[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 6, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 62384]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29694]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service


Housing Preservation Grants

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service (RHS) announces that it is 
soliciting competitive applications under its Housing Preservation 
Grant (HPG) program. The HPG program is a grant program which provides 
qualified public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, and other 
eligible entities grant funds to assist very low- and low-income 
homeowners repair and rehabilitate their homes in rural areas, and to 
assist rental property owners and cooperative housing complexes repair 
and rehabilitate their units if they agree to make such units available 
to low- and very low-income persons. This action is taken to comply 
with Agency regulations found in 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N, which 
requires the Agency to announce the opening and closing dates for 
receipt of preapplications for HPG funds from eligible applicants. The 
intended effect of this Notice is to provide eligible organizations 
notice of these dates.

DATES: RHS hereby announces that it will begin receiving 
preapplications on January 2, 1996. The closing date for acceptance by 
RHS of preapplications is April 1, 1996.
    This period will be the only time during the current fiscal year 
that RHS accepts preapplications. Preapplications must be received by 
or postmarked on or before this date.

ADDRESSES: Submit preapplications to Rural Economic and Community 
Development (RECD) servicing offices for the HPG program; applicants 
must contact their RECD State Office for this information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sue M. Harris-Green, Senior Loan Officer, Multi-Family Housing 
Processing Division, RHS, USDA, Room 5337, South Agriculture Building, 
Washington, DC 20250, telephone (202) 720-1606. (This is not a toll 
free number.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N provides details 
on what information must be contained in the preapplication package. 
Entities wishing to apply for assistance should contact the RECD State 
Office to receive further information and copies of the preapplication 
package. Eligible entities for these competitively awarded grants 
include State and local governments, nonprofit corporations, Federally 
recognized Indian Tribes, and consortia of eligible entities.
    This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
assistance under No. 10.433, Housing Preservation Grants. This program 
is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372 which requires 
intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials (7 CFR 
part 3015, subpart V; 48 FR 29115, June 24, 1983). Applicants are also 
referred to 7 CFR part 1944, sections 1944.674 and 1944.676 (d) and (e) 
for specific guidance on these requirements relative to the HPG 
program.
    The funding instrument for the HPG program will be a grant 
agreement. The term of the grant can vary from 1 to 2 years, depending 
on available funds and demand. No maximum or minimum grant levels have 
been set, although based on fiscal year (FY) 1996 fund availability, 
the Agency anticipates that the average grant will be $75,000 for a 1-
year proposal. For FY 96, $11 million is available and has been 
distributed under a formula allocation to States pursuant to 7 CFR part 
1940, subpart L, ``Methodology and Formulas for Allocation of Loan and 
Grant Funds.''
    Decisions on funding will be based on the preapplications, and 
notices of action on the preapplications should be made no earlier than 
66 days prior to the closing date.

    Dated: November 28, 1995.
Maureen Kennedy,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 95-29694 Filed 12-5-95; 8:45 am]
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