job
title, salary, hours, timelines, and
descriptions of all proposed employee
duties that will achieve the objectives of
the grant program. If respondents intend
to contract for any key personnel
services from outside their organization
(not to exceed the 20% limit), the
qualifications of all entities acting on
behalf of respondents must also be
addressed.
(e) Statement of Work. Responding
entities must submit a detailed SOW
that includes the following
requirements:
1. Introduction/overview with a
description of the proposed plan to
identify and provide advisory services
to eligible individuals, groups and
organizations applying for Section 514/
516 FLH loans and grants in
underserved market areas.
2. The organization’s capabilities to
execute the proposed plan within the
prescribed 24-month grant period.
3. The organization’s plan to identify
and recruit qualified individuals, groups
and organizations who lack the
knowledge, experience and/or capacity
to package and submit Section 514/516
applications for Agency funding
consideration. The SOW must provide a
projected number of Section 514 loan
and Section 516 grant application
packages the respondent intends to
submit for Agency funding
consideration during the 24-month grant
period. The SOW should discuss how
the respondent’s existing FLH
knowledge and expertise, in
combination with statistical data
analysis, were utilized in identifying
potential loan/grant applicants and how
those findings provided foundational
context to their planning efforts.
Respondents should also include a
discussion of their organizational ability
to effectively serve the targeted
applicants based on key personnel,
established timeframes, and budget
projections. Please include the data
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utilized to support the proposal, all of
which must be current, relevant, and
verifiable.
4. The organization’s plan to identify
areas with unmet need and unsatisfied
market demand for FLH development,
repair, and/or preservation activities. In
determining the underserved areas to
target for FLH TA services, respondents
must consider the total number of
farmworkers in the area, the number
and percentage of farmworkers who are
without adequate housing in the area
and projected future housing demand in
the area. Consultation with major
employers of farm laborers and with
farmworker organizations in each
market area under consideration is
strongly encouraged prior to
determining which areas to target for
services. The SOW should discuss how
the respondent’s existing FLH
knowledge and expertise, in
combination with statistical data
analysis, were utilized in identifying
underserved market areas and how
those findings provided foundational
context to their planning efforts. Also
include a discussion of the respondent’s
organizational ability to effectively serve
the targeted market areas based on key
personnel, established timeframes, and
budget projections. Respondents should
include the data utilized to support
their proposals, all of which must be
current, relevant, and verifiable.
5. Types of proposed technical
assistance and legal and/or financial
services that will enable qualified
applicants in underserved areas to
submit successful Section 514/516
applications to the Agency within the
prescribed 24-month grant period.
Respondents must clearly explain the
services to be provided directly by their
organization and all services that will be
provided by third parties. The
responding entity must specify the
State(s) and/or geographic regions in
which they and any proposed thirdparty contractors, consultants or
subrecipients will offer technical
assistance services. Respondents must
specify why each applicant and targeted
service area needs the proposed
technical assistance services.
6. A detailed budget justification that
aligns with the key project tasks/
activities and a grant funds usage
projection that corresponds with a 24month timeline for service delivery. The
grant funds usage projection should
illustrate direct and indirect
administrative costs in dollars, and as a
percentage of the technical assistance
services provided (not to exceed 20%).
7. Additional strengths, qualifications,
or capabilities not discussed above that
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may enhance the respondent’s capacity
to deliver services under this grant.
E. Application Review Information
All application packages will be
reviewed to determine eligibility and
completeness. All eligible, complete
applications will be evaluated and
competitively scored using the
Application Scoring Criteria outlined
below. Points will be awarded only for
factors that are well- documented in the
application package and, in the opinion
of the Agency, meet the objectives
outlined in each of the evaluation
criteria. References to external websites,
publications and/or other information
not submitted as part of the application
package will not be reviewed. Therefore,
full documentation and support of all
criteria is encouraged.
The review process designed for this
notice will evaluate the degree to which
the application sets forth measurable
realistic objectives that are consistent
with this notice and can be completed
within a 24-month grant term consistent
with the application and processing
guidance established by Agency
regulations.
Application Scoring Criteria (Points
Can Be Earned In All Sections)
1. Respondent Experience (RHS Section
514/516)
a. Respondent has successful,
verifiable experience completing
Section 514/516 transactions during the
past five years. Experience must be
demonstrated by submitting a list of
past Section 514/516 transactions. To
receive points, the respondent must
have acted as the developer or technical
assistance provider for the project and,
at a minimum, must have a submitted
application currently pending approval
or closed with the Agency:
• 1–2 completed or pending Section
514/516 transactions: 10 points
• 3–5 completed or pending Section
514/516 transactions: 20 points
• 6–8 completed or pending Section
514/516 transactions: 30 points
• 9 or more completed or pending
Section 514/516 transactions: 40
points
b. Respondent has successful,
verifiable experience providing
technical assistance to qualified
borrowers in completing Section 514/
516 transactions. Experience must be
demonstrated by submitting a list of
past instances of providing technical
assistance. Points will be awarded
according to the number of qualified
borrowers to whom the respondent has
provided Section 514/516 technical
assistance during the past five years:
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• 1–4 Section 514/516 borrowers
provided with technical assistance: 10
points
• 5–8 Section 514/516 borrowers
provided with technical assistance: 20
points
• 9 or more Section 514/516 borrowers
provided with technical assistance: 30
points
2. Respondent Experience (Other/NonRHS Affordable Multifamily Housing
Programs)
a. Respondent has successful,
verifiable experience completing or
obtaining funding for non-RHS FLH or
other affordable MFH projects during
the past five years. Experience must be
demonstrated by submitting a list of
past project transactions. To receive
points, the respondent must have acted
as the developer or technical assistance
provider for the project and, at a
minimum, must have obtained funding
approval:
• 1–3 non-RHS FLH or MFH
transactions completed/obtained
funding approval: 5 points
• 4–6 non-RHS FLH or MFH
transactions completed/obtained
funding approval: 10 points
• 7–9 non-RHS FLH or MFH
transactions completed/obtained
funding approval: 15 points
• 10 or more non-RHS FLH or MFH
transactions completed/obtained
funding approval: 20 points
b. Respondent has successful,
verifiable experience providing
technical assistance to non- RHS FLH or
MFH borrowers. Experience must be
demonstrated by submitting a list of
past instances of providing technical
assistance. Points will be awarded
according to the number of non-RHS
FLH or MFH borrowers to whom the
respondent has provided technical
assistance in the past five years:
• 1–4 non-RHS FLH or MFH borrowers
assisted: 5 points
• 5–8 non-RHS FLH or MFH borrowers
assisted: 10 points
• 9 or more non-RHS FLH or MFH
borrowers assisted: 15 points
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3. Proposed Outcomes
a. Respondent uses technical
assistance resources to maximize the
number of areas assisted (based on the
proposed Statement of Work). Points
will be awarded according to the
proposed number of areas with unmet
need/unsatisfied market demand
targeted for services under the TA grant:
• 1–5 proposed market areas: 5 points
• 6–10 proposed market areas: 10 points
• 11 or more proposed market areas: 15
points
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b. Respondent uses technical
assistance resources to identify and
assist qualified Section 514/516
applicants (based on the Statement of
Work). Points will be awarded
according to the proposed number of
qualified 514/516 applicants to be
served under the grant:
• 1–3 qualified Section 514/516
applicants: 5 points
• 4–6 qualified Section 514/516
applicants: 10 points
• 7 or more qualified Section 514/516
applicants: 15 points
c. Respondent uses technical
assistance resources to increase the
number of successful section 514/516
applications submitted for Agency
funding consideration (based on the
Statement of Work). Points will be
awarded according to the proposed
number of Section 514/516 loan/grant
application packages to be submitted for
Agency funding consideration during
the 24-month grant period of
performance:
• 1–5 application packages: 5 points
• 6–10 application packages: 10 points
• More than 10 packages: 15 points
d. Respondent uses technical
assistance resources to increase the
capacity of Section 514/516 owners to
offer supportive services for tenants.
Scoring is based on the Statement of
Work. Points will be awarded according
to the proposed number of 514/516
loan/grant application packages to be
submitted for Agency funding that
include new supportive services for
tenants:
• 1–3 projects: 5 points
• 4–6 projects: 10 points
• 7 or more projects: 15 points
4. Grant Administration
a. Respondent uses grant resources to
maximize the funding available for
direct program delivery to TA
recipients. Percentage of grant funds
used for direct and indirect
administrative costs (not to exceed 20%
of total projected costs):
• Total Administrative costs 10% to
20%: 5 points
• Total Administrative Costs Less than
10%: 10 points
b. Respondent has successful,
verifiable experience managing service
delivery or technical assistance
throughout the grant lifecycle during the
past five years. Experience must be
demonstrated by submitting a list of
past instances of managing service
delivery or providing technical
assistance. Experience considered for
scoring purposes includes submitting
timely requests for funding, meeting
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76079
reporting requirements, and closing out
awards. Points will be awarded
according to the degree of experience:
• 1–4 grants successfully managed
during the past five years: 5 points
• 5 or more grants successfully
managed during the past five years: 10
points
5. FLH Program Delivery Goals
All applications meeting the
minimum scoring requirement of 50
points may be eligible for up to 15
additional points for proposals that offer
TA services to support the FLH program
delivery goals outlined in a. and b.
below.
a. Geographic coverage (10 points):
Respondent proposes to serve
geographic areas that are underserved
by other technical assistance providers,
as identified by the respondent and
verified by the Agency.
b. Innovative TA service delivery
models (5 points): The agency seeks to
test a range of TA delivery models to
assess the methods of TA delivery that
are most effective to facilitate successful
FLH development, repair, and
preservation activities. Describe any
supporting innovative delivery
approaches associated with
implementation of the outlined key
personnel tasks, including
contingencies for delivering TA services
remotely/virtually in order to avoid
service delays and disruptions.
6. Administrator Discretionary Points
Respondents meeting the minimum
scoring requirements may be considered
for up to 15 discretionary scoring points
(5 points for each category) as
determined by the Administrator, which
advance any or all of the Agency’s three
key funding priorities, provided that all
other requirements set forth in this
notice are otherwise met. The three key
priorities are:
(i) Creating More and Better Markets:
Assisting rural communities to recover
economically through more and better
market opportunities through improved
infrastructure (5 points). Applicants
receive priority points if the project is
located in or serving a rural community
whose economic well-being ranks in the
most distressed tier of the Distressed
Communities Index. The Distressed
Communities Index provides a score
between 1–100 for every community at
the zip code level. The most distressed
tier of the index are those communities
with a score over 80. Please use the
Distressed Communities Index Look-Up
Map to determine if your project
qualifies for priority points. Provide a
copy of the map showing the project is
eligible to claim points. For additional
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information on data sources used for
this priority determination, please
download the Data Sources for Rural
Development Priorities document at the
following website: https://www.rd.
usda.gov/media/file/download/rd-icprioritiesdatasupplementalupdatedfy
2024.pdf. Note: US Territories are
considered distressed and qualify for
priority points. Provide a copy of the
map showing the project is eligible to
claim points.
(ii) Advancing Racial Justice, PlaceBased Equity, and Opportunity:
Ensuring all rural residents have
equitable access to RD programs and
benefits from RD funded projects (5
points). Applicant receives priority
points if the project is located in or
serving a community with a score of
0.75 or above on the CDC Social
Vulnerability Index. Please use
Community Look-Up Map to look up a
map or list to determine if your project
qualifies for priority points. Provide a
copy of the map showing the project is
eligible to claim points.
