[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 152 (Friday, August 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42550-42552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21126]



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Part IV





Department of Housing and Urban Development





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HUD Colonias Initiative (HCI) Fiscal Year 1998 Funding Availability: 
Application Deadline Amendments and Extension; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 152 / Friday, August 7, 1998 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4380-C-02]


Notice of Funding Availability for the HUD Colonias Initiative 
(HCI), Fiscal Year 1998; Amendments and Extension of Application 
Deadline

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

ACTION: Notice of funding availability; Amendments and extension of 
application deadline.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to make several revisions to the 
July 15, 1998 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the HUD 
Colonias Initiative (HCI). Specifically, the July 15, 1998 NOFA 
provided a definition of the term ``rural county.'' This notice revises 
the July 15, 1998 NOFA to use the broader and appropriate terms 
``rural'' and ``rural area,'' which encompass ``rural county.'' The 
notice also amends the July 15, 1998 NOFA to provide for the award of 
two bonus points during the application review process for eligible 
activities/projects that are proposed to be located in a Federally 
designated Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community. HUD is also 
extending the HCI NOFA application due date, in order to ensure that 
applicants have sufficient time to prepare their applications in light 
of the revisions to the July 15, 1998 NOFA made by this notice.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: Completed applications (one original and two 
copies) must be submitted no later than 12:00 midnight, Eastern time, 
on September 8, 1998 to the address shown below. (Please note that the 
room number for application submissions has been revised from the room 
number identified in the July 15, 1998 NOFA.) The above-stated 
application deadline is firm as to date and hour. In the interest of 
fairness to all applicants, HUD will treat as ineligible for 
consideration any application that is not received before the 
application deadline. Applicants should submit their materials as early 
as possible to avoid any risk of loss of eligibility because of 
unanticipated delays or other delivery-related problems. HUD will not 
accept, at any time during the NOFA competition, application materials 
sent by facsimile (FAX) transmission.

ADDRESSES AND APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCEDURES: Addresses: Completed 
applications (one original and two copies) must be submitted to: 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, 
Room 7251, Washington, DC 20410; ATTN: HUD Colonias Initiative. (Please 
note that the room number for application submissions has been revised 
from the room number identified in the July 15, 1998 NOFA.)
    Applications Procedures. Mailed Applications. Applications will be 
considered timely filed if postmarked on or before 12:00 midnight on 
the application due date and received at the address above on or within 
five (5) days of the application due date.
    Applications Sent by Overnight/Express Mail Delivery. Applications 
sent by overnight delivery or express mail will be considered timely 
filed if received before or on the application due date, or upon 
submission of documentary evidence that they were placed in transit 
with the overnight delivery service by no later than the specified 
application due date.
    Hand Carried Applications. Hand carried applications delivered 
before and on the application due date must be brought to the specified 
location and room number between the hours of 8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., 
Eastern time. Applications hand carried on the application due date 
will be accepted in the South Lobby of the HUD Headquarters Building at 
the above address from 5:15 p.m. until 12:00 midnight, Eastern time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yvette Aidara, Office of Block Grant 
Assistance, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th 
Street, SW, Room 7184, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708-1322 
(this is not a toll-free number). Persons with speech or hearing 
impairments may access this number via TTY by calling the toll-free 
Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 15, 1998 (63 FR 38252), HUD 
published its Fiscal Year 1998 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) 
for the HUD Colonias Initiative (HCI). The NOFA announced the 
availability of $5 million for assistance to organizations serving 
colonia residents. Of this amount, up to $4 million will be provided to 
carry out development projects in colonias. One grant of $1 million may 
be provided to one or more private intermediary organization(s) (for 
profit and nonprofit) that would provide capacity-building loans, 
grants, or technical assistance to local nonprofit organizations 
serving colonias residents. Colonias eligible for assistance under the 
July 15, 1998 NOFA are any of the severely distressed, rural, 
unplanned, predominantly unincorporated settlements located along the 
2,000 mile United States-Mexico border. The July 15, 1998 NOFA set 
forth the application instructions for the development grants and 
capacity-building grants.
    The July 15, 1998 NOFA provided two possible definitions of the 
term ``rural county.'' This notice amends the NOFA to use the broader 
and appropriate terms ``rural'' and ``rural area,'' which encompass 
``rural county.'' Applicants for HCI grants may use one of the four 
definitions described in this notice.
    This notice also amends the July 15, 1998 NOFA to provide for the 
award of two bonus points for eligible activities/projects that are 
proposed to be located in a Federally designated Empowerment Zone or 
Enterprise Community. This change will conform the July 15, 1998 HCI 
NOFA to HUD's three consolidated SuperNOFAs published in the Federal 
Register on May 31, 1998 and April 30, 1998.
    Further, this notice amends the July 15, 1998 NOFA to provide that 
HCI applicants must submit clarifications or corrections to their 
applications within five calendar days of receipt of the HUD 
notification requesting the clarification or correction. The July 15, 
1998 NOFA provided for a 7-day calendar period. This change will permit 
HUD to expedite the processing of HCI applications.
    HUD is also extending the HCI NOFA application due date, in order 
to ensure that applicants have sufficient time to prepare their 
applications in light of the revisions to the July 15, 1998 NOFA made 
by this notice.
    Accordingly, in the FY 1998 NOFA for the HUD Colonias Initiative 
(HCI), notice document 98-18932, beginning at 63 FR 38252, in the issue 
of Wednesday, July 15, 1998, the following corrections are made:
    1. On page 38252, in the first column, under SUMMARY, the last 
sentence of that paragraph is amended to read as follows:
    As indicated in the body of this NOFA, applicants may use one of 
four definitions for the terms ``rural'' or ``rural area.''
    2. On page 38252, in the third column, under Section I(B) 
(captioned ``Definitions''), the definition of the term ``rural 
county'' is amended to read as follows:
    Rural or Rural Area may be defined in one of four ways:
    (a) A place having fewer than 2,500 inhabitants (within or outside 
of metropolitan areas).
    (b) A county with no urban population (i.e., city) of 20,000 
inhabitants or more.

