[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 124 (Thursday, June 26, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36380-36400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14445]
[[Page 36379]]
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Part II
Department of Housing and Urban Development
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HOPE VI Main Street Grants Notice of Funding Availability; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 124 / Thursday, June 26, 2008 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-5212-N-01]
HOPE VI Main Street Grants Notice of Funding Availability
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian
Housing, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Notice of Funding
Availability for HUD's Discretionary Programs (SuperNOFA): HOPE VI Main
Street Grants Program.
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SUMMARY: Although this NOFA is not included in the SuperNOFA
announcement, this NOFA is governed by the information and instructions
found in the Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year 2008 Notice of Funding
Availability Policy Requirements and General Section (2008 General
Section) that HUD published on March 19, 2008, and all subsequent
Supplementary Information and Technical Corrections published in the
Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding specific program
requirements should be directed to the agency contact identified in
this program NOFA. Questions regarding the 2008 General Section or
Supplementary information thereto, should be directed to the Office of
Departmental Grants Management and Oversight at (202) 708-0667 (this is
not a toll-free number) or the NOFA Information Center at (800) HUD-
8929 (toll-free). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access
these numbers via TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay Service
at (800) 877-8339. The NOFA Information Center is open between the
hours of 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday,
except federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Through today's publication, HUD is making
available approximately $4 million in assistance through the FY2008
HOPE VI Main Street Grants program. Today's publication is in addition
to the $1 billion made available through the FY2008 SuperNOFA.
As is HUD's practice in publishing the SuperNOFA, the NOFA
published today provides the statutory and regulatory requirements,
threshold requirements, and rating factors applicable to funding being
made available today (through the HOPE VI Main Street NOFA). Applicants
for the HOPE VI Main Street NOFA must also refer to the 2008 General
Section and any subsequent Supplementary Information and Technical
Corrections for important application information and requirements,
including submission requirements, which have changed this year.
In FY2008, HUD intends to continue to require its applicants to
submit their applications electronically through http://www.grants.gov.
If applicants have questions concerning the registration process,
registration renewal, assigning a new Authorized Organization
Representative, or have a question about a NOFA requirement, please
contact HUD staff identified in this program NOFA. HUD staff cannot
help the applicant write the application, but can clarify requirements
that are contained in the 2008 General Section, this Notice, and in
HUD's registration materials.
New applicants should note that they are required to complete a
five-step registration process in order to submit their applications
electronically. The 2008 General Section, included in the instructions
download materials on http://www.grants.gov (Grants.gov), provides a
step-by-step explanation of the registration process, as well as where
to find, on HUD's Web site, materials prepared by HUD to help guide
applicants through the registration and application submission process.
Applications and Instructions have been posted to Grants.gov. HUD
encourages applicants to subscribe to the Grants.gov free notification
service. By doing so, applicants will receive an e-mail notification as
soon as items are posted to the Web site. The address to subscribe to
this service is http://www.grants.gov/search/email.do. By joining the
notification service, if a modification is made to the NOFA, applicants
will receive an e-mail notification that a change has been made.
HUD encourages applicants to carefully read the 2008 General
Section and this program section of the NOFA. Carefully following the
directions provided can make the difference in a successful application
submission.
Overview Information
A. Federal Agency Name. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, Office of Public and Indian Housing.
B. Funding Opportunity Title. HOPE VI Main Street Grants.
C. Announcement Type. Initial announcement.
D. Funding Opportunity Number. FR-5212-N-01; OMB approval number is
2577-0208.
E. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number. The CFDA
number for this NOFA is 14.878, ``Affordable Housing Development in
Main Street Rejuvenation Projects.''
F. Dates.
1. Application Submission Date. The application deadline date is
August 15, 2008. Applications must be received and validated by
Grants.gov no later than 11:59:59 p.m. on the application deadline
date. Validation by Grants.gov may occur up to 48 hours after
electronic receipt of the application. See the 2008 General Section for
application submission and timely receipt requirements.
2. Estimated Grant Award Date. The estimated award date will be
September 24, 2008.
