[Federal Register: April 19, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 75)]
[Notices]
[Page 19680-19684]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19ap07-12]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for Section 514 Farm Labor
Housing Loans and Section 516 Farm Labor Housing Grants for Off-Farm
Housing for Fiscal Year 2007
Announcement Type: Initial Notice inviting applications from
qualified applicants for Fiscal Year 2007.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers (CFDA): 10.405 and
10.427.
SUMMARY: This NOFA announces the timeframe to submit applications for
section 514 Farm Labor Housing (FLH) loans and section 516 FLH grants
for the construction of new off-farm FLH units and related facilities
for domestic farm laborers. The intended purpose of these loans and
grants is to increase the number of available housing units for
domestic farm laborers. Applications may also include requests for
section 521 rental assistance (RA) and operating assistance for migrant
units. This document describes the method used to distribute funds, the
application process, and submission requirements.
DATES: The deadline for receipt of all applications in response to this
NOFA is 5 p.m., local time for each Rural Development State Office on
June 18, 2007. The application closing deadline is firm as to date and
hour. The Agency will not consider any application that is received
after the closing deadline. Applicants intending to mail applications
must provide sufficient time to permit delivery on or before the
closing deadline. Acceptance by a post office or private mailer does
not constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX), COD, and postage due
applications will not be accepted.
Intergovernmental Review
The construction of new section 516 off-farm FLH is subject to the
Intergovernmental Review provisions of 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V which
requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials.
Submission Address
Applicants wishing to apply for assistance must contact the Rural
Development State Office serving the place in which they desire to
submit an application for off-farm labor housing to receive further
information and copies of the application package. Rural Development
will date and time stamp incoming applications to evidence timely
receipt, and, upon request, will provide the applicant with a written
acknowledgment of receipt. A listing of Rural Development State
Offices, their addresses, telephone numbers, and person to contact
follows:
Note: Telephone numbers listed are not toll-free.
Alabama State Office
Suite 601, Sterling Center 4121 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL
36106-3683, (334) 279-3455 TDD (334)279-3495, James B. Harris.
Alaska State Office
800 West Evergreen, Suite 201, Palmer, AK 99645, (907)761-7740
TDD (907)761-8905, Debbie Andrys.
Arizona State Office
Phoenix Courthouse and Federal Building, 230 North First Ave.,
Suite 206, Phoenix, AZ 85003-1706, (602)280-8766 TDD (602)280-8770,
Kathy Wilhelm.
Arkansas State Office
700 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 3416, Little Rock, AR 72201-3225,
(501)301-3250 TDD (501)301-3063, Clinton King.
California State Office
430 G Street, 4169, Davis, CA 95616-4169, (530) 792-
5830 TDD (530) 792-5848, Debra Moretton.
Colorado State Office
655 Parfet Street, Room E100, Lakewood, CO 80215, (720) 544-2923
TDD (800)659-2656, Mary Summerfield.
Connecticut
Served by Massachusetts State Office.
Delaware State Office
1221 College Park Drive, Suite 200, Dover, DE 19904, (302) 857-
3615 TDD (302) 857-3585, Pat Baker.
Florida & Virgin Islands State Office
4440 NW. 25th Place, Gainesville, FL 32606-6563, (352) 338-3465
TDD (352) 338-3499, Elizabeth M. Whitaker.
Georgia State Office
Stephens Federal Building, 355 E. Hancock Avenue Athens, GA
30601-2768, (706) 546-2164 TDD (706) 546-2034, Wayne Rogers.
Hawaii State Office
(Services all Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and Western Pacific),
Room 311, Federal Building, 154 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720,
(808) 933-8305 TDD (808) 933-8321, Jack Mahan.
Illinois State Office
2118 W. Park Court, Suite A, Champaign, IL 61821-2986, (217)
403-6222 TDD (217) 403-6240, Barry L. Ramsey.
Indiana State Office
5975 Lakeside Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290-3100
(ext. 423) TDD (317) 290-3343, Stephan Dye.