Applications from and benefiting a
Rural Partner’s Network’s (RPN)
community network will receive
priority points (rural.gov) in applicable
funding notices. Currently RPN
Networks exist in Alaska, Arizona,
Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada,
New Mexico, North Carolina, Puerto
Rico, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Please use the Community Look-Up
map to determine if your project
qualifies for priority points.
Applications from Federally
Recognized Tribes, including Tribal
instrumentalities and entities that are
wholly owned by Tribes will receive
priority points. Federally Recognized
Tribes are classified as any Indian or
Alaska Native tribe, band, nation,
pueblo, village or community as defined
by the Federally Recognized Indian
Tribe List Act (List Act) of 1994 (Public
Law 103–454). Please refer to the
Bureau of Indian Affairs for the listing
of Federally Recognized Tribes that was
published on January 1, 2023 in the
Federal Register [88 FR 2112].
Additionally, projects where at least
50 percent of the project beneficiaries
are members of Federally Recognized
Tribes will receive priority points if
applications from non-Tribal applicants
include a Tribal Resolution of Consent
from the Tribe or Tribes that the
applicant is proposing to serve. For
additional information on data sources
used for this priority determination,
please download the Data Sources for
Rural Development Priorities document
by using the following link: https://
www.rd.usda.gov/media/file/download/
rd-ic-prioritiesdatasupplemental
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updatedfy2024.pdf. Note: US Territories
are considered socially vulnerable and
qualify for priority points.
(iii) Addressing Climate Change and
Environmental Justice: Reducing
climate pollution and increasing
resilience to the impacts of climate
change through economic support to
rural communities (5 points).
Applicants can receive priority points
through one of the three options listed
below:
Option 1: Applicants will receive
points if the project is located in or
serves a Disadvantaged Community as
defined by the Climate and Economic
Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), from the
White House Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ). CEJST is a tool to help
Federal agencies identify disadvantaged
communities that will benefit from
programs included in the Justice40
initiative. Census tracts are considered
disadvantaged if they meet the
thresholds for at least one of the CEJST’s
eight (8) categories of burden: Climate,
Energy, Health, Housing, Legacy
Pollution, Transportation, Water and
Wastewater, or Workforce Development.
Option 2: Applicants will receive
points if the project is located in or
serves an Energy Community as defined
by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The IRA defines energy communities as:
• A ‘‘brownfield site’’ (as defined in
certain subparagraphs of the
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act of 1980 (CERCLA)).
• A ‘‘metropolitan statistical area’’ or
‘‘non-metropolitan statistical area’’ that
has (or had at any time after 2009).
• 0.17% or greater direct employment
or 25% or greater local tax revenues
related to the extraction, processing,
transport, or storage of coal, oil, or
natural gas; and has an unemployment
rate at or above the national average
unemployment rate for the previous
year.
• A census tract (or directly adjoining
census tract) in which a coal mine has
closed after 1999; or in which a coalfired electric generating unit has been
retired after 2009.
Option 3: Applicants will receive
points by demonstrating through written
narrative how proposed climate-impact
projects improve the livelihoods of
community residents and meet
pollution mitigation or clean energy
goals.
To determine if your project qualifies
for priority points under Option 1 or
Option 2, please use the Disadvantaged
Community & Energy Community LookUp Map. Provide a copy of the map
showing the project is eligible to claim
points.
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The minimum score requirement for
grants awarded under this funding
opportunity is 50 points. Final scores
are determined by the Agency. The
Agency reserves the right to withhold
the awarding of funds for applications
that fail to meet the minimum required
final score.
Meeting the minimum scoring
requirements and/or receiving priority
funding points or discretionary points
from the Administrator does not
guarantee a funding award.
The Agency will notify all responding
entities whether their application has
been accepted or rejected and provide
appeal rights under 7 CFR part 11, as
appropriate.
Joaquin Altoro,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–21033 Filed 9–16–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Sunshine Act Meeting Notice
United States Commission on
Civil Rights.
ACTION: Notice of Commission public
business meeting.
AGENCY:
Friday, September 20, 2024,
10:00 a.m. EST.
ADDRESSES: Meeting to take place
virtually and is open to the public via
livestream on the Commission’s
YouTube page: https://
www.youtube.com/user/USCCR/videos.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe
Kim: 202–376–8371; publicaffairs@
usccr.gov.
DATES:
In
accordance with the Government in
Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b), the
Commission on Civil Rights is holding
a meeting to discuss the Commission’s
business for the month. This business
meeting is open to the public. Computer
assisted real-time transcription (CART)
will be provided. The web link to access
CART (in English) on Friday, September
20, 2024, is https://www.streamtext.net/
player?event=USCCR. Please note that
CART is text-only translation that
occurs in real time during the meeting
and is not an exact transcript.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Meeting Agenda
I. Approval of Agenda
II. Business Meeting
A. Presentation by Virginia Advisory
Committee Chair on Released
Reports and Memorandum on
Police Oversight and Accountability
B. Presentation by Maryland Advisory
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 17, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76065-76080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21033]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
[Docket No. RHS-24-MFH-0032]
Consolidated Multifamily Housing Technical Assistance Grant
Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Fiscal Year 2024
AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA).
ACTION: Consolidated notice of funding availability
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural
Development (RD) agency of the USDA, announces the availability of
funding for Multifamily Housing Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance
(MFH NP TA) Grants and Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance (FLH TA)
Grants. This funding is available for eligible technical assistance
(TA) providers seeking grants to provide technical assistance services
to qualified applicants.
DATES: Complete applications must be submitted in electronic format and
must be received by 12 p.m. ET (noon) on November 18, 2024.
To initiate the application process, the applicant must send an
email message, by 12 p.m. ET (noon) on November 13, 2024 to the RHS
Production and Preservation Division at
[[Page 76066]]
[email protected] for MFH Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance Grant
applications or [email protected] for FLH Technical Assistance Grant
applications as outlined in Section D, Application and Submission
Information. Any emails submitted after 12 p.m. ET (noon) on November
13, 2024 will be rejected and will not be considered.
The General Section of this consolidated notice provides the
application procedures and requirements that are applicable to both
programs in this notice. Program Sections A and B of this notice
provide descriptions of the specific programs for which funding is made
available and explains any additional procedures and requirements
applicable to the specific program. Please be sure to read both the
General Section and the Program Sections of this consolidated notice to
ensure that all requirements have been responded to and are included
with the application.
ADDRESSES: All applications made in response to this notice must be
submitted electronically to the RHS Production and Preservation
Division, Program Support Branch as outlined in Section D, Application
and Submission Information. Entities submitting more than one
application must submit a separate email of interest for each
submission. All email requests must be sent to one of the following
addresses: [email protected] for MFH NP Transfer TA Grant applications
or [email protected] for FLH TA Grant applications. This grant funding
opportunity will also be announced on www.Grants.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General questions about this
consolidated notice may be directed to Stephanie Vergin, Policy
Advisor, Production and Preservation Division, Multi-Family Housing,
United States Department of Agriculture; Phone: 651-602-7820; or email
at [email protected] or [email protected].
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
Mission Area, agency, staff office, or the 711 Federal Relay Service.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
This is the second year that MFH is issuing a consolidated notice
for its technical assistance grant programs. MFH designed this
consolidated notice with the intent to simplify the application
process, better coordinate services for applicants, and ensure
transparency and predictability in funding cycles. It is the Agency's
belief that consolidating the MFH TA notices will avoid duplication of
efforts within the communities it serves and better serve its rural
stakeholders most in need of these programs. The RHS Production &
Preservation Division will host a virtual workshop prior to the
application deadline to provide general information and guidance
regarding this notice. The workshop will be announced via GovDelivery
notice and will also be posted on the MFH Programs website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/multi-family-housing-programs.
Prospective respondents are encouraged to read this entire notice
thoroughly and attend the informational workshop for more information
and clarification prior to submitting funding applications.
Organization of the Consolidated Notice
This notice is divided into two major sections, the General Section
and Program Sections A and B. The standard forms, certifications,
assurances, procedures, and requirements applicable to both technical
assistance grant programs are included in the General Section of this
notice. Program Sections A and B separately outline each technical
assistance grant funding opportunity with program-specific eligibility,
statutory and regulatory requirements, and include the factors used for
scoring and ranking applications, the grant award process, and any
additional requirements and/or limitations specific to each program.
Please read both the General Section and Program Sections A-B of
this notice carefully to ensure all application and program
requirements are met. Not all respondents are eligible to receive
awards under both funding opportunities identified within this
consolidated notice.
Rural Development Priorities: The Agency encourages respondents to
consider projects that will advance the following key priorities:
Addressing Climate Change and Environmental Justice.
Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of
climate change through economic support to rural communities,
Advancing Racial Justice, Place-Based Equity, and
Opportunity. Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD
programs and benefits from RD funded projects; and
Creating More and Better Market Opportunities. Assisting
rural communities to recover economically through more and better
market opportunities and through improved infrastructure.
For further information, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.
Table of Contents: General Section
A. Program Descriptions
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information
F. Federal Award Administration Information
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact
H. Other Information
I. General Section
RHS administers the Multifamily Housing Programs that provide
affordable multifamily rental housing in rural areas by financing
projects geared for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals and
families as well as domestic farm laborers. The MFH programs extend
their reach by guaranteeing loans for affordable rental housing
designed for low to moderate-income residents in rural areas and towns.
MFH Programs are administered, subject to appropriations, by the USDA
as authorized under Sections 514, 515, 516 and 521 of the Housing Act
of 1949, as amended.
A. Program Descriptions
(1) Purpose of the Programs
The Section 515 MFH NP TA Grants are intended to provide technical
assistance to multifamily housing borrowers and applicants to
facilitate the acquisition of Section 515 properties by nonprofit
organizations and public housing authorities.
The FLH TA Grants are intended to provide technical assistance to
qualified Section 514 loan and Section 516 grant applicants to
encourage the development, repair, and preservation of domestic and
migrant FLH projects.
RHS has a strong interest in broad geographic availability of
technical assistance services and expanding the pool of technical
assistance providers. Respondents will compete in a national funding
pool and multiple awards may be made in a single region. However, if
there are qualified and eligible respondents, RHS will prioritize
awarding at least one MFH NP TA Grant and one FLH TA Grant in each of
the following four geographic regions:
Midwestern Region: IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI
Northeastern Region: CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV
Southern Region: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, PR, SC, TN, TX, VI
Western Region: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY
[[Page 76067]]
Multifamily Housing's four geographic regions may also be found on
the following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/multi-family-housing-programs.
Each entity applying for funding under this notice, whether
individually or jointly, is limited to submission of one grant
application per technical assistance program, per geographic region.
Entities applying in more than one geographic region must submit
separate applications for each region in which they apply. Respondents
may propose to serve single-State or multi-State areas within
geographic regions.
(2) Statutory and Regulatory Authority
MFH NP TA Grants are authorized under Sec. 745 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-103), Sec. 745 of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328), and Sec. 743
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118-42) and
implemented by 7 CFR part 3560.
MFH FLH TA Grants are authorized under Section 516(i) of the
Housing Act of 1949, as amended; 42 U.S.C. 1486(i); and implemented by
7 CFR part 3560.
To be eligible for funding under this consolidated notice,
respondents must meet all statutory and regulatory requirements
applicable to the program(s) for which funding is sought. RD program
regulations may be found at the following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/page/regulations-and-guidance.
