[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5818-5821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2592]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service


Notice of Timeframe for Section 514 Farm Labor Housing Loans and 
Section 516 Farm Labor Housing Grants for Off-Farm Housing for Fiscal 
Year 2004

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service (RHS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This Notice 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 and acquisition and 
rehabilitation of off-farm units for farmworker households. 
Applications may also include requests for section 521 rental 
assistance (RA) and operating assistance for migrant units. This 
document describes the method used to distribute funds, the application 
process, and submission requirements. RHS is publishing this Notice 
prior to passage of a final appropriations act to give applicants the 
maximum amount of time possible to complete their applications, and to 
provide the Agency sufficient time to process the selected applications 
within the current fiscal year. Applications for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 
will only be accepted through the date and time listed in this Notice. 
A Notice of Funding Availability announcing the level of funding for 
the program will be published upon passage of a final appropriations 
act in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 1490p and 7 CFR 1944.170. Because the 
Agency's appropriations act has not been passed, the Agency cannot make 
funding commitments. Expenses incurred in developing applications will 
be at the applicant's risk.

DATES: The closing deadline for receipt of all applications in response 
to this Notice is 5 p.m., local time for each Rural Development State 
Office on May 6, 2004. The application 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 the United States Postal Service 
or private mailer does not constitute delivery. Facsimile 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 Center, 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) 761-7740, 
TDD 907-761-8905, Deborah Davis.
Arizona State Office
    Phoenix Corporate Center, 3003 N. Central Ave., Suite 900, 
Phoenix, AZ 85012-2906, (602) 280-8706, TDD (602) 280-8770, Johnna 
Vargas.
Arkansas State Office
    700 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 3416, Little Rock, AR 72201-3225, (501) 
301-3250, TDD (501) 301-3279, Clinton King.
California State Office
    430 G Street, Agency 4169, Davis, CA 95616-4169, (530) 792-5819, 
TDD (530) 792-5848, Jeff Deis.
Colorado State Office
    655 Parfet Street, Room E100, Lakewood, CO 80215, (720) 544-
2923, TDD (800) 659-2656, Mary Summerfield.
Connecticut
    Served by Massachusetts State Office.

    Delaware & Maryland State Office, 5201 South Dupont Highway, PO 
Box 400, Camden, DE 19934-9998, (302) 697-4353, TDD (302) 697-4303, 
Pat Baker.
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)

[[Page 5819]]