Iowa State Office
210 Walnut Street Room 873, DesMoines, IA 50309, (515) 284-4685
TDD (515) 284-4858, Julie Sleeper.
Kansas State Office
1303 SW. First American Place, Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040,
(785) 271-2721 TDD (785) 271-2767, Virginia M. Hammersmith.
Kentucky State Office
771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40503, (859) 224-
7325 TDD (859) 224-7422, Paul Higgins.
Louisiana State Office
[[Page 19681]]
3727 Government Street, Alexandria, LA 71302, (318) 473-7962 TDD
(318) 473-7655, Yvonne R. Emerson.
Maine State Office
967 Illinois Ave., Suite 4, PO Box 405, Bangor, ME 04402-0405,
(207) 990-9110 TDD (207) 942-7331, Bob Nadeau.
Maryland
Served by Delaware State Office.
Massachusetts State Office
451 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002, (413) 253-4315 TDD (413)
253-4590, Paul Geoffroy.
Michigan State Office
3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 48823, (517)
324-5192 TDD (517) 337-6795, Ghulam R. Sumbal.
Minnesota State Office
375 Jackson Street Building, Suite 410, St. Paul, MN 55101,
(651) 602-7782 TDD (651) 602-7826, Peter Lundquist.
Mississippi State Office
Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 W. Capitol Street, Jackson, MS
39269, (601) 965-4325 TDD (601) 965-5850, Darnella Smith-Murray.
Missouri State Office
601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade Center, Suite 235, Columbia,
MO 65203, (573) 876-9305 TDD (573) 876-9480, Colleen James.
Montana State Office
900 Technology Blvd., Suite B, Bozeman, MT 59718, (406) 585-2515
TDD (406) 585-2562, Deborah Chorlton.
Nebraska State Office
Federal Building, Room 152, 100 Centennial Mall N., Lincoln, NE
68508, (402) 437-5594 TDD (402) 437-5093, Phil Willnerd.
Nevada State Office
1390 South Curry Street, Carson City, NV 89703-5146, (775) 887-
1222 (ext. 25) TDD (775) 885-0633, Angilla Denton.
New Hampshire State Office
Concord Center, Suite 218, Box 317, 10 Ferry Street, Concord, NH
03301-5004, (603) 223-6046 TDD (603) 229-0536, Jim Fowler.
New Jersey State Office
5th Floor North, Suite 500, 8000 Midlantic Dr., Mt. Laurel, NJ
08054, (856) 787-7740 TDD (856) 787-7784, George Hyatt, Jr.
New Mexico State Office
6200 Jefferson St., NE., Room 255, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505)
761-4944 TDD (505) 761-4938, Carmen N. Lopez.
New York State Office
The Galleries of Syracuse, 441 S. Salina Street, Suite 357,
Syracuse, NY 13202, (315) 477-6419 TDD (315) 477-6447, George N. Von
Pless.
North Carolina State Office
4405 Bland Road, Suite 2120, Raleigh, NC 271209, (919) 873-2066
TDD (919) 873-2003, Bill Hobbs.
North Dakota State Office
Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East Rosser, P.O. Box 1737,
Bismarck, ND 58502, (701) 530-2049 TDD (701) 530-2113, Kathy Lake.
Ohio State Office
Federal Building, Room 507, 200 North High Street, Columbus, OH
43215-2477, (614) 255-2418 TDD (614) 255-2554, Melodie Taylor-Ward.
Oklahoma State Office
100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK 74074-2654, (405) 742-1070
TDD (405) 742-1007, Ivan Graves.
Oregon State Office
1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 801, Portland, OR 97232, (503) 414-
3325 TDD (503) 414-3387, Margo Donelin.
Pennsylvania State Office
One Credit Union Place, Suite 330, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996,
(717) 237-2282 TDD (717) 237-2261, Martha E. Hanson.
Puerto Rico State Office
IBM Building, 654 Munoz Rivera Ave., Suite 601, San Juan, PR
00918, (787) 766-5095 (ext. 254) TDD 1-800-274-1572, Lourdes Colon.
Rhode Island
Served by Massachusetts State Office.