(3) Definitions and Acronyms
The definitions and acronyms applicable to this notice are
published at 7 CFR part 3560.11 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XXXV/part-3560#3560.11; 7 CFR 15.2 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-A/part-15; 2 CFR part 200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200; and 2 CFR
part 400 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IV/part-400.
The following supplementary definitions and acronyms are applicable
to and for the purpose of this notice only.
Applicant--one who submits an application to receive technical
assistance services from a technical assistance provider (Grantee), and
application means such an application.
Broad-based nonprofit organization (as an Off-FLH loan/grant
applicant)--nonprofit organization with a membership that reflects a
variety of interests in the market area.
Capacity--demonstrated experience in the areas of federal grant
administration and technical assistance program development and
delivery.
Co-respondent--a separate legal entity made part of the application
process by the primary respondent through a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) or other agreement who will be accountable to the primary
respondent for any federal award funds received.
Conflicts of interest--situations in which an officer, director,
board member, agent, employee, or partner of the non-Federal entity
being considered for a Federal award, any immediate family member of
these parties, or any organization which employs or is about to employ
any of these parties, have a competing personal, professional,
financial, and/or other interest in activities performed under the
Federal award or may receive a tangible personal benefit from
activities performed under the Federal award which renders them unable,
or gives the appearance of being unable, to be impartial in conducting/
administering the Federal award.
Consultant--an individual who provides professional advice or
services for a fee but may not be an employee of the engaging party.
The term ``consultant'' may also include a firm that provides paid
professional advice or services, or independent entities engaged under
a grant to provide a specific service or product (product purchase or
fee-for-service). They are not employees of the grantee, and no
employer-employee relationship exists between the consultant and the
grantee.
Contract--for the purpose of Federal financial assistance, a legal
instrument by which a recipient or subrecipient purchases property or
services needed to carry out the project or program under a federal
award.
Contractor--an entity that receives a contract as defined in this
section.
Curable deficiency--omission, error, or oversight that, if
corrected, would not alter the review and/or scoring of an application
in a positive or negative fashion.
Disallowed costs--charges to a federal award that the Federal
awarding agency or pass- through entity determines to be unallowable,
in accordance with the applicable Federal statutes, regulations, or the
terms and conditions of the Federal award.
Expenditures--charges made by a non-Federal entity to a project or
program for which a Federal award was received.
Federal awarding agency--the Federal agency that provides a Federal
award directly to a non-Federal entity.
Federal share--the portion of the Federal award costs that are paid
using Federal funds.
Grant Agreement--a legal instrument of financial assistance between
a Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and a non-Federal
entity that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6302, 6304: (1) Is used to enter
into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer
anything of value to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of
the United States (see 31 U.S.C. 6101(3)); and not to acquire property
or services for the Federal awarding agency or pass- through entity's
direct benefit or use; (2) Is distinguished from a cooperative
agreement in that it does not provide for substantial involvement of
the Federal awarding agency in carrying out the activity contemplated
by the Federal award; (3) Does not include an agreement that provides
only: (i) Direct United States Government cash assistance to an
individual; (ii) A subsidy; (iii) A loan; (vi) A loan guarantee; or (v)
Insurance.
Grantee--a legal entity that has been awarded financial assistance
under one of the Agency's grant programs and assumes responsibility for
fiscal accountability for managing awarded funds, supervision of grant-
supported activities, and submission of final reports.
Indirect Costs (facilities & administrative (F&A))--costs incurred
for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective,
and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically
benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. To
facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost
objectives served, it may be necessary to establish a number of pools
of indirect F&A costs. Indirect F&A cost pools must be distributed to
benefitted cost objectives on bases that will produce an equitable
result in consideration of relative benefits derived.
Indirect cost rate--a percentage established by a Federal
department or agency for a grantee organization, which the grantee uses
in computing the dollar amount it charges to the grant to reimburse
itself for indirect costs incurred in doing the work of the grant
project.
Key personnel services--technical assistance service delivery and
grant administration.
Market Area--the geographic or locational delineation of the market
for a specific project, including outlying areas that will be impacted
by the project, i.e., the area in which
[[Page 76068]]
alternative, similar properties effectively compete with the subject
property.
Non-curable deficiency--omission, error, or oversight that, if
corrected, would alter the review and/or scoring of the application in
a positive or negative fashion.
Non-Federal Entity--a State, local government, Indian tribe, or
nonprofit organization that carries out a federal award as a recipient
or subrecipient.
Organizational conflicts of interest--situations in which the non-
Federal entity being considered for a federal award is unable, or
appears to be unable, to be impartial in conducting/administering the
Federal award because of its relationship with a parent company,
affiliate, subsidiary organization, or other related organization or
party.
Period of Performance--the total estimated time interval between
the start of the initial grant award and the planned end date.
Primary Respondent--one who submits an application, request, or
plan required to be approved by an Agency as a condition of eligibility
for Federal financial assistance, and application means such an
application, request, or plan.
Respondent (see Primary Respondent).
Supportive Services--services that help tenants with challenges
maintain stable housing (e.g., employment assistance, meals,
transportation, personal care assistance, housekeeping, wellness
checks, care coordination, and outpatient health services).
Targeted service area--area targeted to receive technical
assistance services.
Technical Assistance--technical expertise, information and services
provided by eligible entities with the necessary knowledge, experience,
and capacity to provide the services outlined in this notice to
eligible respondents.
Commonly Used Acronyms
CFR Code of Federal Regulation
FLH Farm Labor Housing
MFH Multifamily Housing
NOFA Notice of Funding Availability
NP Nonprofit organization
OMB Office of Management and Budget
PHA Public Housing Authority
RD Rural Development
RHS Rural Housing Service
SAM System for Award Management
SOW Statement of Work/Scope of Work
TA Technical Assistance
TDHE Tribally Designated Housing Entity
UEI Unique Entity Identifier
USDA United States Department of Agriculture
(4) Application for Awards
Awards under these programs will be made on a competitive basis
using specific selection criteria contained in Program Sections A and B
of this notice.
The Agency advises all interested parties that expenses incurred in
applying for this notice will be borne by and be at the respondent's
sole risk.
B. Federal Award Information
Funding Opportunity Title: Consolidated MFH Technical Assistance
Grant Program NOFA FY 2024
Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
Assistance Listing (AL) Numbers:
Multifamily Housing Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance
Grants: 10.494
Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance Grants: 10.495
Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-RD-HCFP-NPTA-FLHTA
Dates: Complete applications must be submitted in electronic format
and must be received by 12 p.m. ET (noon) on November 18, 2024. To
initiate the application process, the applicant must send an email
message, by 12 p.m. ET (noon) on November 13, 2024 to the RHS
Production and Preservation Division at [email protected] for MFH
Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance Grant applications or
[email protected] for FLH Technical Assistance Grant applications as
outlined in Section D, Application and Submission Information. Any
emails submitted after 12 p.m. ET (noon) on November 13, 2024 will be
rejected and will not be considered.
Available Funds:
$4.9 million for MFH NP TA Grants--Fiscal Year Funds: FY
2022, FY 2023, and FY 2024
$2 million for FLH TA Grants--Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2024
Type of Award: Technical Assistance Grants
Award Amounts:
The minimum and maximum award amounts per funded MFH NP TA
Grant application are $100,000 and $750,000, respectively.
The minimum and maximum award amounts per funded FLH TA
Grant application are $50,000 and $250,000, respectively.
Anticipated Award Date: The Agency anticipates making awards 120
days after the application deadline.
Performance Period: 24 months from executed grant agreement.
Renewal or Supplemental Awards None.
Type of Assistance Instrument: Grant Agreement.
Respondents selected for funding will complete a grant agreement
suitable to the Agency, which outlines the terms and conditions of the
Grant award. The Agency may request changes to the SOW which will be
incorporated into the grant agreement. If a selected grantee does not
accept the terms of the Agency and/or does not deliver an executed
Grant Agreement to the Agency within ten (10) business days after
receiving the Grant Agreement with the Agency-approved SOW, the Agency
may choose to rescind the award and select another grantee based on
scoring without further notice.
The grant period of performance is 24 months with an extension
allowed for up to an additional 12 months at the Agency's discretion.
However, proposals should be structured to utilize all grant funds
within 24 months from the date of the award. The grant term will be
defined in the Grant Agreement and will become effective once signed by
the Grantee and the Agency. Grant funds will be obligated within ten
(10) business days after both parties have executed the Grant
Agreement.
C. Eligibility Information
(1) Eligible Respondents
To be considered eligible for funding under this notice, all
respondents are required to meet both the general eligibility
requirements outlined below, as well as the program specific
requirements outlined in Program Sections A or B of this notice, as
applicable.
Except as may be modified in Program Sections A and B of this
notice, the general requirements, procedures, and principles outlined
below apply to respondents for both funding opportunities contained in
this notice.
(a) All respondents 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.
(b) Debarment and suspension information is required in accordance
with 2 CFR 180 (OMB's Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide
Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement)) supplemented by 2 CFR 417
(Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension) if it applies. The section
heading is ``What information must I provide before entering into a
covered transaction with a Federal agency?'' located at 2 CFR 180.335.
It is part of OMB's Guidance for Grants and Agreements concerning
Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension. Respondents are not
[[Page 76069]]
eligible if they have been debarred or suspended or otherwise excluded
from, or ineligible for, participation in Federal assistance programs
under 2 CFR parts 180 and 417.
(c) Conflicts of Interest. No Grantee funded under this notice or
its officers, directors, board members, agents, employees, or partners
can participate in conducting or administering the grant award if a
real or apparent conflict of interest exists.
Entities applying for funding under this notice and all funded
Grantees must disclose in writing any potential conflicts of interest
to the Agency, including situations that would create a conflict of
interest, potential for conflict of interest, or any appearance of a
conflict of interest.
Unless approved by the Agency, Grantees may not provide TA for
projects in which they or their third-party affiliates have a direct or
indirect ownership interest. Respondents must disclose all MFH projects
in which they or their third-party affiliates have a direct or indirect
ownership interest.
Unless approved by the Agency, neither the Grantee nor any officer,
director, board member or partner of the Grantee may accept or share
any compensation or remuneration, directly or indirectly, in any form
whatsoever, from or with any party interested in the activities
performed under the grant agreement.
Unless approved by the Agency, neither the Grantee nor any officer,
director, board member, partner or any person employed by the Grantee
may accept compensation or remuneration contrary to the intentions of
the grant agreement.
Unless approved by the Agency, neither the Grantee nor any officer,
director, board member or partner of the Grantee may be involved as an
officer, director, board member or general partner in a business
venture with an officer, director, board member or general partner of
any other party interested in the activities performed under the grant
agreement.
Grantees funded under this notice must maintain written standards
of conduct governing organizational conflicts of interest and conflicts
of interest related to the performance of its officers, directors,
board members, agents, and employees in conducting/administering
Federal grant awards. The standards of conduct must provide for
disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such standards by
the Grantee and its directors, board members, officers, employees, and
agents.
(2) Cost Sharing or Matching
There are no cost sharing or matching requirements for either
program.
(3) Discretionary Points
Please refer to Program Sections A and B.
(4) Other
Each entity applying for funding under this notice, whether
individually or jointly, may submit only one application per program,
per geographic region. MFH's geographic regions are listed in the
General Section A.1. of this notice.