546-2164, TDD (706) 546-2034, Wayne Rogers.
Guam
    Served by Hawaii State Office.
Hawaii, Guam, & Western Pacific Territories State Office
    Room 311, Federal Building, 154 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 
96720, (808) 933-8309, TDD (808) 933-8321, Thao Khamoui.
Idaho State Office
    Suite A1, 9173 West Barnes Dr., Boise, ID 83709, (208) 378-5628, 
TDD (208) 378-5644, LaDonn McElligott.
Illinois State Office
    2118 W. Park Ct. Suite A, Champaign, IL 6821-2986, (217) 403-
6222, TDD (217) 403-6240, Barry L. Ramsey.
Indiana State Office
    5975 Lakeside Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290-3100 
(ext. 423), TDD (317) 290-3343, John Young.
Iowa State Office
    873 Federal Building, 210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, 
(515) 284-4666, TDD (515) 284-4858, Julie Sleeper.
Kansas State Office
    1303 SW First American Place, Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040, 
(785) 271-2721, TDD (785) 271-2767, Virginia M. Hammersmith.
Kentucky State Office
    771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40503, (606) 224-
7300, 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) 990-9110, TDD (207) 942-7331, Dale Holmes.
Maryland
    Served by Delaware State Office.
Massachusetts, Connecticut, & Rhode Island State Office
    451 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002, (413) 253-4315, TDD (413) 
253-4590, Paul Geoffroy.
Michigan State Office
    3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 48823, (517) 
324-5192, TDD (517) 337-6795, Philip Wolak.
Minnesota State Office
    410 AgriBank Building, 375 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-
1853, (651) 602-7804, TDD (651) 602-7830, Joyce Vondal.
Mississippi State Office
    Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 W. Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 
39269, (601) 965-4325, TDD (601) 965-5850, Darnella Smith-Murray.
Missouri State Office
    1201 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade Center, Suite 235, Columbia, 
MO 65203, (573) 876-9305, TDD (573) 876-9480, Colleen James.
Montana State Office
    Unit 1, Suite B, 900 Technology Blvd., Bozeman, MT 59715, (406) 
585-2518, TDD (406) 585-2562, Craig Hildreth.
Nebraska State Office
    Federal Building, Room 152, 100 Centennial Mall N, Lincoln, NE 
68508, (402) 437-5567, TDD (402) 437-5093, Phil Willnerd.
Nevada State Office
    1390 South Curry Street, Carson City, NV 89703-9910, (775) 887-
1222 (ext. 13), TDD (775) 885-0633, William L. Brewer.
New Hampshire State Office
    Concord Center, Suite 218, Box 317, 10 Ferry Street, Concord, NH 
03301-5004, (603) 223-6046, TDD (603) 229-0536, Jim Fowler.
New Jersey State Office
    5th Floor North Suite 500, 8000 Midlantic Dr., Mt. Laurel, NJ 
08054, (856) 787-7740, TDD (856) 787-7784, 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 2120, Raleigh, NC 27609, (919) 873-2066, 
TDD (919) 873-2003, Terry Strole.
North Dakota State Office
    Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East Rosser, PO Box 1737, 
Bismarck, ND 58502, (701) 530-2049, TDD (701) 530-2113, Kathy Lake.
Ohio State Office
    Federal Building, Room 507, 200 North High Street, Columbus, OH 
43215-2477, (614) 255-2418, TDD (614) 255-2554, Melodie Taylor.
Oklahoma State Office
    100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK 74074-2654, (405) 742-1070, 
TDD (405) 742-1007, Ivan Graves.
Oregon State Office
    101 SW Main, Suite 1410, Portland, OR 97204-3222, (503) 414-
3325, TDD (503) 414-3387, Margo Donelin.
Pennsylvania State Office
    One Credit Union Place, Suite 330, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996, 
(717) 237-2282, TDD (717) 237-2261, Martha E. Hanson.
Puerto Rico State Office
    IBM Building, Suite 601, Munoz Rivera Ave. 654, San 
Juan, PR 00918, (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) 253-3432, 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, TDD (615) 783-1397, G. Benson Lasater.
Texas State Office
    Federal Building, Suite 102, 101 South Main, Temple, TX 76501, 
(254) 742-9755, TDD (254) 742-9712, Eugene G. Pavlat.
Utah State Office
    Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 S. State Street, Room 
4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84138, (801) 524-4323, TDD (801) 524-3309, 
Dave Brown.
Vermont State Office
    City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, 
(802) 828-6028, TDD (802) 223-6365, Sandra Mercier.
Virgin Islands
Served by Florida State Office.
Virginia State Office
    Culpeper Building, Suite 238, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA 
23229, (804) 287-1547, TDD (804) 287-1753, Eileen Nowlin.
Washington State Office
    1835 Black Lake Blvd., Olympia, WA 98512, (360) 704-7731, TDD 
(360) 704-7760, Robert Lund.
Western Pacific Territories
    Served by Hawaii State Office.
West Virginia State Office
    Federal Building, 75 High Street, Room 320, Morgantown, WV 
26505-7500, (304) 284-4889, TDD (304) 284-4836, Craig St. Clair.
Wisconsin State Office
    4949 Kirschiling Court, Stevens Point, WI 54481, (715) 345-7608 
(ext. 7145), 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 Huff.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, applicants 
may contact Douglas MacDowell, Senior Loan Specialist, of the Multi-
Family Housing Processing Division, Rural Housing Service, United 
States Department of Agriculture, Stop 0781, 1400 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC, 20250, telephone (202) 720-1627 (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.

Definitions

    Farm Labor. Farm labor includes services in connection with 
cultivating the soil, raising or harvesting any agriculture or 
aquaculture commodity; or in catching, netting, handling, planting, 
drying, packing, grading, storing, or preserving in its unmanufactured 
state any agriculture or

[[Page 5820]]

aquaculture commodity; or delivering to storage, market, or a carrier 
for transportation to market or to process any agricultural or 
aquacultural commodity.
    Migrant Agricultural Laborers. Agricultural laborers and family 
dependents who establish a temporary residence while performing 
agriculture work at one or more locations away from the place they call 
home or home base. (This does not include day-haul agricultural workers 
whose travels are limited to work areas within one day of their work 
locations.)
    Off-Farm Labor Housing. Housing for farm laborers regardless of the 
farm where they work.