South Carolina State Office
Strom Thurmond Federal Building, 1835 Assembly Street, Room
1007, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 253-3432 TDD (803) 765-5697, Larry
D. Floyd.
South Dakota State Office
Federal Building, Room 210, 200 Fourth Street, SW, Huron, SD
57350, (605) 352-1132 TDD (605) 352-1147, Roger Hazuka or Pam
Reilly.
Tennessee State Office
3322 West End Avenue, Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37203-1084, (615)
783-1375 TDD (615) 783-1397, Donald Harris.
Texas State Office
101 South Main St., Suite 102, Temple, TX 76501, (254) 742-9758
TDD (254) 742-9712, Julie Hayes.
Utah State Office
Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 S. State Street, Room
4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84138, (801) 524-4325 TDD (801) 524-3309,
Janice Kocher.
Vermont State Office
City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602,
(802) 828-6021 TDD (802) 223-6365, Heidi Setien.
Virgin Islands
Served by Florida State Office.
Virginia State Office
Culpeper Building, Suite 238, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA
23229, (804) 287-1596 TDD (804) 287-1753, CJ Michels.
Washington State Office
1835 Black Lake Blvd., Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512, (360) 704-
7730 TDD (360) 704-7760, Robert Lund.
Western Pacific Territories
Served by Hawaii State Office.
West Virginia State Office
75 High Street, Room 320, Morgantown, WV 26505-7500, (304) 284-
4872 TDD (304) 284-4836, David Cain.
Wisconsin State Office
4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens Point, WI 54481, (715) 345-7608
(ext. 7145) TDD (715) 345-7614, Peter Kohnen.
Wyoming State Office
P.O. Box 11005, Casper, WY 82602-6733, (307) 233-6715 TDD (307)
233-6733, Jack Hyde.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Henry Searcy, Senior Loan Specialist,
Multi-Family Housing Processing Division--STOP 0781 (Room 1263-S) ,
U.S. Department of Agriculture--Rural Housing Service, 1400
Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250-0781, by telephone at (202)
720-1604 (This is not a toll free number.) , or via e-mail at
Henry.Searcy@wdc.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
Paperwork Reduction Act
The reporting requirements contained in this NOFA have been
approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Control Number
0575-0045.
The FLH program is authorized by the Title V Housing Act of 1949:
section 514 (42 U.S.C. 1484) for loans and section 516 (42 U.S.C. 1486)
for grants. Tenant subsidies in the form of RA are available through
section 521 (42 U.S.C. 1490a) . Sections 514 and 516 provide Rural
Housing Service (RHS) the authority to make loans and grants for
financing off-farm housing to broad-based nonprofit organizations,
nonprofit organizations of farmworkers, federally recognized Indian
tribes and agencies or political subdivisions of State or local
government. In addition, loans may be made to limited partnerships in
which the general partner is a nonprofit entity.
Program Administration
I. Funding Opportunities Description
Funding for this program comes in the form of a loans, grants and
rental assistance. Housing that is constructed with these loans and
grants must meet the Agency design and construction standards contained
in 7 CFR part 1924, subparts A and C. Once constructed, off-farm FLH
must be managed in accordance with the program's regulation, at 7 CFR
part 3560. Tenant eligibility is limited to persons who meet the
definition of a ``domestic farm laborer'', a ``retired domestic farm
laborer,'' or a ``disabled domestic farm laborer,'' as defined in 7 CFR
3560.11. Farmworkers who are admitted to this country on a temporary
basis under the Temporary Agricultural Workers (H-2A Visa) program are
not eligible to occupy section 514/516 off-farm FLH.
Operating assistance may be used in lieu of tenant-specific rental
assistance in off-farm labor housing projects financed under section
514 or section 516(i) of the Housing Act of 1949 (U.S.C. 1486(i)) that
serve migrant farmworkers. To be eligible for the operating assistance,
projects must be off-farm FLH projects financed under section 514 or
section 516 with units that are for migrant farmworkers (housing units
for year-round farmworker households are ineligible)
[[Page 19682]]
and must otherwise meet the requirements of 7 CFR 3560.574. ``Migrants
or migrant agricultural laborer'' is defined in 7 CFR 3560.11 Owners of
eligible projects may choose tenant-specific RA or operating
assistance, or a combination of both; however, any tenant or unit
assisted with operating assistance may not also receive RA.