The use of consultants/contractors for key personnel services
(technical assistance service delivery and grant administration) is
limited to a maximum of 20 percent of the total key personnel services
budget. This requirement is intended to advance the Agency's goal of
increasing the capacity of Agency-funded nonprofit TA providers to
deliver technical assistance services directly to recipients.
The total direct and indirect administrative costs associated with
the administration of the grant should not exceed 20 percent of the
total technical assistance grant fund.
Any respondent with an open MFH Transfer or FLH technical
assistance funding award must demonstrate satisfactory progress toward
completion of the work plan identified in their Agency-approved grant
agreement to be eligible for funding under this notice. In evaluating
satisfactory progress, RHS will consider past performance in managing
funds, including, but not limited to, the ability to account for funds
appropriately; timely use of funds received from RHS; meeting
performance targets for completion of activities; and receipt of
promised matching or leveraged funds.
D. Application and Submission Information
(1) Content and Form of Application Submissions
Applications to this notice must be submitted electronically using
the process described below. To initiate the application process, the
applicant must send an email message, by 12 p.m. ET (noon) on November
13, 2024 to the RHS Production and Preservation Division at
[email protected] for MFH Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance Grant
applications or [email protected] for FLH Technical Assistance Grant
applications. The email message must contain the following information:
(a) Subject line: TA Grant Application Submission
(b) Body of email: Respondent Name and complete Contact Information
(including address, phone number, email address to receive application
submission information).
(c) Request language: Please provide application submission
instructions so that we may submit our MFH Nonprofit Transfer TA Grant
application or Farm Labor Housing TA Grant application.
Application submission instructions will be emailed to all
interested respondents supplying valid email addresses within two (2)
business days from the date the email of interest is received by the
Agency. Any email submitted after 12 p.m. ET (noon) on November 13,
2024 will be rejected and will not be considered. Entities submitting
more than one application must submit a separate email of interest for
each submission. The Agency is not liable for technical issues or
system-related difficulties that affect an applicant's ability to
submit applications in a timely fashion in accordance with the
instructions of this NOFA.
(2) Forms, Requirements and Procedures for All Respondents
All respondents are required to electronically submit signed copies
of the standard forms, certifications, and assurances listed in this
section, unless the requirements in the Program Section specify
otherwise. All forms should be completed in their entirety using the
most current versions of unexpired OMB-approved forms. All application
packages must include a Table of Contents and a separate one-page sheet
listing each of the Scoring Criteria from Program Sections A or B,
followed by the page numbers of all relevant material and documentation
contained within the submitted application materials to support those
criteria.
(i) Except as may be modified in the Program Sections A and B, the
forms and standard certifications and assurances required for all
respondents are:
(A) SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance'' which can be
obtained at: https://www.grants.gov/.
(B) Standard Form 424A, ``Budget Information-Non-Construction
Programs'' which can be obtained at: https://www.grants.gov/.
(C) Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable,
or a statement certifying the entity's election to charge the de
minimis rate of 10 percent of the modified total direct costs (MTDC).
[[Page 76070]]
(D) Form SF-LLL, ``Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,'' if
applicable, or a statement certifying that the organization does not
lobby.
(E) Form RD 3560-30, ``Certification of no Identity of Interest
(IOI),'' if applicable: https://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/efcommon/eFileServices/eForms/RD3560-30.PDF.
(F) Form RD 3560-31, ``Identity of Interest Disclosure/
Qualification Certification'' if applicable (IOI is defined in 7 CFR
3560.11): https://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/efcommon/eFileServices/eForms/RD3560-31.PDF.
(G) Form RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement'': https://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/efcommon/eFileServices/eForms/RD400-4.PDF.
(H) Form RD 400-6, ``Compliance Statement'': https://formsadmin.sc.egov.usda.gov/eFormsAdmin/browseFormsAction.do?pageAction=displayPDF&formIndex=0.
(ii) All responding entities must include organizational status
documents and current (within six months of this notice's deadline
date) financial statements to evidence their status as a properly
organized private or public nonprofit agency, or public/tribal housing
authority, with the financial ability to carry out the approved
objectives of the TA grant program under which funding is sought. This
requirement includes (at minimum):
(A) Status as a NP (i.e., Articles of Incorporation, IRS nonprofit
certification) or PHA.
(B) Good standing within the State or Tribe in which the entity is
organized.
(C) Legal authority to provide services stated in the application
under the applicable laws for the state(s) in which operation is
proposed. (Examples of acceptable documentation for this requirement
include, but are not limited to, bylaws, organizational charters, and
statutes or regulations).
(D) Certification of no current or unresolved default or violation
of any other Federal, Tribal, State, or local grant or loan
agreement(s).
(E) The requirements above will also apply to all entities
performing services on behalf of the respondent.
(3) System for Award Management and Unique Entity Identifier
(a) At the time of application, each respondent must have an active
registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting
its application in accordance with 2 CFR 25. In order to register in
SAM, entities will be required to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier
(UEI). Instructions for obtaining the UEI are available at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.
(b) Respondent must maintain an active SAM registration, with
current, accurate and complete information, at all times during which
it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration by
a Federal awarding agency.
(c) Respondent must complete the Financial Assistance General
Certifications and Representations in SAM.
(d) Respondent must provide a valid UEI in its application, unless
determined exempt under 2 CFR 25.110.
(e) The Agency will not make an award until the respondent has
complied with all SAM requirements including providing the UEI. If a
respondent has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the
Agency is ready to make an award, the Agency may determine that the
respondent is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that
determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another
respondent.
(4) Submission Dates and Times
Submission dates and times can be found in the DATES section of
this notice.
(5) Intergovernmental Review
Applications under this notice are not subject to Executive Order
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
(6) Funding Restrictions
Refer to Program Sections A and B for Ineligible Grant Fund
Purposes/Costs.
E. Application Review Information
(1) Application Review Criteria
To be eligible for funding under this notice, respondents must meet
the criteria set forth in the individual Program Sections A and B of
this notice, as well as all general eligibility criteria as follows:
a. The application must be complete as specified by this notice;
b. The complete application must be received by the submission
deadline specified in this notice;
c. The application proposal must be for authorized purposes; and
d. The respondent must be an eligible entity and must not currently
be debarred, suspended, or delinquent on any Federal debt.
No application will be accepted after the specified deadline unless
the date and time is extended by another notice published in the
Federal Register. Applications will first be reviewed to determine if
they meet the ``Eligible Respondents'' eligibility requirements
outlined in Program Sections A or B as applicable. If all ``Eligible
Respondents'' eligibility requirements are met, applications will then
be reviewed for completeness. All complete applications will be
reviewed for eligible grant activities, eligible costs, and eligible
purposes. If the Agency determines that any application is ineligible
or incomplete, application processing will be discontinued, which means
the application will be rejected and returned to the respondent without
being scored.
RHS may contact respondents to clarify items and/or to correct
curable (correctable) technical deficiencies identified within
application packages after the application deadline is reached. RHS
will notify respondents of any curable deficiencies and will do so on a
uniform basis for all respondents. If deficiencies are not corrected
within the period prescribed by RHS, the application will be rejected
as incomplete, and will not be considered for funding.
Only applications meeting all the general eligibility criteria
above will be scored and ranked. RHS will consider the scoring factors
outlined in Program Sections A and B to score and rank application(s)
for each TA program respectively. Points will be awarded only for
factors that are well-documented in the application package and, in the
opinion of the Agency, meet the objectives outlined in each of the
evaluation criteria. References to external websites, publications,
and/or other information not submitted as part of the application
package will not be reviewed or considered. Therefore, full
documentation and support of all criteria is recommended and
encouraged.
Risk Review: The Agency may request additional documentation from
selected respondents in order to evaluate the financial, management,
and performance risk posed by awardees as required by 2 CFR 200.206.
Based on the risk review, the Agency may apply special conditions that
correspond to the degree of risk assessed, either pre-award or post-
award.
If the Agency determines it is unable to select an application for
funding, the respondent will be informed in writing. Such notification
will include the reasons the respondent was not selected. The Agency
will advise respondents whose applications do not meet eligibility and/
or selection criteria of applicable review rights or appeal rights in
accordance with 7 CFR part 11.
[[Page 76071]]
(2) Review and Selection Process
Refer to Program Sections A and B for program specific application
reviewing, scoring and selection processes.
F. Federal Award Administration Information
(1) Federal Award Notice
The Agency will notify in writing respondents whose applications
have been selected for funding. At the time of notification, the Agency
will advise respondents what additional information and documentation
is required along with a timeline for submitting the additional
information.
(2) Administrative and National Policy Requirements
The following additional requirements apply to grantees selected
for these TA Grant program awards:
(a) Grantees must complete Form RD 1942-46 ``Letter of Intent to
Meet Conditions.''
(b) Grantees must complete Form RD 1940-1, ``Request for Obligation
of Funds.''
(c) Grantees must use Form SF 270, ``Request for Advance or
Reimbursement,'' to request reimbursements and provide receipts for
expenditures, timesheets, and any other documentation to support the
request for reimbursement, as determined by the Agency.
(d) Grantees must maintain a financial management system that is
acceptable to the Agency.
(e) Grantees must certify that the U.S. has not obtained an
outstanding judgment against their organization in a Federal Court
(other than in the United States Tax Court).
(f) MFH NP TA Grants are authorized under Sec. 745 of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-103), Sec. 745 of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328), and Sec.
743 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118-42) and
implemented by 7 CFR part 3560.
MFH FLH TA Grants are authorized under Section 516(i) of the
Housing Act of 1949, as amended; 42 U.S.C. 1486(i); and implemented by
7 CFR part 3560.
(g) Workplace identification is required under the drug-free
workplace requirements in 2 CFR part 182, which provides guidance on
the portion of the Drug-Free Workplace Act applicable to grants, as
adopted by 2 CFR part 421. Therefore, grantees must identify all
organizational known workplaces by including the actual physical
addresses of buildings (or parts of buildings) or other sites where
work under the award takes place.
(h) Grantees must comply with all other requirements in 2 CFR part
182 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial
Assistance)) and 2 CFR part 421 (Requirements for Drug Free Workplace
(Financial Assistance).
(3) Reporting
(a) Grantees must comply with reporting requirements of 2 CFR part
200 and must provide the required financial status and project
performance reports for the period after grant approval and throughout
the grant period of performance as outlined in the Agency approved
grant agreement.
(b) Grantees must maintain records to document all activities and
expenditures utilizing technical assistance grant funds. Receipts for
expenditures will be included in this documentation.
(c) Grantees must provide a final project performance report as
outlined in the Agency approved grant agreement.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)
Stephanie Vergin, Policy Advisor, Production and Preservation
Division, Multi-Family Housing, United States Department of Agriculture
at [email protected] or [email protected].
H. Other Information
1. Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.), OMB must approve all ``collection of information'' as
defined at 42 U.S.C. 3502(3). In accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, the information collection reporting and
recordkeeping requirements as covered in this notice, are exempt
because the requirements are not imposed on 10 or more people, as
defined at 44 U.S.C. 3502(3)(A)(i)).
RHS has concluded that the reporting requirements contained in this
NOFA will involve less than 10 persons and do not require approval
under the provisions of the Act.