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    (c) Territory, persons, and housing units in the rural portions of 
``extended cities.'' Appendix A to this notice identifies the United 
States Census Bureau's list of those extended cities located in 
Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. The U.S. Census Bureau 
identifies the rural portions of extended cities in the United States. 
If, based on available information, an applicant is unable to determine 
if an area is located in the rural portion of an extended city, the 
applicant may contact Mr. Steve Johnson, Director, State and Small 
Cities Division at the address below and HUD will assist the applicant 
in making this determination.
    (d) Open country which is not part of or associated with an urban 
area. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) determines 
what constitutes ``open country.'' If an applicant does not have access 
to USDA determinations, the applicant may contact Mr. Steve Johnson, 
Director, State and Small Cities Division at the address below, and HUD 
will work with the USDA to provide this information to the applicant.
    Mr. Steve Johnson may be contacted at the following address: U.S. 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, 
Room 7184, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708-1322 (this is not 
a toll-free number). Hearing or speech-impaired individuals may access 
this number via TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay 
Service at 1-800-877-8339.
    3. On page 38255, in the first column, under section II(H) 
(captioned ``Eligible Populations to be Served''), the second sentence 
of that section is corrected to read as follows:
    See definitions of ``colonias'' and ``rural/rural area'' above.
    4. On page 38256, in the middle column, under section III(D) 
(captioned ``Factors for Award''), the first paragraph is amended to 
read as follows:
    (D) Factors for Award. All applicants will be considered for 
selection based on the following factors that demonstrate the need for 
the proposed project or activities, and the applicant's creativity, 
capacity and commitment to provide the maximum benefit to the residents 
of the colonias areas served and the extent to which the proposed 
project will increase the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and 
accessible affordable housing in colonias. The maximum points that may 
be awarded under this NOFA is 102.
    5. On page 38257, in the first column, under section III(D) 
(captioned ``Factors for Award''), a new final paragraph is added to 
read as follows:
    EZ/EC Bonus Points. HUD may award two bonus points for eligible 
activities/projects that are proposed to be located in Federally 
designated Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities (EZs/ECs) and 
serve the EZ/EC residents, and are certified to be consistent with the 
strategic plan of the EZs and ECs. A listing of the Federally 
designated EZs and ECs are available from the SuperNOFA Information 
Center or through the HUD web site on the Internet at http://
www.HUD.gov.
    6. On page 38257, in the first column, section V (captioned 
``Corrections to Deficient Applications'') is amended to read as 
follows:
V. Corrections to Deficient Applications
    After the application due date, HUD may not, consistent with 24 CFR 
part 4, subpart B, consider unsolicited information from an applicant. 
HUD may contact an applicant, however, to clarify an item in the 
application or to correct technical deficiencies. Applicants should 
note, however, that HUD may not seek clarification of items or 
responses that improve the substantive quality of the applicant's 
response to any eligibility or selection criterion. Examples of curable 
technical deficiencies include failure to submit an application 
containing an original signature by an authorized official. In each 
case, HUD will notify the applicant in writing by describing the 
clarification or technical deficiency. HUD will notify applicants by 
facsimile or by return receipt requested mail. Applicants must submit 
clarifications or corrections of technical deficiencies in accordance 
with the information provided by HUD within 5 calendar days of the date 
of receipt of the HUD notification. If the deficiency is not corrected 
within this time period, HUD will reject the application as incomplete.

