[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15889-15896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8494]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Job Training Partnership Act: Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker 
Housing Programs

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant 
Applications.

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SUMMARY: This notice contains all information required to submit a 
grant application. The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and 
Training Administration (ETA), announces the availability of $2,460,383 
to award competitive grants for projects that assist farmworkers in 
seeking and securing temporary or permanent housing. This program is 
supported by funds made available pursuant to Title IV, section 402, of 
the Job Training Partnership Act.

DATES: Applications for grant awards will be accepted commencing May 1, 
1998. The closing date for receipt of applications shall be May 18, 
1998, at 2 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) at the address below.

ADDRESSES: Submit an original and four (4) copies of the application 
to: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, 
Office of Grants and Contract Management, Division of Acquisition and 
Assistance, Room S-4203, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20210. ATTN: Ms. Irene Taylor-Pindle, Reference SGA/DAA 98-008.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Irene Taylor-Pindle, Division of Acquisition and Assistance, 
Telephone: (202) 219-8702 ext. 114 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Solicitation for Grant Applications 
(SGA) consists of five parts. Part I provides the background and 
objectives of the Farmworker Housing Assistance Program. Part II 
identifies allowable housing services. Part III describes the content 
of the technical proposal and the selection criteria used in reviewing 
proposals. Part IV sets forth the application process. Part V describes 
the reporting requirements.

Part I--Background

    To meet the problems of agriculture-related underemployment and 
unemployment, the Congress has directed the Secretary of Labor to 
establish employment and training programs specifically for migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers. Under section 402 of the Job Training Partnership 
Act (JTPA), the Department of Labor (DOL or the Department) provides 
employment, training and supportive services to eligible migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers and their families in the conterminous forty-eight 
(48) States, the State of Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
    In accordance with the intent of Congress and JTPA section 
402(c)(3), the services include, but are not limited to, classroom 
training, on-the-job training, work experience, job search assistance, 
counseling, job development, relocation assistance, training-relating 
and non-training-related supportive services. Among the services 
provided over the years has been farmworker housing assistance.
    The Department awarded six grants in Program Year (PY) 1994, for 
farmworker housing assistance. Some of the grant recipients have 
operated farmworker housing assistance programs, while others have 
served chiefly as facilitating

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agents who provide assistance in planning, grantsmanship and management 
of housing operations to agencies and organizations chartered to assist 
farmworker families with either temporary rental housing or new 
construction for permanent residency and ownership.
    Many of the organizations funded by the Department of Labor provide 
assistance and services to farmworker communities within their service 
delivery areas, while others serve farmworker communities confined to 
small residential pockets within and extending over large geographical 
regions. In some instances, these service areas have extended over 
several contiguous States.
    In calling for grant applications, the Department is not limiting 
or suggesting specific geographic regions as service areas for the 
implementation of farmworker housing assistance programs. In making the 
award(s), the Department will take into consideration the needs of the 
eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers throughout the conterminous 
forty-eight (48) States, the State of Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico which may result in the award of up to six grants.
    The Department will consider applications from regional consortia 
or applications that feature subgrant arrangements for specified 
geographic regions. Inasmuch as some grant applications may contain 
proposed service areas which overlap the service areas of the other 
prospective grantees, the Department reserves the right to negotiate 
the proposed service area with each prospective grantee in order to 
maximize the number of farmworkers to be served.
    Organizations are discouraged from competing for more than one 
geographic area of the country. Preference will be given to those 
organizations demonstrating prior farmworker housing experience within 
the proposed service area.

Overall Objectives

    As this farmworker housing grant program continues into a new 
program year, there will be an increased emphasis on efficiency, cost 
effectiveness and measurable outcomes.

Part II--Statement of Work

    This Statement of Work sets forth the objectives, general 
specifications, and conditions for providing farmworker housing 
assistance during the 12-month Program Year 1998 grant period.
    The Department recognizes that all of the activities listed below 
may not be necessary for a prospective grantee's proposed service area. 
Accordingly, prospective grantees should include appropriate 
justification for not including particular activities in their 
proposals. The desired activities sought under this solicitation should 
address all of the following areas:

A. Farmworker Housing Technical Assistance

--Providing technical assistance to agencies or organizations 
specifically chartered to provide local assistance to farmworkers 
seeking permanent or temporary housing.
--Providing technical assistance and training to agencies and 
organizations concerning legislative and regulatory changes affecting 
farmworker housing programs, applications and funding.

