[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 177 (Wednesday, September 14, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-22682]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 14, 1994]


      
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Part III





Department of Housing and Urban Development





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Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing



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Public and Indian Housing Youth Apprenticeship Program; Notice of 
Demonstration; Notice
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing
[Docket No. N-94-3800; FR-3649-N-03]

 
Public and Indian Housing Youth Apprenticeship Program; Notice of 
Demonstration

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian 
Housing, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of demonstration program.

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SUMMARY: This Notice announces the Department's intention to contribute 
up to $1.5 million from the Youth Apprenticeship Program to the 
Philadelphia Housing Authority to demonstrate ways of promoting, 
through Youth Corps and a joint labor/management/community consortium, 
the long-term welfare of youths living in public and assisted housing. 
This demonstration will provide Youth Corps and joint labor/management/
community consortium initiatives designed to focus on job training and 
ensured employment opportunities that lead to self-sufficiency. The 
Department advised in a Notice of Funding Availability published on 
August 18, 1994, that it would be publishing a notice of this 
demonstration. This notice provides guidelines for the use of these 
funds and invites comments on the proposed demonstration.

DATES: Comments due date: October 14, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this notice to the Rules Docket Clerk, Office of General Counsel, Room 
10276, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20410-0500. Communications should refer to the 
above docket number and title. Facsimile (FAX) comments are not 
acceptable. A copy of each communication submitted will be available 
for public inspection and copying between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. 
weekdays at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paula Blunt, Office of Resident 
Initiatives, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh 
Street SW., Room 4112, Washington, DC 20410, Telephone Number (202) 
708-4214 (This is not a toll free number). Hearing- or speech-impaired 
persons may use the Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD) by 
contacting the Federal Information Relay Service on (202) 708-9300 or 
1-800-877-8339) for information on the program.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

    The information collection requirements contained in this notice 
have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1990 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), and assigned 
OMB control number 2577-0199.

Authority

    The Youth Apprenticeship Program is funded under the Departments of 
Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent 
Agencies Appropriations Act for 1994 (Pub.L. 103-124, approved October 
28, 1993) (the 1994 Appropriations Act).
    On August 18, 1994 (59 FR 42740), the Department published a Notice 
of Funding Availability (NOFA) announcing the first competition for 
grant funds under the program. In the August 18, 1994 NOFA, the 
Department stated as follows:

    The Department intends to use $1.5 million for purposes of 
demonstrating ways of promoting, through Youth Corps and a joint 
labor/management community consortium, the long-term welfare of 
youths living in public and assisted housing. The funding will be 
awarded to a HOPE VI grantee with a distressed public housing 
community undergoing a concentrated effort of local revitalization 
to train public and assisted housing residents to participate in the 
rehabilitation of distressed and vacant public housing units with 
guaranteed employment in construction jobs. The Department expects 
that this funding will demonstrate the importance of job training, 
followed by assured employment, in contributing to the local 
neighborhood revitalization. FR-3649-N-01 (August 18, 1994, 59 FR 
42741).

    In accordance with the requirements of section 470(a) of the 
Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983 (42 U.S.C. 3542), this 
notice describes the proposed demonstration and invites public comment. 
Any changes made in this demonstration as a result of the Department's 
consideration of public comments, and any extension of time for the 
commitment of funds that may be necessary because of these changes, 
also will be published in the Federal Register.
    The Department will not commit funds for the proposed demonstration 
until after the latest of: (1) the date the Department has considered 
any comments received in response to this notice; (2) November 14, 
1994, which is 60 days after today's publication date; and (3) the date 
the Department has received and approved an application that meets the 
requirements set forth in this notice and any subsequent notice 
announcing changes in the demonstration.

