[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 87 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24483-24485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11257]
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 87 / Thursday, May 6, 1999 /
Notices
[[Page 24483]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for Section 514 Farm Labor
Housing Loans and Section 516 Farm Labor Housing Grants for Off-farm
Housing
AGENCY: Rural Housing Service (RHS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This NOFA announces the timeframe to submit applications for
section 514 Farm Labor Housing loan funds and section 516 Farm Labor
Housing grant funds for new construction of off-farm units for
farmworker households. Applications may also include requests for
section 521 rental assistance (RA). This document describes the method
used to distribute funds, the application process, and submission
requirements.
DATES: The closing deadline for receipt of all applications in response
to this NOFA is 5:00 p.m., local time for each Rural Development State
office on July 15, 1999. The application closing deadline is firm as to
date and hour. RHS will not consider any application that is received
after the closing deadline. Applicants intending to mail applications
must provide sufficient time to permit delivery on or before the
closing deadline date and time. Acceptance by a post office or private
mailer does not constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX), COD, and postage
due applications will not be accepted.
ADDRESSES: Applicants wishing to apply for assistance must contact the
Rural Development State office serving the place in which they desire
to submit an application for off-farm labor housing to receive further
information and copies of the application package. Rural Development
will date and time stamp incoming applications to evidence timely
receipt, and, upon request, will provide the applicant with a written
acknowledgment of receipt. A listing of Rural Development State
offices, their addresses, telephone numbers, and person to contact
follows:
Note: Telephone numbers listed are not toll-free.
Alabama State Office, Suite 601, Sterling Centre, 4121 Carmichael
Road, Montgomery, AL 36106-3683, (334) 279-3455, TDD (334) 279-3495,
James B. Harris
Alaska State Office, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 201, Palmer, AK
99645, (907) 745-2176, TDD (907) 745-6494, Ron Abbott
Arizona State Office, Phoenix Corporate Center, 3003 N. Central
Ave., Suite 900, Phoenix, AZ 85012-2906, (602) 280-8755, TDD (602)
280-8701, Steve Langstaff
Arkansas State Office, 700 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 3416, Little Rock,
AR 72201-3225, (501) 301-3250, TDD (501) 301-3279, Cathy Jones
California State Office, 430 G Street, Agency 4169, Davis, CA 95616-
4169, (530) 792-5800, Robert P. Anderson
Colorado State Office, 655 Parfet Street, Room E100, Lakewood, CO
80215, (303) 236-2801 (ext. 122), TDD (303) 236-1590, ``Sam''
Mitchell
Connecticut--Served by Massachusetts State Office
Delaware/Maryland State Office, 5201 South Dupont Highway, PO Box
400, Camden, DE 19934-9998, (302) 697-4314, TDD (302) 697-4303, W.
Arthur Greenwood
Florida & Virgin Islands State Office, 4440 N.W. 25th Place, PO Box
147010, Gainesville, FL 32614-7010, (352) 338-3465, TDD (352) 338-
3499, Joseph P. Fritz
Georgia State Office, Stephens Federal Building, 355 E. Hancock
Avenue, Athens, GA 30601-2768, (706) 546-2164, TDD (706) 546-2034,
Wayne Rogers
Guam--Served by Hawaii State Office
Hawaii, Guam, and Western Pacific Territories State Office, Room
311, Federal Building, 154 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808)
933-3000, TDD (808) 933-6902, Abraham Kubo
Idaho State Office, Suite A1, 9173 West Barnes Dr., Boise, ID 83709,
(208) 378-5627, TDD (208) 378-5644, Roni Atkins
Illinois State Office, Illini Plaza, Suite 103, 1817 South Neil
Street, Champaign, IL 61820, (217) 398-5412 (ext. 256), TDD (217)
398-5396, Barry L. Ramsey
Indiana State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN
46278, (317) 290-3117, TDD (317) 290-3343, John Young
Iowa State Office, 873 Federal Building, 210 Walnut Street, Des
Moines, IA 50309, (515) 284-4493, TDD (515) 284-4858, Bruce McGuire
Kansas State Office, 1200 SW Executive Drive, PO Box 4653, Topeka,
KS 66604, (785) 271-2721, TDD (785) 271-2767, Gary Shumaker
Kentucky State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY
40503, (606) 224-7325, TDD (606) 224-7422, Paul Higgins
Louisiana State Office, 3727 Government Street, Alexandria, LA
71302, (318) 473-7962, TDD (318) 473-7655, Yvonne R. Emerson
Maine State Office, 444 Stillwater Ave., Suite 2, PO Box 405,
Bangor, ME 04402-0405, (207) 990-9115, TDD (207) 942-7331, Dale D.
