[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 48 (Monday, March 14, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12564-12568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4775]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service


Notice of Funds Availability for the Section 533 Housing 
Preservation Grants for Fiscal Year 2005

    Announcement Type: Initial Notice inviting applications from 
qualified applicants for Fiscal Year 2005.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers (CFDA): 10.433.

SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service (RHS) announces that it is 
soliciting competitive applications under its Housing Preservation 
Grant (HPG) program. The HPG program is a grant program which provides 
qualified public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, and other 
eligible entities grant funds to assist very low- and low-income 
homeowners in repairing and rehabilitating their homes in rural areas. 
In addition, the HPG program assists rental property owners and 
cooperative housing complexes in repairing and rehabilitating their 
units if they agree to make such units available to low- and very low-
income persons. This action is taken to comply with Agency regulations 
found in 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N, which require the Agency to 
announce the opening and closing dates for receipt of pre-applications 
for HPG funds from eligible applicants. The intended effect of this 
Notice is to provide eligible organizations notice of these dates.

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 13, 2005. 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

[[Page 12565]]

closing deadline date and time. Acceptance by the United States Postal 
Service or private mailer does not constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX) 
and postage due applications will not be accepted.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The reporting requirements contained in this Notice have been 
approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Control Number 
0575-0115.

Program Administration

I. Funding Opportunities Description

    The funding instrument for the HPG Program will be a grant 
agreement. The term of the grant cannot exceed 1 year without Agency 
consent. Applicants should contact the Rural Development State Office 
to determine the allocation and the State maximum grant level, if any.

II. Award Information

    For Fiscal Year 2005, $8,810,944 is available for the HPG Program. 
A set aside of $892,800 has been established for grants located in 
Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, and REAP Zones and other 
funds will be distributed under a formula allocation to States pursuant 
to 7 CFR part 1940, subpart L, ``Methodology and Formulas for 
Allocation of Loan and Grant Program Funds.'' Decisions on funding will 
be based on pre-applications.

III. Eligibility Information

    7 CFR part 1944, subpart N provides details on what information 
must be contained in the pre-application package. Contact the Rural 
Development State office to receive further information on the State 
allocation of funds and copies of the pre-application package. Eligible 
entities for these competitively awarded grants include State and local 
governments, nonprofit corporations, federally recognized Indian 
tribes, and consortia of eligible entities.
    As part of the application, all applicants must also provide 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 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 (68 FR 38402-38405).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Applicants wishing to apply for assistance must make its statement 
of activities available to the public for comment. The applicant(s) 
must announce the availability of its statement of activities for 
review in a newspaper of general circulation in the project area and 
allow at least 15 days for public comment. The start of this 15-day 
period must occur no later than 16 days prior to the last day for 
acceptance of pre-applications by RHS.
    Applicants must also contact the Rural Development State Office, 
serving the place in which they desire to submit an application 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) 279-3400
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
Debbie Andrys

Arizona State Office
Phoenix Courthouse and Federal Building
230 North First Ave., Suite 206
Phoenix, AZ 85003-1706
(602) 280-8765
TDD (602) 280-8706
Johnna Vargas

Arkansas State Office
700 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 3416
Little Rock, AR 72201-3225
(501) 301-3258
TDD (501) 301-3063
Clinton King

California State Office
430 G Street, 4169
Davis, CA 95616-4169
(530) 934-4614 ext. 123
TDD (530) 792-5848
Linda Eveland

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 and Maryland State Office
4607 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
Gainesville, FL 32606-6563
(352) 338-3465
TDD (352) 338-3499
Elizabeth M. Whitaker

Georgia State Office
Stephens Federal Building
355 E. Hancock Avenue
Athens, GA 30601-2768
(706) 546-2164
TDD (706) 546-2034
Wayne Rogers

Hawaii State Office
    (Services all Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and Western Pacific)
Room 311, Federal Building
154 Waianuenue Avenue
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 933-8305
TDD (808) 933-8321
Jack Mahan

