[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 108 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30873-30874]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14811]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4182-N-03]


Fiscal Year 1997 Notice of Funding Availability for Continuum of 
Care Homeless Assistance; Supportive Housing Program (SHP); Shelter 
Plus Care (S+C); Sec. 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy 
Program for Homeless Individuals (SRO)

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability (NOFA); Notice of Revision and 
Extension of Deadline.

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SUMMARY: On April 8, 1997 (62 FR 17024), HUD published a notice 
announcing the availability of fiscal year (FY) 1997 funding for three 
of its programs that assist communities in combating homelessness. The 
three programs are: (1) Supportive Housing; (2) Shelter Plus Care; and 
(3) Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation for Single Room Occupancy 
Dwellings for Homeless Individuals. Since the issuance of the April 8, 
1997 NOFA, HUD has realized that the NOFA's limitations placed on the 
level of refunding for existing projects are too inflexible. HUD's 
policy is to allow communities as much flexibility as possible in the 
preparation of their Continuum of Care System and the size and 
selection of projects. Therefore, this notice announces that the April 
8, 1997 NOFA is revised to allow communities to request full funding 
for eligible renewal activities when proposing renewal of existing 
projects. This notice also extends the application deadline to August 
18, 1997.

DEADLINE DATES: Applications Delivered. Applications are due before 
midnight on August 18, 1997.
    Before and on the deadline date, and during normal business hours 
(up to 6:00 p.m.) completed applications will be accepted at the Office 
of Special Needs Assistance Programs (Room 7270) in Washington at the 
address below.
    On the deadline date and after normal business hours (after 6:00 
p.m.), hand-carried applications will be received at the South Lobby of 
the Department of Housing and Urban Development at the address below. 
HUD will treat as ineligible for consideration delivered applications 
that are received after that deadline.
    Applications Mailed. Applications will be considered timely filed 
if postmarked before midnight on August

[[Page 30874]]

18, 1997, and received by HUD Headquarters within ten (10) days after 
that date.
    Applications Sent by Overnight Delivery. Overnight delivery items 
will be considered timely filed if received before or on August 18, 
1997, or upon submission of documentary evidence that they were placed 
in transit with the overnight delivery service by no later than August 
18, 1997.
    No facsimile (FAX). Applications may not be sent by FAX.
    Copies of Applications to Field Offices. Two copies of the 
application must also be sent to the HUD Field Office serving the State 
in which the applicant's projects are located. Field office copies must 
be received by the application deadline. All three copies may be used 
in reviewing the application.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On April 8, 1997 (62 FR 17024), HUD published a notice announcing 
the availability of fiscal year (FY) 1997 funding for three of its 
programs that assist communities in combatting homelessness. The three 
programs are: (1) Supportive Housing; (2) Shelter Plus Care; and (3) 
Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation for Single Room Occupancy Dwellings 
for Homeless Individuals. On May 5, 1997 (62 FR 24501), HUD published a 
notice announcing that the application deadline for the April 8, 1997 
Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance notice of funding availability 
(NOFA) was extended to July 31, 1997. HUD extended the deadline since 
the FY 1997 Continuum of Care NOFA introduced new procedures for 
awarding project renewal funds, which could require, in certain 
communities, additional time for reanalyzing the gaps that exist in 
continuum of care systems within the communities, and for reformulating 
plans and priorities for filling those gaps.

Project Renewals

    Following the issuance of the NOFA on April 8, 1997, HUD has heard 
from a number of communities that the limitations placed on the level 
of refunding for existing projects are too inflexible. They believe 
that the local process should have the flexibility to request full 
funding for existing well-run projects that have limited ability to 
obtain other resources. As it is HUD's policy to allow communities as 
much flexibility as possible in the preparation of their continuum of 
care system and the size and selection of projects, this notice revises 
the FY 1997 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance to provide that 
communities can request full funding for eligible renewal activities 
when requesting renewal of existing projects.

Extension of Application Deadline

    This notice also extends the application deadline to August 18, 
1997 in order to allow communities time to revise their continuum of 
care priority lists to take into account the change being made to the 
NOFA provisions on project renewals, as described above. This change 
may require more time for additional meetings and other new activities 
at the community level.
    Accordingly, FR Doc. 97-9034, the Fiscal Year 1997 Notice of 
Funding Availability for Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance; 
Supportive Housing Program (SHP); Shelter Plus Care (S+C); Sec. 8 
Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy Program for Homeless 
Individuals (SRO), published in the Federal Register on April 8, 1997 
(62 FR 17024), is amended on page 17026, column 2, in section I.(e), by 
revising the text under the subheading ``Project renewals'' to read as 
follows:

I. Substantive Description

* * * * *
(e) Prioritizing
* * * * *
    Project renewals. In the past, HUD has taken a portion of the funds 
available under the current appropriation to fund the renewal of 
expiring Supportive Housing grants, Supportive Housing Demonstration 
Program grants, and SAFAH grants. However, this policy results in less 
funds available for the competition and places the decision on what is 
needed in a community in the hands of HUD officials rather than 
communities. Consistent with the Continuum of Care approach, the need 
for the continuation of previously funded projects should be considered 
in the local needs analysis process and a decision should be made 
locally on the priority to assign to the continuation of a project. 
Therefore, HUD funds needed to continue expiring Supportive Housing 
grants, Supportive Housing Demonstration Program grants, SAFAH grants, 
and Shelter Plus Care grants, as described below, will only be 
available through the competitive process described in this NOFA. In 
reviewing a community's continuum of care and determining the points to 
assign, HUD will consider whether the community took its renewal needs 
into account in preparing its project priority list. The Continuum of 
Care score will reflect the extent to which renewal needs are addressed 
in the gaps analysis.
    For this 1997 competition, communities need to pay particular 
attention to the funding needs of current Supportive Housing Program 
grants, Supportive Housing Demonstration Program grants and SAFAH 
grants whose terms will expire in 1998, and current Shelter Plus Care 
grants which will have insufficient funds to continue operating 
throughout 1998 if additional funds are not awarded to them in this 
competition. To the extent a locality desires to have such projects 
renewed, it should give them the top priorities on the priority 
projects listing in the application. However, communities should bear 
in mind that the funds available under this NOFA are not sufficient to 
cover the renewal of projects expiring nationwide in 1998 at 100 
percent of their last year's funding for a 3-year period.
    For the renewal of a Supportive Housing Program project, Supportive 
Housing Demonstration Program project or SAFAH project, you may request 
for each of three (3) years up to 100 percent of the amount of HUD 
grant funds for leasing, operations, and supportive services approved 
for the final year of the expiring grant's term. For the renewal of a 
Shelter Plus Care project, you may request up to the amount determined 
by multiplying the number of units under lease at the time of 
application for renewal funding under this NOFA by the applicable 
current Fair Market Rent(s) by 60 months. While full funding of 
existing grants may be requested, there is no guarantee that the entire 
amount will be awarded.
    This NOFA is not applicable to the renewal of funding under the SRO 
program.
* * * * *
    Dated: June 3, 1997.
Jacquie Lawing,
 General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development.
[FR Doc. 97-14811 Filed 6-3-97; 12:27 pm]
BILLING CODE 4210-29-P