Super Notice of Funding Availability (SuperNOFA) for HUD's Housing, Community Development and Empowerment Programs

Federal RegisterFeb 26, 1999

Ask Donna

What actually matters in this document.

Text

SUMMARY: This Fiscal Year 1999 Super Notice of Funding Availability

(SuperNOFA) announces the availability of approximately $2.4 billion in

HUD program funds covering 32 grant categories within programs operated

and administered by the following HUD offices: the Office of Community

Planning and Development (CPD); the Office of Housing-Federal Housing

Administration (FHA); the Office of Public and Indian Housing; Office

of Policy Development and Research; the Office of Fair Housing and

Equal Opportunity; and the Office of Lead Hazard Control.

The General Section of this SuperNOFA provides the application

procedures and requirements that are applicable to all the programs.

The Programs Section of this SuperNOFA provides a description of the

specific programs for which funding is made available under this

SuperNOFA and describes any additional procedures and requirements that

are applicable to a specific program. Please be sure you read both the

General Section and the Program Section of this SuperNOFA to ensure you

respond to all the requirements for funding.

APPLICATION DUE DATES: The information in this APPLICATION DUE DATES

section applies to all programs that are part of this SuperNOFA. You,

the applicant, must submit a completed application to HUD no later than

the application due date established for the program for which you are

seeking funding. HUD will not accept for review and evaluation any

applications sent by facsimile (fax).

ADDRESSES AND APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCEDURES: Addresses. You, the

applicant, must submit a complete application to the location

identified in the Programs Section of this SuperNOFA. When submitting

your application, please refer to the name of the program for which you

are seeking funding.

For Applications to HUD Headquarters. If your application is due to

HUD Headquarters, you must send to the following address: Department of

Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington DC

20410 (see the Program Chart or Programs Section for Room location and

additional information regarding the addresses for application

submission). Please make sure that you note the room number. The

correct room number is very important to ensure that your application

is not misdirected.

For Applications to HUD Field Offices. If your application is

required to be submitted to a HUD Field Office, please see the Programs

Section for the exact office location for submission of your

application.

Applications Procedures. Mailed Applications. Your application will

be considered timely filed if your application is postmarked on or

before 12:00 midnight on the application due date and received by the

designated HUD Office on or within ten (10) days of the application due

date.

Applications Sent by Overnight/Express Mail Delivery. If your

application is sent by overnight delivery or express mail, your

application will be timely filed if it is received before or on the

application due date, or when you submit documentary evidence that your

application was placed in transit with the overnight delivery service

by no later than the application due date.

Hand Carried Applications. Hand-carried to HUD Headquarters. If

your application is required to be submitted to HUD Headquarters, and

you arrange for the application to be hand carried, hand carried

applications delivered before and on the application due date must be

brought to the specified location at HUD Headquarters and room number

between the hours of 8:45 am to 5:15 pm, Eastern time. Applications

hand carried on the application due date will be accepted in the South

Lobby of the HUD Headquarters Building at the above address from 5:15

pm until 12:00 midnight, Eastern time. This deadline date is firm.

Please make appropriate arrangements to arrive at the HUD Headquarters

Building before 12:00 midnight on the application due date.

Hand-carried to HUD Field Office. If your application is required

to be submitted to a HUD Field Office, your application must be

delivered to the appropriate HUD Field Office in accordance with the

instructions specified in the Programs Section of the SuperNOFA. A hand

carried application will be accepted at the specified HUD Field Office

during normal business hours before the application due date. On the

application due date, business hours will be extended to 6:00 p.m.

local time. (Please see Appendix A to this SuperNOFA listing the hours

of operations for the HUD Field Offices.) Please be sure to arrive at

the HUD Field Office with adequate time to submit the application

before the 6:00 pm deadline by the application due date.

COPIES OF APPLICATIONS TO HUD OFFICES: The Programs Section of this

SuperNOFA may specify that to facilitate the processing and review of

your application, a copy of the application also must be sent to an

additional HUD location (for example, a copy to the HUD Field Office if

the original application is to be submitted to HUD Headquarters, or a

copy to HUD Headquarters, if the original application is to be

submitted to a HUD Field Office). Please follow the directions of the

Programs Section to ensure that you submit your application to the

proper location. For some programs, HUD requests additional copies in

order to expeditiously review your application, and to ensure that all

reviewers receive complete applications to review. HUD appreciates your

assistance in providing the copies. Please note that for those

applications for which copies are to be submitted to the Field Offices

and HUD Headquarters, timeliness of submission will be based on the

time your application is received at HUD Headquarters.

FOR APPLICATION KITS, FURTHER INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: The

information in this section is applicable to all programs that are part

of this SuperNOFA.

For Application Kits and SuperNOFA User Guide. HUD is pleased to

provide you with the 1999 application kits and/or a guidebook to all

HUD programs that are part of this SuperNOFA. These application kits

are designed to guide you through the application process and ensure

that your application addresses all requirements for the program

funding you are seeking. Please note that if there is a discrepancy

between information provided in the application kit and the information

provided in the published SuperNOFA, the information in the published

SuperNOFA prevails. Therefore, please be sure to review your

application submission against the requirements in the SuperNOFA. When

requesting an application kit, please refer to the name of the program

of the application kit you are interested in receiving. Please be sure

to provide your name, address (including zip code), and telephone

number (including area code). To ensure sufficient time to prepare your

application, requests for application kits should be made immediately.

[[Page 9619]]

The SuperNOFA Information Center (1-800-HUD-8929) can provide you

with assistance, application kits, and guidance in determining which

HUD Office(s) should receive a copy of your application. Persons with

hearing or speech impairments may call the Center's TTY number at 1-

800-483-2209. Additionally, you can obtain information on this

SuperNOFA and application kits for this SuperNOFA through the HUD web

site on the Internet at http://www.hud.gov.

Consolidated Application Submissions. If you, the applicant, would

like to apply for funding under more than one program in this

SuperNOFA, you need only submit one originally signed SF-424 and one

set of original signatures for the other standard assurances and

certifications, accompanied by the matrix that is provided in each

application kit. As long as you submit one originally signed set of

these documents with an application, you need only submit copies of

these documents with any additional application you submit. Your

application should identify the program for which you have submitted

the original signatures for the standard assurances and certifications.

Additionally, the Programs Section may specify additional forms,

certifications, assurances, or other information that may be required

for a particular program in this SuperNOFA.

For Further Information. For answers to your questions about this

SuperNOFA, you have several options. You may call, during business

hours, the SuperNOFA Information Center at 1-800-HUD-8929, or you may

contact the HUD Office or Processing Center serving your area at the

telephone number listed in the application kit for the program in which

you are interested. If you are a person with a hearing or speech

impairment you may call the Center's TTY number at 1-800-HUD-2209. You

may also obtain information on this SuperNOFA and application kits for

this SuperNOFA through the HUD web site on the Internet at http://

www.hud.gov.

For Technical Assistance. Before the application due date, HUD

staff will be available to provide you with general guidance and

technical assistance about this SuperNOFA. HUD staff, however, are not

permitted to assist in preparing the application. Following selection

of applicants, but before awards are made, HUD staff are available to

assist in clarifying or confirming information that is a prerequisite

to the offer of an award or Annual Contributions Contract (ACC) by HUD.

Hud's Fiscal Year 1999 SuperNOFA Process

Background: The Introduction of the SuperNOFA--the FY 98 SuperNOFA

In Fiscal Year 1998, HUD introduced its first SuperNOFA. HUD's FY

1998 SuperNOFA represented a marked departure from, and HUD believes a

significant improvement over, HUD's past approach to the funding

process. Before the FY 1998 SuperNOFA, HUD had issued as many as 40

separate NOFAs. These 40 NOFAs had widely varying rules and application

processing requirements, and were published at various times throughout

the fiscal year. This individual program approach to funding, with

different publication schedules, did not encourage and, at times,

unintentionally interfered with local efforts directed at comprehensive

planning as well as development of comprehensive local solutions.

Additionally, the old approach seemed to require communities to respond

to HUD's needs instead of HUD responding to local needs.

In his first year as Secretary of HUD, Secretary Andrew Cuomo

immediately sought to change this outdated approach to funding.

Secretary Cuomo brought to the leadership of HUD the experience of

successfully implementing a consolidated planning process in HUD's

community development programs. As Assistant Secretary for Community

Planning and Development, Secretary Cuomo consolidated the planning,

application, and reporting requirements of several community

development programs. The Consolidated Plan rule, published in 1995,

established a renewed partnership among HUD, State, and local

governments, public and private agencies, tribal governments, and the

general citizenry by empowering field staff to work with other entities

in fashioning creative solutions to community problems.

HUD's FY 1998 SuperNOFA promoted HUD's objective, under the

direction of Secretary Cuomo, of improving customer service and

providing the necessary tools for revitalizing communities and

improving the lives of people within those communities. The SuperNOFA

increased the ability of applicants to consider and apply for funding

under a wide variety of HUD programs in response to a single NOFA. In

addition to applicants, HUD believes that everyone interested in HUD's

grant programs can benefit from having this information made available

in one document, and that having the information on available funding

one time will facilitate local planning and coordination.

Changes Made in the SuperNOFA Process for FY 1999

One SuperNOFA. For Fiscal Year 1999, HUD is taking the next step of

improving its funding process by issuing one single SuperNOFA. In FY

1998, HUD issued three SuperNOFAs:

(1) The SuperNOFA for HUD's Housing and Community Development

Programs;

(2) The SuperNOFA for HUD's Economic Development and Empowerment

Programs; and

(3) The SuperNOFA for HUD's Targeted Housing and Homeless

Assistance Programs.

HUD's FY 1999 SuperNOFA consolidates the programs in these three

SuperNOFAs into one SuperNOFA--the SuperNOFA for HUD's Housing,

Community Development and Empowerment Programs. The housing component

of this SuperNOFA encompasses many of HUD's housing programs, including

targeted housing and homeless assistance. The community development

component of this SuperNOFA encompasses HUD's economic development

programs, and the empowerment component encompasses HUD's youthbuild

and self-help programs.

Plain Language. In addition to increased consolidation, HUD strived

to make the FY 1999 SuperNOFA simpler and easier to understand. On June

1, 1998, President Clinton issued a memorandum to all Federal agencies

that directs agencies to use plain language in all of their documents.

HUD prepared its FY 1999 SuperNOFA to comply with the plain language

principles. These principles include using common, everyday words

(except for necessary technical terms), the active voice and short

sentences.

Earlier Publication and More Time to Prepare Applications. Finally,

HUD is publishing its SuperNOFA earlier than in FY 1998. By publishing

earlier in the Federal Fiscal Year, HUD can provide you, the applicant,

more time to prepare and submit your SuperNOFA application(s).

Program Changes to Note: (1) HOPWA-TA. This year technical

assistance under the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS

(HOPWA) has been consolidated into the Community Development Technical

Assistance (CD-TA) Program section of the SuperNOFA. If you are

interested in applying for this program, please see the CD-TA Program

section.

(2) Youth Sports Program. This year, youth sports activities are

eligible under

[[Page 9620]]

the PIH Drug Elimination Grant Program.

(3) Possible Formula Funding for Public Housing Drug Elimination

Program. On February 18, 1999, HUD published in the Federal Register an

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) announcing HUD's intention

to develop, through proposed rulemaking, a formula allocation funding

for HUD's Public Housing Drug Elimination Program. The February 18,

1999 ANPR solicits comments in advance of this rulemaking on a method,

components of a method, or methods that would result in reliable and

equitable funding to public housing agencies with drug elimination

programs and ensure that this funding is allocated to agencies meeting

certain performance standards. If this rulemaking is completed before

the application due date for the Public Housing Drug Elimination

grants, HUD will publish a notice in the Federal Register advising the

public of the withdrawal of the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program

sections of this SuperNOFA, and advising that funds will be allocated

through a formula.

Similarities Between FY 1998 and FY 1999 SuperNOFAs

The FY 1999 SuperNOFA, like the FY 1998 SuperNOFA, places heavy

emphasis on the coordination of activities to provide:

(1) Greater flexibility and responsiveness in meeting local housing

and community development needs, and

(2) Greater flexibility to applicants to determine what HUD program

resources best fit the community's needs, as identified in local

Consolidated Plans and Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice

(``Analysis of Impediments'' (AI)).

The FY 1999 SuperNOFA is designed to:

Simplify the application process;

Promote effective and coordinated use of program funds in

communities;

Reduce duplication in the delivery of services and

economic development and empowerment programs;

Allow applicants to seek to deliver a wider, more

integrated array of services; and

Improve the system for potential grantees to be aware of,

and compete for program funds.

Once again, HUD strongly encourages applicants to work together to

coordinate and, to the maximum extent possible, join their activities

to form a seamless and comprehensive program of assistance to meet

identified needs in their communities. This coordination also should

help applicants jointly address barriers to fair housing and equal

opportunity that have been identified in the community's Consolidated

Plan and Analysis of Impediments in the geographic area(s) in which

they are seeking assistance.

As part of the simplification of this funding process, and to avoid

duplication of effort, the SuperNOFA provides for consolidated

applications for several of the programs that are part of this

SuperNOFA. HUD programs that provide assistance for, or complement,

similar activities (for example, the Continuum of Care programs and CPD

Technical Assistance programs) have a consolidated application that

reduces the administrative and paperwork burden applicants would

otherwise encounter in submitting a separate application for each

program. The Program Chart in this introductory section of the

SuperNOFA identifies the programs that have been consolidated and for

which a consolidated application is made available to eligible

applicants. Eligible applicants are able, as they have been in the

past, to apply for funding under as few as one or as many as all

programs for which they are eligible.

The specific statutory and regulatory requirements of the programs

that are part of this SuperNOFA continue to apply to each program. The

SuperNOFA will identify, where necessary, the statutory requirements

and differences applicable to the specific programs. Please pay careful

attention to the individual program requirements that are identified

for each program. Also, you will note that not all applicants are

eligible to receive assistance under all programs identified in this

SuperNOFA.

The SuperNOFA is divided into two major sections. The General

Section of the SuperNOFA describes the procedures and requirements that

are applicable to all applications. The Programs Section of the

SuperNOFA describes each program that is part of this SuperNOFA. For

each program, the Programs Section describes the eligible applicants,

eligible activities, factors for award, and any additional requirements

or limitations that apply to the program.

Please read carefully both the General Section and the Programs

Section of the SuperNOFA for the program(s) to which you are applying.

Your careful reading will ensure that you apply for program funding for

which your organization is eligible to receive funds and you fulfill

all the requirements for that program(s).

The Programs of This SuperNOFA and the Amount of Funds Allocated

The programs that are part of this SuperNOFA are identified in the

chart below. The approximate available funds for each program are

expected funding levels based on appropriated funds. In the event HUD

recaptures funds or other funds become available for any program, HUD

reserves the right to increase the available program funding amounts by

the amount available.

The chart also includes the application due date for each program,

the OMB approval number for the information collection requirements

contained in the specific program, and the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) number.