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 West Park Court, Suite A
Champaign, IL 61821-2986
(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
210 Walnut Street Room 873
 Des Moines, IA 50309
(515) 284-4493
TDD (515) 284-4858
Sue Wilhite

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
(859) 224-7325
TDD (859) 224-7422
Beth Moore

Louisiana State Office
3727 Government Street
Alexandria, LA 71302
(318) 473-7962
TDD (318) 473-7655
Yvonne R. Emerson


[[Page 12566]]


Maine State Office
967 Illinois Ave., Suite 4
PO Box 405
Bangor, ME 04402-0405
(207) 990-9110
TDD (207) 942-7331
Bob Nadeau

Maryland
    Served by Delaware State Office

Massachusetts, Connecticut, & Rhode Island State Office
451 West Street Suite 2
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
Ghulam R. Simbal

Minnesota State Office
375 Jackson Street Building, Suite 410
St. Paul, MN 55125
(651) 602-7804
TDD (651) 602-7830
Thomas Osborne

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
601 Business Loop 70 West
Parkade Center, Suite 235
Columbia, MO 65203
(573) 876-9303
TDD (573) 876-9480
Becky Eftink

Montana State Office
900 Technology Blvd, Suite B
Bozeman, MT 59771
(406) 585-2515
TDD (406) 585-2562
Deborah Chorlton

Nebraska State Office
Federal Building, Room 152
100 Centennial Mall N
Lincoln, NE 68508
(402) 437-5035
TDD (402) 437-5093
Sharon Kluck

Nevada State Office
1390 South Curry Street
Carson City, NV 89703-9910
(775) 887-1222 (ext. 25)
TDD (775) 885-0633
Angilla Denton

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 Drive
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 5th Floor
Syracuse, NY 13202
(315) 477-6404
TDD (315) 477-6447
Tia Baker

North Carolina State Office
4405 Bland Road, Suite 260
Raleigh, NC 27609
(919) 873-2066
TDD (919) 873-2003
William A. Hobbs

North Dakota State Office
Federal Building, Room 208
220 East Rosser
PO Box 1737
Bismarck, ND 58502
(701) 530-2046
TDD (701) 530-2113
Barry Borstad

Ohio State Office
Federal Building, Room 507
200 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-2477
(614) 255-2418
TDD (614) 255-2554
Melodie Taylor-Ward

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) 414-3351
TDD (503) 414-3387
Diana Chappell

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. 249)
TDD (787) 766-5332
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
Roger Hazuka or Pam Reilly

Tennessee State Office
Suite 300
3322 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203-1084
(615) 783-1375
TDD (615) 783-1397
Larry Kennedy

Texas State Office
Federal Building, Suite 102
101 South Main
Temple, TX 76501
(254) 742-9758
TDD (254) 742-9712
Julie Hayes

Utah State Office
Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building
125 S. State Street, Room 4311
Salt Lake City, UT 84138
(801) 524-4325
TDD (801) 524-3309
Janice Kocher

Vermont State Office
City Center, 3rd Floor
89 Main Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 828-6021
TDD (802) 223-6365
Heidi Setien

Virgin Islands
    Served by Florida State Office

Virginia State Office
Culpeper Building, Suite 238
1606 Santa Rosa Road
Richmond, VA 23229
(804) 287-1596
TDD (804) 287-1753
CJ Michels

Washington State Office
1835 Black Lake Blvd., Suite B
Olympia, WA 98512
(360) 704-7730
TDD (360) 704-7742
Robert L. 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 Kirschling Court
Stevens Point, WI 54481
(715) 345-7608 (ext.151)
TDD (715) 345-7614
Peter Kohnen

Wyoming State Office
PO Box 82601
Casper, WY 82602-5006
(307) 233-6715
TDD (307) 233-6733
Jack Hyde


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, applicants 
may contact Bonnie Edwards-Jackson, Senior Loan Specialist, Multi-
Family Housing Processing Division, Rural Housing Service, United 
States Department of

[[Page 12567]]

Agriculture, Stop 0781, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20250-0781, telephone (202) 690-0759 (voice) (this is not a toll free 
number) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD-Federal Information Relay Service).

