[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 199 (Monday, October 16, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53686-53689]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25590]
[[Page 53685]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part IV
Ounce of Prevention Council
Department of Housing and Urban Development
_______________________________________________________________________
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development
_______________________________________________________________________
Ounce of Prevention Grant Program; Funding Availability; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 199 / Monday, October 16, 1995 /
Notices
[[Page 53686]]
OUNCE OF PREVENTION COUNCIL
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development
[Docket No. FR-3959-N-01]
Ounce of Prevention Grant Program; Notice of Funding Availability
AGENCIES: The Ounce of Prevention Council and the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability.
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SUMMARY: This Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) announces the
availability of up to $1.2 million of FY 1995 funds for grant
assistance under the Ounce of Prevention Council's (the Council) Ounce
of Prevention Grant Program. These funds will be awarded competitively,
through a selection process conducted by HUD, after consultation with
the Council, for projects that are targeted to Federally-designated
urban and rural Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community areas (EZ/
EC). The grants will be awarded for projects that support local
community-based efforts to improve the coordination and, to the extent
possible, integration of youth crime and violence prevention programs
and initiatives in these areas. Grants may not be used to fund new
programs or services or to duplicate existing collaborative efforts;
rather, these funds are to be used for projects that build upon, and
add to, current efforts to coordinate and integrate youth crime and
violence prevention programs and services.
DATES: In accordance with section 470 of the Housing and Urban-Rural
Recovery Act of 1983 (Pub.L. 98-181), commencement of this
demonstration program will await the conclusion of a 60-day period
during which full consideration will be given to all public comments
received during the 30-day public comment period. After the close of
the 30-day public comment period, another Notice may be published
setting forth revised requirements and procedures, if public comments
received indicate that such changes are necessary. Comments received
after the close of the 30-day public comment period, but before the end
of an additional 30 days, will be considered for future program NOFAs.
Comment Due Date: November 15, 1995.
Application Due Date: The deadline date for submission of an
application to HUD for funding under the Ounce of Prevention Grant
Program is on or before 5:00 p.m., eastern standard time, December 15,
1995 at the HUD Headquarters office set forth below.
APPLICATION SUBMISSION: Application kits may be obtained by calling the
Office of Economic Development, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, at (202) 708-6355. (This is not a toll free number.) An
original and two copies of the completed application for grant funds
must be submitted. Applications must be received by the deadline set
forth above at the following address: Processing and Control Unit,
Office of Community Planning and Development, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, 451 Seventh St., SW, Room 7255, Washington, DC
20410. Applications sent by facsimile (FAX) will not be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All questions should be directed to
the Office of Economic Development, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, Room 7136, 451 Seventh St. SW, Washington, DC 20410.
Telephone: (202) 708-6355; TDD: 1-800-877-8339. (These are not toll-
free numbers.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Information Collection Requirements
The information collection requirements contained in this notice
are being submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for review
under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (44 U.S.C.
3501-3520). No person may be subjected to a penalty for failure to
comply with these information collection requirements until they have
been approved and assigned an OMB control number. The OMB control
number, when assigned, will be announced in the Federal Register.
Part I. Purpose and Substantive Description
The Federal government currently supports a wide range of programs
aimed at reducing youth crime and violence and promoting positive youth
development by addressing specific social problems; i.e., drug abuse,
gang activity, family violence, dropouts and teenage pregnancy.
However, there is a growing recognition at both the Federal and local
levels that communities must coordinate these independent programs to
make a substantive positive impact on the lives of youth.
Many communities across the country have undertaken significant
planning efforts relating to community improvement, public safety,
youth development and delinquency prevention. In particular, the
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Pub.L. 103-66) created the
Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities Program to promote
cooperative, public-private efforts to restore economic opportunity to
distressed neighborhoods. The 105 EZ/EC communities have already
undertaken an intensive planning effort which brought together all the
segments of the local community to determine the needs of the local
community and develop a comprehensive plan to meet those needs. Each
plan has a public safety component; many include a focus on youth crime
and violence prevention.
This program is intended to build on the public safety and youth
development efforts already underway in EZ/EC communities and link them
with similar prevention efforts in surrounding neighborhoods. Grants
will be awarded to support cooperative efforts aimed at coordinating
and, where possible, integrating multiple prevention programs,
initiatives and service delivery mechanisms and the organizations that
direct them. This grant initiative is designed to demonstrate that
local youth crime and violence prevention efforts must include not only
comprehensive community planning, but also improved linkages among
multiple prevention programs and initiatives, and must integrate
services and their delivery, where possible.