BILLING CODE 4210-32-P

[[Page 9621]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.008

[[Page 9622]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.009

[[Page 9623]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.010

[[Page 9624]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.011

[[Page 9625]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.012

[[Page 9626]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.013

BILLING CODE 4210-32-C

[[Page 9627]]

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement. The information collection

requirements in this SuperNOFA have been approved by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The chart shown above provides the OMB approval

number for each program that is part of this SuperNOFA. Where the chart

notes that an OMB number is pending, this means that HUD has submitted

the information to OMB to obtain an approval number and HUD's request

for the number is pending. As soon as HUD receives the approval number,

the number will be published in the Federal Register and provided to

the SuperNOFA Information Center. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, an

agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to

respond to, a collection of information unless the collection displays

a valid control number.

General Section of the SuperNOFA

I. Authority; Purposes of the FY 1999 SuperNOFA; Funding Amount;

Eligible Applicants and Eligible Activities

(A) Authority

HUD's authority for making funding under this SuperNOFA is the

Fiscal Year 1999 Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban

Development and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (Pub.L.

105-276, 112 Stat. 2461, approved October 21, 1998) (FY 1999 HUD

Appropriations Act).

(B) Purposes

The purposes of this SuperNOFA are to:

(1) Make funding available to empower communities and residents.

The funding made available by this SuperNOFA will assist community

residents, particularly the poor and disadvantaged, to develop viable

communities and provide decent housing for all citizens, without

discrimination.

(2) Simplification of the application process for funding under HUD

programs. This year's SuperNOFA continues to provide a single, uniform

set of rating factors and submission requirements. This year's

SuperNOFA also allows, as did last year's, for you, the applicant, to

apply for more than one program with a single application.

(3) Promote comprehensive approaches to housing and community

development. Through the SuperNOFA process, HUD encourages you, the

applicant, to focus on the interrelationships that exist in a community

and in HUD's funding programs, and to build community-wide efforts that

coordinate the resources of multiple applicants and programs. The needs

and problems of a community rarely, if ever, stand in isolation from

each other. Due to this fact, it is very difficult to address these

problems and to provide opportunities to use existing community

resources in a piecemeal fashion. To successfully address community

needs and solve community problems, and to take advantage of existing

resources, HUD encourages members of a community to join together and

pool all available resources in a common, coordinated effort. In 1998,

HUD began structuring its funding process to help its community

partners take this coordinated, holistic approach. Further, by making

all of HUD's competitive funding available in one document, HUD allows

you, the applicant, to be able to relate the activities proposed for

funding under this SuperNOFA to the community's Consolidated Plan and

Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice.

As noted in the Introduction Section to the SuperNOFA, the HUD

programs that are part of this SuperNOFA are allocated amounts based on

appropriated funds. If HUD recaptures funds in any program, HUD

reserves the right to increase the available funding amounts by the

amount of funds recaptured.

(D) Eligible Applicants and Eligible Activities

The Programs Section of the SuperNOFA describes the eligible

applicants and eligible activities for each program.

II. Requirements and Procedures Applicable to All Programs

Except as may be modified in the Programs Section of this

SuperNOFA, or as noted within the specific provisions of this Section

II, the principles listed below apply to all programs that are part of

this SuperNOFA. Please be sure to read the Programs Section of the

SuperNOFA for additional requirements or information.

(A) Statutory Requirements

To be eligible for funding under this SuperNOFA, you, the

applicant, must meet all statutory and regulatory requirements that are

applicable to the program or programs for which you are seeking

funding. If you need copies of the program regulations, they are

available from the SuperNOFA Information Center or through the Internet

at the HUD web site located at http://www.HUD.gov. Among the reasons

that HUD may reject an application from further funding consideration

is if the activities or projects proposed in the application are not

eligible activities and projects, or (with the exception of the Section

202 and 811 programs) HUD may eliminate the ineligible activities from

funding consideration and reduce the grant amount accordingly.

(B) Threshold Requirements--Compliance With Fair Housing and Civil

Rights Laws.

With the exception of Federally recognized Indian tribes, all

applicants and their subrecipients must comply with all Fair Housing

and civil rights laws, statutes, regulations and executive orders as

enumerated in 24 CFR 5.105(a). If you are a Federally recognized Indian

tribe, you must comply with the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, section

504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Indian Civil Rights Act.

If you, the applicant--

(1) Have been charged with a systemic violation of the Fair Housing

Act by the Secretary alleging ongoing discrimination;

(2) Are a defendant in a Fair Housing Act lawsuit filed by the

Department of Justice alleging an ongoing pattern or practice of

discrimination; or

(3) Have received a letter of noncompliance findings under Title

VI, Section 504, or Section 109,--

HUD will not rank and rate your application under this SuperNOFA if

the charge, lawsuit, or letter of findings has not been resolved to the

satisfaction of the Department before the application deadline stated

in the individual program NOFA. HUD's decision regarding whether a

charge, lawsuit, or a letter of findings has been satisfactorily

resolved will be based upon whether appropriate actions have been taken

to address allegations of ongoing discrimination in the policies or

practices involved in the charge, lawsuit, or letter of findings.

You, the applicant and your subrecipients, must comply with the

Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title IX of the Education

Amendments Act of 1972.

(D) Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

Unless otherwise specified in the Programs Section of this

SuperNOFA, if you are a successful applicant, you will

[[Page 9628]]

have a duty to affirmatively further fair housing. Again, except as may

be provided otherwise in the Programs Section of this SuperNOFA, you,

the applicant, should include in your application or work plan the

specific steps that you will take to:

(1) Address the elimination of impediments to fair housing that

were identified in the jurisdiction's Analysis of Impediments (AI) to

Fair Housing Choice;

(2) Remedy discrimination in housing; or

(3) Promote fair housing rights and fair housing choice.

Further, you, the applicant, have a duty to carry out the specific

activities provided in your responses to the SuperNOFA rating factors

that address affirmatively furthering fair housing. Please see the

Programs Section of this SuperNOFA for further information.

(E) Economic Opportunities for Low and Very Low-Income Persons (Section

3).

Certain programs in this SuperNOFA require recipients of assistance

to comply with section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of

1968, 12 U.S.C. 1701u (Economic Opportunities for Low and Very Low-

Income Persons in Connection with assisted Projects) and the HUD

regulations at 24 CFR part 135, including the reporting requirements

subpart E. Section 3 requires recipients to ensure that, to the

greatest extent feasible, training, employment and other economic

opportunities will be directed to (1) low and very low income persons,

particularly those who are recipients of government assistance for

housing and (2) business concerns which provide economic opportunities

to low and very low income persons. As noted in the Programs Section of

this SuperNOFA, Section 3 is applicable to the following programs:

1. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU);

2. Hispanic Serving Institutions Assisting Communities (HSIAC);

3. Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control;

4. Mold and Moisture Control in Inner City Housing Program;

5. HOPE VI Public Housing Revitalization;

6. Public Housing Drug Elimination Program (PHDEP);

7. Public Housing Drug Elimination Program--New Approaches

8. Multifamily Housing Drug Elimination;

9. Economic Development Initiative (EDI);

10. Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI);

11. Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP);

12. Youthbuild;

13. Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs;

14. Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA);

15. Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly; and

16. Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities.

(F) Relocation

Any person (including individuals, partnerships, corporations or

associations) who moves from real property or moves personal property

from real property directly (1) because of a written notice to acquire

real property in whole or in part, or (2) because of the acquisition of

the real property, in whole or in part, for a HUD-assisted activity is

covered by Federal relocation statute and regulations. Specifically,

this type of move is covered by the acquisition policies and procedures

and the relocation requirements of the Uniform Relocation Assistance

and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended (URA),

and the implementing governmentwide regulation at 49 CFR part 24. The

relocation requirements of the URA and the governmentwide regulations

cover any person who moves permanently from real property or moves

personal property from real property directly because of rehabilitation

or demolition for an activity undertaken with HUD assistance.

(G) Forms, Certifications and Assurances

You, the applicant, are required to submit signed copies of the

standard forms, certifications, and assurances listed in this section,

unless the requirements in the Programs Section specifies otherwise.

Additionally, the Programs Section may specify additional forms,

certifications, assurances or other information that may be required

for a particular program in this SuperNOFA. As part of HUD's continuing

efforts to improve the SuperNOFA process, several of the required

standard forms have been simplified this year. The standard forms,

certifications, and assurances are as follows:

(1) Standard Form for Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424);

(2) Standard Form for Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs

(SF-424A) or Standard Form for Budget Information-Construction Programs

(SF-424C), as applicable;

(3) Standard Form for Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (SF-

424B) or Standard Form for Assurances--Construction Programs (SF-424D),

as applicable;

(4) Drug-Free Workplace Certification (HUD-50070);

(5) Certification and Disclosure Form Regarding Lobbying (SF-LLL);

(Tribes and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs) established by

an Indian tribe as a result of the exercise of the tribe's sovereign

power are not required to submit this certification. Tribes and TDHEs

established under State law are required to submit this certification.)

(6) Applicant/Recipient Disclosure Update Report (HUD-2880);

(7) Certification that the applicant will comply with the

requirements of the Fair Housing Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act

of 1964, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age

Discrimination Act of 1975, and will affirmatively further fair

housing. CDBG recipients applying for funds under title I of the

Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.)

also must certify to compliance with section 109 of the Housing and

Community Development Act. Federally recognized Indian tribes must

certify that they will comply with the requirements of the Age

Discrimination Act of 1975, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of

1973, and the Indian Civil Rights Act.

(8) Certification required by 24 CFR 24.510. (The provisions of 24

CFR part 24 apply to the employment, engagement of services, awarding

of contracts, subgrants, or funding of any recipients, or contractors

or subcontractors, during any period of debarment, suspension, or

placement in ineligibility status, and a certification is required.)

(H) OMB Circulars

Certain OMB circulars also apply to this SuperNOFA. The policies,

guidance, and requirements of OMB Circular No. A-87 (Cost Principles

Applicable to Grants, Contracts and Other Agreements with State and

Local Governments), OMB Circular No. A-122 (Cost Principles for

Nonprofit Organizations), 24 CFR part 84 (Grants and Agreements with

Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and other Non-Profit

Organizations) and 24 CFR part 85 (Administrative Requirements for

Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State, Local, and Federally

recognized Indian tribal governments) may apply to the award,

acceptance and use of assistance under the programs of this SuperNOFA,

and to the remedies for noncompliance, except when inconsistent with

the provisions of the FY 1999 HUD Appropriations Act, other Federal

statutes or the provisions of this

[[Page 9629]]

SuperNOFA. Compliance with additional OMB Circulars may be specified

for a particular program in the Programs Section of the SuperNOFA.

Copies of the OMB Circulars may be obtained from EOP Publications, Room

2200, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 10503, telephone

(202) 395-7332 (this is not a toll free number).

(I) Environmental Requirements

If you become a grantee under one of the programs in this SuperNOFA

that assist physical development activities or property acquisition,

you are generally prohibited from acquiring, rehabilitating,

converting, leasing, repairing or constructing property, or committing

or expending HUD or non-HUD funds for these types of program

activities, until one of the following has occurred:

(1) HUD has completed an environmental review in accordance with 24

CFR part 50; or

(2) For programs subject to 24 CFR part 58, HUD has approved a

grantee's Request for Release of Funds (HUD Form 7015.15) following a

Responsible Entity's completion of an environmental review.

You, the applicant, should consult the Programs Section of the

SuperNOFA for the applicable program to determine the procedures for,

timing of, and any exclusions from environmental review under a

particular program. For applicants applying for funding under the

Sections 202 or 811 Programs, please note the environmental review

requirements for these programs.

(J) Conflicts of Interest

If you are a consultant or expert who is assisting HUD in rating

and ranking applicants for funding under this SuperNOFA, you are

subject to 18 U.S.C. 208, the Federal criminal conflict of interest

statute, and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the

Executive Branch regulation published at 5 CFR part 2635. As a result,

if you have assisted or plan to assist applicants with preparing

applications for this SuperNOFA, you may not serve on a selection panel

and you may not serve as a technical advisor to HUD for this SuperNOFA.

All individuals involved in rating and ranking this SuperNOFA,

including experts and consultants, must avoid conflicts of interest or

the appearance of conflicts. Individuals involved in the rating and

ranking of applications must disclose to HUD's General Counsel or HUD's

Ethic Law Division the following information if applicable: the

selection or non-selection of any applicant under this SuperNOFA will

affect the individual's financial interests, as provided in 18 U.S.C.

208; or the application process involves a party with whom the

individual has a covered relationship under 5 CFR 2635.502. The

individual must disclose this information prior to participating in any

matter regarding this SuperNOFA. If you have questions regarding these

provisions or if you have questions concerning a conflict of interest,

you may call the Office of General Counsel, Ethics Law Division, at

202-708-3815 and ask to speak to one of HUD's attorneys in this

division.

III. Application Selection Process

(A) Rating Panels

To review and rate your applications, HUD may establish panels.

These panels may include persons not currently employed by HUD. HUD may

include these non-HUD employees to obtain certain expertise and outside

points of view, including views from other Federal agencies.

(1) Rating. HUD will evaluate and rate all applications for funding

that meet the threshold requirements and rating factors for award

described in this SuperNOFA. The rating of you, as the ``applicant,''

or of your organization, ``the applicant's organization and staff,''

for technical merit or threshold compliance will include any sub-

contractors, consultants, sub-recipients, and members of consortia

which are firmly committed to the project.

(2) Ranking. HUD will rank applicants within each program (or, for

Continuum of Care applicants, across the three programs identified in

the Continuum of Care section of this SuperNOFA). HUD will rank

applicants only against other applicants that applied for the same

program funding. Where there are set-asides within a program

competition, you, the applicant, only will compete against applicants

in the same set-aside competition.

(B) Threshold Requirements

HUD will review your application to determine whether your

application meets all of the threshold requirements described in

Section II(B), above. Only if your application meets all of the

threshold requirements will it be eligible to be rated and ranked.

For each program that is part of this SuperNOFA, the points awarded

for the rating factors total 100. Depending upon the program for which

you the applicant seek funding, the program may provide for up to four

bonus points as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Section

III(C).

(1) Bonus Points. The SuperNOFA provides for the award of up to two

bonus points for eligible activities/projects that the applicant

proposes to be located in high performing federally designated

Empowerment Zones (EZs) or Enterprise Communities (ECs). To be eligible

to receive the two bonus points, you must certify that the proposed

activities/projects: (a) will be located in a Federally designated

Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community and will serve residents of

the EZ/EC; and (b) are consistent with the strategic plan of the EZ/EC.

If you provide this certification and HUD determines that the area is a

high performing EZ/EC, as announced in HUD's list to be published in

the Federal Register in March 1999, you will be awarded the two points.