Background of Demonstration

    The City of Philadelphia is experiencing a serious housing crisis 
with an estimated sixty thousand (60,000) families in need of housing 
assistance. The city's biggest landlord--the Philadelphia Housing 
Authority--currently has fifteen thousand (15,000) families on its 
conventional public housing waiting list, and has closed its waiting 
list to future applicants.
    Further compounding this housing crisis is the dual designation of 
the Philadelphia Housing Authority as a ``troubled housing authority'' 
and a ``troubled modernization authority,'' which suggests among other 
things an inability to repair and modernize its units. In fact, the 
housing authority has several thousand units that are vacant and in 
need of major repair and rehabilitation. The scope of the needed 
rehabilitation project is substantial; many of the vacant units are 
abandoned shells, or otherwise unfit for human habitation. Repairing or 
renovating these units can play an important role in abating the 
housing crisis in Philadelphia, perhaps even enabling the Philadelphia 
Housing Authority to re-open its waiting list to new applicants who 
seek decent and affordable public housing.
    Through a labor/management/community consortium involving the 
Philadelphia Housing Authority, the Laborers' International Union of 
North America (``LIUNA''), the Housing Association of Delaware Valley, 
Youth Corps through the National Association of Service and 
Conservation Corp (NASCC,) and experienced construction contractors, a 
demonstration project will be developed involving the rehabilitation of 
one thousand (1,000) distressed and vacant public housing units of the 
Philadelphia Housing Authority. An important element of this 
demonstration will be the recruitment, training, mentoring and job 
placement of public and assisted housing residents in the 
rehabilitation of these public housing units.
    For purposes of this demonstration, the Department will make up to 
$1.5 million available to the Philadelphia Housing Authority for use in 
establishing a Youth Apprenticeship Program in Philadelphia. The 
funding will be used in accordance with the statutory requirements of 
the Youth Apprenticeship program for youth apprenticeship training 
activities for joint labor-management organizations in HOPE VI 
communities. This demonstration will bring together the skills needed 
for the successful operation of a program that will restore distressed 
units to the housing inventory in a cost-effective manner, while 
providing skills training and work opportunities to public and assisted 
housing residents.
    Under this demonstration, LIUNA will have responsibility for 
coordinating manpower needs for the project and providing skills 
training; management expertise will be provided through experienced 
construction contractors; community participation, and outreach and 
training for public and assisted housing residents will be coordinated 
by the Housing Association of Delaware Valley; life and work skills 
development along with training and community service will be provided 
through Youth Corps; and the housing authority will have major 
responsibility in the area of community relations and recruitment of 
public and assisted housing residents for the training programs 
implemented as part of the demonstration.
    This demonstration will be a new and innovative approach to solving 
long-standing problems in the public housing system. The demonstration 
combines the construction talents of LIUNA's existing membership with 
the union's social commitment to recruiting, training and placing 
women, minorities, public and assisted housing residents, and other 
disadvantaged persons in construction jobs. By joining forces with 
experienced construction management and established community leaders, 
this initiative will serve as a model for accomplishing solid results 
in housing rehabilitation (returning currently vacant, uninhabitable 
public housing units to the inventory of usable housing in a timely, 
efficient and cost effective manner) while also promoting the long-term 
welfare of public and assisted housing residents.
    Following initial basic skills training under this program, program 
participants will be enrolled in an apprenticeship program for 
construction laborers. LIUNA will provide the facilities of the 
Philadelphia regional training center and its tools and equipment as an 
in-kind contribution to this project. It will also supply journeymen 
laborers to contractors who will be engaged to perform the 
rehabilitation work. They also will work in close coordination with 
other building trades organizations that are deemed necessary for the 
rehabilitation project. LIUNA laborers and apprentices will perform 
work traditionally performed by construction craft laborers, including 
demolition, lead paint abatement and asbestos removal work. They also 
will perform any other work that is deemed necessary for the successful 
completion of the rehabilitation project.
    The Department will allocate up to $1.5 million to the Philadelphia 
Housing Authority to carry out this demonstration, pending receipt and 
approval of an application that is consistent with program and 
submission requirements as established in this notice and any 
subsequent notice issued after the comment period has closed.

Applicable Requirements

    In order to receive the funding proposed in this notice, the 
Philadelphia Housing Authority will be required to meet the applicable 
programmatic and application requirements set forth in the NOFA for the 
Public Housing Youth Apprenticeship Program published on August 18, 
1994 (59 FR 42740) and any subsequent notice that is published after 
the comment period has closed.
    When applicable, the certifications, findings, determinations, and 
requirements listed by the Department under the ``Other Matters'' 
section of that NOFA also apply to this notice.

    Dated: September 7, 1994.
Joseph Shuldiner,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 94-22682 Filed 9-13-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-33-P