II. Award Information
Applications for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 will only be accepted
through the date and time listed in this NOFA.
Because RHS has the ability to adjust loan and grant levels, final
loan and grant levels will fluctuate. The estimated funds available for
FY 2007 for off-farm housing are: section 514, $31,937,082 and section
516, $10,491,000.
Individual requests may not exceed $3 million (total loan and
grant). If RA is available, it will be held in the National Office and
will be awarded based on each project's financial structure and need.
Section 516 off-farm FLH grants may not exceed 90 percent of the total
development cost of the housing. Applications that require leveraged
funding must have firm commitments in place for all of the leveraged
funding within 1 year of the issuance of a ``Notice of Preapplication
Review Action,'' Form AD-622. In order to be eligible for leveraged
funding selection points, the commitment for leveraged funds must be
submitted with the initial preapplication. If leverage funds are in the
form of tax credits, the applicant must document a history of receiving
tax credits.
III. Eligibility Information
Applicant Eligibility
(1) To be eligible to receive a section 516 grant for off-farm FLH,
the applicant must be a broad-based nonprofit organization, a nonprofit
organization of farm workers, a federally recognized Indian tribe, an
agency or political subdivision of a State or local government, or a
public agency (such as a housing authority).
(2) To be eligible to receive a section 514 loan for off-farm FLH,
the applicant must be a broad-based nonprofit organization, a nonprofit
organization of farm workers, a federally recognized Indian tribe, an
agency or political subdivision of a State or local government, a
public agency (such as a housing authority), or a limited partnership
which has a nonprofit entity as its sole general partner and:
(a) Be unable to provide the necessary housing from its own
resources; and
(b) Except for State or local public agencies and Indian tribes, be
unable to obtain similar credit elsewhere at rates that would allow for
rents within the payment ability of eligible residents.
(3) Broad-based nonprofit organizations must have a membership that
reflects a variety of interests in the area where the housing will be
located.
Cost Sharing or Matching
Section 516 grants for off-farm FLH may not exceed the lesser of 90
percent of the total development cost or the amount provided in 7 CFR
3560.562(c)(2).
Other Administrative Requirements
The following policies and regulations apply to loans and grants
made in response to this NOFA:
(1) The equal opportunity requirements contained in 7 CFR part
1901, subpart E regarding equal opportunity requirements;
(2) The requirements of 7 CFR part 3015, and 7 CFR part 3016 or 7
CFR part 3019 (as applicable), which establish the uniform
administrative requirements for grants and cooperative agreements to
State and local governments and to non-profit organizations;
(3) The requirements of 7 CFR part 1901, subpart F regarding
historical and archaeological properties;
(4) The environmental assessment requirements contained in 7 CFR
part 1940, subpart G regarding environmental assessments;
(5) The requirements contained in 7 CFR part 3560, subpart L
regarding the loan and grant authorities of the off-farm FLH program;
(6) The requirements contained in 7 CFR part 1924, subpart A
regarding planning and construction;
(7) The requirements contained in 7 CFR part 1924, subpart C
regarding the planning and performing of site development work; and
(8) All requirements contained in 7 CFR part 3560 regarding the
section 514/516 off-farm FLH program.
IV. Application and Submission Information
The application process will be in two phases: the initial
preapplication (or proposal) and the submission of a formal
application. Only those proposals that are selected for funding will be
invited to submit formal applications. In the event that a proposal is
selected for further processing and the applicant declines, the next
highest ranked unfunded preapplication may be selected.
All preapplications for sections 514 and 516 funds must be filed
with the appropriate Rural Development State Office and must meet the
requirements of this NOFA. Incomplete preapplications will not be
reviewed and will be returned to the applicant. No preapplication will
be accepted after 5 p.m., local time for each Rural Development State
Office on June 18, 2007 unless date and time is extended by another
NOFA published in the Federal Register.