2. National Environmental Policy Act
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969,
Public Law 91-190, this funding announcement has been reviewed in
accordance with 7 CFR part 1970 (Environmental Policies and
Procedures). As permitted by 7 CFR 1970.51(b), The Agency has
determined that because:
this action meets the criteria established in 7 CFR
1970.53(f);
no ``extraordinary circumstances exist'' as defined at 7
CFR 1970.52(a); and
the action is not ``connected'' (see 40 CFR 1508.25(a)(1))
to other actions with potentially significant impacts, is not
considered a ``cumulative action,'' and;
the action is not precluded by 40 CFR 1506.1.
Therefore, the Agency has determined that the action does not have
a significant effect on the human environment, and therefore neither an
Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is
required. All recipients under this notice are subject to the
requirements of 7 CFR part 1970.
For Non-Construction Programs under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA):
Technical assistance awards for financial and technical assistance
under this notice are classified as a Categorical Exclusion according
to 7 CFR 1970.53(b), and usually do not require any additional
documentation. MFH will review each grant application to determine its
compliance with 7 CFR 1970. The respondent may be asked to provide
additional information or documentation to MFH with this determination.
3. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
All respondents, in accordance with 2 CFR part 25 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-25), must be registered in SAM and
have a UEI number as stated in Section D.3. of this notice. All
recipients of Federal financial assistance are required to report
information about first-tier sub-awards and executive total
compensation in accordance with 2 CFR part 170 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-170).
4. Civil Rights Act
All grants made under this notice are subject to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 as required by the USDA 7 CFR part 15, subpart
A and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968, Title IX, Executive Order 13166 (Limited
English Proficiency), Executive Order 11246, and the Equal Credit
Opportunity Act of 1974.
All respondents must certify to compliance with 7 CFR part 15,
subpart A--Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the
Department of Agriculture--Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, by
[[Page 76072]]
completing the Financial Assistance General Certification and
Representations in SAM.
Civil Rights compliance includes, but is not limited to the
following:
(a) Collecting and maintaining data provided by ultimate recipients
on race, sex, and national origin.
(b) Collection of race and ethnicity data in accordance with Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) Federal Register notice, ``Revisions to
the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and
Ethnicity'' (published October 30, 1997 at 62 FR 58782). Sex data will
be collected in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972.
This data should not be submitted with the application but should
be available upon request by the Agency.
5. USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights laws and USDA civil rights
regulations and policies, the USDA, its Mission Areas, agencies, staff
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,
family/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.
Program information may be made available in languages other than
English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of
communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large
print, audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the
responsible Mission Area, agency, staff office, or the 711 Federal
Relay Service.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should
complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form,
which can be obtained online at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866)
632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must
contain the complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a
written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient
detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about
the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed
AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20250-9410; or
(2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
(3) Email: [email protected]
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
II. Program Sections
Organization of the Program Sections
Program Sections A and B of this notice provide descriptions for
both of the specific programs. In addition to the requirements set
forth in the General section, the following program sections outline
additional procedures and requirements applicable to each program.
Both funding opportunities contained in this consolidated notice
are identified in the following chart entitled Consolidated Multifamily
Housing Technical Assistance Grant Program Funding Chart FY 2024. This
chart includes Program Name, the Assistance Listing Number for each
program, the Funding Amounts Available, and the Program Section
Reference for program- specific application requirements.
Consolidated Multifamily Housing Technical Assistance Grant Program Funding Chart
FY 2024
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Program
TA program name Assistance Funding section
listing No. available reference
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Multifamily Housing Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance 10.494 $4.9 million A
Grants.........................................................
Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance Grants.................. 10.495 2 million B
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Program Section A
Multifamily Housing Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance Grants
Table of Contents
A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information
A. Program Description
The technical assistance (TA) grants offered under this funding
opportunity are for the purpose of facilitating the transfer and
preservation of existing Rural Rental Housing properties under Section
515 of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1485). Agency
regulations for the Section 515 program are published at 7 CFR part
3560. The Agency is authorized to utilize the appropriations from each
fiscal year, for a total appropriation of $4.9 million, to provide
grants to NPs and PHAs meeting the qualification standards of this
Notice, who will then provide technical assistance, including financial
and legal services, to MFH borrowers to facilitate the acquisition of
Section 515 MFH properties by nonprofit organizations and public
housing authorities. Public Law 117-103, Sec. 745; Public Law 117-328,
Sec. 745; and Public Law 118-42, Sec. 743. These grants must be
provided in areas where the USDA Secretary determines there is a risk
of loss of affordable housing in order to keep such properties in the
MFH program. Risk of loss of affordable housing may be driven by market
conditions or may be due to property-specific factors, including
mortgages reaching maturity, owner ability to prepay existing Agency
loans, poor physical condition of the property, or failing ownership.
B. Federal Award Information
Type of Award: Grant
Fiscal Year (FY) Funds: 2022, 2023 and 2024
Award Amounts: $4.9 million for MFH Nonprofit Transfer TA Grants
C. Eligibility Information
(1) Eligible Respondents
Eligibility for MFH Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance Grants
is limited to private and public nonprofit organizations and public
housing authorities meeting the qualification requirements of this
Notice. Potentially qualifying NPs and PHAs include
[[Page 76073]]
tribally designated housing entities (TDHE) and Tribal housing NPs.
Eligible entities responding to this notice must have the
knowledge, ability, technical expertise, practical experience, and
capacity necessary to develop and package Section 515 property transfer
transactions. They must also demonstrate the ability to provide
technical assistance to NPs and/or PHAs to facilitate their acquisition
of Section 515 properties. In addition, all eligible entities must
demonstrate the ability to exercise leadership, organize work, and
prioritize assignments to meet work demands in a cost-efficient and
timely manner within the 24-month grant term.
(2) Eligible Grant Activities
Grantees awarded under this notice are expected to provide
technical assistance services to NPs and/or PHAs who are acquiring
Section 515 projects in order to increase TA recipients' capacity
(knowledge, skills, and abilities) in the following areas: Locating
potential Section 515 properties for transfer; completing the transfer
analysis, negotiation, application, underwriting, and closing
processes; and identifying and securing capital and operating funding
from the Agency and/or other sources for the purpose of acquisition,
repair, rehabilitation, and/or ongoing operations of the property,
including the coordination and provision of supportive services for
tenants.
(3) Eligible Costs
Costs will be limited to those allowed under 2 CFR 200. Grantees
may, with Agency concurrence and approval, utilize MFH NP TA grant
funds for the following purposes: soft costs such as financial
analysis, transaction structuring analysis and completion of other
transaction details such as Capital Needs Assessments, appraisals,
market surveys or other consultation, and advisory and non-construction
services required as part of the application process. Grantees may
request Agency approval on a case-by-case basis for costs not included
in this list.
(4) Ineligible Purposes/Costs
In addition to costs identified as unallowable by 2 CFR parts 200
and 400, grant funds cannot be used for the following:
(a) Grant funds cannot be used by the grantee for activities that
are not directly related to preservation transactions (such as
conferences, sponsorships, provider personnel education/training,
etc.).
(b) Grant funds cannot be used by the grantee for activities or
transactions in which they have any direct or indirect ownership
interest (regardless of whether it is an interest as a current or
prospective owner).
(c) Grant funds cannot be used to reimburse grantees for technical
assistance services provided to another nonprofit or public body
applicant in the development and packaging of its loan/grant docket and
project when those applicant entities have requested reimbursement for
technical assistance expenses as part of their total project
development cost (See 7 CFR 3560.553(c) and 7 CFR 3560.53(o)(3)).
Duplication of service costs is not allowed.
(d) Grant funds cannot be used when an identity of interest exists
between the technical assistance provider (or any third-party entity
acting on their behalf) and the loan/grant applicant. Identity of
interest is defined in 7 CFR 3560.11.
(e) Grant funds cannot be used for building materials, labor costs,
or expenditures otherwise typically included as any hard costs for
actual construction or repairs, prepayment, interest, or principal
payments.
D. Application and Submission Information
(1) Electronic Application Submissions
All materials must be submitted electronically as outlined above in
Section D, Application and Submission Information in the General
Section of this notice.
(2) Content and Form of Application Submissions
In addition to the forms, certifications and assurances required of
all respondents as outlined in the General Section of this notice,
complete application packages for the MFH NP TA Grant must also contain
a written grant proposal that includes the following required
information:
(a) Summary page, which must include the following:
a. Responding entity's name, address, telephone number, and
complete contact information for the entity's main point of contact;
b. Responding entity's Taxpayer Identification Number;
c. Grant Amount requested;
d. The State(s), area(s), and/or geographic region for which the
application is being submitted; and
e. Responding entity's Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
required for registration in the System for Award Management (SAM)
prior to submitting an application pursuant to 2 CFR 25.200(b).
(b) Organizational Expertise and Experience Capabilities Statement.
Responding entities must provide a capabilities statement describing
their knowledge, demonstrated ability, practical experience, and
capacity to develop and package Section 515 property transfer
transactions. They must also describe their ability to provide
technical assistance to NPs and/or PHAs to facilitate the acquisition,
repair, and rehabilitation of Section 515 MFH properties. In addition,
respondents must demonstrate the ability to exercise leadership,
organize work, and prioritize assignments to meet work demands in a
cost-efficient and timely manner within the 24-month grant term. If the
respondent intends to have other entities working on its behalf, those
entities must be identified and their abilities to meet the stated
eligibility requirements and experience in delivering approved
technical assistance services must also be addressed.
(c) Narrative. The responding entity must include a written
narrative describing its knowledge, demonstrated ability, and practical
experience in completing transfers of Section 515 properties and/or
providing training and technical assistance to NPs and PHAs for the
transfer and rehabilitation of Section 515 properties. 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 and experience in delivering
approved technical assistance services.
Respondents must identify Section 515 transfer transactions for
which the respondent and/or other entities working on its behalf has
provided technical assistance to the transferor or transferee on
applications for the transfer of Section 515 projects in the last five
years. For the projects and applications noted above, the respondent
must provide the Section 515 property name and location (city and
state), technical assistance recipient organizational name and location
(city and state), source of technical assistance funding, and outcome
of the transaction (i.e., no ownership change, transaction in process,
transfer completed).
(d) Key Personnel and Staffing Plan. Proposals must include the
resumes of all staff personnel that will perform key personnel services
of (1) delivery of technical assistance and (2) administration of the
grant. (Capital Needs Assessments (CNAs), appraisals, and market
surveys are not considered to be key personnel services). The staffing
plan must describe each staff
[[Page 76074]]
member's ability to perform the proposed activities and/or their
experience in successfully managing service delivery of TA grants. The
plan must include a staffing chart complete with name, job title,
salary, hours, timelines, and descriptions of all proposed employee
duties that will achieve the objectives of the grant program. If
respondents intend to contract for any key personnel services from
outside their organization (not to exceed the 20% limit), the
qualifications of all entities acting on behalf of respondents must
also be addressed.
(e) Statement of Work (SOW). Responding entities must submit a
detailed SOW that includes the following requirements:
a. Introduction/overview with a description of the organization's
proposed plan to provide technical assistance to NPs and PHAs in the
acquisition of Section 515 properties.
b. The organization's capabilities to execute the proposed plan
within the prescribed 24-month grant term.
c. The organization's plan to identify potential sellers of Section
515 properties.
d. The organization's plan to identify and provide services to NPs
and PHAs interested in acquiring these properties.
e. Types of proposed technical assistance and legal and/or
financial services that will enable NPs and/or PHAs to submit transfer
applications to the Agency within the prescribed 24-month grant term.