G. Additional Important Overview Information.
1. Electronic Application Submission. Applications for this NOFA
must be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. Registration or required annual re-
registration to submit an application electronically may take more than
a week because of the following: (1) The applicant's requirement to
register with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR), (2) the cross-
checking of applicant identification numbers between CCR and the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS), (3) applicant registration with the
Grants.gov Web site, and (4) the applicant's requirement to register
the official who will be submitting the application. HUD's Early
Registration Notice can be obtained through HUD's Web site at http://www.hud.gov/grants/.
2. Match. A Match of cash or in-kind services of 5 percent of the
requested grant amount is required in order to be considered for grant
award.
3. Application materials. Application materials may be obtained
from http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. Any
technical corrections will be published in the Federal Register and
posted to Grants.gov. Frequently asked questions will be posted on
HUD's Web site at http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/otherhud.cfm
and http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/grants/fy08/.
4. 2008 General Section Reference. Section I, ``Funding Opportunity
Description,'' of the 2008 General Section for HUD's Discretionary
Programs (2008 General Section), published in the Federal Register on
March 19, 2008, and subsequent Supplementary Information and Technical
Corrections published in the Federal Register, are hereby incorporated
by reference.
5. Other 2008 General Section References. See ``Other Submission
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Requirements'' in section IV.F. of this NOFA and the 2008 General
Section for detailed information about application submission.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Available Funds. This NOFA announces the availability of
approximately $4 million in FY2008 funds.
B. Purpose of the Program. The purpose of the HOPE VI Main Street
program is to provide grants to small communities to assist in the
rejuvenation of an historic or traditional central business district or
``Main Street'' area by replacing unused commercial space in buildings
with affordable housing units.
1. The objectives of the program are to:
a. Redevelop Main Street areas;
b. Preserve historic or traditional architecture or design features
in Main Street areas;
c. Enhance economic development efforts in Main Street areas; and
d. Provide affordable housing in Main Street areas.
C. Statutory Authority.
1. The program authority for the HOPE VI Main Street program is
section 24 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437v),
as amended by section 535 of the Quality Housing and Work
Responsibility Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-276, 112 Stat. 2461, approved
October 21, 1998), the HOPE VI Program Reauthorization and Small
Community Mainstreet Rejuvenation and Housing Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-
186, 117 Stat. 2685, approved December 16, 2003); and the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2008 (Pub. L. 110-161, approved December 26, 2007).
2. The funding authority for the HOPE VI Main Street program is
provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Pub. L. 110-161,
approved December 26, 2007) under the heading ``Revitalization of
Severely Distressed Public Housing (HOPE VI).''
3. ``The HOPE VI Program Reauthorization and Small Community
Mainstreet Rejuvenation and Housing Act of 2003'' states that, of the
amount appropriated for the overall HOPE VI program for any fiscal
year, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (the Secretary)
shall provide up to 5 percent for use only for the Main Street
initiative. The statute amended section 24(n) of the Act, which now
provides for grants to smaller communities, to provide assistance to
carry out eligible affordable housing activities.
D. Definition of Terms.
1. Affordable housing for this NOFA means rental or homeownership
dwelling units that, for INITIAL occupants:
a. Are made available to low-income families, with a subset of
units made available to very low-income families; and
b. Provide the same rules regarding occupant contribution toward
rent or purchase, and basic terms of rental or purchase, as are
provided to occupants of public housing units in a HOPE VI development.
Rights and responsibilities vary among HOPE VI developments. HOPE VI
public housing units use various mechanisms to set the resident portion
of rent, resident job training or employment requirements, resident
rights of return, and other occupancy issues. The Grantee, with HUD's
approval, determines how to implement these initial resident
safeguards. Strict application of public housing rules and regulations
is not required; e.g., the use of HUD forms and recordkeeping
requirements for occupancy and income. Units developed, rehabilitated
or reconfigured through this NOFA are NOT and statutorily MUST NOT BE
public housing units.
2. Applicant Team (``Team'') means the group of entities that will
develop the Main Street affordable housing project (``project''). The
Team includes the unit of local government that submits the application
and, where applicable, the procured Developer, the procured property
manager, architects (including architects who are knowledgeable about
universal design and section 504 accessible design requirements),
construction contractors, attorneys, investment partners that comprise
an owner entity, and other parties that may be involved in the
development and management of the project.