A. Authority
The Ounce of Prevention Grant Program is authorized under Sections
30101 and 30102 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of
1994 (42 U.S.C. 13741) (the Act). Pursuant to Section 30101(a)(3) of
this Act, the Council has delegated to HUD the authority to carry out
this program in consultation with the Council.
B. Funding Availability
Under this program, HUD, after consultation with the Council, will
award up to $1.2 million. Up to one-third of the funds will be awarded
to rural EZ/EC designees and at least two-thirds to urban EZ/EC
designees. Applicants may request no more than $150,000. HUD reserves
the right to fund less than the full amount requested in any
application.
As mandated by statute, grant recipients must provide 25 percent of
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the total project cost, either in cash or in-kind, fairly valued, as a
non-Federal match.
HUD, after consultation with the Council, reserves the right to
waive any part of the 25 percent matching requirement if it is
satisfactorily determined that an applicant is unable financially to
meet the requirement. Matching requirement waivers will be made only
upon written request and under extreme circumstances. If applying for
the waiver the applicant must submit three years of financial
statements, when available, with a narrative documenting the inability
to meet the matching requirement.
Funds made available under this NOFA shall not be used to supplant
other funds (state, local, Federal or any other funds) that will or
have been committed for the same purpose.
C. Definitions
Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community (EZ/EC) means an urban or
rural area so designated by the Secretary of HUD or the Secretary of
Agriculture pursuant to sections 1391-1393 of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Pub.L. 103-66). For purposes of this NOFA,
this term shall include Supplemental Empowerment Zones and Enhanced
Enterprise Communities, as defined below.
Supplemental Empowerment Zone/Enhanced Enterprise Community (SEZ/
EEC) means an urban area which was designated by the Secretary of HUD
as either a Supplemental Empowerment Zone (SEZ) or an Enhanced
Enterprise Community (EEC) and announced as such in the Notice of
Designation printed in the Federal Register on February 23, 1995 (60 FR
10018).
Part II. Overview of Ounce of Prevention Grants
A. Maximum Awards
Under the competition established by this NOFA, the maximum award
for an Ounce of Prevention Grant is $150,000.
B. Locational Considerations
Applications shall be geographically-based in particular
neighborhoods or sections of municipalities or particular segments of
rural areas.
A Federally-designated EZ/EC, or a portion of it, must be the
primary focus of the proposed project, and its children and youth the
prime beneficiaries of the proposed collaborative efforts; however, the
target area may be enlarged beyond the EZ/EC area to respond to
physical (e.g., highways) or governmental (e.g., school districts)
boundaries and to permit cooperation among neighborhood-based entities,
local agencies, and outside organizations.
C. Eligible Applicants
Applicants must be cities, counties, or other municipalities,
Indian tribal governments, school boards, colleges and universities,
private not-for-profit organizations, or consortia consisting of these
entities. EZ/EC governing structures may apply if they meet this
definition.
Applicants that are not an EZ/EC governing structure must obtain
and submit a letter of endorsement from the local EZ/EC governing
structure demonstrating its approval of, and willingness to collaborate
in, the proposed project. In some cases, for example, where a governing
structure is yet to be established, HUD, after consultation with the
Council, may waive this requirement. Applicants requesting this waiver
must submit a brief statement describing their inability to comply with
this requirement.
Due to the purpose of this program, which is to strengthen
cooperation and collaboration among community-based youth development,
youth crime and violence prevention programs and organizations,
applicants are strongly encouraged to work with other potential
applicants in their area to develop a single application. In the event
that more than one application is received from an EZ/EC area, priority
will be given to the applicant that demonstrates greater compliance
with the objectives of the program. No more than one grant will be
awarded in any EZ/EC area.
D. Eligible Activities
Applicants can propose any combination of activities that lead to
the improved coordination and integration of youth development and
youth crime and violence prevention programs, initiatives and service
delivery in the target area. Such activities may include the hiring of
staff, increasing linkages, assessing prevention needs and developing a
collaborative prevention action plan that responds to the needs of the
target area.
The Council and HUD anticipate that funds will be used to
coordinate and integrate, where possible, programs such as: summer and
after-school education and recreational activities; mentoring,
tutoring, and other programs involving participation of adult role
models; programs assisting and promoting employability and job
placement; and prevention and treatment programs to reduce substance
abuse, child abuse and adolescent pregnancy, including outreach to at-
risk families.