Clearly explain the services to be provided directly by the
respondent's organization and all services that will be provided by
third parties. The responding entity must specify the State(s),
area(s), and/or geographic region in which they and any proposed third-
party subrecipients/contractors/consultants will offer technical
assistance services. Respondents must also explain why each targeted
service area and/or property is at risk of loss of affordable housing.
f. The organization's experience in identifying and successfully
assisting entities in the acquisition, repair, and rehabilitation of
Section 515 MFH properties.
g. A detailed budget justification that aligns with the key project
tasks/activities and a grant funds usage projection that corresponds
with a 24-month timeline for service delivery. The grant funds usage
projection should illustrate direct and indirect administrative costs
in dollars, and as a percentage of the technical assistance services
provided (not to exceed 20 percent).
h. Additional strengths, qualifications, or capabilities not
included above that enhance the respondent's capacity to deliver
services under this grant.
i. Current working agreements or contracts between the respondent
and any entity performing services on its behalf must be submitted as
part of the application package and any associated costs must be
included in the responding entity's budget.
E. Application Review Information
All application packages will be reviewed to determine eligibility
and completeness. All eligible, complete applications will be evaluated
and competitively scored using the Application Scoring Criteria
outlined below. Points will be awarded only for factors that are well-
documented in the application package and, in the opinion of the
Agency, meet the objectives outlined in each of the evaluation
criteria. References to external websites, publications and/or other
information not submitted as part of the application package will not
be reviewed. Therefore, full documentation and support of all criteria
is encouraged.
The review process designed for this notice will evaluate the
degree to which the application sets forth measurable, realistic
objectives that are consistent with this notice and can be completed
within a 24-month grant period consistent with the application and
processing guidance established by Agency transfer regulations.
Application Scoring Criteria (Points Can Be Earned In All Sections)
1. Respondent Experience (RHS Section 515)
a. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience completing
Section 515 transfers during the past five years. Experience must be
demonstrated by submitting a list of past 515 project transfers. To
receive points, the respondent must have acted as the developer or
technical assistance provider for the project and, at a minimum must
have a submitted transfer application currently pending approval or
closed with the Agency:
1-2 Section 515 project transfers: 10 points
3-5 Section 515 project transfers: 20 points
6-8 Section 515 project transfers: 30 points
9 or more Section 515 project transfers: 40 points
b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience providing
technical assistance that has increased the capacity of NPs and/or PHAs
to complete Section 515 transfers. Experience must be demonstrated by
submitting a list of past instances of providing technical assistance.
Points will be awarded according to the number of NP and/or PHA clients
to whom the respondent has provided Section 515 technical assistance
services during the past five years:
1-4 Section 515 technical assistance clients: 10 points
5-8 Section 515 technical assistance clients: 20 points
9 or more Section 515 technical assistance clients: 30 points
2. Respondent Experience (Other Affordable Multifamily Housing
Programs)
a. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience completing
other affordable MFH project transfers during the past five years.
Experience must be demonstrated by submitting a list of other
affordable housing (non-515) past project transfers. To receive points,
the respondent must have acted as the developer or technical assistance
provider for the project and, at a minimum, obtained funding approval:
1-2 affordable housing project transfers: 5 points
3-5 affordable housing project transfers: 10 points
6-8 affordable housing project transfers: 15 points
9 or more affordable housing project transfers: 20 points
b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience providing
technical assistance that has increased the capacity of NPs and/or PHAs
to complete other (non-Section 515) affordable MFH project transfers.
Experience must be demonstrated by submitting a list of past instances
of providing technical assistance. Points will be awarded according to
the number of NP and/or PHA clients to whom the respondent has provided
affordable MFH project technical assistance during the past five years:
1-4 affordable housing project clients: 5 points
5-8 affordable housing project clients: 10 points
9 or more affordable housing project clients: 15 points
3. Proposed Outcomes
a. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to maximize the
number of Section 515 projects assisted with grant funding. Scoring is
based on the Statement of Work. Points will be awarded according to the
proposed number of projects to be assisted under the grant:
[[Page 76075]]
1-5 projects: 5 points
6-10 projects: 10 points
11 or more projects: 15 points
b. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to increase the
capacity of NPs and PHAs to complete transfers of Section 515
properties. Scoring is based on the Statement of Work. Points will be
awarded according to the proposed number of NPs or PHAs to be served
under the grant:
1-3 NPs/PHAs: 5 points
4-6 NPs/PHAs: 10 points
7 or more NPs/PHAs: 15 points
c. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to increase the
capacity of NPs and PHAs to offer supportive services for tenants.
Scoring is based on the Statement of Work. Points will be awarded
according to the proposed number of projects assisted where new
supportive services will be included:
1-3 projects: 5 points
4-6 projects: 10 points
7 or more projects: 15 points
4. Grant Administration
a. Respondent uses grant resources to maximize the funding
available for direct program delivery to TA recipients. Points will be
awarded according to the administrative costs as a percentage of grant
funds used (not to exceed 20%):
Administrative costs 10 percent to 20 percent: 5 points
Administrative costs less than 10 percent: 10 points
b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience managing
service delivery or technical assistance through the grant lifecycle
during the past five years. Experience must be demonstrated by
submitting a list of past instances of managing service delivery or
providing technical assistance. Experience considered for scoring
purposes includes submitting timely requests for funding, meeting
reporting requirements, and closing out awards. Points will be awarded
according to the degree of experience:
Previous experience as described with 1-4 grants: 5 points
Previous experience as described with 5 or more grants: 10
points
5. Multifamily Housing Program Delivery Goals
All applications meeting the minimum scoring requirement of 50
points may be eligible for up to 15 additional points for proposals
that offer TA services to support the MFH program delivery goals
outlined in a. and b. below.
a. Geographic coverage (10 points): The respondent proposes to
serve a geographic area that is underserved by other technical
assistance providers or proposes to serve areas with a significant
number of properties in need of preservation, as identified by the
respondent and verified by the Agency.
b. Innovative TA service delivery models (5 points). The agency
seeks to test a range of TA delivery models to assess the methods of TA
delivery that are most effective to facilitate preservation; therefore,
points may be awarded for respondents proposing a TA service delivery
model that is different from other proposed models.
6. Administrator Discretionary Points
Respondents that meet the minimum scoring requirement may be
considered for up to 15 discretionary scoring points (5 points for each
category) as determined by the Administrator, which advance any or all
of the Agency's three key funding priorities, provided that all other
requirements set forth in this notice are otherwise met. The three key
priorities are:
(i) Creating More and Better Markets: Assisting rural communities
to recover economically through more and better market opportunities
through improved infrastructure. (5 points): Applicants receive
priority points if the project is located in or serving a rural
community whose economic well-being ranks in the most distressed tier
of the Distressed Communities Index. The Distressed Communities Index
provides a score between 1-100 for every community at the zip code
level. The most distressed tier of the index are those communities with
a score over 80. For additional information on data sources used for
this priority determination, please download the Data Sources for Rural
Development Priorities document at the following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/media/file/download/rd-ic-prioritiesdatasupplementalupdatedfy2024.pdf. Note: US Territories are
considered distressed and qualify for priority points. Provide a copy
of the map showing the project is eligible to claim points.
(ii) Advancing Racial Justice, Place-Based Equity, and Opportunity:
Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD programs and
benefits from RD funded projects (5 points). Applicant receives
priority points if the project is located in or serving a community
with score 0.75 or above on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index. Please
use the Community Look-Up Map to look up a map or list to determine if
your project qualifies for priority points. Provide a copy of the map
showing the project is eligible to claim points.
Applications from and benefiting a Rural Partner's Network's (RPN)
community network will receive priority points (rural.gov) in
applicable funding notices. Currently RPN Networks exist in Alaska,
Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North
Carolina, Puerto Rico, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Please use the
Community Look-Up map to determine if your project qualifies for
priority points.
Applications from Federally Recognized Tribes, including Tribal
instrumentalities and entities that are wholly owned by Tribes will
receive priority points. Federally Recognized Tribes are classified as
any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village or
community as defined by the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act
(List Act) of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-454). Please refer to the Bureau of
Indian Affairs for the listing of Federally Recognized Tribes that was
published on January 1, 2023, in the Federal Register [88 FR 2112].
Additionally, projects where at least 50 percent of the project
beneficiaries are members of Federally Recognized Tribes, will receive
priority points if applications from non-Tribal applicants include a
Tribal Resolution of Consent from the Tribe or Tribes that the
applicant is proposing to serve. For additional information on data
sources used for this priority determination, please download the Data
Sources for Rural Development Priorities document by using the
following link: https://www.rd.usda.gov/media/file/download/rd-ic-prioritiesdatasupplementalupdatedfy2024.pdf. Note: US Territories are
considered socially vulnerable and qualify for priority points.
(iii) Addressing Climate Change and Environmental Justice: Reducing
climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate
change through economic support to rural communities (5 points).
Applicant can receive priority points through one of the three options
listed below:
Option 1: Applicants will receive points if the project is located
in or serves a Disadvantaged Community as defined by the Climate and
Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), from the White House Council
on Environmental Quality (CEQ). CEJST is a tool to help Federal
agencies identify disadvantaged communities that will benefit from
programs included in the Justice40 initiative. Census tracts are
considered disadvantaged if they meet the thresholds for at least one
of the CEJST's eight (8) categories of burden: Climate,
[[Page 76076]]
Energy, Health, Housing, Legacy Pollution, Transportation, Water and
Wastewater, or Workforce Development.
Option 2: Applicants will receive points if the project is located
in or serves an Energy Community as defined by the Inflation Reduction
Act (IRA). The IRA defines energy communities as:
A ``brownfield site'' (as defined in certain subparagraphs
of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA)).
A ``metropolitan statistical area'' or ``non-metropolitan
statistical area'' that has (or had at any time after 2009). 0.17
percent or greater direct employment or 25 percent or greater local tax
revenues related to the extraction, processing, transport, or storage
of coal, oil, or natural gas; and has an unemployment rate at or above
the national average unemployment rate for the previous year.
A census tract (or directly adjoining census tract) in
which a coal mine has closed after 1999; or in which a coal-fired
electric generating unit has been retired after 2009.
Option 3: Applicants will receive points by demonstrating through
written narrative how proposed climate-impact projects improve the
livelihoods of community residents and meet pollution mitigation or
clean energy goals.
Information on whether your project qualifies for priority points
can be found at the following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. To determine if your project qualifies for priority
points under Option 1 or Option 2, please use the Disadvantaged
Community & Energy Community Look-Up Map on the following website:
https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. Provide a copy of the map
showing the project is eligible to claim points.
The minimum score requirement for grants awarded under this funding
opportunity is 50 points. Final scores are determined by the Agency.
The Agency reserves the right to withhold the awarding of funds for
applications that fail to meet the minimum required final score.
Meeting the minimum scoring requirement and/or receiving priority
funding points or discretionary points from the Administrator does not
guarantee a funding award.
The Agency will notify all responding entities whether their
application has been accepted or rejected and provide appeal rights
under 7 CFR part 11, as appropriate.
Program Section B
Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance Grant Program
Table of Contents
A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information
A. Program Description
The technical assistance grants authorized under this funding
opportunity are for the purpose of encouraging farm labor housing
development, repair, and preservation activities under Section 516(i)
of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1486(i)). RHS
regulations for Section 514 and Section 516 FLH programs and provisions
for FLH technical assistance grants are published at 7 CFR part 3560,
subparts L and M. FLH grants are authorized under Section 516(i) of the
Housing Act of 1949, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 1486(i), and implemented by
7 CFR part 3560.
The primary objective of this funding opportunity is to improve the
overall quality of Section 514 FLH loan and Section 516 FLH grant
application packages submitted to the Agency for funding consideration
in areas determined to have unmet need and unsatisfied market demand
for farm labor housing development, repair, and preservation
activities, as identified by the respondent and verified by the Agency.