3. Community and Supportive Services (``CSS'') means services
provided to residents of the project that may include, but are not
limited to:
a. Homeownership counseling that is scheduled to begin promptly
after grant award so that, to the maximum extent possible, qualified
residents will be ready to purchase new homeownership units when they
are completed;
b. Educational life skills, job readiness and retention, employment
training, and other activities as described on HUD's HOPE VI Web site
at http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/css/; and
c. Coordination with fair housing groups to educate the Main Street
affordable housing project's targeted population on its fair housing
rights.
4. Firmly committed means that the amount of match or of Leverage
resources and their dedication to HOPE VI Main Street activities must
be explicit, in writing, and signed by a person authorized to make the
commitment.
5. 2008 General Section means the ``Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year
(FY) 2008 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA); Policy Requirements
and 2008 General Section to the FY 2008 SuperNOFA for HUD's
Discretionary Programs,'' published in the Federal Register on March
19, 2008. The 2008 General Section can be obtained through HUD's Web
site at http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm.
6. Homeownership unit means a housing unit that a local government
makes available through a grant from this NOFA for purchase by a low-
income family for use as its principal residence.
7. Initial occupancy period means the period of time that a rental
unit is occupied by the initial low-income resident, or the period of
time that a homeownership unit is owned by the initial third-party,
low-income purchaser. There is no set requirement for the length of
this occupancy period.
8. Jurisdiction means the physical area under the supervision of a
local government.
9. Leverage means non-HOPE VI-funded donations of cash and in-kind
services that are firmly committed to the rejuvenation of the Main
Street Area and are from non-HOPE VI sources.
a. Leverage may include funds/in-kind services that are already
expended, received but not expended, and firmly committed but not yet
received. See the definition of ``firmly committed'' in section 4.,
above.
b. Types of resources that may be counted include:
(1) Private mortgage-secured loans, insured loans, and other debt;
(2) Housing trust funds;
(3) Net sales proceeds from a homeownership project that exceed the
amount of HOPE VI funds used to develop the homeownership unit;
(4) Tax Increment Financing (TIF);
(5) Proceeds from Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), Historic
Preservation Tax Credits, and Tax Exempt Bonds;
(6) Land Sale Proceeds. The value of land sale proceeds may be
included as cash Leverage only if this value is a sales proceed. Absent
a sales transaction, the value of land will be counted as an in-kind
donation;
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(7) Other Federal Funds. Other federal sources may include non-
public housing funds provided by HUD;
(8) In-Kind Services, including donations of:
(a) Staff time of either the local government applicant or the
recognized Developer entity;
(b) Property such as materials, supplies, a building, a long-term
lease on a building, and other infrastructure;
(c) Services such as Homeownership Counseling, other CSS and family
self-sufficiency (FSS) resources, and time and services contributed by
volunteers.
(9) Leverage does NOT include, and HUD will not count:
10. Local government means any city, county/parish, town, township,
parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a
state; Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American
Samoa, the District of Columbia, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands, or a general purpose political subdivision thereof; or a
combination of such political subdivisions that is recognized by the
Secretary.
11. Low-income limits prescribed by HUD are stated on the internet
at http://www.huduser.org/intercept.asp?loc=/datasets/il/il08/FY2008_Section8_IncomeLimits.pdf. Low-Income family means a family (resident)
with an income equal to or less than 80 percent of median income for
the local area, adjusted for family size, in accordance with section
3(b)(2) of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended. HUD may
establish a level higher or lower than 80 percent because of prevailing
construction costs or unusually high or low family incomes in the area.
``Local area'' is defined as the non-metropolitan county/parish or
primary metropolitan statistical area/metropolitan statistical area
(PMSA/MSA) or county/parish, as prescribed by HUD, in which the low-
income family resides.