A listing of the high performing federally designated EZs/ECs will be

available from the SuperNOFA Information Center, or through the HUD web

site on the Internet at http://www.HUD.gov, as well as in the Federal

(2) Court-Ordered Consideration. For any application submitted by

the City of Dallas, Texas, for funds under this SuperNOFA for which the

City of Dallas is eligible to apply, HUD will consider the extent to

which the strategies or plans in the city's application or applications

will be used to eradicate the vestiges of racial segregation in the

Dallas Housing Authority's low income housing programs. The City of

Dallas should address the effect, if any, that vestiges of racial

segregation in Dallas Housing Authority's low income housing programs

have on potential participants in the programs covered by this NOFA,

and identify proposed actions for remedying those vestiges. HUD may add

up to 2 points to the score based on this consideration. This special

consideration results from an order of the U.S. District Court for the

Northern District of Texas, Dallas, Division. (This Section III(C)(2)

is limited to applications submitted by the City of Dallas.)

(3) The Five Standard Rating Factors. Additional details about the

five rating factors listed below, and the maximum points for each

factor, are provided in the Programs Section of the SuperNOFA. You, the

applicant, should carefully read the factors for award as described in

the Programs Section of the SuperNOFA. HUD has established these five

factors as the basic factors for award in every program that is part of

this SuperNOFA. For a specific HUD program, however, HUD may have

modified these factors to take into account specific program needs, or

statutory or regulatory limitations imposed on a program. The standard

[[Page 9630]]

factors for award, except as modified in the program area section are:

Factor 1: Capacity of the Applicant and Relevant Organizational Staff

Factor 2: Need/Extent of the Problem

Factor 3: Soundness of Approach

Factor 4: Leveraging Resources

Factor 5: Comprehensiveness and Coordination

The Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs have only two

factors that receive points: Need and Continuum of Care.

(D) Negotiation

After HUD has rated and ranked all applications and has made

selections, HUD may require, depending upon the program, that all

winners participate in negotiations to determine the specific terms of

the grant agreement and budget. In cases where HUD cannot successfully

conclude negotiations with a selected applicant or a selected applicant

fails to provide HUD with requested information, an award will not be

made to that applicant. In this instance, HUD may offer an award to the

next highest ranking applicant, and proceed with negotiations with the

next highest ranking applicant.

(E) Adjustments to Funding

(1) HUD reserves the right to fund less than the full amount

requested in your application to ensure the fair distribution of the

funds and to ensure that the purposes of a specific program are met.

(2) HUD may choose not to fund any portion of your application that

is not eligible for funding under specific program statutory or

regulatory requirements, or which do not meet the requirements of this

SuperNOFA or which may be duplicative of other funded programs or

activities from previous years' awards. HUD may choose to fund only the

eligible portions of your application.

(3) If funds remain after funding the highest ranking applications,

HUD may fund part of the next highest ranking application in a given

program. If you, the applicant, turn down the award offer, HUD will

make the same determination for the next highest ranking application.

If funds remain after all selections have been made, remaining funds

may be available for other competitions for each program where there is

a balance of funds.

(4) In the event HUD commits an error that, when corrected, would

result in selection of an otherwise eligible applicant during the

funding round of this SuperNOFA, HUD may select that applicant when

sufficient funds become available.

(F) Performance and Compliance Actions of Grantees

HUD will measure and address the performance and compliance actions

of grantees in accordance with the applicable standards and sanctions

of their respective programs.

IV. Application Submission Requirements

As HUD discussed earlier in the introductory section of this

SuperNOFA, part of the simplification of this funding process is to

reduce the duplication of effort that has been required of applicants

in the past. Before the SuperNOFA process, many of HUD's applicants

were required to complete and submit similar applications for HUD

funded programs. As the Program Chart above shows, the FY 1999

SuperNOFA provides, as did the FY 1998 SuperNOFA, for consolidated

applications for several of the programs for which funding is available

under this SuperNOFA.

V. Corrections to Deficient Applications

After the application due date, HUD may not, consistent with its

regulations in 24 CFR part 4, subpart B, consider any unsolicited

information you, the applicant, may want to provide. HUD may contact

you, however, to clarify an item in your application or to correct

technical deficiencies. You should note, however, that HUD may not seek

clarification of items or responses that improve the substantive

quality of your response to any eligibility or selection factors.

Examples of curable (correctable) technical deficiencies include your

failure to submit the proper certifications or your failure to submit

an application that contains an original signature by an authorized

official. In each case, HUD will notify you in writing by describing

the clarification or technical deficiency. HUD will notify applicants

by facsimile or by return receipt requested. You must submit

clarifications or corrections of technical deficiencies in accordance

with the information provided by HUD within 14 calendar days of the

date of receipt of the HUD notification. If your deficiency is not

corrected within this time period, HUD will reject your application as

incomplete, and it will not be considered for funding. (Note that the

Sections 202 and 811 Programs, by regulation, provide for appeal of

rejection of an application on technical deficiency. Please see the

Programs Sections for these programs for additional information and

instructions.)

VI. Promoting Comprehensive Approaches to Housing and Community

Development

(A) General

HUD believes the best approach for addressing community problems is

through a community-based process that provides a comprehensive

response to identified needs. By making these grant programs available

in one document, applicants may be able to relate the activities

proposed for funding under this SuperNOFA to the recent and upcoming

NOFAs and the community's Consolidated Plan and Analysis of Impediments

to Fair Housing Choice. There are certain HUD grant programs that are

not part of this SuperNOFA (primarily those for which funding is

allocated by lottery).

(B) Linking Program Activities With AmeriCorps

You are encouraged to link your proposed activities with

AmeriCorps, a national service program engaging thousands of Americans

on a full or part-time basis to help communities address their toughest

challenges, while earning support for college, graduate school, or job

training. For information about AmeriCorps, call the Corporation for

National Service at (202) 606-5000.

Rehabilitation Activities

In addition to applicable accessible design and construction

requirements, you are encouraged to incorporate visitability standards

where feasible in new construction and substantial rehabilitation

projects. Visitability standards allow a person with mobility

impairments access into the home, but do not require that all features

be made accessible. Visitability means at least one entrance at grade

(no steps), approached by an accessible route such as a sidewalk; the

entrance door and all interior passage doors are at least 2 feet 10

inches wide, allowing 32 inches of clear passage space. Allowing use of

2'10'' doors is consistent with the Fair Housing Act (at least for the

interior doors), and may be more acceptable than requiring the 3 foot

doors that are required in fully accessible areas under the Uniform

Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) for a small percentage of units.

A visitable home also serves persons without disabilities, such as a

mother pushing a stroller, or a person delivering a large appliance.

Copies of the UFAS are available from the SuperNOFA Information Center

(1-800-HUD-2209) and also from the Office of Fair Housing and Equal

Opportunity,

[[Page 9631]]

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 5230, 451

Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410, telephone (202) 755-5404 or

the TTY telephone number, 1-800-877-8399 (Federal Information Relay

Service).

(D) Developing Healthy Homes

HUD's Healthy Homes Initiative is one of the initiatives developed

by the White House Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety

Risks to Children that was established under Executive Order 13045

(``Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety

Risks''). HUD encourages the funding of activities (to the extent

eligible under specific programs) that promote healthy homes, or that

promote education on what is a healthy home. These activities may

include, but are not limited to the following: educating homeowners or

renters about the need to protect children in their home from dangers

that can arise from items such as curtain cords, electrical outlets,

hot water, poisons, fire, and sharp table edges, among others;

incorporating child safety measures in the construction, rehabilitation

or maintenance of housing, which include but are not limited to: child

safety latches on cabinets, hot water protection devices, properly

ventilated windows to protect from mold, window guards to protect

children from falling, proper pest management to prevent cockroaches

which can cause asthma, and activities directed to control of lead-

based paint hazards. The National Lead Information Hotline is 1-800-

424-5323.

VII. Findings and Certifications

(A) Environmental Impact

A Finding of No Significant Impact with respect to the environment

has been made in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 50 that

implement section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). The Finding of No Significant Impact is

available for public inspection during regular business hours in the

Office of the General Counsel, Regulations Division, Room 10276, U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20410-0500.

(B) Federalism, Executive Order 12612

The General Counsel, as the Designated Official under section 6(a)

of Executive Order 12612, Federalism, has determined that the policies

contained in this SuperNOFA will not have substantial direct effects on

States or their political subdivisions, or on the relationship between

the Federal Government and the States, or on the distribution of power

and responsibilities among the various levels of government.

Specifically, the SuperNOFA solicits applicants to expand their role in

addressing community development needs in their localities, and does

not impinge upon the relationships between the Federal Government and

State and local governments. As a result, the SuperNOFA is not subject

to review under the Order.

You, the applicant, are subject to the provisions of section 319 of

the Department of Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Act for

Fiscal Year 1991, 31 U.S.C. 1352 (the Byrd Amendment), which prohibits

recipients of Federal contracts, grants, or loans from using

appropriated funds for lobbying the executive or legislative branches

of the Federal Government in connection with a specific contract,

grant, or loan. You are required to certify, using the certification

found at Appendix A to 24 CFR part 87, that you will not, and have not,

used appropriated funds for any prohibited lobbying activities. In

addition, you must disclose, using Standard Form LLL, ``Disclosure of

Lobbying Activities,'' any funds, other than Federally appropriated

funds, that will be or have been used to influence Federal employees,

members of Congress, and congressional staff regarding specific grants

or contracts. Tribes and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs)

established by an Indian tribe as a result of the exercise of the

tribe's sovereign power are excluded from coverage of the Byrd

Amendment, but tribes and TDHEs established under State law are not

excluded from the statute's coverage.)

(D) Section 102 of the HUD Reform Act; Documentation and Public Access

Requirements

Section 102 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Reform Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C. 3545) (HUD Reform Act) and the

regulations codified in 24 CFR part 4, subpart A, contain a number of

provisions that are designed to ensure greater accountability and

integrity in the provision of certain types of assistance administered

by HUD. On January 14, 1992 (57 FR 1942), HUD published a notice that

also provides information on the implementation of section 102. The

documentation, public access, and disclosure requirements of section

102 apply to assistance awarded under this SuperNOFA as follows:

(1) Documentation and public access requirements. HUD will ensure

that documentation and other information regarding each application

submitted pursuant to this SuperNOFA are sufficient to indicate the

basis upon which assistance was provided or denied. This material,

including any letters of support, will be made available for public

inspection for a 5-year period beginning not less than 30 days after

the award of the assistance. Material will be made available in

accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and HUD's

implementing regulations in 24 CFR part 15.

(2) Disclosures. HUD will make available to the public for 5 years

all applicant disclosure reports (HUD Form 2880) submitted in

connection with this SuperNOFA. Update reports (also Form 2880) will be

made available along with the applicant disclosure reports, but in no

case for a period less than 3 years. All reports--both applicant

disclosures and updates--will be made available in accordance with the

Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and HUD's implementing

regulations at 24 CFR part 5.

(3) Publication of Recipients of HUD Funding. HUD's regulations at

24 CFR 4.7 provide that HUD will publish a notice in the Federal

decisions made by the Department to provide:

(i) Assistance subject to section 102(a) of the HUD Reform Act; or

(ii) Assistance that is provided through grants or cooperative

agreements on a discretionary (non-formula, non-demand) basis, but that

is not provided on the basis of a competition.

(E) Section 103 HUD Reform Act

HUD's regulations implementing section 103 of the Department of

Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C. 3537a),

codified in 24 CFR part 4, apply to this funding competition. The

regulations continue to apply until the announcement of the selection

of successful applicants. HUD employees involved in the review of

applications and in the making of funding decisions are limited by the

regulations from providing advance information to any person (other

than an authorized employee of HUD) concerning funding decisions, or

from otherwise giving any applicant an unfair competitive advantage.

Persons who apply for

[[Page 9632]]

assistance in this competition should confine their inquiries to the

subject areas permitted under 24 CFR part 4.

Applicants or employees who have ethics related questions should

contact the HUD Ethics Law Division at (202) 708-3815. (This is not a

toll-free number.) For HUD employees who have specific program

questions, the employee should contact the appropriate field office

counsel, or Headquarters counsel for the program to which the question

pertains.

VIII. The FY 1999 SuperNOFA Process and Future HUD Funding Processes

In FY 1998, Secretary Cuomo took the first significant step in

changing HUD's funding process to better promote comprehensive,

coordinated approaches to housing and community development by

developing the SuperNOFA process. The three SuperNOFAs published in FY

1998 reflected a marked improvement over HUD's previous funding process

and assisted communities to make better use of available resources

through a coordinated approach.

This FY 1999 SuperNOFA takes HUD's funding process to the next

step--a single SuperNOFA. The FY 1999 SuperNOFA was developed based on

comments received from HUD clients and the Department believes it

represents a significant improvement over HUD's approach to the funding

process in prior years. For FY 2000, HUD may take even further steps to

enhance this process. HUD welcomes comments from applicants and other

members of the public on this process, and how it may be improved in

future years.

The description of programs for which funding is available under

this SuperNOFA follows.

Dated: February 18, 1999.

Saul N. Ramirez, Jr.,

Deputy Secretary.

BILLING CODE 4210-32-P

Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 38 / Friday, February 26, 1999 /

Notices

[[Page 9633]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.014

BILLING CODE 4210-32-C

Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 38 / Friday, February 26, 1999 /

Notices

[[Page 9635]]

Funding Availability for Community Development Technical Assistance

(CD-TA) Programs--CDBG, CHDO, Home, Supportive Housing and HOPWA

Program Overview

Purpose of the Program. The purposes of the technical assistance

programs in this SuperNOFA are:

Community Development Block Grant Technical Assistance. To increase

the effectiveness with which States and units of general local

government plan, develop and administer their Community Development

Block Grant (CDBG) Programs, including assistance to aid non-profits

and other recipients of CDBG funds.

CHDO Technical Assistance. To promote the ability of Community

Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs) to maintain, rehabilitate and

construct housing for low-income and moderate-income families;

facilitate the education of low-income homeowners and tenants; and help

women who reside in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods to

rehabilitate and construct housing in the neighborhoods.

HOME Technical Assistance. To help HOME participating jurisdictions

design and implement HOME programs, including: improving their ability

to design and implement housing strategies and incorporate energy

efficiency into affordable housing; facilitating the exchange of

information to help participating jurisdictions carry out their

programs; facilitating the establishment and efficient operation of

employer-assisted housing programs and land bank programs; and

encouraging private lenders and for-profit developers of low-income

housing to participate in public-private partnerships.

Supportive Housing Program (SHP) Technical Assistance. To provide

HUD-funded Supportive Housing Program projects with technical

assistance to promote the development of supportive housing and

supportive services as part of a Continuum of Care approach, including

innovative approaches to assist homeless persons in the transition from

homelessness, and promoting the provision of supportive housing to

homeless persons to enable them to live as independently as possible.

Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). To train

communities to create comprehensive housing strategies and responsive

area programs that assist residents who are living with HIV/AIDS; to

train HOPWA grantees to administer formula and competitive funds in an

efficient and effective manner, including undertaking community

consultations, program planning, housing development and operations,

program evaluation and reporting on accomplishments; and to build the

capacity of nonprofit organizations to carry out activities as HOPWA

projects sponsors.

Available Funds. Up to $24.3 million is available for the five CD-

TA programs.