Funds may not be used for the delivery of new or existing programs
and services. Rather, these grants are designed to provide additional
support for the coordination and integration, where possible, of
programs, initiatives and service delivery.
E. Grant Period
Any grants awarded must be expended for their appropriate
activities within 18 months of the date of award.
Part III. Criteria for Review and Evaluation of the Grant
Application
Grantees will be selected based on the qualifications, experience,
or potential capabilities of the applicant and participating parties
and the extent to which the proposed project would fulfill the purposes
of this program. The criteria set forth below in paragraphs A and B
will have equal weight for reviewing and evaluating grant applications.
In cases of equally weighted applications, priority will be given
to applications from coalitions consisting of a broad spectrum of
community-based and social service organizations that have a
coordinated team approach to reducing gang membership and the effects
of substance abuse, and providing alternatives to at-risk youth.
A. Capability
Applications must include: (1) The applicant's experience, planning
and management capabilities and the proposed manager/coordinator's
qualifications to lead the proposed project; (2) a description of the
applicant's current efforts that demonstrate the ability to collaborate
with other organizations addressing public safety, youth development
and youth crime and violence prevention, such as youth-serving
organizations, schools, health and social service providers, employers,
law enforcement professionals, local government, and residents of
target areas, including young people; and (3) a description of matching
funds with documentation, including letters of commitment.
B. Objectives
Applications must also include: (1) A concise project summary
including the specific neighborhoods or sections of municipalities or
rural areas that will be targeted and a description of the need for the
project; (2) a description of how this project will complement and
build upon the relevant goals (benchmarks) in the EZ/EC plan and other
existing plans or coordinating efforts in the target area that deal
with youth development, public safety and youth crime and
[[Page 53688]]
violence prevention; (3) a description of the specific approaches to be
used (including ways to reach out to other neighborhood-based programs
and initiatives, especially Federally-funded efforts such as PACT, Weed
and Seed, Safe Futures, CSAP Partnerships, and Youth Gang Prevention
Consortia); the outcomes expected; and the process for determining how
well the outcomes are being achieved; and (4) a description of the EZ/
EC and other resources (public and private) that are currently
dedicated to coordination and plan implementation and any other
resources, in addition to the matching funds described under paragraph
A, that will be used to support this project.
Part IV. Other Submission Requirements
In addition to the information requested in Part III of this
notice, the applicant shall submit the following:
a. SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance.
b. The certification regarding lobbying required under 24 CFR part
87 (Appendix A).
c. Certification of a Drug-Free Workplace, in accordance with the
Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, and HUD's regulations at 24 CFR part
24, subpart F.
d. A copy of the organization's IRS ruling providing tax-exempt
status under section 501(c) of the IRS Code of 1986, as amended, if
applicable.
e. Line-item budget reflecting the use of funds for the activities
to be enhanced or coordinated;
f. Copy of an endorsement from the EZ/EC governing board, if a
waiver has not been requested.
g. Evidence of commitments for the sources of matching dollars, if
applicable.
Applications of no more than 20 pages should be submitted on 8.5''
x 11'' paper, with lines double-spaced and printed on only one side.
All pages of the application shall be numbered sequentially.
Reports
Each grantee will be required to submit, in a form prescribed by
HUD, after consultation with the Council, interim reports, and a final
report within 90 days after the completion of the project. The final
report shall describe the use of the grant funds and include a
description and an analysis of the project, the approaches taken, the
outcomes expected, and the results and benefits achieved.
Technical Deficiencies
To the extent permitted by law, HUD may advise applicants of
technical deficiencies in the applications and permit them to be
corrected. Due to the requirements of the HUD Reform Act, HUD staff is
limited in the assistance it is permitted to provide regarding
applications for grants. The assistance and advice that can be provided
includes such activities as explaining and responding to questions
about program regulation, identification of those parts of an
application that need substantive improvement, the dates by which
decisions will be made and procedures that are required to be performed
to process an application. This term, however, does not include
advising the applicant how to make those improvements.
In addition, any information published in the Federal Register and
in this NOFA, and any information that has been made public through a
means other than the Federal Register or NOFA, may be discussed.
Other Matters
Environmental Impact
It is HUD's determination that an environmental finding of no
significant impact is not required under this NOFA. HUD environmental
regulations (24 CFR 50.19) state certain activities assisted under HUD
programs, such as the eligible activities in this NOFA, would not alter
any conditions requiring environmental review or compliance with other
Federal laws and authorities cited in Section 50.4.