Holmes
Maryland--Served by Delaware State Office
Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island State Office, 451 West
Street, Amherst, MA 01002, (413) 253-4333, Donald Colburn
Michigan State Office, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East Lansing,
MI 48823, (517) 337-6635 (ext. 1609), TDD (517) 337-6795, Philip
Wolak
Minnesota State Office, 410 AgriBank Building, 375 Jackson Street,
St. Paul, MN 55101-1853, (651) 602-7823, TDD (651) 602-3799, Mary
Ann Erickson
Mississippi State Office, Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 W.
Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965-4325, TDD (601) 965-
5850, Danny Ivy
Missouri State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade Center,
Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876-0990, TDD (573) 876-9480,
Gary Frisch
Montana State Office, Unit 1, Suite B, 900 Technology Blvd.,
Bozeman, MT 59715, (406) 585-2515, TDD (406) 586-0819, MaryLou
Falconer
Nebraska State Office, Federal Building, room 152, 100 Centennial
Mall N, Lincoln, NE 68508, (402) 437-5567, TDD (402) 437-5093, Byron
Fischer
Nevada State Office, 1390 South Curry Street, Carson City, NV 89703-
9910, (702) 887-1222, TDD (702) 885-0633 (ext. 13), William L.
Brewer
New Hampshire--Served by Vermont State Office
New Jersey State Office, Tarnsfield Plaza, Suite 22, 790 Woodland
Road, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060, (609) 265-3630, George Hyatt, Jr.
New Mexico State Office, 6200 Jefferson St., NE, Room 255,
Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761-4944, TDD (505) 761-4938, Carmen N.
Lopez
New York State Office, The Galleries of Syracuse, 441 S. Salina
Street, Suite 357, Syracuse, NY 13202, (315) 477-6419, TDD (315)
477-6447, George N. Von Pless
North Carolina State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, Raleigh, NC
27609, (919) 873-2062, TDD (919) 873-2003, Eileen Nowlin
North Dakota State Office, Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East
Rosser, PO Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502, (701) 250-4771, TDD (701)
250-4794, Kathy Lake
Ohio State Office, Federal Building, Room 507, 200 North High
Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2477, (614) 469-5165, TDD (614) 469-5757,
Gerald Arnott
Oklahoma State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK 74074-
2654, (405) 742-1070, TDD (405) 742-1007, Patsy Graumann
Oregon State Office, 101 SW Main, Suite 1410, Portland, OR 97204-
3222, (503) 414-3350, TDD (503) 414-3387, Jillene Davis
Pennsylvania State Office, One Credit Union Place, Suite 330,
Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996, (717) 237-2187, TDD (717) 237-2187, Gary
Rothrock
Puerto Rico State Office, New San Juan Office Bldg., Room 501, 159
Carlos E. Chardon Street, Hato Rey, PR 00918-5481, (787) 766-5095,
Ext. 254, TDD 1-800-274-1572, Lourdes Colon
Rhode Island--Served by Massachusetts State Office
South Carolina State Office, Strom Thurmond Federal Building, 1835
Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 765-5690, TDD
(803) 765-5697, Larry D. Floyd
South Dakota State Office, Federal Building, Room 210, 200 Fourth
Street, SW, Huron, SD 57350, (605) 352-1132, TDD (605) 352-1147,
Dwight Wullweber
Tennessee State Office, Suite 300, 3322 West End Avenue, Nashville,
TN 37203-1084, (615) 783-1375, G. Benson Lasater
Texas State Office, Federal Building, Suite 102, 101 South Main,
Temple, TX 76501, (254) 742-9760, TDD (254) 742-9712, Eugene G.
Pavlat
[[Page 24484]]
Utah State Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 S. State
Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84147-0350, (801) 524-4323,
TDD (801) 524-3309, Robert L. Milianta
Vermont and New Hampshire State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89
Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828-6020, TDD (802) 223-
6365, Russell Higgins
Virgin Islands--Served by Florida State Office
Virginia State Office, Culpeper Building, Suite 238, 1606 Santa Rosa
Road, Richmond, VA 23229, (804) 287-1582, TDD (804) 287-1753,
Carlton Jarratt
Washington State Office, 1835 Black Lake Blvd. SW., Suite B,
Olympia, WA 98512-5715, (360) 704-7707, TDD (360) 704-7760, Deborah
Davis
Western Pacific Territories--Served by Hawaii State Office
West Virginia State Office, Federal Building, 75 High Street, Room
320, Morgantown, WV 26505-7500, (304) 291-4793, TDD (304) 284-5941,
Sue Snodgrass
Wisconsin State Office, 4949 Kirschiling Court, Stevens Point, WI
54481, (715) 345-7620, TDD (715) 345-7614, Sherry Engel
Wyoming State Office, 100 East B, Federal Building, Room 1005, PO
Box 820, Casper, WY 82602, (307) 261-6315, TDD (307) 261-6333,
Charles E. Huff
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, applicants
may contact Linda Armour, Mary Fox, or Tracee Lilly, Senior Loan
Officers, Multi-Family Housing Processing Division, Rural Housing
Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Stop 0781, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, 20250, telephone (202) 720-
1604 (voice) (this is not a toll free number) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD-
Federal Information Relay Service).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Programs Affected
The Farm Labor Housing Program is listed in the Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance under Number 10.405, Farm Labor Housing Loans and
Grants. Rental Assistance is listed in the Catalog under Number 10.427,
Rural Rental Assistance Payments.