Eligible entities responding to this notice are expected to have
knowledge, experience, and expertise in farm labor housing development,
repair, and preservation activities; federal grant administration; and
technical assistance program development, implementation, and delivery.
In addition, eligible entities must possess the ability to exercise
leadership, organize work, and prioritize assignments to meet work
demands in a timely and cost-efficient manner within a 24-month grant
performance period.
B. Federal Award Information
Type of Award: Grant
Fiscal Year (FY) Funds: 2024
Award Amounts: $2 million.
C. Eligibility Information
(1) Respondent Eligibility
Eligibility for FLH Technical Assistance Grants is limited to
qualified nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit organizations must meet
the definition of nonprofit organization in 7 CFR 3560.11. Qualifying
nonprofit organizations include tribal housing nonprofits.
(2) Eligible Grant Activities
The primary work permitted under these FLH TA grant awards will
focus on eligible nonprofit organizations delivering direct technical
assistance advisory services to qualified FLH loan/grant applicants who
lack the knowledge, experience and/or capacity to develop, package, and
submit their own loan and grant dockets to the Agency for funding
consideration. Grantees may assist FLH loan/grant applicants with
analysis, negotiation, application, underwriting, and closing
processes; and identifying and securing capital and operating funding
from the Agency and/or other sources for the purpose of new
construction, acquisition, repair and/or rehabilitation, and ongoing
operations of the property, including the coordination and provision of
supportive services for tenants.
Qualified applicants for Section 514 Off-FLH loans and Section 516
Off-FLH grants may include broad-based nonprofit organizations,
nonprofit organizations of farmworkers, federally recognized Indian
tribes, community organizations, agencies or political subdivisions of
State, Tribal or local Governments (such as housing authorities), and
other eligible FLH organizations.
Qualified applicants for Section 514 On-Farm Labor Housing (On-FLH)
loans must be farm owners, family farm partnerships, family farm
corporations, or associations of farmers engaged in agricultural or
aquacultural farming operations whose farming operations demonstrate a
need for On-FLH and who will own the housing and operate it on a
nonprofit basis.
Section 516 grants are not available for On-FLH.
Farm labor housing may be constructed in either urban or rural
areas if need and demand for such housing is supported. However,
respondents should concentrate their proposed technical assistance
grant activities in areas identified as having unmet need and
unsatisfied market demand for FLH development, repair, and preservation
activities, as identified by the respondent and verified by the Agency.
(3) Eligible Costs
Costs will be limited to those allowed under 2 CFR part 200.
Grantees may, with Agency concurrence and approval, utilize FLH TA
grant funds for the following purposes: Conducting targeted outreach
efforts to inform and recruit
[[Page 76077]]
potential FLH applicants; providing advisory services to eligible FLH
applicants for conducting site searches, estimating construction costs,
resolving planning, and zoning issues, and negotiating and executing
property acquisitions; assisting applicants during the application
development, packaging, submission, underwriting and closing processes;
and for other transaction details that are considered part of the
application process, such as financial analyses, Capital Needs
Assessments (CNAs), appraisals, market surveys/studies, and other
consultation, advisory and non-construction services. Grantees may
request Agency approval on a case-by-case basis for costs not included
in the list.
Grantees may also on a case-by-case basis, and with advance
approval by the Agency, provide technical assistance to entities
approved for FLH funding during the construction and rent-up/lease-up
phases of development, and provide training to Agency-funded FLH
projects to support successful long-term management of FLH properties.
(4) Ineligible Purposes/Costs
In addition to costs identified as unallowable by 2 CFR parts 200
and 400, grant funds cannot be used for the following:
(a) Construction (in any form) including building materials, labor,
and costs or expenditures otherwise typically included as hard costs
for actual construction.
(b) To reimburse grantees for technical assistance services
provided to another nonprofit or public body applicant in the
development and packaging of its loan/grant docket and project when
those applicant entities have requested reimbursement for technical
assistance expenses as part of their total project development cost
(See 7 CFR 3560.553(c) and 7 CFR part 3560.53(o)(3)) (Duplication of
service costs is not allowed).
(c) In counties with Agency-financed FLH properties currently
operating under a ``diminished need'' occupancy waiver (7 CFR
3560.576(e)), which are listed on RD's website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/multifamily-housing-programs/farm-labor-housing-technical-assistance-grants#to-apply.
(d) When an identity of interest exists between the technical
assistance provider (or any third-party entity acting on their behalf)
and the loan/grant applicant. Identity of interest is defined in 7 CFR
3560.11.
D. Application and Submission Information
(1) Electronic Application Submissions
All materials must be submitted electronically as outlined above in
Section D, Application and Submission Information in the General
Section of this notice.
(2) Content and Format of Application Packages
In addition to the forms, certifications and assurances required of
all respondents as outlined in the General Section of this notice,
complete application packages for FLH TA Grants must also contain a
written grant proposal that includes the following required
information:
(a) Summary page, which must include the following:
1. Responding entity's name, address, telephone number, and
complete contact information for the entity's main point of contact;
2. Responding entity's Taxpayer Identification Number;
3. Grant Amount requested;
4. The State(s), area(s), and/or geographic region for which the
application is being submitted; and
5. Responding entity's Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
required for registration in the System for Award Management (SAM)
prior to submitting an application pursuant to 2 CFR 25.200(b).
(b) Organizational Expertise and Experience Capabilities Statement.
The responding entity must provide a capabilities statement describing
overall organizational knowledge, demonstrated ability, and practical
experience in developing, packaging, and submitting Section 514/516
development, repair, and preservation activity transactions for Agency
funding consideration; developing, implementing, and delivering farm
labor housing technical assistance programs; and managing Federal
technical assistance grants throughout their lifecycle. In addition,
respondents must demonstrate the ability to exercise leadership,
organize work, and prioritize assignments to meet work demands in a
cost-efficient and timely manner within the 24-month grant term. If the
respondent intends to have other entities working on its behalf, those
entities must be identified and their abilities to meet the stated
eligibility requirements and experience in delivering approved
technical assistance services must also be addressed.
(c) Narrative. The responding entity must include a written
narrative describing its knowledge, demonstrated ability, and practical
experience in farm labor housing development, Federal grant
administration, and technical assistance program development,
implementation, and delivery. If the respondent intends to have other
entities working on its behalf, those entities must be identified and
their abilities to meet the stated eligibility requirements and
experience in delivering approved technical assistance services must
also be addressed.
To demonstrate overall organizational knowledge, experience, and
expertise in farm labor housing development, repair, and preservation
activities, respondents must identify by property name, type, and
location, all FLH projects (both Section 514/516 and non-RHS) their
organization has successfully developed, repaired and/or preserved in
the past five (5) years. Please specify projects that continue to
operate successfully to meet farm labor housing demand in the
communities where they were developed. Respondents may also include a
list of any successful, verifiable experience in completing or
obtaining funding for other affordable Multifamily Housing projects
during the past five years.
To demonstrate overall organizational knowledge, experience, and
expertise in developing, implementing, and delivering farm labor
housing technical assistance programs, respondents must identify by
name and location the organizations and communities to which they have
provided farm labor housing technical assistance services, the types of
TA services provided to these entities, the sources of the technical
assistance funding (including any leveraged funding sources), the
number of Section 514/516 loan/grant packages developed and submitted
for Agency funding consideration on behalf of these entities, and a
description of how the respondent's technical assistance services
contributed to the development, repair, and/or preservation of farm
labor housing that continues to operate successfully to meet farm labor
housing demand in the community where it was developed. Include the
outcomes/success ratios of all transactions/projects listed above that
were initiated within the past five years (e.g., project approved for
funding, project currently in development, project completed, etc.).
To demonstrate overall organizational knowledge, experience, and
expertise in managing Federal technical assistance grants throughout
their lifecycle (including submitting timely requests for
reimbursements, meeting reporting requirements, and closing out
awards), respondents must identify the total
[[Page 76078]]
number and type(s) of Federal technical assistance grants their
organization has successfully administered within the past five years,
including the awarding Federal agencies involved.
(d) Key Personnel and Staffing Plan. Proposals must include the
resumes of all personnel who will perform key personnel services of (1)
technical assistance delivery and (2) grant administration (CNAs,
appraisals, and market surveys are not considered key personnel
services). The staffing plan must describe each staff member's ability
to perform the proposed activities and/or their experience in
successfully managing service delivery of TA grants. The plan must
include a staffing chart complete with name, job title, salary, hours,
timelines, and descriptions of all proposed employee duties that will
achieve the objectives of the grant program. If respondents intend to
contract for any key personnel services from outside their organization
(not to exceed the 20% limit), the qualifications of all entities
acting on behalf of respondents must also be addressed.
(e) Statement of Work. Responding entities must submit a detailed
SOW that includes the following requirements:
1. Introduction/overview with a description of the proposed plan to
identify and provide advisory services to eligible individuals, groups
and organizations applying for Section 514/516 FLH loans and grants in
underserved market areas.
2. The organization's capabilities to execute the proposed plan
within the prescribed 24-month grant period.
3. The organization's plan to identify and recruit qualified
individuals, groups and organizations who lack the knowledge,
experience and/or capacity to package and submit Section 514/516
applications for Agency funding consideration. The SOW must provide a
projected number of Section 514 loan and Section 516 grant application
packages the respondent intends to submit for Agency funding
consideration during the 24-month grant period. The SOW should discuss
how the respondent's existing FLH knowledge and expertise, in
combination with statistical data analysis, were utilized in
identifying potential loan/grant applicants and how those findings
provided foundational context to their planning efforts. Respondents
should also include a discussion of their organizational ability to
effectively serve the targeted applicants based on key personnel,
established timeframes, and budget projections. Please include the data
utilized to support the proposal, all of which must be current,
relevant, and verifiable.
4. The organization's plan to identify areas with unmet need and
unsatisfied market demand for FLH development, repair, and/or
preservation activities. In determining the underserved areas to target
for FLH TA services, respondents must consider the total number of
farmworkers in the area, the number and percentage of farmworkers who
are without adequate housing in the area and projected future housing
demand in the area. Consultation with major employers of farm laborers
and with farmworker organizations in each market area under
consideration is strongly encouraged prior to determining which areas
to target for services. The SOW should discuss how the respondent's
existing FLH knowledge and expertise, in combination with statistical
data analysis, were utilized in identifying underserved market areas
and how those findings provided foundational context to their planning
efforts. Also include a discussion of the respondent's organizational
ability to effectively serve the targeted market areas based on key
personnel, established timeframes, and budget projections. Respondents
should include the data utilized to support their proposals, all of
which must be current, relevant, and verifiable.
5. Types of proposed technical assistance and legal and/or
financial services that will enable qualified applicants in underserved
areas to submit successful Section 514/516 applications to the Agency
within the prescribed 24-month grant period. Respondents must clearly
explain the services to be provided directly by their organization and
all services that will be provided by third parties. The responding
entity must specify the State(s) and/or geographic regions in which
they and any proposed third-party contractors, consultants or
subrecipients will offer technical assistance services. Respondents
must specify why each applicant and targeted service area needs the
proposed technical assistance services.