Discussion of Notice

I. Authority and Distribution Methodology

A. Authority
    The Farm Labor Housing program is authorized by 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 (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, public 
agencies (such as local housing authorities) and with section 514 loans 
to nonprofit limited partnerships in which the general partner is a 
nonprofit entity.
B. Distribution Methodology
    Because RHS has the ability to adjust loan and grant levels, final 
loan and grant levels will fluctuate. The actual funds available for 
fiscal year (FY) 2004 for off-farm housing will be published at a later 
date in a subsequent Notice.
C. Section 514 and Section 516 Funds
    Section 514 loan funds and section 516 grant funds will be 
distributed to States based on a national competition, as follows:
    1. States will accept, review, and score requests in accordance 
with 7 CFR part 1944, subpart D. The scoring factors are:
    (a) The presence and extent of leveraged assistance, including 
donated land, for the units that will serve program-eligible tenants, 
calculated as a percentage of the RHS total development cost (TDC). RHS 
TDC excludes non-RHS eligible costs such as a developer's fee. 
Leveraged assistance includes, but is not limited to, funds for hard 
construction costs, section 8 or other non-RHS tenant subsidies, and 
state or federal funds. A minimum of ten percent leveraged assistance 
is required to earn points; however, if the total percentage of 
leveraged assistance is less than ten percent and the proposal includes 
donated land, two points will be awarded for the donated land. Points 
will be awarded in accordance with the following table. (0 to 20 
points)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Percentage                             Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
75 or more.....................................................       20
60-74..........................................................       18
50-59..........................................................       16
40-49..........................................................       12
30-39..........................................................       10
20-29..........................................................        8
10-19..........................................................        5
0-9............................................................        0
Donated land in proposals with less than ten percent total             2
 leveraged assistance..........................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (b) Seasonal, temporary, migrant housing. (5 points for up to and 
including 50 percent of the units; 10 points for 51 percent or more.)
    (c) The selection criteria contained in 7 CFR part 1944, Subpart D 
includes one optional criteria set by the National Office. The National 
office initiative will be used in the selection criteria as follows: Up 
to 10 Points will be awarded based on the presence of and extent to 
which a tenant services plan exists that clearly outlines services that 
will be provided to the residents of the proposed project. These 
services may include but are not limited to: transportation related 
services, on-site English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, move-in 
funds, emergency assistance funds, homeownership counseling, food 
pantries, after school tutoring, and computer learning centers. Two 
points will be awarded for each resident service included in the tenant 
services plan up to a maximum of 10 points. Plans must detail how the 
services are to be administered, who will administer them, and where 
they will be administered. All tenant service plans must include 
letters of intent that clearly state the service that will be provided 
at the project for the benefit of the residents from any party 
administering each service, including the applicant. (0 to 10 points)
    2. States will conduct preliminary eligibility review, score 
applications, and forward to the National Office.
    3. The National Office will rank all requests nationwide and 
distribute funds from any FY 2004 appropriation to States in rank 
order, within funding and RA limits. A lottery will be used for 
applications with tied point scores when they all cannot be funded. If 
insufficient funds or RA remain for the next ranked proposal, that 
applicant will be given a chance to modify their application to bring 
it within remaining funding levels. This will be repeated for each next 
ranked eligible proposal until an award can be made or the list is 
exhausted.

II. Funding Limits

    A. Individual requests may not exceed $3 million (total loan and 
grant).
    B. No State may receive more than 30 percent of the total available 
funds unless an exception is granted from the Administrator.
    C. Rental Assistance will be held in the National Office for use 
with section 514 loans and section 516 grants and will be awarded based 
on each project's financial structure and need.

III. Application Process

    All applications for sections 514 and 516 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 
Notice. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed and will be 
returned to the applicant. No application will be accepted after 5 pm, 
local time, on May 6, 2004 unless 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 Notice. Each application 
must also include an estimate of development cost utilizing Form RD 
1924-13, ``Estimate and Certificate of Actual Cost'', and a proposed 
operating budget utilizing Form RD 1930-7, ``Multiple Family Housing 
Project Budget.'' 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 applicant on the information provided in the 
application.
    B. All applicants who apply for grant funds must also provide, as 
part of their application, a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number. As required by the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB), all grant applicants must provide a DUNS number when 
applying for Federal

[[Page 5821]]

grants, on or after October 1, 2003. Organizations can receive a DUNS 
number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number 
request line at 1-866-705-5711. Additional information concerning this 
requirement is provided in a policy directive issued by OMB and 
published in the Federal Register on June 27, 2003 (Vol. 68, No. 124, 
pages 38402-38405).
    C. 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: February 2, 2004.
Arthur A. Garcia,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 04-2592 Filed 2-5-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P