Eligible Applicants. Specific eligibility requirements for the five

CD-TA programs are found below in Section III(C). Forty percent of the

CDBG, CHDO, HOME and Supportive Housing technical assistance funds is

limited to qualified providers who have not previously received a

technical assistance award. This limitation is not applicable to HOPWA

technical assistance.

Application Deadline. May 26, 1999.

Match. None.

Additional Information

If you are interested in applying for funding under this program,

please review carefully the General Section of this SuperNOFA and the

following additional information.

I. Application Due Date, Application Kits, Further Information, and

Technical Assistance

Application Due Date. Submit your completed applications (an

original and one copy) on or before 12:00 midnight, Eastern time, on

May 26, 1999. The original application that you submit to Headquarters

is considered the official application. Send a copy of your application

on or before the application deadline date to the HUD CPD Field

Office(s) in which you are seeking to provide services. Only one

application per applicant is permitted; however, one application can

include as few as one or as many as all five CD-TA programs. The

application kit contains the addresses and hours of operation for the

HUD CPD Field Offices.

See the General Section of this SuperNOFA for specific procedures

governing the form of application submission (e.g., mailed

applications, express mail, overnight delivery, or hand carried).

Addresses for Submitting Applications. Submit your completed

original application to HUD Headquarters, U.S. Department of Housing

and Urban Development, CPD Processing and Control Branch, Room 7251,

451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410. Send a copy of the

application to the appropriate CPD Field Office(s) at the address shown

on the list of HUD CPD Field Offices included in the application kit.

When submitting your application, please refer to the Community

Development Technical Assistance Program. Be sure to include your name,

mailing address (including zip code), telephone number (including area

code), and fax number (including area code).

For Application Kits. For an application kit and any supplemental

information, please call the SuperNOFA Information Center at 1-800-HUD-

8929. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may call the Center's

TTY number at 1-800-483-2209. When requesting an application kit,

please refer to ``Community Development Technical Assistance

Programs.'' Please be sure to provide your name, address (including zip

code), telephone number (including area code), and fax number

(including area code).

For Further Information and Technical Assistance. For answers to

your questions, you have several options. You may call the HUD CPD

Office serving your area at the telephone number listed in the list of

HUD CPD Field Offices included in the application kit, or you may

contact Ms. Deirdre Neighbors at 202-708-3176 x4386 in HUD

Headquarters. Information on this SuperNOFA also may be obtained

through the HUD web site on the Internet at http://www:HUD.gov.

II. Amount Allocated

(A) The amounts allocated for each CD-TA program are as follows:

CDBG TA funds:

Up to $2,500,000

CHDO TA funds:

Up to $9,000,000 Total

$3,600,000 Single State

$5,400,000 Multi-State

HOME TA funds:

Up to $8,000,000

SHP TA funds:

Up to $2,500,000

HOPWA TA funds:

Up to $2,250,000

(B) Each HUD/CPD Field Office has been allocated a ``fair-share''

of CD-TA funds for purposes of this competition, except for the HOPWA

TA funds which will be awarded only through a national competition (See

CD-TA Appendix A for the fair share allocations). The amounts are based

on workload allocations of HOME, CDBG and SHP entitlement funds and

competitive programs for which Field Offices have management oversight.

These amounts are only for guidance purposes for you to develop your

program budgets by Field Office jurisdiction and are not the exact

amounts to be awarded to you in each area.

[[Page 9636]]

HUD will determine the total amount to be awarded to any provider

based upon the size and needs of the provider's service area within

each Field Office jurisdiction in which the provider is selected to

operate, the funds available for that area, the number of other

awardees selected in that area, and the scope of the technical

assistance to be provided. Additionally, HUD may reduce the amount of

funds allocated for Field Office jurisdictions to fund national CD-TA

providers and other CD-TA providers for activities which cannot be

budgeted or estimated by Field Office jurisdiction. HUD may require

selected applicants, as a condition of funding, to provide coverage on

a geographically broader basis than applied for in order to supplement

or strengthen the intermediary network in terms of the location

(service area), types and scope of technical assistance proposed.

CDBG, HOME, CHDO and SH program areas, 40% of the funds in each of

these four program areas within a field office (or at the national

level) will be awarded to applicants who have not previously been

funded under a technical assistance competition. Therefore,

approximately $1 million will be awarded to new providers in CDBG; $3.2

million in HOME; $3.6 million in CHDO; and $1 million in SHP. With

respect to CHDO funds, 40% of the total funds (single state and multi-

state combined) are earmarked for new providers. If qualified new

applicants are not found in each program area in each Field Office and/

or at the national level, the remaining funds will be made available

for previously funded providers. The reverse also is true.

(D) To the extent permitted by funding constraints, HUD intends to

provide coverage for as full a range as possible, of eligible CD-TA

activities of each CD-TA program in each Field Office jurisdiction. To

achieve this objective, HUD will fund the highest ranking providers

that bring the required expertise in one or more specialized activity

areas, and fund portions of providers' proposed programs in which they

have the greatest skill and capability for given geographic areas or on

a national basis. HUD also may require national, multi-jurisdictional,

or other providers to provide coverage to Field Office jurisdictions

which cannot otherwise receive cost-effective support from a CD-TA

provider. In selecting applicants for funding, in addition to the

rating factors, HUD will apply program policy criteria identified in

Section V of this CD-TA Program section of SuperNOFA to select a range

of providers and activities that would best serve program objectives

for each program serviced by the CD-TA funded under this SuperNOFA.

III. Program Description; Program Award Period; Eligible

Applicants; Eligible and Ineligible Activities; and Sub-Grants/Pass

Through Funds

(A) Program Description. Up to $24.3 million in technical

assistance (TA) funds is available from five separate technical

assistance programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) TA,

Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) TA, HOME TA, SHP TA,

and HOPWA TA (collectively ``CD-TA'').

The funding of these five CD-TA programs through a single funding

availability announcement will not affect the ability of eligible

applicants to seek CD-TA funding. Eligible applicants are able to apply

for funding under as few as one, and as many as five, separate CD-TA

programs, individually or collectively, singularly or in combination.

The specific provisions of the five separate CD-TA programs have not

been changed. This Community Development Technical Assistance Programs

section of the SuperNOFA reflects the statutory requirements and

differences in the five different CD-TA programs.

(B) Program Award Period.

(1) Cooperative Agreements will be for a period of up to 36 months.

HUD, however, reserves the right to:

(a) Terminate awards in accordance with provisions contained in OMB

Circular A-102, and 24 CFR parts 84 and 85 anytime after 12 months;

(b) Withdraw funds from a specific provider, if HUD determines that

the urgency of need for the assistance is greater in other Field Office

jurisdictions or the need for assistance is not commensurate with the

award for assistance;

total of 12 additional months.

(2) In cases where an applicant selected for funding under this

program section of the SuperNOFA currently is providing CD technical

assistance under an existing CD-TA grant/cooperative agreement, HUD

reserves the right to adjust the start date of funding under this

program to coincide with the conclusion of the previous award, or to

incorporate the remaining activities from the previous award into the

new agreement, adjusting the funding levels as necessary.

(1) General. The eligible applicants for each of the five CD-TA

programs are listed in paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and (5) of this Section

(C). This paragraph (1) lists requirements applicable to all

applicants.

(a) Many organizations are eligible to apply for more than one CD-

TA program and are encouraged to do so to the extent they have the

requisite experience, expertise and capability.

(b) All applicant organizations must have demonstrated ability to

provide CD-TA in a geographic area larger than a single city or county

and must propose to serve an area larger than a single city or county.

organization funded to assist CHDOs under this CD-TA Program section of

the SuperNOFA may not act as a CHDO itself within its service area

while under award with HUD.

(d) A consortium of organizations may apply for one or more CD-TA

programs, but HUD will require that one organization be designated as

the legal applicant, where legally feasible. Where one organization

cannot be so designated for all proposed activities, HUD may execute

more than one cooperative agreement with the members of a consortium.

(e) All applicants must meet minimum statutory eligibility

requirements for each CD-TA program for which they are chosen in order

to be awarded a cooperative agreement. Copies of the Technical

Assistance program regulations will be provided with the application

kit.

(f) All eligible CD-TA providers may propose assistance using in-

house staff, consultants, sub-contractors and sub-recipients, networks

of private consultants and/or local organizations with requisite

experience and capabilities. Whenever possible, applicants should make

use of technical assistance providers located in the Field Office

jurisdiction receiving services. This draws upon local expertise and

persons familiar with the opportunities and resources available in the

area to be served while reducing travel and other costs associated with

delivering the proposed technical assistance services.

(g) All applicants must meet the applicable threshold requirements

of Section II(B) of the General Section of the SuperNOFA.

(2) CDBG and Supportive Housing Eligible Applicants.

(a) States and units of general local government.

(b) Public and private non-profit or for-profit groups, including

educational institutions and area-wide planning

[[Page 9637]]

organizations, qualified to provide technical assistance on CDBG

programs or Supportive Housing projects. With respect to the CDBG

program, an applicant group must be designated as a technical

assistance provider to a unit of government's CDBG program by the chief

executive officer of each unit to be assisted before assistance is

provided, unless the assistance is limited to conferences/workshops

attended by more than one unit of government. Do not include letters of

designation in your application since granting of an award does not

constitute approval of assistance to a given community and is provided

only through a Technical Assistance Delivery Plan (see Section IV(A)(3)

of this program section of the SuperNOFA).

(3) CHDO Eligible Applicants. Public and private non-profit

intermediary organizations that customarily provide services (in more

than one community) related to affordable housing or neighborhood

revitalization to CHDOs, or similar organizations that engage in

community revitalization, including all eligible organizations under

section 233 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act,

as amended.

HUD will consider an intermediary as a primarily single State

technical assistance provider if it can document that more than 50% of

its past activities in working with CHDOs or similar nonprofit and

other organizations (on the production of affordable housing or

revitalization of deteriorating neighborhoods and/or the delivery of

technical assistance to these groups) was confined to the geographic

limits of a single State.

(4) HOME Eligible Applicants.

(a) A for-profit or non-profit professional and technical services

company or firm that has demonstrated capacity to provide technical

assistance services;

(b) A HOME participating jurisdiction (PJ) or agency thereof;

official of a PJ and established pursuant to State or local

legislation;

(d) An agency or authority established by two or more PJs to carry

out activities consistent with the purposes of the HOME program;

(e) A national or regional non-profit organization that has

membership comprised predominantly of entities or officials of entities

of PJs or PJs' agencies or established organizations.

(5) HOPWA Eligible Applicants.

(a) Non-profit organizations; and

(b) States and units of general local government.

(D) Eligible and Ineligible Activities. Eligible and ineligible

activities as appropriate for each of the five CD-TA programs are

listed below:

(1) Community Development Block Grant Technical Assistance.

(a) Eligible Activities. Activities performed with CDBG funds must

meet the substantive nexus test contained in 24 CFR 570.402(a)(2) and

may include:

(i) The provision of technical or advisory services;

(ii) The design and operation of training projects such as

workshops, seminars, conferences, or computer-based training;

(iii) The development and distribution of technical materials and

information;

(iv) Other methods of demonstrating and making available skills,

information and knowledge to assist States, units of general local

government, in planning, developing, administering or assessing

assistance under CDBG programs in which they are participating or

seeking to participate.

(b) Ineligible Activities. Activities for which costs are

ineligible for funding under the Community Development Block Grant

Technical Assistance Program include:

(i) In the case of technical assistance for States, the cost of

carrying-out the administration of the State CDBG program for non-

entitlement communities;

(ii) The cost of carrying out the activities authorized under the

CDBG Program, such as the provision of public services, construction,

rehabilitation, planning and administration for which the technical

assistance is to be provided;

(iii) The cost of acquiring or developing the specialized skills or

knowledge to be provided by a group funded under this section;

(iv) Research activities;

(v) The cost of identifying units of governments needing assistance

(except the cost of selecting recipients of technical assistance under

the provision of 24 CFR 570.402(j) is eligible); or

(vi) Activities designed primarily to benefit HUD, or to assist

HUD, in carrying out the Department's responsibilities; such as

research, policy analysis of proposed legislation, training or travel

of HUD staff, or development and review of reports to Congress.

(2) CHDO Technical Assistance. CHDO Technical Assistance funds may

be used only for the following eligible activities:

(a) Organizational Support--Organizational support assistance may

be made available to community housing development organizations to

cover operational expenses and to cover expenses for training and

technical, legal, engineering and other assistance to the board of

directors, staff, and members of the community housing development

organization;

(b) Housing Education--Housing education assistance may be made

available to community housing development organizations to cover

expenses for providing or administering programs for educating,

counseling, organizing homeowners and tenants who are eligible to

receive assistance under other provisions of the HOME Program;

Technical assistance, training, and continuing support may be made

available to eligible community housing development organizations for

managing and conserving properties developed under the HOME Program;

(d) Benevolent Loan Funds--Technical assistance may be made

available to increase the investment of private capital in housing for

very low-income families, particularly by encouraging the establishment

of benevolent loan funds through which private financial institutions

will accept deposits at below-market interest rates and make those

funds available at favorable rates to developers of low-income housing

and to low-income homebuyers;

(e) Community Development Banks and Credit Unions--Technical

assistance may be made available to establish privately owned, local

community development banks and credit unions to finance affordable

housing;

(f) Community Land Trusts--Organizational support, technical

assistance, education, training and continuing support under this

subsection may be made available to community land trusts (as such term

is defined in section 233(f) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National

Affordable Housing Act) and to community groups for the establishment

of community land trusts; and

(g) Facilitating Women in Homebuilding Professions--Technical

assistance may be made available to businesses, unions, and

organizations involved in construction and rehabilitation of housing in

low-and moderate-income areas to assist women residing in the area to

obtain jobs involving such activities, which may include facilitating

access by helping such women develop nontraditional skills, recruiting

women to participate in such programs, providing continuing support for

women at job sites,

[[Page 9638]]

counseling and educating businesses regarding suitable work

environments for women, providing information to such women regarding

opportunities for establishing small housing construction and

rehabilitation businesses, and providing materials and tools for

training such women (in an amount not exceeding 10% of any assistance

provided under this paragraph). HUD shall give priority under this

paragraph to providing technical assistance for organizations

rehabilitating single family or multifamily housing owned or controlled

by HUD pursuant to title II of the National Housing Act and which have

women members in occupations in which women constitute 25% or less of

the total number of workers in the occupation (in this section referred

to as ``nontraditional occupations'').

(3) HOME Technical Assistance Program. HUD will provide assistance

to:

(a) Facilitate the exchange of information that would help

participating jurisdictions carry out the purposes of the HOME statute,

including information on program design and accessibility, housing

finance, land use controls, and building construction techniques;

(b) Improve the ability of States and units of local government to

design and implement housing strategies, particularly those States and

units of local government that are relatively inexperienced in the

development of affordable housing;

income housing to participate in public-private partnerships to achieve

the purposes of the HOME statute;

(d) Improve the ability of States and units of local government,

community housing development organizations, private lenders, and for-

profit developers of low-income housing to incorporate energy

efficiency into the planning, design, financing, construction and

operation of affordable housing;

(e) Facilitate the establishment and efficient operation of

employer-assisted housing programs, through research, technical

assistance, and demonstration projects; and

(f) Facilitate the establishment and efficient operation of land

bank programs, under which title to vacant and abandoned parcels of

real estate located in or causing blighted neighborhoods is cleared for

use consistent with the purposes of the HOME statute.

