Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for Section 514 Farm Labor Housing Loans and Section 516 Farm Labor Housing Grants for Off-farm Housing

SUMMARY: This NOFA announces the timeframe to submit applications for

section 514 Farm Labor Housing loan funds and section 516 Farm Labor

Housing grant funds for new construction of off-farm units for

farmworker households. Applications may also include requests for

section 521 rental assistance (RA). This document describes the method

used to distribute funds, the application process, and submission

requirements.

DATES: The closing deadline for receipt of all applications in response

to this NOFA is 5:00 p.m., local time for each Rural Development State

office on July 15, 1999. The application closing deadline is firm as to

date and hour. RHS will not consider any application that is received

after the closing deadline. Applicants intending to mail applications

must provide sufficient time to permit delivery on or before the

closing deadline date and time. Acceptance by a post office or private

mailer does not constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX), COD, and postage

due applications will not be accepted.

ADDRESSES: 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 Centre, 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) 745-2176, TDD (907) 745-6494, Ron Abbott

Arizona State Office, Phoenix Corporate Center, 3003 N. Central

Ave., Suite 900, Phoenix, AZ 85012-2906, (602) 280-8755, TDD (602)

280-8701, Steve Langstaff

Arkansas State Office, 700 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 3416, Little Rock,

AR 72201-3225, (501) 301-3250, TDD (501) 301-3279, Cathy Jones

California State Office, 430 G Street, Agency 4169, Davis, CA 95616-

4169, (530) 792-5800, Robert P. Anderson

Colorado State Office, 655 Parfet Street, Room E100, Lakewood, CO

80215, (303) 236-2801 (ext. 122), TDD (303) 236-1590, ``Sam''

Mitchell

Connecticut--Served by Massachusetts State Office

Delaware/Maryland State Office, 5201 South Dupont Highway, PO Box

400, Camden, DE 19934-9998, (302) 697-4314, TDD (302) 697-4303, W.

Arthur Greenwood

Florida & Virgin Islands State Office, 4440 N.W. 25th Place, PO Box

147010, Gainesville, FL 32614-7010, (352) 338-3465, TDD (352) 338-

3499, Joseph P. Fritz

Georgia State Office, Stephens Federal Building, 355 E. Hancock

Avenue, Athens, GA 30601-2768, (706) 546-2164, TDD (706) 546-2034,

Wayne Rogers

Guam--Served by Hawaii State Office

Hawaii, Guam, and Western Pacific Territories State Office, Room

311, Federal Building, 154 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808)

933-3000, TDD (808) 933-6902, Abraham Kubo

Idaho State Office, Suite A1, 9173 West Barnes Dr., Boise, ID 83709,

(208) 378-5627, TDD (208) 378-5644, Roni Atkins

Illinois State Office, Illini Plaza, Suite 103, 1817 South Neil

Street, Champaign, IL 61820, (217) 398-5412 (ext. 256), TDD (217)

398-5396, Barry L. Ramsey

Indiana State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN

46278, (317) 290-3117, TDD (317) 290-3343, John Young

Iowa State Office, 873 Federal Building, 210 Walnut Street, Des

Moines, IA 50309, (515) 284-4493, TDD (515) 284-4858, Bruce McGuire

Kansas State Office, 1200 SW Executive Drive, PO Box 4653, Topeka,

KS 66604, (785) 271-2721, TDD (785) 271-2767, Gary Shumaker

Kentucky State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY

40503, (606) 224-7325, TDD (606) 224-7422, Paul Higgins

Louisiana State Office, 3727 Government Street, Alexandria, LA

71302, (318) 473-7962, TDD (318) 473-7655, Yvonne R. Emerson

Maine State Office, 444 Stillwater Ave., Suite 2, PO Box 405,

Bangor, ME 04402-0405, (207) 990-9115, TDD (207) 942-7331, Dale D.

Holmes

Maryland--Served by Delaware State Office

Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island State Office, 451 West

Street, Amherst, MA 01002, (413) 253-4333, Donald Colburn

Michigan State Office, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East Lansing,

MI 48823, (517) 337-6635 (ext. 1609), TDD (517) 337-6795, Philip

Wolak

Minnesota State Office, 410 AgriBank Building, 375 Jackson Street,

St. Paul, MN 55101-1853, (651) 602-7823, TDD (651) 602-3799, Mary

Ann Erickson

Mississippi State Office, Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 W.

Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965-4325, TDD (601) 965-

5850, Danny Ivy

Missouri State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade Center,

Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876-0990, TDD (573) 876-9480,

Gary Frisch

Montana State Office, Unit 1, Suite B, 900 Technology Blvd.,

Bozeman, MT 59715, (406) 585-2515, TDD (406) 586-0819, MaryLou

Falconer

Nebraska State Office, Federal Building, room 152, 100 Centennial

Mall N, Lincoln, NE 68508, (402) 437-5567, TDD (402) 437-5093, Byron

Fischer

Nevada State Office, 1390 South Curry Street, Carson City, NV 89703-

9910, (702) 887-1222, TDD (702) 885-0633 (ext. 13), William L.

Brewer

New Hampshire--Served by Vermont State Office

New Jersey State Office, Tarnsfield Plaza, Suite 22, 790 Woodland

Road, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060, (609) 265-3630, 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 260, Raleigh, NC

27609, (919) 873-2062, TDD (919) 873-2003, Eileen Nowlin

North Dakota State Office, Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East

Rosser, PO Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502, (701) 250-4771, TDD (701)

250-4794, Kathy Lake

Ohio State Office, Federal Building, Room 507, 200 North High

Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2477, (614) 469-5165, TDD (614) 469-5757,

Gerald Arnott

Oklahoma State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK 74074-

2654, (405) 742-1070, TDD (405) 742-1007, Patsy Graumann

Oregon State Office, 101 SW Main, Suite 1410, Portland, OR 97204-

3222, (503) 414-3350, TDD (503) 414-3387, Jillene Davis

Pennsylvania State Office, One Credit Union Place, Suite 330,

Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996, (717) 237-2187, TDD (717) 237-2187, Gary

Rothrock

Puerto Rico State Office, New San Juan Office Bldg., Room 501, 159

Carlos E. Chardon Street, Hato Rey, PR 00918-5481, (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) 765-5690, 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,

Dwight Wullweber

Tennessee State Office, Suite 300, 3322 West End Avenue, Nashville,

TN 37203-1084, (615) 783-1375, G. Benson Lasater

Texas State Office, Federal Building, Suite 102, 101 South Main,

Temple, TX 76501, (254) 742-9760, TDD (254) 742-9712, Eugene G.

Pavlat

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Utah State Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 S. State

Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84147-0350, (801) 524-4323,

TDD (801) 524-3309, Robert L. Milianta

Vermont and New Hampshire State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89

Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828-6020, TDD (802) 223-

6365, Russell Higgins

Virgin Islands--Served by Florida State Office

Virginia State Office, Culpeper Building, Suite 238, 1606 Santa Rosa

Road, Richmond, VA 23229, (804) 287-1582, TDD (804) 287-1753,

Carlton Jarratt

Washington State Office, 1835 Black Lake Blvd. SW., Suite B,

Olympia, WA 98512-5715, (360) 704-7707, TDD (360) 704-7760, Deborah

Davis

Western Pacific Territories--Served by Hawaii State Office

West Virginia State Office, Federal Building, 75 High Street, Room

320, Morgantown, WV 26505-7500, (304) 291-4793, TDD (304) 284-5941,

Sue Snodgrass

Wisconsin State Office, 4949 Kirschiling Court, Stevens Point, WI

54481, (715) 345-7620, TDD (715) 345-7614, Sherry Engel

Wyoming State Office, 100 East B, Federal Building, Room 1005, PO

Box 820, Casper, WY 82602, (307) 261-6315, TDD (307) 261-6333,

Charles E. Huff

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, applicants

may contact Linda Armour, Mary Fox, or Tracee Lilly, Senior Loan

Officers, Multi-Family Housing Processing Division, Rural Housing

Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Stop 0781, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, 20250, telephone (202) 720-

1604 (voice) (this is not a toll free number) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD-

Federal Information Relay Service).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Programs Affected

The Farm Labor Housing Program is listed in the Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance under Number 10.405, Farm Labor Housing Loans and

Grants. Rental Assistance is listed in the Catalog under Number 10.427,

Rural Rental Assistance Payments.