If a preapplication is accepted for further processing, the
applicant will be expected to submit a complete, formal application
prior to the obligation of Agency funds.
Preapplication Requirements
The preapplication must contain the following:
(1) A summary page listing the following items. This information
should be double-spaced between items and not be in narrative form.
(a) Applicant's name.
(b) Applicant's Taxpayer Identification Number.
(c) Applicant's address.
(d) Applicant's telephone number.
(e) Name of applicant's contact person, telephone number, and
address.
(f) Amount of loan and grant requested.
(g) For grants, the applicant's Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number. As required by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB), all grant applicants must provide a DUNS number when
applying for Federal grants, on or after October 1, 2003. Organizations
can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free
DUNS Number request line at 1-866-705-5711. Additional information
concerning this requirement is provided in a policy directive issued by
OMB and published in the Federal Register on June 27, 2003 (68 FR
38402-38405).
(2) A description of the applicant's ability to meet the
eligibility requirements stated in this NOFA.
(3) Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) which
can be found online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/sf424.pdf.
(4) A current, dated, and signed financial statement showing assets
and liabilities with information on the repayment schedule and status
of all debts.
(5) Evidence that the applicant is unable to obtain credit from
other sources. Letters from credit institutions who normally provide
real estate loans in the area should be obtained and these letters
should indicate the rates and
[[Page 19683]]
terms upon which a loan might be provided.
Note: Not required from State or local public agencies or Indian
tribes.
)(6) A statement concerning the need for a labor housing grant. The
statement should include preliminary estimates of the rents required
with and without a grant.
(7) A statement of the applicant's experience in operating labor
housing or other rental housing. If the applicant's experience is
limited, additional information should be provided to indicate how the
applicant plans to compensate for this limited experience (i.e.,
obtaining assistance and advice of a management firm, non-profit group,
public agency, or other organization which is experienced in rental
management and will be available on a continuous basis).
(8) A brief statement explaining the applicant's proposed method of
operation and management (i.e., on-site manager, contracting for
management services, etc.). As stated in this NOFA:
(a) The housing must be managed in accordance with the program's
management regulation, found in 7 CFR part 3560; and
(b) Tenancy is limited to ``domestic farm laborers,'' ``retired
dometic farm laborers,'' and ``disabled domestic farm laborers'' as
defined 7 CFR 3560.
(9) Applicants must provide:
(a) A copy of, or an accurate citation to, the special provisions
of State law under which they are organized, a copy of the applicant's
charter, their Articles of Incorporation, and their By-laws;
(b) The names, occupations, and addresses of the applicant's
members, directors, and officers; and
(c) If a member or subsidiary of another organization, the
organization's name, address, and nature of business.
(10) A preliminary survey to identify the supply and demand for
labor housing in the market area. The market area must be clearly
identified and may include only the area from which tenants can
reasonably be drawn for the proposed project. Documentation must be
provided to justify a need within the intended market area for housing
for ``domestic farm laborers'', as defined in this NOFA. The
preliminary survey should address or include the following items:
(a) The annual income level of farmworker families in the area and
the probable income of the farm workers who are apt to occupy the
proposed housing;
(b) A realistic estimate of the number of farm workers who are
home-based in the area and the number of farm workers who normally
migrate into the area. Information on migratory workers should indicate
the average number of months the migrants reside in the area and an
indication of what type of family groups are represented by the
migrants (i.e., single individuals as opposed to families);
(c) General information concerning the type of labor intensive
crops grown in the area and prospects for continued demand for farm
laborers (i.e., prospects for mechanization, etc.);
(d) The overall occupancy rate for comparable rental units in the
area and the rents charged and customary rental practices for these
units (i.e., will they rent to large families, do they require annual
leases, etc.);
(e) The number, condition, adequacy, rental rates and ownership of
units currently used or available to farm workers;
(f) A description of the units proposed, including the number,
type, size, rental rates, amenities such as carpets and drapes, related
facilities such as a laundry room or community room and other
facilities providing supportive services in connection with the housing
and the needs of the prospective tenants such as a health clinic or day
care facility, estimated development timeline, estimated total
development cost, and applicant contribution; and
(g) The applicant must also identify all other sources of funds,
including the dollar amount, source, and commitment status. (Note: A
section 516 grant may not exceed 90 percent of the total development
cost of the housing.)