12. Main Street Area means an area determined and designated by the
applicant that fulfills the requirements stated in ``Program
Requirements,'' Section III.C. of this NOFA, and:
a. Is within the jurisdiction of the applicant;
b. Has specific boundaries that are determined by the applicant;
c. Is or was:
(1) Traditionally the central business district and center for
socio-economic interaction;
(2) Characterized by a cohesive core of historic and/or older
commercial and mixed-use buildings, often interspersed with civic,
religious, and residential buildings, which represent the community's
architectural heritage;
d. Is the location of a downtown or ``Main Street'' rejuvenation
effort that:
(1) Has as its purpose the revitalization or redevelopment of the
historic or traditional commercial area;
(2) Involves investment, or other participation, by the applicant
local government and private entities in the community in which the
project is carried out; and
(3) Involves the development of affordable housing that is located
in the commercial area.
13. Main Street affordable housing project (``project'') means the
collection of affordable housing units that are developed in the Main
Street Area using funds obtained through this NOFA, and meet the
requirements as stated in ``Program Requirements,'' section III.C of
this NOFA.
14. Match is cash or in-kind donations that will be expended on
allowable activities under the grant. The match must:
a. Total at least 5 percent of the requested HOPE VI Main Street
grant amount; and
b. Be from private-sector sources or government sources other than
HOPE VI funding, including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
funds, which by statute are considered local money.
15. Owner entity is the legal entity that holds title to the real
property that contains any affordable housing units developed through
this NOFA.
16. Person with disabilities means a person who:
a. Has a condition defined as a disability in section 223 of the
Social Security Act;
b. Has a developmental disability as defined in section 102 of the
Developmental Disabilities Assistance Bill of Rights Act; or
c. Is determined to have a physical, mental, or emotional
impairment that:
(1) Is expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration;
(2) Substantially impedes his or her ability to live independently;
and
(3) Is of such a nature that such ability could be improved by more
suitable housing conditions.
d. The term ``person with disabilities'' may include persons who
have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or any conditions
arising from the etiologic agent for AIDS. In addition, no individual
shall be considered a person with disabilities, for purposes of
eligibility for low-income housing, based solely on any drug or alcohol
dependence.
e. The definition provided above for persons with disabilities is
the proper definition for determining program qualifications. However,
the definition of a person with disabilities contained in section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its implementing regulations must
be used for purposes of reasonable accommodations.
17. Program means the HOPE VI Main Street Program (Main Street).
18. Recognized Developer (Developer) means a legal entity that has
an agreement with the local government applicant, or the local
government applicant itself, that is seeking financing for
rehabilitation and/or construction of housing units, and the provision
of Community and Supportive Services (if required), through this NOFA.
a. For a non-complex development, the applicant may choose not to
use a Developer and instead directly procure a design/build
construction contractor and accountant.
19. Site Control means the local government applicant, or its
Developer, has the legal authority to commit the owner of the property
to the rehabilitation to be performed with HOPE VI Main Street grant
funds. Some examples of site control are:
a. The local government owns the property outright;
b. The private owner of the property and the applicant have signed
a Developer agreement and the private owner is the Developer;
c. The government- or private-owner has signed an agreement with a
separate Developer and the agreement gives the Developer site control;
d. The applicant or Developer has an option to purchase the
property from the private owner that covers a time period sufficient to
obtain grant funds for purchase and environmental review approval (at
least 180 days after award), and is contingent only upon: (1) Receipt
of a grant from this NOFA; and (2) satisfactory compliance with this
NOFA's environmental review requirements;
e. An owner-entity partnership was formed between the applicant,
original owner, and, possibly, the Developer and other interested
parties.
20. Unit of General Local Government. See ``local government''
under this section.
21. Very low-income family means a family (or resident) with an
income equal to or less than 50 percent of median income for the local
area, adjusted for family size, in accordance with section 3(b)(2) of
the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended. HUD may establish a
level higher or lower than 50 percent because of prevailing
construction costs or unusually high or low family incomes in the area.
HUD-
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prescribed income limits are stated at http://www.huduser.org/intercept.asp?loc=/datasets/il/il08/FY2008_Section8_IncomeLimits.pdf.
Local area is defined as the PMSA/MSA or non-metropolitan county/
parish, as prescribed by HUD, in which the low-income family resides.