B. Farmworker Housing Rehabilitation

--Providing assistance either directly to eligible farmworkers or 
indirectly to agencies or organizations engaged in the provision of 
housing services to farmworkers with regard to housing rehabilitation 
through Community Development Block Grants and other applications; 
target area identification for program activities; program design for 
farmworker housing rehabilitation services; assuring farmworker 
community participation; performing environmental reviews prior to 
rehabilitation activities; program design and administration.
--Providing assistance with weatherization of farmworker housing; 
assisting in either conducting outreach farmworker eligibility 
certification or training agencies and organization on ``how to'' 
engage in the same; providing assistance with actual weatherization, 
program administration, client identification, the preweatherization 
process involving applications, work writeups, bid process, contract 
negotiations, monitoring and fund disbursements.

C. Farmworker Single Family Housing Assistance

--Providing either direct assistance to individuals and communities or 
indirect assistance through the provision of technical assistance and 
training regarding the following:

    1. Preparation of Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) 523 
applications for self-help technical assistance grants; securing land 
and recruiting eligible farmworker families; developing housing plans, 
specifications and cost estimates.
    2. Site development, including site identification and acquisition, 
engineering selection, preliminary mapping, zoning and planning 
reviews, FmHA site review and contractor selection.
    3. FmHA 502 Single Family Loans, including outreach and eligibility 
determination of farmworkers, loan packaging and filing, training on 
the FmHA review process and finally on the loan award and closing.
    4. Construction (all aspects), ownership and family accounting; and 
local program management.

D. Farmworker Rental Housing Development Assistance

--The provision of assistance either directly to farmworkers or 
indirectly through training and technical assistance to agencies and 
organizations chartered to assist farmworkers in developing or 
obtaining rental housing through FmHA 514, 515 and 516 programs.
--Through the provision of assistance in the following areas related to 
rental housing: Sponsor development and incorporation; housing surveys 
and market analyses; site identification and property acquisition; 
architectural selection; involvement starting pre-application and 
continuing through approval; zoning permits acquisition; development of 
management plans; advertising for bids on construction through the 
loan/mortgage, closing, and rental process.

E. Sewer and Water for Farmworker Housing

--Assisting agencies and organizations engaged in the development and 
provision of assistance of farmworkers seeking either temporary or 
permanent housing as it applies to water and sewer lines.
--Providing technical assistance in the following associated areas: 
Project identification, needs assessment, preliminary applications, 
engineering selection, land acquisition, easement, district formation, 
design, final applications and letters of conditions, hookup funding, 
environmental reviews, bidding and contract negotiations, construction, 
grants management, board training, revenue and budget management and 
finally operation and maintenance training.

F. Farmworker Housing Counseling

--The grant recipient(s) will engage in training and provide technical 
assistance to organizations working with farmworkers, or directly to 
farmworkers providing counseling concerning the following issues as 
they apply to home ownership: ownership rights and responsibilities,

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effects of mortgage payment delinquency and default, preoccupation, 
referrals for other forms of assistance along with foreclosure 
assistance.

G. New Housing Program Development

--Will provide training to agencies and/or organizations chartered to 
assist farmworkers obtain housing ownership, or directly to farmworkers 
with regard to building coalitions that will aid home ownership, 
researching resources, developing new farmworker housing programs and 
how to network with other farmworker housing organizations and housing 
programs for the mutual benefit of all concerned.

    In listing these activities, the Department recognizes that all of 
the activities may not be necessary for a prospective grantee's 
proposed service area. Accordingly, prospective grantees should include 
appropriate justification for not including any of these activities in 
their proposal.