(11) A completed Form RD 1940-20, ``Request for Environmental
Information,'' and a description of anticipated environmental issues or
concerns. The form can be found online at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/forms/1940-20.pdf
.
(12) A prepared HUD 935.2, ``Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing
Plan.'' The plan will reflect that occupancy is open to all qualified
``domestic farm laborers,'' regardless of which farming operation they
work and that they will not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
sex, age, disability, marital or familial status or National origin in
regard to the occupancy or use of the units. The form can be found
online at http://www.hudclips.org/sub_nonhud/html/pdfforms/935-a.pdf.
(13) Evidence of site control such as an option or sales contract.
In addition, a map and description of the proposed site, including the
availability of water, sewer, and utilities and the proximity to
community facilities and services such as shopping, schools,
transportation, doctors, dentists, and hospitals.
(14) Preliminary plans and specifications, including plot plans,
building layouts, and type of construction and materials. The housing
must meet the Agency's design and construction standards contained in 7
CFR part 1924, subparts A and C and must also meet all applicable
Federal, State, and local accessibility standards.
(15) A Supportive Services Plan describing services that will be
provided on-site or made available to tenants through cooperative
agreements with service providers in the community, such as a health
clinic or day care facility. Off-site services must be accessible and
affordable to farm workers and their families. Letters of intent from
service providers are acceptable documentation at the preapplication
stage.
(16) A proposed operating budget utilizing Form RD 3560-7,
``Multiple Family Housing Project Budget/Utility Allowance.'' The form
can be found online at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/forms/3560-07.pdf
.
(17) An estimate of development cost utilizing Form RD 1924-13,
``Estimate and Certificate of Actual Cost.'' The form can be found
online at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/forms/1924-13.pdf.
(18) Form RD 3560-30, ``Certification of No Identity of Interest
(IOI)'' and Form RD 3560-31, ``Identity of Interest Disclosure/
Qualification Certification.'' These forms can be found online at
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/fmi/fm3560-30.pdf and http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/fmi/fm3560-31.pdf
, respectively.
f
, respectively.
form can be found online at http://www.hudclips.org/sub?nonhud/html/pdfforms/2530.pdf
.
(20) If requesting RA or Operating Assistance, Form RD 3560-25,
``Initial Request for Rental Assistance or Operating Assistance.'' The
form can be found online at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/forms/3560-25.pdf
.
(21) A Sources and Uses Statement showing all sources of funding
included in the proposed project. The terms and schedules of all
sources included in the project should be included in the Sources and
Uses Statement.
(22) A separate one-page information sheet listing each of the
``Application Scoring Criteria'' contained in this NOFA, followed by
the page numbers of all relevant material and documentation that is
contained in the proposal that supports the criteria.
[[Page 19684]]
(23) Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to include a
checklist of all of the application requirements and to have their
application indexed and tabbed to facilitate the review process.
V. Application Review Information
All applications for sections 514 and 516 funds must be filed with
the appropriate Rural Development State Office and must meet the
requirements of this NOFA.
Selection Criteria
Section 514 loan funds and section 516 grant funds will be
distributed to States based on a national competition, as follows:
(1) States will accept, review, and score requests in accordance
with the NOFA. The scoring factors are:
(a) The presence and extent of leveraged assistance, including
donated land, for the units that will serve program-eligible tenants,
calculated as a percentage of the RHS total development cost (TDC). RHS
TDC excludes non-RHS eligible costs such as a developer's fee.