V. Application Review Information

    All applications for Section 533 funds must be filed with the 
appropriate Rural Development State Office and must meet the 
requirements of this Notice. Pre-applications determined not eligible 
and/or not meeting the selection criteria will be notified by the Rural 
Development State Office.
    All applicants will file an original and two copies of Standard 
Form (SF) 424, ``Application For Federal Assistance,'' and supporting 
information with the appropriate Rural Development State Office. A pre-
application package, including SF-424, is available in any Rural 
Development State Office.
    All pre-applications shall be accompanied by the following 
information which Rural Development will use to determine the 
applicant's eligibility to undertake the HPG program and to evaluate 
the pre-application under the project selection criteria of Sec.  
1944.679 of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N.
    (a) A statement of activities proposed by the applicant for its HPG 
program as appropriate to the type of assistance the applicant is 
proposing, including:
    (1) A complete discussion of the type of and conditions for 
financial assistance for housing preservation, including whether the 
request for assistance is for a homeowner assistance program, a rental 
property assistance program, or a cooperative assistance program;
    (2) The process for selecting recipients for HPG assistance, 
determining housing preservation needs of the dwelling, performing the 
necessary work, and monitoring/inspecting work performed;
    (3) A description of the process for identifying potential 
environmental impacts in accordance with Sec.  1944.672 of 7 part CFR 
1944, subpart N, and the provisions for compliance with Stipulation I, 
A-G of the Programmatic Memorandum of Agreement, also known as PMOA, 
(RD Instruction 2000-FF, available in any Rural Development State 
Office) in accordance with Sec.  1944.673(b) of 7 part CFR 1944, 
subpart N;
    (4) The development standard(s) the applicant will use for the 
housing preservation work; and, if not the Rural Development standards 
for existing dwellings, the evidence of its acceptance by the 
jurisdiction where the grant will be implemented;
    (5) The time schedule for completing the program;
    (6) The staffing required to complete the program;
    (7) The estimated number of very low- and low-income minority and 
nonminority persons the grantee will assist with HPG funds; and, if a 
rental property or cooperative assistance program, the number of units 
and the term of restrictive covenants on their use for very low- and 
low-income;
    (8) The geographical area(s) to be served by the HPG program;
    (9) The annual estimated budget for the program period based on the 
financial needs to accomplish the objectives outlined in the proposal. 
The budget should include proposed direct and indirect administrative 
costs, such as personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, 
contracts, and other cost categories, detailing those costs for which 
the grantee proposes to use the HPG grant separately from non-HPG 
resources, if any. The applicant budget should also include a schedule 
(with amounts) of how the applicant proposes to draw HPG grant funds, 
i.e., monthly, quarterly, lump sum for program activities, etc.;
    (10) A copy of a indirect cost proposal as required in 7 CFR parts 
3015 and 3016, when the applicant has another source of federal funding 
in addition to the Rural Development HPG program;
    (11) A brief description of the accounting system to be used;
    (12) The method of evaluation to be used by the applicant to 
determine the effectiveness of its program which encompasses the 
requirements for quarterly reports to Rural Development in accordance 
with Sec.  1944.683(b) of 7 part CFR 1944, subpart N and the monitoring 
plan for rental properties and cooperatives (when applicable) according 
to Sec.  1944.689 of 7 part CFR 1944, subpart N;
    (13) The source and estimated amount of other financial resources 
to be obtained and used by the applicant for both HPG activities and 
housing development and/or supporting activities;
    (14) The use of program income, if any, and the tracking system 
used for monitoring same;
    (15) The applicant's plan for disposition of any security 
instruments held by them as a result of its HPG activities in the event 
of its loss of legal status;
    (16) Any other information necessary to explain the proposed HPG 
program; and
    (17) The outreach efforts outlined in Sec.  1944.671(b) of 7 CFR 
part 1944, subpart N.
    (b) Complete information about the applicant's experience and 
capacity to carry out the objectives of the proposed HPG program.
    (c) Evidence of the applicant's legal existence, including, in the 
case of a private nonprofit organization, a copy of, an accurate 
reference to, the specific provisions of State law under which the 
applicant is organized; a certified copy of the applicant's Articles of 
Incorporation and Bylaws or other evidence of corporate existence; 
certificate of incorporation for other than public bodies; evidence of 
good standing from the State when the corporation has been in existence 
1 year or more; and the names and addresses of the applicant's members, 
directors and officers. If other organizations are members of the 
applicant-organization, or the applicant is a consortium, pre-
applications should be accompanied by the names, addresses, and 
principal purpose of the other organizations. If the applicant is a 
consortium, documentation showing compliance with Sec.  1944.656(4)(ii) 
of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N will also be included.
    (d) For a private nonprofit entity, the most recent audited 
statement and a current financial statement dated and signed by an 
authorized officer of the entity showing the amounts and specific 
nature of assets and liabilities together with information on the 
repayment schedule and status of any debt(s) owed by the applicant.
    (e) A brief narrative statement which includes information about 
the area to be served and the need for improved housing (including both 
percentage and the actual number of both low-income and low-income 
minority households and substandard housing), the need for the type of 
housing preservation assistance being proposed, the anticipated use of 
HPG resources for historic properties, the method of evaluation to be 
used by the applicant in determining the effectiveness of its efforts.
    (f) Applicant must submit an original and one copy of Form RD 1940-
20 prepared in accordance with Exhibit F-1 of 7 part CFR 1944, subpart 
N.
    (g) Applicant must also submit a description of its process for:
    (1) Identifying and rehabilitating properties listed on or eligible 
for listing on the National Register of Historic Places;
    (2) Identifying properties that are located in a floodplain or 
wetland;