6. A detailed budget justification that aligns with the key project
tasks/activities and a grant funds usage projection that corresponds
with a 24-month timeline for service delivery. The grant funds usage
projection should illustrate direct and indirect administrative costs
in dollars, and as a percentage of the technical assistance services
provided (not to exceed 20%).
7. Additional strengths, qualifications, or capabilities not
discussed above that may enhance the respondent's capacity to deliver
services under this grant.
E. Application Review Information
All application packages will be reviewed to determine eligibility
and completeness. All eligible, complete applications will be evaluated
and competitively scored using the Application Scoring Criteria
outlined below. Points will be awarded only for factors that are well-
documented in the application package and, in the opinion of the
Agency, meet the objectives outlined in each of the evaluation
criteria. References to external websites, publications and/or other
information not submitted as part of the application package will not
be reviewed. Therefore, full documentation and support of all criteria
is encouraged.
The review process designed for this notice will evaluate the
degree to which the application sets forth measurable realistic
objectives that are consistent with this notice and can be completed
within a 24-month grant term consistent with the application and
processing guidance established by Agency regulations.
Application Scoring Criteria (Points Can Be Earned In All Sections)
1. Respondent Experience (RHS Section 514/516)
a. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience completing
Section 514/516 transactions during the past five years. Experience
must be demonstrated by submitting a list of past Section 514/516
transactions. To receive points, the respondent must have acted as the
developer or technical assistance provider for the project and, at a
minimum, must have a submitted application currently pending approval
or closed with the Agency:
1-2 completed or pending Section 514/516 transactions: 10
points
3-5 completed or pending Section 514/516 transactions: 20
points
6-8 completed or pending Section 514/516 transactions: 30
points
9 or more completed or pending Section 514/516 transactions:
40 points
b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience providing
technical assistance to qualified borrowers in completing Section 514/
516 transactions. Experience must be demonstrated by submitting a list
of past instances of providing technical assistance. Points will be
awarded according to the number of qualified borrowers to whom the
respondent has provided Section 514/516 technical assistance during the
past five years:
[[Page 76079]]
1-4 Section 514/516 borrowers provided with technical
assistance: 10 points
5-8 Section 514/516 borrowers provided with technical
assistance: 20 points
9 or more Section 514/516 borrowers provided with technical
assistance: 30 points
2. Respondent Experience (Other/Non-RHS Affordable Multifamily Housing
Programs)
a. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience completing or
obtaining funding for non-RHS FLH or other affordable MFH projects
during the past five years. Experience must be demonstrated by
submitting a list of past project transactions. To receive points, the
respondent must have acted as the developer or technical assistance
provider for the project and, at a minimum, must have obtained funding
approval:
1-3 non-RHS FLH or MFH transactions completed/obtained funding
approval: 5 points
4-6 non-RHS FLH or MFH transactions completed/obtained funding
approval: 10 points
7-9 non-RHS FLH or MFH transactions completed/obtained funding
approval: 15 points
10 or more non-RHS FLH or MFH transactions completed/obtained
funding approval: 20 points
b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience providing
technical assistance to non- RHS FLH or MFH borrowers. Experience must
be demonstrated by submitting a list of past instances of providing
technical assistance. Points will be awarded according to the number of
non-RHS FLH or MFH borrowers to whom the respondent has provided
technical assistance in the past five years:
1-4 non-RHS FLH or MFH borrowers assisted: 5 points
5-8 non-RHS FLH or MFH borrowers assisted: 10 points
9 or more non-RHS FLH or MFH borrowers assisted: 15 points
3. Proposed Outcomes
a. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to maximize the
number of areas assisted (based on the proposed Statement of Work).
Points will be awarded according to the proposed number of areas with
unmet need/unsatisfied market demand targeted for services under the TA
grant:
1-5 proposed market areas: 5 points
6-10 proposed market areas: 10 points
11 or more proposed market areas: 15 points
b. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to identify and
assist qualified Section 514/516 applicants (based on the Statement of
Work). Points will be awarded according to the proposed number of
qualified 514/516 applicants to be served under the grant:
1-3 qualified Section 514/516 applicants: 5 points
4-6 qualified Section 514/516 applicants: 10 points
7 or more qualified Section 514/516 applicants: 15 points
c. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to increase the
number of successful section 514/516 applications submitted for Agency
funding consideration (based on the Statement of Work). Points will be
awarded according to the proposed number of Section 514/516 loan/grant
application packages to be submitted for Agency funding consideration
during the 24-month grant period of performance:
1-5 application packages: 5 points
6-10 application packages: 10 points
More than 10 packages: 15 points
d. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to increase the
capacity of Section 514/516 owners to offer supportive services for
tenants. Scoring is based on the Statement of Work. Points will be
awarded according to the proposed number of 514/516 loan/grant
application packages to be submitted for Agency funding that include
new supportive services for tenants:
1-3 projects: 5 points
4-6 projects: 10 points
7 or more projects: 15 points
4. Grant Administration
a. Respondent uses grant resources to maximize the funding
available for direct program delivery to TA recipients. Percentage of
grant funds used for direct and indirect administrative costs (not to
exceed 20% of total projected costs):
Total Administrative costs 10% to 20%: 5 points
Total Administrative Costs Less than 10%: 10 points
b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience managing
service delivery or technical assistance throughout the grant lifecycle
during the past five years. Experience must be demonstrated by
submitting a list of past instances of managing service delivery or
providing technical assistance. Experience considered for scoring
purposes includes submitting timely requests for funding, meeting
reporting requirements, and closing out awards. Points will be awarded
according to the degree of experience:
1-4 grants successfully managed during the past five years: 5
points
5 or more grants successfully managed during the past five
years: 10 points
5. FLH Program Delivery Goals
All applications meeting the minimum scoring requirement of 50
points may be eligible for up to 15 additional points for proposals
that offer TA services to support the FLH program delivery goals
outlined in a. and b. below.
a. Geographic coverage (10 points): Respondent proposes to serve
geographic areas that are underserved by other technical assistance
providers, as identified by the respondent and verified by the Agency.
b. Innovative TA service delivery models (5 points): The agency
seeks to test a range of TA delivery models to assess the methods of TA
delivery that are most effective to facilitate successful FLH
development, repair, and preservation activities. Describe any
supporting innovative delivery approaches associated with
implementation of the outlined key personnel tasks, including
contingencies for delivering TA services remotely/virtually in order to
avoid service delays and disruptions.
6. Administrator Discretionary Points
Respondents meeting the minimum scoring requirements may be
considered for up to 15 discretionary scoring points (5 points for each
category) as determined by the Administrator, which advance any or all
of the Agency's three key funding priorities, provided that all other
requirements set forth in this notice are otherwise met. The three key
priorities are:
(i) Creating More and Better Markets: Assisting rural communities
to recover economically through more and better market opportunities
through improved infrastructure (5 points). Applicants receive priority
points if the project is located in or serving a rural community whose
economic well-being ranks in the most distressed tier of the Distressed
Communities Index. The Distressed Communities Index provides a score
between 1-100 for every community at the zip code level. The most
distressed tier of the index are those communities with a score over
80. Please use the Distressed Communities Index Look-Up Map to
determine if your project qualifies for priority points. Provide a copy
of the map showing the project is eligible to claim points. For
additional
[[Page 76080]]
information on data sources used for this priority determination,
please download the Data Sources for Rural Development Priorities
document at the following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/media/file/download/rd-ic-prioritiesdatasupplementalupdatedfy2024.pdf. Note: US
Territories are considered distressed and qualify for priority points.
Provide a copy of the map showing the project is eligible to claim
points.
(ii) Advancing Racial Justice, Place-Based Equity, and Opportunity:
Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD programs and
benefits from RD funded projects (5 points). Applicant receives
priority points if the project is located in or serving a community
with a score of 0.75 or above on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index.
Please use Community Look-Up Map to look up a map or list to determine
if your project qualifies for priority points. Provide a copy of the
map showing the project is eligible to claim points.
Applications from and benefiting a Rural Partner's Network's (RPN)
community network will receive priority points (rural.gov) in
applicable funding notices. Currently RPN Networks exist in Alaska,
Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North
Carolina, Puerto Rico, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Please use the
Community Look-Up map to determine if your project qualifies for
priority points.
Applications from Federally Recognized Tribes, including Tribal
instrumentalities and entities that are wholly owned by Tribes will
receive priority points. Federally Recognized Tribes are classified as
any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village or
community as defined by the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act
(List Act) of 1994 (Public Law 103-454). Please refer to the Bureau of
Indian Affairs for the listing of Federally Recognized Tribes that was
published on January 1, 2023 in the Federal Register [88 FR 2112].
Additionally, projects where at least 50 percent of the project
beneficiaries are members of Federally Recognized Tribes will receive
priority points if applications from non-Tribal applicants include a
Tribal Resolution of Consent from the Tribe or Tribes that the
applicant is proposing to serve. For additional information on data
sources used for this priority determination, please download the Data
Sources for Rural Development Priorities document by using the
following link: https://www.rd.usda.gov/media/file/download/rd-ic-prioritiesdatasupplementalupdatedfy2024.pdf. Note: US Territories are
considered socially vulnerable and qualify for priority points.
(iii) Addressing Climate Change and Environmental Justice: Reducing
climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate
change through economic support to rural communities (5 points).
Applicants can receive priority points through one of the three options
listed below:
Option 1: Applicants will receive points if the project is located
in or serves a Disadvantaged Community as defined by the Climate and
Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), from the White House Council
on Environmental Quality (CEQ). CEJST is a tool to help Federal
agencies identify disadvantaged communities that will benefit from
programs included in the Justice40 initiative. Census tracts are
considered disadvantaged if they meet the thresholds for at least one
of the CEJST's eight (8) categories of burden: Climate, Energy, Health,
Housing, Legacy Pollution, Transportation, Water and Wastewater, or
Workforce Development.
Option 2: Applicants will receive points if the project is located
in or serves an Energy Community as defined by the Inflation Reduction
Act (IRA). The IRA defines energy communities as:
A ``brownfield site'' (as defined in certain subparagraphs
of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA)).
A ``metropolitan statistical area'' or ``non-metropolitan
statistical area'' that has (or had at any time after 2009).
0.17% or greater direct employment or 25% or greater local
tax revenues related to the extraction, processing, transport, or
storage of coal, oil, or natural gas; and has an unemployment rate at
or above the national average unemployment rate for the previous year.
A census tract (or directly adjoining census tract) in
which a coal mine has closed after 1999; or in which a coal-fired
electric generating unit has been retired after 2009.
Option 3: Applicants will receive points by demonstrating through
written narrative how proposed climate-impact projects improve the
livelihoods of community residents and meet pollution mitigation or
clean energy goals.
To determine if your project qualifies for priority points under
Option 1 or Option 2, please use the Disadvantaged Community & Energy
Community Look-Up Map. Provide a copy of the map showing the project is
eligible to claim points.
The minimum score requirement for grants awarded under this funding
opportunity is 50 points. Final scores are determined by the Agency.
The Agency reserves the right to withhold the awarding of funds for
applications that fail to meet the minimum required final score.
Meeting the minimum scoring requirements and/or receiving priority
funding points or discretionary points from the Administrator does not
guarantee a funding award.
The Agency will notify all responding entities whether their
application has been accepted or rejected and provide appeal rights
under 7 CFR part 11, as appropriate.
Joaquin Altoro,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-21033 Filed 9-16-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P