(4) Supportive Housing Program Technical Assistance. Funds are

available to provide technical assistance to HUD funded Supportive

Housing projects. Funds may be used to provide technical assistance to

prospective applicants, applicants, recipients or other providers

(project sponsors) of Supportive Housing or SHP-funded services for

homeless persons. The assistance may include, but is not limited to,

written information such as papers, manuals, guides and brochures;

person-to-person exchanges; on-site assessments and provision of

technical expertise; and training and related costs.

(5) HOPWA Technical Assistance.

For the purposes of this program section of the SuperNOFA, HOPWA

technical assistance shall mean the transfer to HOPWA grantees and

project sponsors and potential recipients of program funds, the skills

and knowledge needed to develop, operate and support HOPWA-eligible

projects and activities.

An applicant for HOPWA TA funds must propose activities on a

national or regional basis (e.g. serving a multi-state area). The

application should emphasize how activities will advise and train

communities and project sponsors in undertaking program planning,

community consultations, housing development and operations,

coordination with related health-care and other supportive services,

and evaluation and reporting on program performance. The Department has

established the following four national goals for HOPWA TA projects:

(a) Comprehensive Strategies for HIV/AIDS Housing. HOPWA TA funds

can be used to advise and train communities in: undertaking community-

based needs assessments of the housing needs of persons living with

HIV/AIDS and their families; drafting comprehensive multiple-year HIV/

AIDS housing plans; undertaking community-wide consultations, including

consulting with potential clients, providers of HIV/AIDS housing and/or

services, and local, State and Federal agencies that administer HIV/

AIDS-related programs, including programs funded under the Ryan White

CARE Act, and programs that address serious mental illness, chronic

alcohol and other drug abuse issues, and homelessness; integrating HIV/

AIDS housing efforts within the area's consolidated planning processes:

and collaborating with the area's Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance

processes in assisting persons with HIV/AIDS who are homeless.

Technical assistance also may be used to train communities in how to

best target assistance to traditionally underserved subpopulations in

developing community-based needs assessments and may build capacity for

State-wide, metropolitan, non-metropolitan and/or rural areas in

development of area multi-year HIV and AIDS housing plans. You also

could provide technical assistance to HOPWA formula grantees that are

new recipients of formula allocations or that are designated by HUD as

prospective recipients in future allocations to promote the planning

and startup for the use of funds.

(b) Sound Management of HOPWA Programs. HOPWA TA funds can be used

to help ensure that grantees and project sponsors use funds in a manner

that upholds the public trust in the operation of programs, including:

advising on management practices to provide responsive, efficient and

cost effective facility and program operations; advising on fiscal

management to ensure accountability in the use of funds; advising on

the coordination of housing with health-care and other related

supportive services for eligible persons; assisting in developing

collaborations with local, State and Federal agencies that administer

HIV/AIDS-related programs, including programs funded under the Ryan

White CARE Act; advising on data collection and evaluation of programs;

providing program handbooks, guidance materials, audio/visual products,

training, and other activities to promote good management practices.

used to assist grantees, project sponsors and other organizations

involved in HIV/AIDS plans in using the Department's information

technology, financial systems and information management systems for

developing, operating and reporting on program activities. Applications

should address how TA activities will support the use of the

Department's Consolidated Planning Process, Integrated Disbursement and

Information System (IDIS), the use of HOPWA Annual Progress Reports,

the Grants Management System, the LOCCS/HUDCAPS and other HUD

information collection or financial management tools. The use of these

management tools will help to ensure that your performance is measured

under the HOPWA national performance goals, established in the

Department's Annual Performance Plan. You should address plans for

conducting grantee and sponsor workshops, developing training

materials, developing or adapting software for program activities and

goals, and sponsoring conferences of grantees and sponsors.

(d) National HOPWA Information. HOPWA TA funds may be used to

[[Page 9639]]

establish a component to support HIV/AIDS housing discussions, panels,

presentations, information, exhibit booths, and other training

materials at national, regional, state-wide and local meetings of

organizations that are involved in housing, community development,

health-care and supportive services, veterans affairs and other human

service efforts. The component should help promote understanding on

HIV/AIDS housing issues and needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS, and

offer training on developing and accessing HIV/AIDS housing and related

services. A research and information services component of this effort

should include the development of information on HIV/AIDS housing and

activities supported under HOPWA grants which will be published for

national distribution, including disseminating information on the

success and lessons learned by the HOPWA Special Projects of National

Significance and Long-term grants in non-formula areas that have been

awarded in the HOPWA national competitions. This component should

emphasize the collection and dissemination of information on the ``best

practices'' of HUD grantees that should serve as a basis for peer

support, technical assistance, and program improvement or address

emerging and unresolved issues in assisting persons living with HIV/

AIDS and their families.

(E) Sub-Grants/Pass-Through Funds. Applicants may propose to make

sub-grants to achieve the purposes of their proposed CA-TA programs in

accordance with program requirements in Section IV of this CD-TA

Program section of the SuperNOFA. In the case of CHDO TA, these sub-

grants (also called ``pass-through'' funds) may be made for eligible

activities and to eligible entities as identified in Section 233(b)(1),

(2), and (7) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act.

When CHDO TA sub-grants are made to CHDOs, two statutory provisions

apply:

(1) The sub-grant amount, when combined with other capacity

building and operating support available through the HOME program,

cannot exceed the greater of 50% of the CHDO's operating budget for the

year in which it receives the funds, or $50,000 annually;

(2) An amount not exceeding 10% of the total funds awarded for the

``Women in the Homebuilding Professions'' eligible activity may be used

to provide materials and tools for training such women.

IV. Program Requirements

In addition to the program requirements listed in the General

Section of this SuperNOFA, applicants are subject to the following

requirements:

(A) Program Requirements for CDBG, CHDO, HOME and SHP

(1) Profit/Fee. No increment above cost, no fee or profit, may be

paid to any recipient or subrecipient of an award under this CD-TA

Program section of the SuperNOFA.

(2) Demand/Response Delivery System.

(a) As an awardee, you must operate within the structure of the

demand/response system described in this section. You must coordinate

your plans with, and operate under the direction of, each HUD Field

Office within whose jurisdiction you are operating. When so directed by

a Field Office, you will coordinate your activities instead through a

lead CD-TA provider or other organization designated by the Field

Office.

(b) If selected as the lead CD-TA provider in any Field Office

jurisdiction, as an awardee you must coordinate the activities of other

CD-TA providers selected under this CD-TA Program section of the

SuperNOFA under the direction of the HUD Field Office. Joint activities

by CD-TA providers may be required.

required to:

(i) When requested by a Field Office or Government Technical

Representative (GTR), market the availability of their services to

existing and potential clients to include local jurisdictions in which

the assistance will be delivered.

(ii) Respond to requests for assistance from the HUD Field

Office(s) with oversight of the geographic service area for which the

technical assistance will be delivered, including responding to

priorities established by the Field Office in its Grants Management

System. CHDOs, HOME PJs, CDBG and SHP grantees may request assistance

from the CD-TA provider directly, but such requests must be approved by

the local HUD Field Office.

(iii) When requested by a Field Office or GTR, conduct a Needs

Assessment to identify the type and nature of the assistance needed by

the recipients of the assistance. These needs assessments should

typically identify the nature of the problem to be addressed by the

technical assistance services; the plan of action to address the need

including the type of technical assistance services to be provided, the

duration of the service, the staff assigned to provide the assistance,

anticipated products and/or outcomes, and the estimated cost for the

provision of services; and the relationship of the proposed services to

the planned or expected Consolidated Plan submission to HUD and to

other technical assistance providers providing service within the

locality.

(iv) Obtain approval for the Technical Assistance Delivery Plan

(TADP) from the HUD Field Office(s) with oversight for the area in

which service will be provided. (See Section 3 below).

(v) Work cooperatively with other CD-TA providers in their

geographic areas to ensure that clients are provided with the full

range of CD-TA services needed and available. CD-TA providers are

expected to be knowledgeable about the range of services available from

other providers, make referrals and arrange visits by other CD-TA

providers when appropriate, and carry out CD-TA activities concurrently

when it is cost-effective and in the interests of the client to do so.

HUD Field Offices may direct CD-TA providers to conduct joint

activities.

(3) Technical Assistance Delivery Plan (TADP).

(a) After selection for funding but prior to award, you must

develop a TADP for each Field Office jurisdiction or National Program

for which you have been selected, in consultation with the Field office

and/or GTR.

(b) In developing the TADP, you must follow the Field Office's

Business Operating Plan (BOP) and management strategies/workplans for

each community/State in the Field Office's jurisdiction. You must use

these BOP/management strategies/workplans in determining your priority

work activities, location of activities, and organizations to be

assisted during the cooperative agreement performance period.

Field Office's Grants Management Process (GMP) and should indicate the

issues to be addressed by CD-TA, the improved performance expected as a

result of CD-TA, and methods for measuring the success of the CD-TA.

(d) The TADP must delineate all the tasks and sub-tasks for each CD

program the applicant will undertake in each Field Office jurisdiction.

It must show the location of the community/State in which the CD-TA

activities will occur, the level of CD-TA funding and proposed

activities by location, the improved program performance or other

results expected from the CD-TA and

[[Page 9640]]

the methodology to be used for measuring the success of the CD-TA. A

time schedule for delivery of the activities, budget-by-task and

staffing plan must be included in the TADP.

(4) Negotiation. After all applications have been rated and ranked

and a selection has been made, HUD requires that all winners

participate in negotiations to determine the specific terms of the TADP

and the budget. HUD will follow the negotiation procedures described in

Section III(D) of the General Section of the SuperNOFA.

(5) Forms, Certifications and Assurances. You must submit with your

application the forms, certifications and assurances listed in the

General Section of this SuperNOFA. After selection for funding but

prior to your providing services to a specific community you must

submit the CDBG Nexus Statement (where applicable) and/or the CHDO TA

designation letter (where applicable).

(6) Financial Management and Audit Information. After selection for

funding but prior to award, you must submit a certification from an

Independent Public Accountant or the cognizant government auditor,

stating that your financial management system meets prescribed

standards for fund control and accountability required by 24 CFR part

84 for Institutions of Higher Education and other Non-Profit

Institutions, 24 CFR part 85 for States and local governments, or the

Federal Acquisition Regulations (for all other applicants). The

information should include the name and telephone number of the

independent auditor, cognizant Federal auditor, or other audit agency

as applicable.

(7) Designation for CDBG/CHDO Technical Assistance Providers. CDBG

TA providers will be expected to obtain designation as technical

assistance providers by the chief executive officers of each community

within which they are working as required by 24 CFR 570.402(c)(2). CHDO

TA providers will be responsible for securing a technical assistance

designation letter from a PJ stating that a CHDO or prospective CHDO to

be assisted by the provider is a recipient or intended recipient of

HOME funds and indicating, at its option, subject areas of assistance

that are most important to the PJ.

(8) Training Sessions. When conducting training sessions as part of

its CD-TA activities, CD-TA providers are required to:

(a) Design the course materials as ``step-in'' packages (also

called ``train-the trainer'' packages) so that a Field Office or other

CD-TA provider may separately give the course on its own;

(b) Arrange for joint delivery of the training with Field Office

participation when so requested by the Field Office or by the GTR for

national grants; and

professional videotaping of the workshops/courses and ensure their

production in a professional and high-quality manner, suitable for

viewing by other CD clients (if this requirement is implemented,

additional funds may be requested).

(d) When required by HUD, deliver HUD-approved training courses

that have been designed and developed by other HUD contractors or HUD

cooperating parties on a ``step-in'' basis for CD-TA clients, and send

trainers to HUD-approved Train-the Trainer sessions.

(9) Reports to Field Offices and/or GTRs. CD-TA providers will be

required to report to the HUD Field Office(s) with oversight of the

geographic area(s) in which CD-TA services are provided or to

Headquarters GTRs in the case of national providers. At a minimum, this

reporting will be on a quarterly basis unless otherwise specified in

the approved TADP.

(10) Active Participation. HUD Field Offices will be active

participants in the delivery of all technical assistance by funded

providers throughout the term of the cooperative agreement.

(11) CHDO Pass-Through Funds. CD-TA providers proposing pass-

through grants are required to:

(a) Establish written criteria for selection of CHDOs receiving

pass-through funds which includes the following:

(i) Participating jurisdictions (PJs) must designate the

organizations as CHDOs.

(ii) Generally, the organizations should not have been in existence

more than 3 years.

(b) Enter into an agreement with the CHDO that the agreement and

pass-through funding may be terminated at the discretion of the

Department if no written legally binding agreement to provide

assistance for a specific housing project (for acquisition,

rehabilitation, new construction or tenant-based rental assistance) has

been made by the PJ with the CHDO within 24 months of receiving the

pass-through funding.

(12) CHDO TA Program Limitations. Pursuant to section 233(d)(1) and

(2) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, funding

to any single eligible nonprofit intermediary organization seeking to

provide CHDO TA, whether as an independent or joint applicant, is

limited to the lesser of 20% of all funds, or an amount not to exceed

20% of the organization's operating budget for any one year (not

including funds sub-awarded or passed through the intermediary to

CHDOs). Pursuant to section 233(e), HUD is making available through

this program section of the SuperNOFA 40% of the total CHDO TA funds to

single state providers within the Field Offices. If there are no single

state applicants or the qualified single state applicants utilize less

than the 40% set-aside in a given Field Office, that Field Office's

single state CHDO set-aside will be redistributed among the qualified

multi-state providers in that Field Office. Field Offices also may

utilize their multi-state set-aside for single state applicants if the

reverse is true.

(13) HOME TA Program Limitations. Pursuant to section 243(b) of the

Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, funding to any

single eligible HOME TA organization, whether as an independent or

joint applicant, is limited to not more than 20% of the operating

budget of the recipient organization in any one year and is limited to

20% of the funds available under this program section of the SuperNOFA.

(14) Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. Section II(D) of the

General Section of the SuperNOFA does not apply to these technical

assistance programs.

(B) Program Requirements for HOPWA Technical Assistance

(1) General Requirements. The items listed below specify the

requirements that apply to the HOPWA TA applications as follows: in

Section (A), Paragraphs: (1) on Profit/Fee; (4) Negotiation, except

that the TADP reference will apply to a workplan negotiated between the

applicant and the GTR for the HOPWA TA grant in HUD Headquarters; (5)

Forms, Certifications and Assurances; (6) Financial Management and

Audit Information; (8) Training Sessions; (9) Reports to Field Offices

and/or GTRs, except that you must report to the HOPWA Headquarters GTR,

at a minimum, on a quarterly basis, unless otherwise specified in an

approved HOPWA TA workplan; and the HOPWA TA grantees must also report

to the GTR in the Headquarters program office by September 30, 1999 for

activities carried out in Fiscal Year 1999; and (14) Affirmatively

Furthering Fair Housing.