[[Page 12568]]

    (3) Identifying properties located within the Coastal Barrier 
Resources System; and
    (4) Coordinating with other public and private organizations and 
programs that provide assistance in the rehabilitation of historic 
properties (Stipulation I, D, of the PMOA, RD Instruction 2000-FF, 
available in any Rural Development State Office).
    (h) The applicant must also submit evidence of the State Historic 
Preservation Office's, also known as SHPO, concurrence in the proposal, 
or in the event of nonconcurrence, a copy of SHPO's comments together 
with evidence that the applicant has sought the Advisory Council on 
Historic Preservation's advice as to how the disagreement might be 
resolved, and a copy of any advice provided by the Council.
    (i) The applicant must submit written statements and related 
correspondence reflecting compliance with Sec.  1944.674(a) and (c) of 
7 CFR part 1944, subpart N regarding consultation with local government 
leaders in the preparation of its program and the consultation with 
local and state government pursuant to the provisions of Executive 
Order 12372.
    (j) The applicant is to make its statement of activities available 
to the public for comment prior to submission to Rural Development 
pursuant to Sec.  1944.674(b) of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N. The 
application must contain a description of how the comments (if any were 
received) were addressed.
    (k) The applicant must submit an original and one copy of Form RD 
400-1, ``Equal Opportunity Agreement,'' and Form 400-4, ``Assurance 
Agreement Funds,'' in accordance with Sec.  1944.676 of 7 CFR part 
1944, subpart N. Applicants should review 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N 
for a comprehensive list of all application requirements.

