[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