(2) Coordination of HOPWA TA Requests. Except for national

meetings, research, information and other activities that are conducted

on a program-wide basis in cooperation with HUD Headquarters, as the

grantee of HOPWA TA funds, you must work

[[Page 9641]]

cooperatively with HUD Field Offices. You must notify the applicable

HUD Field Office of the planned activities; must consider the views or

recommendations of that office, if any; must follow those

recommendations, to the degree practicable; and must report to the

applicable Field Office on the accomplishments of this assistance.

V. Application Selection Process

(A) Rating and Ranking.

(1) HUD will evaluate applications competitively and rank them

against all other applicants that have applied for the same CD-TA

program (CDBG, HOME, SHP) within each Field Office or as a National

Provider under HOPWA. CHDO applications are similarly evaluated and

ranked but are separated into two sub-groups--single State providers

and multi-State providers. There will be separate rankings for each CD-

TA program, and you will be ranked only against others that have

applied for the same CD-TA program.

(2) Once scores are assigned, all applications will be listed in

rank order for each CD-TA program for which they applied by Field

Office jurisdiction and/or the HOPWA National Program. In each Field

Office jurisdiction or National Program area, all applications for the

CDBG TA program will be listed in rank order on one list, all

applications for the HOME TA program will be listed in rank order on

another list, all applications for the SHP TA program will be listed in

rank order on another list, and all applications for the HOPWA TA

national projects will be ranked separately on another list. All

applications for the CHDO TA program will be ranked separately on

either the single state provider list or the multi-state provider list.

Under this system, a single application from one organization for all

CD-TA programs could be assigned different scores and different

rankings for each program in different Field Offices.

(3) Applications will be funded in rank order for each CD-TA

program by Field Office jurisdiction, except for HOPWA TA national

providers and others which cannot be ranked by Field Office

jurisdiction. National providers and others will be ranked separately

and funded in rank order for each CD-TA program. Irrespective of final

scores, HUD may apply program policy criteria to select one applicant

in each of the four (CDBG, CHDO, HOME and SHP) CD-TA programs in each

Field Office, to ensure diversity of methods, approaches, or kinds of

projects. HUD will apply these program policy criteria to provide

coverage of CD-TA services for minorities; women, particularly women in

the homebuilding professions under section 233(b)(7) of the Cranston-

Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act; persons with disabilities;

homeless; persons with special needs; and rural areas.

(4) In addition to the authority in the General Section to adjust

funding, HUD reserves the right to adjust funding levels for each

applicant for each CD-TA program, as follows:

(a) Award additional funds to organizations designated as lead CD-

TA providers as discussed in Section IV(A)(2)(b) of this CD-TA Program

section of the SuperNOFA;

(b) Adjust funding levels for any provider based upon the size and

needs of the provider's service area within each Field Office

jurisdiction in which the provider is selected to operate, the funds

available for that area, the number of other awardees selected in that

area, funds available on a national basis for providers that will be

operating nationally, or the scope of the technical assistance to be

provided;

for funding if HUD requests them to offer coverage to geographic areas

for which they did not apply or budget, or if HUD receives an

insufficient amount of applications.

(5) If funds remain after all selections have been made, remaining

funds may be:

(a) Distributed among all HUD Field Offices (in proportion to their

fair-share awards) and/or the National Program, or

(b) Made available for other CD-TA program competitions.

(6) If you apply for HOPWA TA funds, you must propose activities

that will be carried out on a national or regional basis. With respect

to the HOPWA TA program, the amount of funds you request may be

adjusted by HUD to ensure that at least $300,000 of the TA funds will

be designated for each of the following four HOPWA TA goals:

(a) Comprehensive Strategies for HIV/AIDS Housing;

(b) Sound Management of HOPWA Programs;

(d) National HOPWA Information.

If the highest rated application fails to adequately address one or

more of the HOPWA TA goals, HUD reserves the right after selecting the

highest rated application, to also provide funds to address the goal(s)

that is not addressed by: selecting an application that does address

this goal(s) in the rank order of all applications that address this

goal(s); or, if no application is found to adequately address this

goal(s), by modifying the proposed program of the selected

application(s) to address this goal(s). To ensure that activities are

carried out on a national basis, HUD may also modify the service area

of a selected application, if practicable.

(B) Factors for Award Used to Evaluate and Rate Applications. The

factors and maximum points for each factor are provided below. The

maximum number of points to be awarded for a CD-TA application is 100.

The minimum score for an applicant to be considered in funding range is

55, with a minimum of 11 points in Factor 1 and 9 points in Subfactor 2

of Factor 3. The CD-TA program is not an eligible program for the EZ/EC

bonus points, as described in Section III(C)(1) of the General Section

of the SuperNOFA.

Rating of the ``applicant'' or the ``applicant's organization and

staff'', unless otherwise specified, will include any sub-contractors,

consultants, sub-recipients, and members of consortia which are firmly

committed to the project.

When addressing the Factors for Award, the applicant should discuss

the specific TA projects, activities, tasks, etc. that it suggests be

carried out during the term of the cooperative agreement. See Sections

IV(A)(2) and (3) for a discussion of the extent to which such

activities may be revised at or after the time of award.

Rating Factor 1: Capacity of the Applicant and Relevant Organizational

Experience (20 Points) (Minimum for Funding Eligibility--11 Points)

In rating this factor, HUD will consider the extent to which the

application demonstrates in relation to CD-TA program funding that is

requested:

(1) (10 points) Recent, relevant and successful experience of your

organization and staff in providing technical assistance in all

eligible activities and to all eligible entities for the CD-TA

program(s) applied for, as described in the regulations;

(2) (5 points) The relevant experience and competence of your key

personnel in managing complex, multi-faceted or multi-disciplinary

programs that require coordination with other CD-TA entities or

multiple, diverse units in an organization;

(3) (5 points) You have sufficient personnel or access to qualified

experts or professionals to deliver the proposed level of technical

assistance in each proposed service area in a timely and effective

fashion.

[[Page 9642]]

Rating Factor 2: Potential Effectiveness of the Application in Meeting

Needs of Target Groups/Localities and Accomplishing Project Objectives

for Each CD-TA Program for Which Funds Are Requested (20 Points)

In rating this factor, HUD will consider the extent to which your

application:

(1) (10 points) Identifies high priority needs and issues for the

CD program in each community or Field Office jurisdiction for which CD-

TA funding is requested, or on a national or regional basis for

national HOPWA grants;

(2) (5 points) Outlines a clear and cost-effective plan of

suggested TA activities for addressing those needs and aiding a broad

diversity of eligible grantees and/or beneficiaries, including those

which traditionally have been under-served; and

(3) (5 points) Identifies creative activities to assist eligible

grantees in participating in the development of, and improving, local

Consolidated Plans and comprehensive strategies.

Rating Factor 3: Soundness of Approach (40 Points)

In rating this factor, HUD will consider the extent to which your

application evidences a sound approach in addressing identified needs

and:

(1) (15 points) Provides a cost effective plan for designing,

organizing, and carrying out the suggested technical assistance

activities within the framework of the Demand/Response System or, for

HOPWA TA applicants, in addressing the four HOPWA TA goals on a

national or regional basis.

(2) (15 points) (Minimum for Funding Eligibility--9 points)

Demonstrates an effective outreach and assistance program to previously

underserved disadvantaged communities and/or organizations with the

potential to participate in CPD programs.

(3) (5 points) Provides for full geographic coverage, including

urban and rural areas, (directly or through a consortium of providers)

of a single State or Field Office jurisdiction or is targeted to

address the needs of rural areas, minority groups or other under-served

groups, or for HOPWA TA applicants, addresses national or regional

approaches;

(4) (5 points) Proposes a feasible, creative plan, which uses state

of the art or new promising technology, to transfer models and lessons

learned in each of its CD-TA program's activities to grantees and/or

program beneficiaries in other CD-TA programs.

Rating Factor 4: Leveraging Resources (10 Points)

This factor addresses your ability to secure community resources

(note: financing is a community resource) which can be combined with

HUD's program resources to achieve program purposes. In evaluating this

factor HUD will consider:

The extent to which you have partnered with other entities to

secure additional resources to increase the effectiveness of the

proposed program activities. Resources may include funding or in-kind

contributions, such as services or equipment, allocated to the

purpose(s) of the award you are seeking. Resources may be provided by

governmental entities, public or private nonprofit organizations, for-

profit private organizations, or other entities willing to partner with

the applicant. You also may partner with other program funding

recipients to coordinate the use of resources in the target area.

You must provide evidence of leveraging/partnerships by including

in the application letters of firm commitments, memoranda of

understanding, or agreements to participate from those entities

identified as partners in the application. Each letter of commitment,

memorandum of understanding, or agreement to participate should include

the organization's name, proposed level of commitment and

responsibilities as they relate to the proposed program. The commitment

must also be signed by an official of the organization legally able to

make commitments on behalf of the organization.

Rating Factor 5: Comprehensiveness and Coordination (10 Points)

This factor addresses the extent to which the applicant coordinated

its activities with other known organizations, participates or promotes

participation in a community's Consolidated Planning process and

Continuum of Care homeless assistance strategy, and is working towards

addressing a need in a holistic and comprehensive manner through

linkages with other activities in the community.

In evaluating this factor, HUD will consider the extent to which

you demonstrates you have:

(1) Coordinated your proposed activities with those of other groups

or organizations prior to submission in order to best complement,

support and coordinate all known activities and if funded, the specific

steps it will take to share information on solutions and outcomes with

others. Describe any written agreements, memoranda of understanding in

place, or that will be in place after award.

(2) Taken or will take specific steps to work with recipients of

technical assistance services become active in the community's

Consolidated Planning process (including the Analysis of Impediments to

Fair Housing Choice) established to identify and address a need/problem

that is related to the activities the applicant proposes.

(3) Taken or will take specific steps to develop linkages to

coordinate comprehensive solutions through meetings, information

networks, planning processes or other mechanisms with:

(a) Other HUD-funded projects/activities outside the scope of those

covered by the Consolidated Plan; and

(b) Other Federal, State or locally funded activities, including

those proposed or on-going in the community.

VI. Application Submission Requirements

In addition to the forms, certifications and assurances listed in

Section II(G) of the General Section of the SuperNOFA, your application

must, at a minimum, contain the following items, (except that the

following paragraphs (C), (D), (E), (F), (G) and (H) do not apply to

HOPWA TA applicants):

(A) Transmittal Letter which identifies the SuperNOFA, the CD-TA

programs for which funds are requested and the dollar amount requested

for each program, and the applicant or applicants submitting the

application. If your organization has never received a HUD technical

assistance award, please include a statement to this effect in the

transmittal letter.

(B) Narrative statement addressing the Factors for Award described

in Section V(B) of this CD-TA Program section of this SuperNOFA. You

should number the narrative response in accordance with each factor for

award. This narrative statement will be the basis for evaluating your

application. It should include a plan of suggested TA activities as

described in Factors 2, 3, and elsewhere. These suggested TA activities

may form a starting point for negotiating the TADP described in Section

IV(A)(3) of this CD-TA Program section of the SuperNOFA. However, they

are used primarily for purposes of rating and evaluation and may be

substantially altered and revised during negotiations with the Field

Offices on the content of the TADPs (see Section IV(A)(3) or

Headquarters program office for national projects.

[[Page 9643]]

which you propose to offer services. If you will not offer services

throughout the full jurisdictional area of the Field Office, your

statement should identify the service areas involved (e.g., States,

counties, etc.), as well as the communities in which you propose to

offer services.

(D) A matrix that summarizes the amount of funds you are requesting

for each CD-TA program in each Field Office jurisdiction. (See CD-TA

Appendix B for a copy of the matrix to be submitted.)

(E) A statement as to whether you propose to use pass-through funds

for CHDOs under the CHDO TA program, and, if so, the amount and

proposed uses of such funds.

(F) If applying for the CHDO TA program, a certification as to

whether you qualify as a primarily single-State provider under section

233(e) of the Cranston-Gonzalez Affordable Housing Act and as discussed

in Section III(C)(3) of the CD-TA Program section of this SuperNOFA.

(G) A statement as to whether you propose to be considered for the

role of lead CD-TA provider in one or more specific program areas in a

Field Office jurisdiction, and if so, your organization's capabilities

and attributes that qualify you for the role.

(H) Budget identifying costs for implementing the plan of suggested

TA activities by cost category for each CD-TA program for which funds

are requested by Field Office or as a National Provider (in accordance

with the following):

(1) Direct Labor by position or individual, indicating the

estimated hours per position, the rate per hour, estimated cost per

staff position and the total estimated direct labor costs;

(2) Fringe Benefits by staff position identifying the rate, the

salary base the rate was computed on, estimated cost per position, and

the total estimated fringe benefit cost;

(3) Material Costs indicating the item, quantity, unit cost per

item, , estimated cost per item, and the total estimated material

costs;

(4) Transportation Costs, as applicable.

(5) Equipment charges, if any. Equipment charges should identify

the type of equipment, quantity, unit costs and total estimated

equipment costs;

(6) Consultant Costs, if applicable. Indicate the type, estimated

number of consultant days, rate per day, total estimated consultant

costs per consultant and total estimated costs for all consultants;

(7) Subcontract Costs, if applicable. Indicate each individual

subcontract and amount;

(8) Other Direct Costs listed by item, quantity, unit cost, total

for each item listed, and total other direct costs for the award;

(9) Indirect Costs should identify the type, approved indirect cost

rate, base to which the rate applies and total indirect costs.

These line items should total the amount requested for each CD-TA

program area. The grand total of all CD-TA program funds requested

should reflect the grand total of all funds for which application is

made.

VII. Corrections to Deficient Applications

The General Section of the SuperNOFA provides the procedures for

corrections to deficient applications.

VIII. Environmental Requirements

In accordance with 24 CFR 50.19(b)(9) and 58.34(a)(9), the

assistance provided by these programs relates only to the provision of

technical assistance and is categorically excluded from the

requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and not subject

to environmental review under the related laws and authorities. This

determination is based on the ineligibility of real property

acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, conversion, leasing or

repair for HUD assistance under these technical assistance programs.

IX. Authority

CDBG Technical Assistance. The Community Development Block Grant

Technical Assistance Program is authorized under Title I of the Housing

and Community Development Act of 1974, (42 U.S.C. 5301-5320; 24 CFR

570.402).

CHDO Technical Assistance. The CHDO Technical Assistance Program is

authorized by the HOME Investment Partnerships Act (42 U.S.C. 12773);

24 CFR part 92.

HOME Technical Assistance. The HOME Technical Assistance Program is

authorized by the HOME Investment Partnerships Act (42 U.S.C. 12781-

12783); 24 CFR part 92.

SHP Technical Assistance. The Supportive Housing Program is

authorized under 42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.; 24 CFR 583.140.