22. 2008 General Section reference. The subsection entitled
``Funding Opportunity Description'' in section I of the 2008 General
Section is hereby incorporated by reference.
II. Award Information
Available Funds. A total of approximately $4 million appropriated
for FY 2008 is available for funding under this NOFA and must be
obligated by September 30, 2008.
A. Number of Awards. This NOFA will result in approximately 4
awards.
B. Range of Amounts of Each Award. Each applicant may request up to
$1,000,000.
C. Start Date, Period of Performance. The term of the grants that
result from this NOFA will start on the date that the grant award
document is signed by HUD and will continue for 30 months thereafter.
D. Type of Instrument. Grant Agreement.
E. Supplementation. Grants resulting from this NOFA do not
supplement other HOPE VI grants.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants include, and are
limited to, local governments, as defined in section I.D. of this NOFA
and section 102 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974
(42 U.S.C. 5302). The local government must:
1. Have a population of 50,000 or less; and
2. Not be served by a local government, county/parish, regional, or
state public housing agency (PHA) that administers more than 100 public
housing units within the local government's jurisdiction. Such units
exclude section 8 Housing Voucher subsidized units and public housing
units in Mixed-Finance developments where the PHA is not the General
Partner in the for-profit ownership entity.
B. Cost Sharing or Match.
1. Match. HUD is required by the Quality Housing and Work
Responsibility Act (42 U.S.C. 1437v(c)(1)(A)) to include the
requirement for matching funds for all HOPE VI-related grants.
Applicants must provide matching funds or in-kind services in the
amount of 5 percent of the requested grant amount from sources other
than HUD HOPE VI funds. Match sources may include other federal
sources, CDBG funds (which are statutorily considered state funds), any
state or local government sources, any private contributions, the value
of any donated material or building, the value of any long-term lease
on a building, the value of the time and services contributed by
volunteers, and the value of any other in-kind services provided. MATCH
FUNDS MUST BE USED ONLY FOR CARRYING OUT ELIGIBLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
ACTIVITIES THAT RELATE TO THE MAIN STREET AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT
PRESENTED IN THIS APPLICATION. The match may include funds that have
already been spent or funds that are for future use.
a. Match donations must be firmly committed to the Main Street
affordable housing project presented in the application. See the
definition of ``firmly committed'' in ``Definitions,'' Section I.D. of
this NOFA.
b. The applicant may propose to use the applicant's own funds to
meet the match requirement, provided that the match funds do not
originate from HOPE VI funds.
c. See section IV.B. of this NOFA for the requirements for
documentation of match resources.
C. Other.
1. Eligible Uses of Grant Funds. Main Street grant funds may be
expended on the following activities (Note that non-eligible activities
and restrictions are located in section IV.E.):
a. New construction, reconfiguration, or rehabilitation of
affordable rental and homeownership housing units located within the
Main Street Area. New construction and rehabilitation activities that
are intrinsic to the development of the affordable housing units may
extend to other portions of the Main Street affordable housing project;
e.g., to the building envelope, to interior bearing walls of commercial
space located below the affordable housing units, and to systems
installation through commercial space located below or adjacent to the
affordable housing units.
b. Architectural and Engineering activities, surveys, permits, and
other planning and implementation costs related to the construction and
rehabilitation of the Main Street affordable housing project presented
in the application.
c. Tax credit syndication costs.
d. Funding of moving expenses for any persons displaced as a result
of construction or rehabilitation of the project, in accordance with
the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition
Policies Act of 1970 (URA) and, as guidance only, Handbook CPD 02-08,
``Guidance on the Application of the Uniform Relocation Assurance and
Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (URA), as amended in
HOPE VI Projects.''
e. Management improvements necessary for the proper development and
management of the Main Street affordable housing project presented in
the application, similar to and including, but not limited to:
(1) Staff training (including travel) related to affordable housing
development and management.
(2) Staff time and materials or contractor services to revise or
develop:
(a) Procedure manuals;
(b) Accounting systems, excluding accounting services or
bookkeeping;
(c) Lease documents;
(d) Resident screening procedures; and
(e) Data processing systems.
f. Leveraging non-HOPE VI funds and in-kind services. See the
definition of ``Leverage'' in section I.D. of this NOFA.
g. Community and Supportive Services. See Funding Restrictions in
section IV.E. of this NOFA.