Leveraged assistance includes, but is not limited to, funds for hard
construction costs, section 8 or other non-RHS tenant subsidies, and
state or federal funds. A minimum of ten percent leveraged assistance
is required to earn points; however, if the total percentage of
leveraged assistance is less than ten percent and the proposal includes
donated land, two points will be awarded for the donated land. To count
as leveraged funds for purposes of the selection criteria, a commitment
of funds must be provided with the preapplication. Points will be
awarded in accordance with the following table percentages will be
rounded to the next higher or lower number. (0 to 20 points)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percentage Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
75 or more..................................................... 20
60-74.......................................................... 18
50-59.......................................................... 16
40-49.......................................................... 12
30-39.......................................................... 10
20-29.......................................................... 8
10-19.......................................................... 5
0-9............................................................ 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donated land in proposals with less than ten percent total
leveraged assistance: 2 points
(b) Percent of units for seasonal, temporary, migrant housing. (5
points for up to and including 50 percent of the units; 10 points for
51 percent or more.)
(c) The selection criteria includes one optional criteria set by
the National Office. The National Office initiative will be used in the
selection criteria as follows: Up to 10 points will be awarded based on
the presence of and extent to which a tenant services plan exists that
clearly outlines services that will be provided to the residents of the
proposed project. These services may include, but are not limited to,
transportation related services, on-site English as a Second Language
(ESL) classes, move-in funds, emergency assistance funds, homeownership
counseling, food pantries, after school tutoring, and computer learning
centers. Two points will be awarded for each resident service included
in the tenant services plan up to a maximum of 10 points. Plans must
detail how the services are to be administered, who will administer
them, and where they will be administered. All tenant service plans
must include letters of intent that clearly state the service that will
be provided at the project for the benefit of the residents from any
party administering each service, including the applicant. (0 to 10
points)
(d) In an effort to implement USDA's nationwide initiative to
promote renewable energy and energy conservation, Rural Development
(RD) has adopted incentives for energy generation and energy
conservation. Participation in these nationwide initiatives is
voluntary, but is strongly encouraged.
Energy Generation. Applicants will be awarded points if the
proposal includes the installation of energy generation systems to be
funded by a third party. The proposal must include an overview of the
energy generation system being proposed. Evidence that an energy
generation system has been funded by a third party and that it has a
quantifiable positive impact on energy consumption will be required. (5
points)
Energy Conservation. Applicants will be awarded points to construct
(or substantially rehabilitate) housing that earns the ENERGY STAR
label for new residential construction. Units earning the ENERGY STAR
label must be independently verified to meet guidelines for energy
efficiency as set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. All
procedures used in verifying a unit for the ENERGY STAR label must
comply with National Home Energy Ratings System (HERS) guidelines.
ENERGY STAR guidelines for residential construction apply to homes that
are three stories or less and single or low-rise multi-family
residential buildings.
The Applicant will include in the narrative an explanation of how
they plan to incorporate ENERGY STAR. Construction plans pertaining to
energy efficiency must be developed with, reviewed, and accepted by a
HERS certified rater, the contractor, and the owner. Progress
inspections must be made at appropriate times by a HERS certified rater
to ensure that the housing is being constructed or rehabilitated
according to ENERGY STAR specifications. In order to receive final
payment, applicants will be required to submit the appropriate rating
reports from the HERS rater to RD as evidence that the housing has been
constructed to meet the standards of ENERGY STAR. In the event that
housing does not meet ENERGY STAR guidelines for new residential
construction, the Agency shall, at its discretion, deduct 5 points from
future funding proposals. For further information about ENERGY STAR,
see http://www.energystar.gov or call the following toll-free numbers:
(888) 782-7939 or (888) 588-9920 (TTY). (5 points)
(2) Rural Development States Offices will conduct the preliminary
eligibility review, score the applications, and forward them to the
National Office.
(3) The National Office will rank all requests nationwide and
distribute funds to States in rank order, within funding and RA limits.
A lottery in accordance with 7 CFR 3560.56(c)(2) will be used for
applications with tied point scores when they all cannot be funded. If
insufficient funds or RA remain for the next ranked proposal, that
applicant will be given a chance to modify their application to bring
it within remaining funding levels. This will be repeated for each next
ranked eligible proposal until an award can be made or the list is
exhausted.
Dated: April 12, 2007.
Russell T. Davis,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. E7-7444 Filed 4-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P