HOPWA Technical Assistance. The HOPWA Technical Assistance program

is authorized under the Department's FY 1999 appropriation act. The

HOPWA program is authorized under the AIDS Housing Opportunities Act

(42 U.S.C. 12901) and the HOPWA regulations are found at 24 CFR part

574.

BILLING CODE 4210-32-P

[[Page 9644]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.015

[[Page 9645]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.016

[[Page 9646]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.017

[[Page 9647]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.018

[[Page 9648]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.019

[[Page 9649]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.020

Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 38 / Friday, February 26, 1999 /

Notices

[[Page 9651]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26FE99.021

BILLING CODE 4210-32-C

Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 38 / Friday, February 26, 1999 /

Notices

[[Page 9653]]

Funding Availability for the Community Outreach Partnership Centers

Program Program Overview

Purpose of the Program. To provide funds to community colleges,

four-year colleges, and universities to establish and operate Community

Outreach Partnership Centers (COPCs) to address the problems of urban

areas.

Available Funds. Approximately $7.5 million.

Eligible Applicants. Public and private profit and nonprofit

institutions of higher education granting two- or four-year degrees and

accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by

the U.S. Department of Education.

Application Deadline. June 9, 1999.

Match. 50% of the total costs of establishing and operating

research activities and 25% of the total costs of establishing and

operating outreach activities.

Additional Information:

If you are interested in applying for funding under this program,

please review carefully the General Section of this SuperNOFA and the

following additional information.

I. Application Due Date, Application Kits, Further Information, and

Technical Assistance

Application Due Date. Your completed application is due on or

before 12:00 midnight, Eastern time on June 9, 1999, at HUD

Headquarters. See the General Section of this SuperNOFA for specific

procedures governing the form of application submission (e.g., mailed

applications, express mail, overnight delivery, or hand carried).

Address for Submitting Applications. Submit your completed

application (one original and two copies) to: Processing and Control

Branch, Office of Community Planning and Development, U.S. Department

of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 7251,

Washington, DC 20410. When submitting your application, please refer to

COPC and include your name, mailing address (including zip code) and

telephone number (including area code).

For Application Kits. For an application kit and supplemental

information you should call the SuperNOFA Information Center at 1-800-

HUD-8929. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may call the

Center's TTY number at 1-800-483-2209. When requesting an application

kit, you should refer to COPC and provide your name, address (including

zip code), and telephone number (including area code). You may also

download the application kit on the Internet through the HUD web site

at http://www.hud.gov.

For Further Information. For answers to your questions, you have

several options. You may contact Jane Karadbil of HUD's Office of

University Partnerships at (202) 708-1537, ext. 5918. If you have a

speech or hearing impairment, you may call HUD's TTY number (202) 708-

0770, or 1-800-877-8399 (the Federal Information Relay Service TTY).

Other than the ``800'' number, these numbers are not toll-free. You may

also reach Ms. Karadbil via the Internet at Jane__R.__K[email protected].

For Technical Assistance. HUD will hold an information broadcast

via satellite for potential applicants to learn more about the program

and preparation of an application. For more information about the date

and time of this broadcast, you should consult the HUD web site at the

web address listed above.

II. Amount Allocated

Up to $7.5 million to fund grants under the program. This year, HUD

will award two kinds of grants--(A) New Grants to applicants who have

never received a COPC grant before to undertake eligible work and (B)

New Directions Grants to fund previous COPC recipients (as identified

in III.(B) below) to undertake new directions in their activities.

Institutionalization Grants will not be funded under this funding

announcement for COPC. HUD will use up to $6.6 million to fund New

Grants and up to $900,000 to fund New Directions Grants.

III. Program Description; Eligible Applicants; Eligible Activities

(A) Program Description. The purpose of this COPC Program is to

assist in establishing or carrying out outreach and applied research

activities addressing the problems of urban areas. Funding under this

program is used to establish and operate local Community Outreach

Partnership Centers (COPC).

The five key concepts that your COPC Program should include are:

(1) You should provide outreach, technical assistance, applied

research, and empowerment to neighborhoods and neighborhood-based

organizations based on what the residents decide is needed, not based

on what the institution thinks is appropriate for that neighborhood;

(2) Community-based organizations should be your partners

throughout the life of the project, from planning to implementation;

(3) Your applied research should be related to the outreach

activities and be used to influence your activities within the grant

period or shortly after it ends. HUD will not fund research without

practical application;

(4) The assistance you provide should be primarily by faculty,

students, or to a limited extent, by neighborhood residents or

community-based organizations funded by the university; and

(5) Your program should be part of your institution's broader

effort to meet its urban mission, and be supported by senior officials,

rather than just the work of a few faculty members. Your proposed

activities should not duplicate those of other entities in the

community and should be appropriate for an institution of higher

education to undertake in light of its teaching and research missions.

(B) Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants for both New Grants

and New Directions Grants are public or private nonprofit institutions

of higher education granting two- or four-year degrees and accredited

by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S.

Department of Education. For New Grants, only applicants that have

never previously received a New Grant or an Institutionalization Grant

are eligible. For New Directions Grants, only COPC grantees who

received grants in Fiscal Years 1994, 1995, or 1996 are eligible. Joint

Community Development Program grantees are not eligible for either kind

of funding, nor are FY 1997 and 1998 COPC Grantees.

Consortia of eligible institutions may apply, as long as one

institution is designated the lead applicant. Since the Statement of

Work and other facets of the technical review are assessed in the

context of the proposed staffing, and in order to fund as many eligible

applicants as possible, HUD has determined that you may be part of only

one consortium or submit only one application or you will be

disqualified. HUD will hold you responsible for ensuring that neither

you nor any part of your institution, including specific faculty,

participate in more than one application. For New Directions Grants, if

you originally received funding as a consortium, you are not required

to submit again with all the consortium members. Members of a

previously approved consortium may submit on their own or as part of

their old consortium. However, as with New Grants, only one application

from an institution will be permitted.

Different campuses of the same university system are eligible to

apply, even if one campus has already received COPC funding. Such

campuses are eligible as separate applicants only if

[[Page 9654]]

they have administrative and budgeting structures independent of other

campuses in the system.

with outreach, work with communities and local governments and address

the multidimensional problems that beset urban areas. To meet the

threshold requirements, your application should be multifaceted and

address three or more urban problems. You should address urban problems

associated with housing, economic development, neighborhood

revitalization, infrastructure, health care, job training, education,

crime prevention, planning, community organizing, and other areas

deemed appropriate by the Secretary. Single purpose applications are

not eligible.

Funded research must have a clear near-term potential for solving

specific, significant urban problems. You must have the capacity to

apply your research results and to work with communities and local

institutions, including neighborhood groups and other appropriate

community stakeholders, in applying these results to specific real-life

urban problems.

While the list of eligible and ineligible activities is the same

for both New Grant applicants and New Directions Grant applicants, New

Directions Grant applicants must demonstrate that the proposed

activities either implement new eligible projects in the current target

neighborhood(s) or implement eligible projects in a new target

neighborhood(s).

Eligible activities include:

(1) Research activities that have practical application for solving

specific problems in designated communities and neighborhoods,

including evaluation of the effectiveness of the outreach activities.

In order to ensure that the primary focus of your project is on

outreach, research may not total more than one-quarter of the total

project costs contained in any grant made under this COPC funding

announcement (including the required 50% match).

(2) Outreach, technical assistance and information exchange

activities which are designed to address specific urban problems in

designated communities and neighborhoods. Such activities must total no

less than three-quarters of your total project costs (including the

required 25% match). Examples of outreach activities include, but are

not limited to:

(a) Job training and other training projects, such as workshops,

seminars and one-on-one and on-the-job training;

(b) Design of community or metropolitan strategies to resolve urban

problems of communities and neighborhoods;

and assistance to local community groups, residents, and other

appropriate community stakeholders to assist them in resolving local

problems such as homelessness, housing discrimination, and impediments

to fair housing choice;

(d) Technical assistance in business start-up activities for low-

and moderate-income individuals and organizations, including business

start-up training and technical expertise and assistance, mentor

programs, assistance in developing small loan funds, business

incubators, etc;

(e) Technical assistance to local public housing authorities on

welfare-to-work initiatives and physical transformations of public or

assisted housing, including development of accessible and visitable

housing;

(f) Assistance to communities to improve consolidated housing and

community development plans and remove impediments to design and

implementation of such plans;

(g) Assistance to communities to improve their fair housing

planning process;

(h) Services to assist low-income students to attend college, as

part of the U.S. Department of Education's Gaining Awareness and

Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP). (For more information

call 1-800-USA-LEARN or visit the Department of Education's website at

www.ed.gov.); and

(i) Regional projects that maximize the interaction of targeted

inner city distressed neighborhoods with suburban job opportunities

similar to HUD's Bridges-to-Work or Moving to Opportunity programs.

(3) Funds for faculty development including paying for course time

or summer support to enable faculty members to work on the COPC.

(4) Funds for stipends for students (which cannot cover tuition and

fees) when they are working on the COPC.

(5) Activities to carry out the ``Responsibilities'' listed under

Section IV(B) below. These activities may include leases for office

space in which to house the Community Outreach Partnership Center,

under the following conditions:

(a) The lease must be for existing facilities not requiring

rehabilitation or consultation;

(b) No repairs or renovations of the property may be undertaken

with Federal funds; and

under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3501) cannot be

leased with Federal funds.

(6) Components of your program may address metropolitan or regional

strategies. You must clearly demonstrate how:

(a) Your strategies are directly related to what the targeted

neighborhoods and neighborhood-based organizations have decided is

needed; and

(b) Neighborhoods and neighborhood organizations are involved in

the development and implementation of the metropolitan or regional

strategies.

(D) Ineligible Activities. (1) Research activities that have no

clear and immediate practical application for solving urban problems or

do not address specific problems in designated communities and

neighborhoods.

(2) Any type of construction, rehabilitation, or other physical

development costs.

(3) Costs used for routine operations and day-to-day administration

of institutions of higher education, local governments or neighborhood

groups.

IV. Program Requirements

In addition to the program requirements listed in the General

Section of this SuperNOFA, grantees must meet the following program

requirements:

(A) Grant Sizes and Terms. Each New Grant will be for a three-year

period. In order to ensure that as many eligible applicants are funded

as possible, HUD has set the maximum size of any New Grant at $400,000.

Because these projects are quite complex, HUD has also set the minimum

grant size at $250,000. Since the Statement of Work and other facets of

the technical review are assessed in the context of the proposed budget

and grant request, and in the interest of fairness to all applicants,

HUD will not accept a New Grant application that is under $250,000 or

over $400,000.

Each New Directions Grant will be for a two-year period. HUD has

set the maximum size of any New Directions Grant at $150,000. Since the

Statement of Work and other facets of the technical review are assessed

in the context of the proposed budget and grant request, and in the

interest of fairness to all applicants, HUD will not accept a New

Directions application that is over $150,000.

(B) Responsibilities. You are required to:

(1) Employ the research and outreach resources of your institution

of higher education to solve specific urban

[[Page 9655]]

problems identified by communities served by your Center;

(2) Establish outreach activities in areas identified in your

application as the communities to be served;

(3) Establish a community advisory committee comprised of

representatives of local institutions and residents of the communities

to be served to assist in identifying local needs and advise on the

development and implementation of strategies to address those issues;

(4) Coordinate outreach activities in communities to be served by

your Center;

(5) Facilitate public service projects in the communities served by

your Center;

(6) Act as a clearinghouse for dissemination of information;

(7) Develop instructional programs, convene conferences, and

provide training for local community leaders, when appropriate; and

(8) Exchange information with other Centers.

The clearinghouse function in (6) above refers to a local or

regional clearinghouse for dissemination of information and is separate

and distinct from the functions in (8) above, which relate to the

provision of information to the University Partnerships Clearinghouse,

which is the national clearinghouse for the program.

costs (Federal share plus match) can be spent on research activities.

(D) Match. The non-Federal share may include cash or the value of

non-cash contributions, equipment and other allowable in-kind

contributions as detailed in 24 CFR part 84, and in particular

Sec. 84.23 entitled ``cost sharing or matching.'' You may not count as

match any costs that would be ineligible for funding under the program

(e.g., housing rehabilitation).

(1) If you are a New Grant applicant, you must meet the following

match requirements:

(a) Research Activities. 50% of the total project costs of

establishing and operating research activities.

(b) Outreach Activities. 25% of the total project costs of

establishing and operating outreach activities.

(2) If you are a New Directions Grant applicant, you must meet the

following match requirements:

(a) Research Activities. 60% of the total project costs of

establishing and operating research activities.

(b) Outreach Activities. 35% of the total project costs of

establishing and operating outreach activities.

An example of how you should calculate the match is included in the

application kit.

(E) Administrative. Your grant will be governed by the provisions

of 24 CFR part 84 (Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher

Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations), A-21 (Cost

Principles for Education Institutions), and A-133 (Audits of States,

Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations. You may not spend more

than 20% of your grant on planning or administrative costs. The

application kit contains a detailed explanation of what these costs

are. You can access the OMB circulars at the White House website at

http://whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/OMB/html/circulars.

V. Application Selection Process

There will be two separate competitions--one for New Grants and one

for New Directions Grants. For each type of grant, applications will be

rated, ranked, and selected separately. Two types of reviews will be

conducted: a threshold review to determine your applicant eligibility;

and a technical review to rate your application based on the rating

factors in this Section, paragraph C below.

(A) Additional Threshold Requirements For Funding Consideration.

Under the threshold review, you will be rejected from the competition

if you are not in compliance with the requirements of the General

Section of the SuperNOFA or if you do not meet the following additional

standards:

(1) You have met the statutory match requirements, if applying for

a New Grant or the higher match levels described above, if applying for

a New Directions Grant.

(2) You have proposed a program in which at least 75% of the total

project costs will be for outreach activities.

(3) For New Grants, you have requested a Federal grant between

$250,000 and $400,000 over the three-year grant period. For New

Directions Grants, you have requested a Federal grant that is no more

than $150,000 over the two-year grant period.

(4) You have addressed at least three urban issues, such as

affordable housing, fair housing, economic development, neighborhood

revitalization, infrastructure, health care; job training, education,

crime prevention, planning, and community organizing.

(5) You and any part of your organization are participating in only

one application.

(B) Factors For Award Used To Evaluate and Rate Applications. The

factors for rating and ranking applicants, and maximum points for each

factor, are provided below. The maximum number of points for this

program is 102. This includes two EZ/EC bonus points, as described in

the General Section of the SuperNOFA.

Rating Factor 1: Capacity of the Applicant and Relevant Organizational

Experience (15 Points)

This factor addresses the extent to which you have the

organizational resources necessary to successfully implement the

proposed activities in a timely manner. In rating this factor HUD will

consider the extent to which the proposal demonstrates:

(1) For New Grants (15 points): For New Direction Grants (10

points).