    Dated: August 4, 1998.
Saul N. Ramirez, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.

Appendix A--List of Extended Cities Identified by the U.S. Census 
Bureau in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas

1. Avondale
2. Bullhead City
3. Camp Verde
4. Casa Grande
5. Cave Creek
6. Chandler
7. Clifton
8. Eloy
9. Flagstaff
10. Fountain Hills
11. Gilbert
12. Goodyear
13. Lake Havasu City
14. Oro Valley
15. Page
16. Parker
17. Phoenix
18. Prescott Valley
19. Scottsdale
20. Show Low
21. Sierra Vista
22. Snowflake
23. Surprise
24. Tucson
25. Williams
26. Adelanto
27. Apple Valley
28. Avenal
29. Bakersfield
30. Barstow
31. California City
32. Cathedral City
33. Coachella
34. Fremont
35. Hayward
36. Indian Wells
37. Lake Elsinore
38. Lancaster
39. La Quinta
40. Mammoth Lakes
41. Needles
42. Palmdale
43. Palm Springs
44. Palo Alto
45. Perris
46. Poway
47. Rancho Mirage
48. San Diego
49. Twentynine Palms
50. Union City
51. Victorville
52. West Sacramento
53. Moreno Valley
54. Rio Rancho
55. Socorro
56. Truth or Consequences
57. Allen
58. El Paso
59. Euless
60. Fort Worth
61. Frisco
62. Galveston
63. Grapevine
64. Hitchcock
65. League City
66. Lewisville
67. Liberty
68. McKinney
69. Mansfield
70. Manvel
71. Midlothian
72. Mineral Wells
73. Monahans
74. Port Arthur
75. Robinson
76. Schertz
77. Texas City
78. Waxahachie
79. Wylie

Appendix B--Certification of Consistency With the EZ/EC Strategic 
Plan

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

    I certify that the proposed activities/projects in this 
application are consistent with the Strategic Plan of a Federally-

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designated Empowerment Zone (EZ) or Enterprise Community (EC).

Applicant Name:--------------------------------------------------------

Name of the Federal Program to which the applicant is applying:--------

Name of EZ/EC:---------------------------------------------------------

I further certify that the proposed activities/projects will be 
located within the EZ/EC and serves EZ/EC residents. (2 points)

Name of the Official Authorized to Certify the EZ/EC: 

Title:-----------------------------------------------------------------

Signature:-------------------------------------------------------------

Date:------------------------------------------------------------------

[FR Doc. 98-21126 Filed 8-4-98; 2:09 pm]
BILLING CODE 4210-29-P