Part III--Contents of Technical Proposals and Rating Criteria

1. Technical Capability of Contractor

    The technical proposal should document the applicant's capacity to 
develop a technical approach which accomplishes the objectives 
described in the Statement of Work (See Part II, above).
    An application submitted by a consortium of farmworker housing 
agencies/organizations, or which involves a sub-grantee arrangement, 
should detail the arrangements between the parties. Further, the 
application must explain how these arrangements will strengthen the 
overall technical capabilities of the applicant. Total of 20 Points.

2. Administrative Capability

    In reviewing this criterion, the reviewers will consider the 
applicant's qualifications in terms of relevant experience, facilities 
and other resources. Applicant should describe their experience 
providing farmworker housing technical assistance in order to 
illustrate their skills and their ability to administer a grant under 
the MSFW housing program. An application which is submitted by a 
consortium or which involves a sub-grantee arrangement shall describe 
how the program components would be linked, administered, and 
monitored, and how the applicant would provide oversight and assure 
that goals are met. The applicant must document its experience by 
providing the Department of Labor with the name(s) and telephone 
number(s) of any entity which has awarded funds to the applicant for 
the administration of farmworker housing assistance program(s). 
Furthermore, the proposal should include a staffing chart which lists 
name, qualifications and pertinent experience of each key staff person, 
along with amount of time each such staffer would spend on the project 
if involved less than full-time. Total of 20 Points.

3. Program Design

    In reviewing this criterion, the reviewers will consider the 
applicant's description of the following:
    (a) The proposed service area, providing the rationale for the 
service area proposed (e.g. the State(s) or political subdivision to be 
served).
    (b) The main problems relating to farmworker housing in the 
targeted area(s); how the problems have been identified and how the 
proposed activities will address and resolve them.
    (c) The housing activities (See Part II, above) that the applicant 
plans to undertake, and the rationale for selecting those activities. 
The applicant should relate each proposed activity to the problems 
affecting farmworkers in the identified geographic areas within the 
proposed overall service area.
    The applicant shall set measurable (quantifiable) goals for each 
activity identified, covering each quarter within the program year 
(funding period). The Department will consider this information during 
grant negotiations and will incorporate it into the grant award 
documents. The applicant should include in this section an itemized 
annual budget indicating personnel and all other administrative costs 
to be charged to the grant. Proposed expenditures must be consistent 
with and fully supported by the proposed housing activities. Total of 
50 Points.

4. Linkages & Coordination

    In reviewing this criterion, the reviewers will consider the 
applicant's description of the following:
    Any and all linkages that the applicant (be it a single applicant, 
a consortium or an applicant with sub-grantee arrangements) has 
established within the identified service area to further the proposed 
farmworker housing assistance activities. The applicant should identify 
and demonstrate (including letters of support) linkages with farmworker 
organizations and JTPA, section 402, employment and training recipients 
and effected farmworker communities, and any organizations chartered to 
provide services and assistance to farmworks in the designated service 
area of the proposed housing assistance program. Additionally, the 
applicant should describe how these linkages will benefit the program. 
Total of 10 Points.
    Applicants are advised that discussions may be necessary in order 
to clarify any inconsistencies in their applications, as well as to 
negotiate proposed service areas. Applications may be rejected where 
the information required is not provided in sufficient detail to permit 
adequate assessment of the proposal.
    The final decision on the award(s) will be based on what is most 
advantageous to the Federal Government as determined by the ETA Grant 
Officer. This determination will include an assessment of the need for 
farmworker assistance in seeking and securing both temporary and 
permanent housing throughout the conterminous forty-eight (48) States, 
the State of Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Part IV--Application Process

A. Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants for grant funds under this SGA include public 
organizations and private nonprofit organizations authorized by their 
charters or articles of incorporation to provide housing assistance 
services to the migrant and seasonal farmworker community. Entities 
described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage 
in lobbying activities are not eligible to receive funds under this 
SGA. The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq, 
prohibits the award of federal funds to 501(c)(4) entities engaged in 
lobbying activities.