(a) The knowledge and experience of your overall proposed project

director and staff, including the day-to-day program manager,

consultants and contractors in planning and managing programs for which

funding is being requested. Experience will be judged in terms of

recent, relevant and successful experience of your staff to undertake

eligible program activities. In rating this factor, HUD will consider

experience within the last 5 years to be recent; experience pertaining

to the specific activities being proposed to be relevant; and

experience producing specific accomplishments to be successful. The

following categories will be evaluated:

(i) Undertaking research activities in specific communities that

have a clear near-term potential for practical application to

significant urban issues, such as affordable housing, fair housing

including accessible and visitable housing, economic development,

neighborhood revitalization, infrastructure, health care, job training,

education, crime prevention, planning, and community organizing;

(ii) Undertaking outreach activities in specific communities to

solve or ameliorate significant urban issues;

(iii) Undertaking projects with community-based organizations or

local governments; and

(iv) Providing leadership in solving community problems and making

national contributions to solving long-term and immediate urban

problems.

(2) For New Directions Grants only (5 points). The extent to which

you performed successfully under your previous COPC grant(s), as

measured by:

(a) Your achievement of specific measurable outcome objectives; and

(b) Your leveraging of funding beyond the funds originally proposed

to be leveraged for that project.

[[Page 9656]]

Rating Factor 2: Need/Extent of the Problem (15 Points)

This factor addresses the extent to which there is a need for

funding your proposed program activities and your indication of the

urgency of meeting the need in the target area. In responding to this

factor, you will be evaluated on the extent to which you document the

level of need for the proposed activity and the urgency in meeting the

need.

You should use statistics and analyses contained in a data

source(s) that:

(1) Is sound and reliable. To the extent that the targeted

community's Consolidated Plan and Analysis of Impediments to Fair

Housing Choice (AI) identify the level of the problem and the urgency

in meeting the need, you should include references to these documents

in your response. The Department will review your application more

favorably if you used these documents to identify need, when

applicable.

If the proposed activity is not covered under the scope of the

Consolidated Plan and Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice

(AI), you should indicate such, and use other sound data sources to

identify the level of need and the urgency in meeting the need. Types

of other sources include Census reports, Continuum of Care gaps

analysis, law enforcement agency crime reports, Public Housing

Authorities' Comprehensive Plan, and other sound and reliable sources

appropriate for your program. You may also address needs in terms of

fulfilling court orders or consent decrees, settlements, conciliation

agreements, and voluntary compliance agreements.

(2) To the extent possible, the data you use should be specific to

the area where the proposed activity will be carried out. You should

document needs as they apply to the area where activities will be

targeted, rather than the entire locality or state, unless the target

area is an entire locality or state.

Rating Factor 3: Soundness of Approach (50 Points)

This factor addresses the quality and cost-effectiveness of your

proposed work plan. There must be a clear relationship between your

proposed activities, community needs and the purpose of the program

funding for you to receive points for this factor. The factor will be

evaluated based on the extent to which the proposed work plan will:

(1) (10 points) Identify the specific services or activities to be

performed. In reviewing this subfactor HUD will consider the extent to

which:

(a) Your proposal outlines a clear research agenda, based on your

familiarity with existing research on the subject.

(b) You demonstrate how the research will fit into and strengthen

the outreach strategy and activities. For example, if you propose to

study the extent of housing abandonment in a neighborhood and then

design a plan for reusing this housing, you would be able to

demonstrate the link between your proposed research and outreach

strategies.

for involving your institution as a whole in the execution of your

outreach strategy. Your outreach program should provide for on-site or

a frequent presence in the targeted communities and neighborhoods.

(d) Your outreach agenda includes training projects for local

community leaders, for example, to increase their capacity to direct

their organizations or undertake various kinds of community development

projects.

(e) You demonstrate that your proposed research and outreach

activities do not duplicate research and outreach previously completed

or currently underway by others.

(f) You propose activities that are appropriate for an institution

of higher education because they are tied to the institution's teaching

or research mission.

(2) (9 points) Involve the communities to be served in

implementation of your activities. In reviewing this subfactor, HUD

will look at the extent to which:

(a) You have formed or will form one or more Community Advisory

Committees, comprised of representatives of local institutions and a

balance of the race, ethnic, disability status, gender, and income of

the residents of the communities to be served to develop and implement

strategies to address the needs identified in Factor 2. You will be

expected to demonstrate that you have already formed such a

committee(s) or secured the commitment of the appropriate persons to

serve on the committee(s), rather than just describing generally the

types of people whose involvement you will seek.

(b) You have involved a wide range of neighborhood organizations

and local government entities in the identification of your research

and outreach activities.

(3) (5 points) Help solve or address an urgent problem as

identified in Rating Factor 2 and will achieve the purposes of the

program within the grant period. In reviewing this subfactor, HUD will

look at the extent to which:

(a) You identify specific time phased and measurable objectives to

be accomplished; your proposed short and long term program objectives

to be achieved as a result of the proposed activities; the tangible and

measurable impacts your work program will have on the community in

general and the target area or population in particular including

affirmatively furthering fair housing for classes protected under the

Fair Housing Act; and the relationship of your proposed activities to

other on-going or proposed efforts to improve the economic, social or

living environment in the impact area; and

(b) Grant funds will pay for activities you conduct directly,

rather than passing funds through to other entities.

(4) (4 points) Potentially yield innovative strategies or ``best

practices'' that can be replicated and disseminated to other

organizations, including nonprofit organizations, State and local

governments. In reviewing this subfactor, HUD will assess your

demonstrated ability to disseminate results of research and outreach

activities to other COPCs and communities. HUD will evaluate your past

experience and the scope and quality of your plan to disseminate

information on COPC results, strategies, and lessons learned through

such means as conferences, cross-site technical assistance,

publications, etc.

(5) (8 points)

(a) (3 points) Further and support the policy priorities of HUD

including:

(i) Promoting healthy homes;

(ii) Providing opportunities for self-sufficiency, particularly for

persons enrolled in welfare to work programs;

(iii) Enhancing on-going efforts to eliminate drugs and crime from

neighborhoods through program policy efforts such as ``One Strike and

You're Out'' or the ``Officer Next Door'' initiative;

(iv) Providing educational and job training opportunities through

such initiatives as Neighborhood Networks, Campus of Learners and

linking to AmeriCorps activities.

(b) (5 points) Include activities that affirmatively further fair

housing, for example:

(i) Working with other entities in the community to overcome

impediments to fair housing, such as discrimination in the sale or

rental of housing or in advertising, provision of brokerage services,

or lending;

(ii) Promoting fair housing choice through the expansion of

homeownership opportunities and improved quality of services for

minorities, families with children, and persons with disabilities; or

[[Page 9657]]

(iii) Providing housing mobility counseling services.

(6) For New Grants (14 points): For New Directions Grants (9

points). Result in the COPC function and activities becoming part of

the urban mission of your institution and being funded in the future by

sources other than HUD. In reviewing this subfactor, HUD will consider

the extent to which:

(a) COPC activities relate to your institution's urban mission; are

part of a climate that rewards faculty work on these activities through

promotion and tenure policies; benefit students because they are part

of a service learning program at your institution (rather than just

volunteer activities); and are reflected in your curriculum. HUD will

look at your institution's commitment to faculty and staff continuing

work in COPC neighborhoods or replicating successes in other

neighborhoods and to your longer term commitment (e.g., five years

after the start of the COPC) of hard dollars to COPC work.

(b) You have received commitments for funding from sources outside

the university for related COPC-like projects and activities in the

targeted neighborhood or other distressed neighborhoods. Funding

sources to be considered include, but are not limited to, local

governments, neighborhood organizations, private businesses, and

foundations.

(7) For New Direction Grants only (5 points). Previous grantees

have a wealth of knowledge that they can and should share with other

institutions. If you send a faculty member of your team who has been

listed in your application to participate in the peer review process

for New Grants, you will receive 5 points .

Rating Factor 4: Leveraging Resources (10 Points)

This factor addresses the ability of the applicant to secure

community resources which can be combined with HUD's program resources

to achieve program purposes. This factor measures the extent to which

you have established partnerships with other entities to secure

additional resources to increase the effectiveness of your proposed

program activities. Resources may include funding or in-kind

contributions, such as services or equipment, allocated to the

purpose(s) of the award you are seeking. Resources may be provided by

governmental entities, public or private nonprofit organizations, for-

profit private organizations, or other entities willing to establish

partnerships with you. You may also establish partnerships with funding

recipients in other grant programs to coordinate the use of resources

in the target area. In evaluating this factor, HUD will allocate points

as follows:

(1) Up to a total of 5 points will be awarded for a match that is

50% over the required match, as described in Section IV D above.

The Department is concerned that applicants should be providing

hard dollars as part of their matching contributions to enhance the

tangible resources going into targeted neighborhoods. Thus, while

indirect costs can count towards meeting the required match, they will

not be used in calculating match overage. Only direct costs can count

in this factor.

(2) Up to an additional 5 points will be awarded for the extent to

which you document that matching funds are provided from eligible

sources other than your institution (e.g., funds from the city,

including CDBG, other State or local government agencies, public or

private organizations, or foundations).

You must provide evidence of leveraging/partnerships by including

in the application letters of firm commitment, memoranda of

understanding, or agreements to participate from those entities

identified as partners in the application. Each letter of commitment,

memorandum of understanding, or agreement to participate should include

the organization's name, proposed level of commitment and

responsibilities as they relate to the proposed program. The commitment

must also be signed by an official of the organization legally able to

make commitments on behalf of the organization. Unless matching funds

are accompanied by a commitment letter, they will not be counted

towards the match.

Rating Factor 5: Comprehensiveness and Coordination (10 Points)

This factor addresses the extent to which you coordinated your

activities with other known organizations, participate or promote

participation in your community's Consolidated Planning process, and

are working towards addressing a need in a holistic and comprehensive

manner through linkages with other activities in the community.

In evaluating this factor, HUD will consider the extent to which

you have:

(1) (4 points) Coordinated your proposed activities with those of

other groups or organizations prior to submission in order to best

complement, support and coordinate all known activities and, if funded,

the specific steps you will take to share information on solutions and

outcomes with others. Any written agreements, memoranda of

understanding in place, or that will be in place after award should be

described.

(2) (3 points) Taken or will take specific steps to become active

in the community's Consolidated Planning process (including the

Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice) established to identify

and address a need/problem that is related to the activities the

applicant proposes.

(3) (3 points) Taken or will take specific steps to develop

linkages to coordinate comprehensive solutions through meetings,

information networks, planning processes or other mechanisms with:

(a) Other HUD-funded projects/activities outside the scope of those

covered by the Consolidated Plan; and

(b) Other Federal, State or locally funded activities, including

those proposed or on-going in the community.

a minimum score of 70. HUD intends to fund at least one eligible

applicant that serves colonias, as defined by section 916(d) of the

Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, as long as the

applicant receives a minimum score of 70.

If two or more applications have the same number of points, the

application with the most points for Factor 3, Soundness of Approach,

shall be selected. If there is still a tie, the application with the

most points for Factor 4, Leveraging Resources shall be selected.

HUD reserves the right to make selections out of rank order to

provide for geographic distribution of funded COPCs. If HUD decides to

use this option, it will do so only if two adjacent HUD regions do not

yield at least one fundable COPC on the basis of rank order. If this

occurs, HUD will fund the highest ranking applicant within the two

regions as long as the minimum score of 70 points is achieved.

After all applications have been rated and ranked and selections

have been made, HUD may require you, if you are selected, to

participate in negotiations to determine the specific terms of your

Statement of Work and grant budget. In cases where HUD cannot

successfully conclude negotiations, or you fail to provide HUD with

requested information, an award will not be made. In such instances,

HUD may elect to offer an award to the next highest ranking applicant,

and proceed with negotiations with that applicant.

After award but before grant execution, if you are selected, you

will be required to provide a certification

[[Page 9658]]

from an Independent Public Accountant or the cognizant government

auditor, stating that the financial management system employed by your

institution meets proscribed standards for fund control and

accountability required by OMB Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local

Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations, or 24 CFR part 84, Grants

and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and

Other Non-Profit Organizations, or the Federal Acquisition Regulations

(for all other applicants). This information should contain the name

and telephone number of the Independent Auditor, cognizant Federal

auditor, or other audit agency, as applicable.

VI. Application Submission Requirements

You should include an original and two copies of the items listed

below. In order to be able to recycle paper, please do not submit

applications in bound form; binder clips or loose leaf binders are

acceptable. Also, please, do not use colored paper. Please note the

page limits for some of the items listed below and do not exceed them.

In addition to the forms, certifications and assurances listed in

Section II(G) of the General Section, your application must, at a

minimum, contain the following items:

(A) Transmittal Letter signed by the Chief Executive Officer of

your institution or his or her designee. If a designee signs, your

application must include the official delegation of signatory

authority;

(B) A Statement of Work (25 page limit) incorporating all

activities to be funded in your application and details how your

proposed work will be accomplished. Following a task-by-task format,

the Statement of Work must:

(1) Arrange the presentation of related major activities by project

functional category (e.g., economic development, affordable housing,

capacity building), summarize each activity, identify the primary

persons involved in carrying out the activity, and delineate the major

tasks involved in carrying it out.

(2) Indicate the sequence in which the tasks are to be performed,

noting areas of work which must be performed simultaneously.

(3) Identify specific numbers of quantifiable intermediate and end

products and objectives you will deliver by the end of the award

agreement period as a result of the work performed.

V (B). (25 page limit, including tables and maps, but not including

letters of matching commitments). Your narrative response should be

numbered in accordance with each factor and subfactor. Please do not

repeat material in your Statements of Work or Need; instead focus on

how you meet each factor.

(D) Budget. Your budget presentation should be consistent with your

Statement of Work and include:

(1) Budget Form--The sample budget form included in the application

kit should be used to prepare the budget.

(2) A narrative explanation of how you arrived at your cost

estimates, for any line item over $5,000.

(3) A statement of your compliance with the 20% limitation on

``Planning and Administration'' Costs.

(4) An explanation of your compliance with the requirement that not

more than 25% of the total budget be allocated to research activities.

(5) An explanation of your compliance with the matching

requirements. More guidance on all of these items is included in the

application kit.

(E) Abstract. (1 page limit) An abstract describing the goals and

activities of your program.

VII. Corrections to Deficient Applications

The General Section of the SuperNOFA provides the procedures for

corrections to deficient applications.

VIII. Environmental Requirements

In accordance with 24 CFR 50.19(b) of the HUD regulations,

activities assisted under this program are categorically excluded from

the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and are not

subject to environmental review under the related laws and authorities.

IX. Authority

This program is authorized under the Community Outreach Partnership

Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 5307 note; hereafter referred to as the ``COPC

Act''). The COPC Act is contained in section 851 of the Housing and

Community Development Act of 1992 (Pub.L. 102-550, approved October 28,

1992) (HCD Act of 1992). Section 801(c) of the HCD Act of 1992

authorizes $7.5 million for each year of the 5-year demonstration to

create Community Outreach Partnership Centers as authorized in the COPC

Act. The HUD, VA and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act of 1999

(Pub.L. 105-276, approved October 21, 1998) continued the program

beyond the initial five-year demonstration by providing funding for it

for FY 1999.

BILLING CODE 4

This text is long and has been trimmed here. Open the source document for the complete record.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.