[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 159 (Wednesday, August 18, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51318-51319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-18862]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. 4900-C-02C]


FY 2004 SuperNOFA for HUD's Discretionary Programs; Correction 
and Extension of SHOP NOFA Application Deadline

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD.

ACTION: Notice: correction and extension of SHOP NOFA application 
deadline.

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SUMMARY: This document makes corrections to a document published in the 
Federal Register on May 14, 2004, concerning HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 
2004 Super Notice of Funding Availability (SuperNOFA). The corrections 
pertain solely to the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program 
(SHOP). The corrections are designed to reflect recent statutory 
amendments to the statute authorizing SHOP. As a result of these 
changes, HUD is extending the application due date for the SHOP 
SuperNOFA.

DATES: The application due date for the SHOP SuperNOFA is extended to 
September 17, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lou Thompson, Office of Community 
Planning and Development, Room 7162, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20410-7000; 
telephone (202) 708-2470 (this is not a toll-free number). Individuals 
with speech or hearing impairments may access this number through TTY 
by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 
877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On May 14, 2004 (69 FR 26941), HUD published its Fiscal Year (FY) 
2004, Super Notice of Funding Availability (SuperNOFA). On May 28, 2004 
(69 FR 30697), June 22, 2004 (69 FR 34878), and July 20, 2004 (69 FR 
43427), respectively, HUD published technical corrections for several 
of the programs included in the SuperNOFA. The June 22, 2004 (69 FR 
34878), notice contained specific technical corrections for the Self-
Help Homeownership Program (SHOP) section of the FY 2004 SuperNOFA; 
however, the due date for the funding application did not change. This 
notice published in today's Federal Register further amends the SHOP 
section of the FY 2004 SuperNOFA. This correction conforms the SHOP 
NOFA to the Helping Hands for Homeownership Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-
285, approved August 2, 2004) (Helping Hands Act). The Helping Hands 
Act amended 11(b)(1) of the Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act 
of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 12805 note) (HOPEA), which authorizes SHOP. 
Specifically, section two of the Helping Hands Act amended paragraph 
11(b)(1) of HOPEA by striking ``dwelling'' and inserting ``dwellings.'' 
This amendment permits greater flexibility to SHOP grantees by 
permitting homebuyers to contribute sweat equity to additional 
dwellings other than their own home. To allow FY2004 applicants to be 
able to take advantage of the greater flexibility, HUD is correcting 
the SHOP NOFA to include the new statutory language, and consequently 
extend the application deadline. For future SHOP competitions, HUD 
intends to seek public input on the definition of ``sweat equity,'' 
which may include rulemaking should HUD determine it to be appropriate.

II. Extension of SHOP Application Due Date

    The changes affect the thresholds for sweat equity and volunteer 
labor in the SHOP section of the FY 2004 SuperNOFA. Due to these 
program changes, it is necessary to extend the SHOP FY 2004 SuperNOFA 
funding application due date from its original date of July 20, 2004. 
The new application due date for the SHOP SuperNOFA is September 17, 
2004.
    This extension will permit organizations that could not meet the 
prior requirements, and therefore did not apply, or those whose 
applications were not submitted by the July 20, 2004, application 
deadline, an opportunity to still apply for FY 2004 SHOP funding. 
Applicants that met the July 20, 2004, application deadline will have 
an opportunity to revise their applications if they so choose. If an 
applicant does not submit a new application or revisions to its 
previously submitted application, HUD will review the previously 
submitted application. Applicants may submit a totally new application 
or they have the option of

[[Page 51319]]

submitting only the section or sections affected by these changes. For 
example, if a change is made in rating factor 3, the entire rating 
factor 3 must be submitted. HUD will only accept an entire section or 
sections to the revised application. HUD will not accept parts of a 
section, individual pages, or paragraphs. This limitation is to ensure 
that no information is omitted. A transmittal letter identifying the 
pages and sections changed must be signed by the same person that 
signed the SF-424.
    Accordingly, this document makes the following corrections:

Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) Eligibility 
Information

    On page 27362 of the May 14, 2004, SuperNOFA under section III.C.2. 
captioned ``Threshold Requirements,'' HUD corrects section III.C.2.e. 
to read as follows:
    e. Your program must require homebuyers to contribute a minimum of 
100 hours of sweat equity toward the construction or rehabilitation of 
their own homes and/or the homes of other homebuyers participating in 
the self-help housing program. However, in the case of a household with 
only one adult, the requirement is 50 hours of sweat equity. This 
includes training for construction on the dwelling units, but excludes 
homebuyer counseling and home maintenance training. Reasonable 
accommodation must be permitted in the provision of sweat equity for 
persons with disabilities.
    On page 27362 of the May 14, 2004, SuperNOFA under section III.C.2 
captioned ``Threshold Requirements,'' HUD corrects section III.C.2.f. 
to read as follows:
    f. Your program must involve community participation in which 
volunteers assist in the construction of dwellings. Volunteer labor is 
work performed by an individual without promise, expectation or 
compensation for the work rendered. For mutual self-help housing 
programs that are assisted by USDA Rural Development under section 523 
of the Housing Act of 1949 (7 CFR Part 1944, Subpart I) or which have a 
program design similar to the section 523 program, the work by each 
participating family on other participating families' homes may count 
as volunteer labor. A mutual self-help housing program generally 
involves 4 to 10 participating families organized in a group to use 
their own labor to reduce the total construction cost of their homes 
and complete construction work on their homes by an exchange of labor 
with one another.

    Dated: August 10, 2004.
Nelson Breg[oacute]n,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development.
[FR Doc. 04-18862 Filed 8-17-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-29-P