Selection Criteria

    The Rural Development State Offices will utilize the following 
project selection criteria for applicants in accordance with Sec.  
1944.679 of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N:
    (a) Providing a financially feasible program of housing 
preservation assistance. Financially feasible is defined as proposed 
assistance which will be affordable to the intended recipient or result 
in affordable housing for very low- and low-income persons.
    (b) Serving eligible rural areas with a concentration of 
substandard housing for households with very low- and low-income.
    (c) Being an eligible applicant as defined in Sec.  1944.658 of 7 
CFR part 1944, subpart N.
    (d) Meeting the requirements of consultation and public comment in 
accordance with Sec.  1944.674 of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N.
    (e) Submitting a complete pre-application as outlined in Sec.  
1944.676 of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N.
    For applicants meeting all of the requirements listed above, the 
Rural Development State Offices will use weighted criteria as selection 
for the grant recipients. Each pre-application and its accompanying 
statement of activities will be evaluated and, based solely on the 
information contained in the pre-application, the applicant's proposal 
will be numerically rated on each criteria within the range provided. 
The highest-ranking applicant(s) will be selected based on allocation 
of funds available to the state.
    (a) Points are awarded based on the percentage of very low-income 
persons that the applicant proposes to assist, using the following 
scale:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) More than 80%.............................................        20
(2) 61% to 80%................................................        15
(3) 41% to 60%................................................        10
(4) 20% to 40%................................................         5
(5) Less than 20%.............................................         0
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (b) The applicant's proposal may be expected to result in the 
following percentage of HPG fund use (excluding administrative costs) 
to total cost of unit preservation. This percentage reflects maximum 
repair or rehabilitation with the least possible HPG funds due to 
leveraging, innovative financial assistance, owner's contribution or 
other specified approaches. Points are awarded based on the following 
percentage of HPG funds (excluding administrative costs) to total 
funds:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) 50% or less...............................................        20
(2) 51% to 65%................................................        15
(3) 66% to 80%................................................        10
(4) 81% to 95%................................................         5
(5) 96% to 100%...............................................         0
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (c) The applicant has demonstrated its administrative capacity in 
assisting very low- and low-income persons to obtain adequate housing 
based on the following:
    (1) The organization or a member of its staff has 2 or more years 
experience successfully managing and operating a rehabilitation or 
weatherization type program, including Rural Development's HPG Program: 
10 points.
    (2) The organization or a member of its staff has 2 or more years 
experience successfully managing and operating a program assisting very 
low- and low-income persons obtain housing assistance: 10 points.
    (3) If the organization has administered grant programs, there are 
no outstanding or unresolved audit or investigative findings which 
might impair carrying out the proposal: 10 points.
    (d) The proposed program will be undertaken entirely in rural areas 
outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas, also known as MSAs, identified 
by Rural Development as having populations below 10,000 or in remote 
parts of other rural areas (i.e., rural areas contained in MSAs with 
less than 5,000 population) as defined in Sec.  1944.656 of 7 CFR part 
1944, subpart N: 10 points.
    (e) The program will use less than 20 percent of HPG funds for 
administration purposes:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) More than 20%.........................................  ............
(2) 20%...................................................             0
(3) 19%...................................................             1
(4) 18%...................................................             2
(5) 17%...................................................             3
(6) 16%...................................................             4
(7) 15% or less...........................................            5
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Not eligible

    (f) The proposed program contains a component for alleviating 
overcrowding as defined in Sec.  1944.656 of 7 CFR part 1944, subpart 
N: 5 points.
    In the event more than one pre-application receives the same amount 
of points, those pre-applications will then be ranked based on the 
actual percentage figure used for determining the points. Further, in 
the event that pre-applications are still tied, then those pre-
applications still tied will be ranked based on the percentage figures 
used for administration purposes (low to high). Further, for 
applications where assistance to rental properties or cooperatives is 
proposed, those still tied will be further ranked based on the number 
of years the units are available for occupancy under the program (a 
minimum of 5 years is required). For this part, ranking will be based 
from most to least number of years. Finally, if there is still a tie, 
then a lottery system will be used.

    Dated: March 3, 2005.
Russell T. Davis,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 05-4775 Filed 3-11-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P