Executive Order 12612, Federalism
The General Counsel, as the Designated Official under section 6(a)
of Executive Order 12612, Federalism, has determined that this NOFA
will not have substantial, direct effects on States, on their political
subdivisions, or on their relationship with the Federal Governments, or
on the distribution of power and responsibilities between them and
other levels of governments.
Executive Order 12606, the Family
The General Counsel, as the Designated Official for Executive Order
12606, The Family, has determined that the policies announced in the
NOFA would not have the potential for significant impact on family
formation, maintenance and general well-being within the meaning of the
Order. No significant change in existing HUD policies and programs will
result from issuance of this NOFA, as those policies and programs
relate to family concerns.
Prohibition Against Lobbying Activities
The use of funds awarded under this NOFA is subject to the
disclosure requirements and prohibitions of section 319 of the
Department of Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Act for
Fiscal Year 1990 (31 U.S.C. 1351) and the implementing regulations at
24 CFR part 87. These authorities prohibit 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. The prohibition
also covers the awarding of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements,
or loans unless the recipient has made an acceptable certification
regarding lobbying. Under 24 CFR part 87, applicants, recipients, and
subrecipients of assistance exceeding $100,000 must certify that no
Federal funds have been or will be spent on lobbying activities in
connection with the assistance.
Prohibition Against Lobbying of HUD Personnel
Section 13 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act
(42 U.S.C. 3537b) contains two provisions dealing with efforts to
influence HUD's decisions with respect to financial assistance. The
first imposes disclosure requirements on those who are typically
involved in these efforts--those who pay others to influence the award
of assistance or the taking of a management action by the Department
and those who are paid to provide the influence. The second restricts
the payment of fees to those who are paid to influence the award of HUD
assistance, if the fees are tied to the number of housing units
received or are based on the amount of assistance received, or if they
are contingent upon the receipt of assistance. HUD's regulation
implementing section 13 is codified at 24 CFR part 86. If readers are
involved in any efforts to influence the Department in these ways, they
are urged to read the final rule, particularly the examples contained
in Appendix A of the rule. Appendix A of this rule contains examples of
activities covered by this rule.
Prohibition Against Advance Disclosure of Funding Decisions
HUD's regulations implementing section 103 of the HUD Reform Act
are codified at 24 CFR part 4 and apply to the funding competition
announced today. The requirements of part 4 continue to apply until the
announcement of the selection of successful applicants.
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HUD employees involved in the review of applications and in the
making of funding decisions are restrained by part 4 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
assistance in this competition should confine their inquiries to the
subject areas permitted by 24 CFR part 4.
Any questions concerning the rule should be directed to the Office
of Ethics, Room 2158, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451
Seventh St. SW, Washington, DC 20410-3000. Telephone: (202) 708-3815
(voice/TTD). (This is not a toll-free number.) Forms necessary for
compliance with the rule may be obtained from the local HUD office.
Accountability in the Provision of HUD Assistance: Documentation and
Public Access Requirements
HUD's regulation implementing section 102 of the HUD Reform Act is
codified at 24 CFR part 12. Section 102 contains 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 16, 1992 (57 FR 1942), following publication of the March 14,
1991 final rule, HUD published additional information that gave the
public (including applicants for, and recipients of, HUD assistance)
further information on the implementation, public access, and
disclosure requirements of section 102. The requirements of section 102
are applicable to assistance awarded under this NOFA.
(i) Documentation and Public Access Requirements: HUD will ensure
documentation and other information regarding each application
submitted pursuant to this NOFA 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 five-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 at 24 CFR part 15. In addition, HUD will include the
recipients of assistance pursuant to this NOFA in its Federal Register
notice of all recipients of HUD assistance awarded on a competitive
basis. (See 24 CFR 12.14 (a) and 12.16 (b), and the notice published in
the Federal Register on January 16, 1992 (57 FR 1942) for further
information on these requirements.
(ii) Disclosures: HUD will make available to the public for five
years all applicant disclosure reports (HUD Form 2880) submitted in
connection with this NOFA. Update reports (also Form 2880) will be made
available along with the applicant disclosure reports, but in no case
for a period of less than three years.
Dated: October 11, 1995.
Kumiki Gibson,
Counsel to the Vice President.
Dated: October 11, 1995.
Andrew M. Cuomo,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 95-25590 Filed 10-13-95; 8:45 am]
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