NOFA Application and Processing Deadlines
The NOFA application period closes July 15, 1999. Because of the
relatively short timeframe for processing selected loan requests to
permit obligation of funds by September 30, 1999, we have established
the following processing deadlines:
July 15, 1999: NOFA application period closes.
July 16-20, 1999: State Offices review applications for
completeness; score and rank; and provide list of all applications
received to National Office.
July 21-30, 1999: State Offices complete preliminary eligibility
and feasibility review and perform site visit; begin environmental
review.
August 2, 1999: Based on the preliminary eligibility and
feasibility review, State Offices provide final list of scored and
ranked preapplications to the National Office with review comments.
August 2-6, 1999: National Office ranks preapplications nation-
wide. As soon as possible thereafter, National Office notifies States
of requests selected for further processing.
August, 1999: Upon National Office notification, States immediately
notify selected applicants to submit a formal application within 30
days. Applicants should submit organizational documents immediately to
allow time for review by Office of General Counsel (OGC).
August-September, 1999: States complete the environmental review
and appraisal. Satisfactory completion of the environmental review must
occur prior to issuance of the letter of conditions.
September 15, 1999: Deadline for receipt of formal application.
Deadline for commitment of leveraged funds.
September 24, 1999: Deadline for issuing letter of conditions and
acceptance by borrower.
September 27, 1999: Deadline for loan or grant approval and
obligation of funds.
Discussion of Notice
I. Authority and Distribution Methodology
A. Authority
The farm labor housing program is under the Housing Act of 1949:
section 514 (42 U.S.C. 1484) for loans and section 516 (42 U.S.C. 1486)
for grants. Tenant subsidies (rental assistance, or RA) are available
through section 521 (42 U.S.C. 1490a). Sections 514 and 516 provide RHS
the authority to make loans and grants for financing off-farm housing
to broad-based nonprofit organizations, nonprofit organizations of
farmworkers, federally recognized Indian tribes, agencies or political
subdivisions of State or local government, and public agencies (such as
local housing authorities). In addition, RHS is authorized under
section 514 to make loans to finance off-farm housing to limited
partnerships in which the general partner is a nonprofit entity.
B. Distribution Methodology
The amounts available for fiscal year (FY) 1999 for off-farm new
construction are:
Section 514 loans..........................................$ 15,500,000
Section 516 grants..........................................$ 9,737,493
Section 514 new construction loan funds and section 516 new
construction grant funds will be distributed to States based on a
national competition, as follows:
1. States will accept, review, score, and rank requests in
accordance with 7 CFR part 1944, subpart D. The scoring criteria
includes an optional Agency initiative, which will not be used this
fiscal year.
2. The National office will rank all requests nationwide and
distribute funds to States in rank order, within funding and RA limits.
If insufficient funds or RA remain for the next ranked proposal, the
Agency will select the next ranked proposal that falls within the
remaining levels.
II. Funding Limits
A. Individual requests may not exceed $2.5 million (total loan and
grant).
B. No State may receive more than 30 percent of the total available
funds.
C. New construction RA will be held in the National Office for use
with section 514 loans and section 516 grants.
III. Application Process
The Rural Housing Service has published elsewhere in this Federal
Register a final rule entitled ``Processing Requests for Farm Labor
Housing (LH) Loans and Grants''. Loan requests filed in response to
this NOFA are subject to the regulatory provisions with respect to this
final rule. All applications for sections 514 and 516 new construction
funds must be filed with the appropriate Rural Development State office
and must meet the requirements of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart D, and
section IV of this NOFA. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed
and will be returned to the applicant. No application will be accepted
after 5:00 p.m., local time, on the application deadline previously
mentioned unless that date and time is extended by another Notice
published in the Federal Register.
IV. Application Submission Requirements
A. Each application shall include all of the information,
materials, forms and exhibits required by 7 CFR part 1944, subpart D,
as well as comply with the provisions of this NOFA. Applicants are
encouraged, but not required, to include a checklist and to have their
applications indexed and tabbed to facilitate the review process. The
Rural Development State office will base its determination of
completeness of the application and the eligibility of each
[[Page 24485]]
applicant on the information provided in the application.
B. Applicants are advised to contact the Rural Development State
office serving the place in which they desire to submit an application
for application information.
Dated: April 29, 1999.
Eileen M. Fitzgerald,
Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 99-11257 Filed 5-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-U