B. Application Procedures

(1) Submission of Proposal
    All instructions and forms required for submittal of applications 
are included in this announcement.
    The application package shall consist of two (2) separate and 
distinct parts. Part I, The Financial Proposal and Part II, the 
Technical Proposal. The Financial Proposal, Part I, shall contain the 
SF-424. ``Application for Federal Assistance'' (Attachment No. 1) and 
SF424-A, ``Budget'' (Attachment No. 2). The Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance Number is 17.247. The budget shall include on separate 
page(s) a cost analysis of the budget, identifying in detail the amount 
of each budget line item attributable to each cost category.
    The technical proposal, Part II, shall demonstrate the applicant's 
capability to provide the services described in this announcement. 
Applicants should

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describe the proposed technical approach including phasing of tasks and 
scheduling of time and personnel. Under Program Design (See Part III 
(3)(c), above), we request the submission of a budget to accompany the 
technical proposal.
    In addition, the Technical Proposal shall be limited to (fifty) 50 
doubled spaced, single-side, 8.5 inch  x  11 inch pages with 1 inch 
margins. Appendices shall not exceed twenty (20) pages. Text type shall 
be 12 point or larger. Applications not meeting these requirements may 
not be considered. The Technical Proposal must also contain activity 
and outcome information.
(2) Hand-Delivered Proposal
    Proposals may be mailed or delivered by hand. Hand delivered 
proposals will be accepted if they are received by 2 p.m., Eastern 
Standard Time on May 18, 1998. All overnight mail will be considered to 
be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place by the 
specified time on the closing date. Grant applications transmitted by 
electronic mail, telegraph, facsimile and/or faxed will not be honored. 
Failure to adhere to the above instructions will be a basis for 
determining that an application is non-responsive.
(3) Late Proposals
    Any proposal not reaching the designated place, by the specified 
time and date of the delivery requirements will not be considered, 
unless it is received before the award is made and was either:
    (a) Sent by U.S. Postal Service registered or Certified mail not 
later than the fifth (5th) calendar day before the date specified for 
receipt of application; or
    (b) Sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service--Post 
Office to addressee, not later than 5 p.m. at the place of mailing two 
working days prior to the date specified for receipt of proposals. The 
term ``working days'' excludes weekends and U.S. Federal holidays.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late proposal sent by either Express Mail or U.S. Postal Service 
Registered, Certified Mail is the U.S. Postmark both on the envelope or 
wrapper and on the original receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. Both 
postmarks must show a legible date or the proposal shall be processed 
as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped, or otherwise 
placed impression (exclusive of postage meter machine impression) that 
is readily identifiable without further action as having been supplied 
and affixed by employees of the U.S. Postal Service on the date of 
mailing.
    Therefore, applicants should request the postal clerk to place a 
legible hand cancellation ``bull's eye'' postmark on both the receipt 
and the envelope.
(4) Period of Performance
    The period of performance will be 12 months beginning July 1, 1998, 
and continuing through June 30, 1999.
(5) Option to Extend
    The Department reserves to extend this grant for an additional one 
or two years, based on the availability of funds, a grantee's success 
in completing work under this SGA, and the needs of the Department.

Part V--Reporting Requirements

    Recipients of grants under this solicitation will be required to 
submit reports, as set forth below, to the Division of Migrant and 
Seasonal Farmworker Programs, Office of National Programs, Employment 
and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.

A. Quarterly Reports

    Three copies of the first quarterly report will be due 45 days 
after the first three months of program operation, and should reflect 
program activities and financial outlays. The reports will record and 
measure agreed-upon activities in quantifiable terms, providing a means 
by which performance under the grants can be evaluated. Subsequent 
reports will be due on a quarterly basis and will follow the format and 
content of the first such report. Additional and more specific items 
and forms will be shared at the time of grant negotiations.

B. Final/Annual Status Reports

    The Grant Recipient shall submit three copies of a report which 
summarizes the grantee's activities under this grant during the program 
year, within 45 days after the end of the program year.

    Signed at Washington, DC. this 26th day of March, 1998.
James C. De Luca,
Grant Officer, Office of Grants and Contract Management, Division of 
Acquisition and Assistance.

Attachments

1. Appendix A--``Application for Federal Assistance'' (Standard Form 
424)

2. Appendix B--``Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs'' 
(Standard Form 424-A)

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[FR Doc. 98-8494 Filed 3-31-98; 8:45 am]
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