NOFA Application and Processing Deadlines

The NOFA application period closes July 15, 1999. Because of the

relatively short timeframe for processing selected loan requests to

permit obligation of funds by September 30, 1999, we have established

the following processing deadlines:

July 15, 1999: NOFA application period closes.

July 16-20, 1999: State Offices review applications for

completeness; score and rank; and provide list of all applications

received to National Office.

July 21-30, 1999: State Offices complete preliminary eligibility

and feasibility review and perform site visit; begin environmental

review.

August 2, 1999: Based on the preliminary eligibility and

feasibility review, State Offices provide final list of scored and

ranked preapplications to the National Office with review comments.

August 2-6, 1999: National Office ranks preapplications nation-

wide. As soon as possible thereafter, National Office notifies States

of requests selected for further processing.

August, 1999: Upon National Office notification, States immediately

notify selected applicants to submit a formal application within 30

days. Applicants should submit organizational documents immediately to

allow time for review by Office of General Counsel (OGC).

August-September, 1999: States complete the environmental review

and appraisal. Satisfactory completion of the environmental review must

occur prior to issuance of the letter of conditions.

September 15, 1999: Deadline for receipt of formal application.

Deadline for commitment of leveraged funds.

September 24, 1999: Deadline for issuing letter of conditions and

acceptance by borrower.

September 27, 1999: Deadline for loan or grant approval and

obligation of funds.

Discussion of Notice

I. Authority and Distribution Methodology

A. Authority

The farm labor housing program is under the 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 (rental assistance, or RA) are available

through section 521 (42 U.S.C. 1490a). Sections 514 and 516 provide 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, agencies or political

subdivisions of State or local government, and public agencies (such as

local housing authorities). In addition, RHS is authorized under

section 514 to make loans to finance off-farm housing to limited

partnerships in which the general partner is a nonprofit entity.

B. Distribution Methodology

The amounts available for fiscal year (FY) 1999 for off-farm new

construction are:

Section 514 loans..........................................$ 15,500,000

Section 516 grants..........................................$ 9,737,493

Section 514 new construction loan funds and section 516 new

construction grant funds will be distributed to States based on a

national competition, as follows:

1. States will accept, review, score, and rank requests in

accordance with 7 CFR part 1944, subpart D. The scoring criteria

includes an optional Agency initiative, which will not be used this

fiscal year.

2. The National office will rank all requests nationwide and

distribute funds to States in rank order, within funding and RA limits.

If insufficient funds or RA remain for the next ranked proposal, the

Agency will select the next ranked proposal that falls within the

remaining levels.

II. Funding Limits

A. Individual requests may not exceed $2.5 million (total loan and

grant).

B. No State may receive more than 30 percent of the total available

funds.

C. New construction RA will be held in the National Office for use

with section 514 loans and section 516 grants.

III. Application Process

The Rural Housing Service has published elsewhere in this Federal

Register a final rule entitled ``Processing Requests for Farm Labor

Housing (LH) Loans and Grants''. Loan requests filed in response to

this NOFA are subject to the regulatory provisions with respect to this

final rule. All applications for sections 514 and 516 new construction

funds must be filed with the appropriate Rural Development State office

and must meet the requirements of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart D, and

section IV of this NOFA. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed

and will be returned to the applicant. No application will be accepted

after 5:00 p.m., local time, on the application deadline previously

mentioned unless that date and time is extended by another Notice

published in the Federal Register.

IV. Application Submission Requirements

A. Each application shall include all of the information,

materials, forms and exhibits required by 7 CFR part 1944, subpart D,

as well as comply with the provisions of this NOFA. Applicants are

encouraged, but not required, to include a checklist and to have their

applications indexed and tabbed to facilitate the review process. The

Rural Development State office will base its determination of

completeness of the application and the eligibility of each

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applicant on the information provided in the application.

B. Applicants are advised to contact the Rural Development State

office serving the place in which they desire to submit an application

for application information.

Dated: April 29, 1999.

Eileen M. Fitzgerald,

Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service.

[FR Doc. 99-11257 Filed 5-5-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-XV-U