(1) Only 15 percent of the grant amount may be used for Community
and Supportive Services. See ``Funding Restrictions,'' section IV.E. of
this NOFA, for non-allowable costs and activities.
2. Thresholds.
a. Match (Sections G and I). Applicants must provide matching funds
in the amount of 5 percent of the requested grant amount from sources
other than HUD HOPE VI funds. See ``Cost Sharing or Match,'' section
III.B. of this NOFA.
(1) In order to demonstrate that the applicant meets this
threshold, for each match resource, the application must include a
letter stating a specific match amount and stating that the match is
firmly committed to be used for activities related to the particular
project presented in the application. Each match resource must also be
listed on page 12 of the ``HOPE VI Main Street Application Data
Sheet,'' form HUD-52861 (under the Excel Worksheet Tab, ``Matching and
Housing Resources'') which will be a part of the application. Columns
on that page provide space to include the following required
information for each source: Resource organization name, name and
telephone number of a contact at the resource organization, the amount
of the resource organization's contribution, and whether the
contribution is in cash or in-kind services. All columns, except
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the last, ``Leverage Period More Than 2 Years,'' must be filled in.
(2) If the applicant does not demonstrate that there will be
matching funds of at least 5 percent of the requested grant amount, the
application will not be eligible for funding through this NOFA.
b. Leverage (Sections G and I). The applicant must furnish enough
Leverage resources (other than the match) to show that there is both
public and private support for the Main Street rejuvenation effort. If
the application does not include any Leverage cash or in-kind services
(other than the match), the application will not be eligible for
funding through this NOFA.
c. Past Performance on Main Street Grants. All prior Main Street
grants require that construction start within 15 months of the grant
award date. If a current Main Street grantee is more than one year late
in starting construction, i.e., construction has not started within 27
months after the grant award date, that grantee will not be eligible
for funding through this NOFA. HUD will determine whether construction
has not started within 27 months of a previous award. If the applicant
has an existing Main Street grant that is less than 27 months old, this
threshold does not apply.
d. Main Street Area (Section L). The applicant must have within its
jurisdiction a Main Street Area. See section I.D. of this NOFA for the
definition of a Main Street Area.
(1) In order to demonstrate that the applicant meets this
threshold, the application must contain the attachment ``Map of the
Main Street Area.'' The attached map must clearly show the applicant-
determined Main Street Area boundaries. Boundaries may be streets, rail
lines, rivers, or other man-made or natural bounds. No other
documentation is necessary.
(2) If the applicant's jurisdiction does not have a Main Street
Area, the application will not be eligible for funding through this
NOFA.
e. Main Street Affordable Housing Project (Section M). The targeted
affordable housing project must conform to this NOFA's requirements for
a Main Street affordable housing project, as defined in ``Program
Requirements,'' section III.C. of this NOFA.
(1) By applying for a grant through this NOFA, the applicant
certifies that the Main Street affordable housing project meets the
Program Requirements. No other documentation is necessary to meet this
threshold.
(2) If the targeted affordable housing project does not conform to
this NOFA's requirements, the application will not be eligible for
funding through this NOFA.
(3) Other projects in the same Main Street Area are eligible for
funding through this NOFA. If the project in the application for this
NOFA has already received funding through a prior Main Street NOFA, the
application will not be eligible for funding through this NOFA.
f. One Main Street Area. Under this NOFA, the applicant must apply
for assistance only in support of one Main Street Area. That is, if the
local government's jurisdiction includes two neighborhoods, each with a
traditional commercial/social center, the application must contain only
one of those traditional commercial/social centers. However, the
applicant's Main Street affordable housing project may consist of
several scattered sites within that one Main Street Area. If the
applicant applies for assistance for more than one Main Street Area
through this NOFA, the application will not be eligible for funding
through this NOFA. g. Code of Conduct (Section E for Narrative and
Section Q for Code).
(1) The applicant must have developed and must maintain a written
code of conduct (see 24 CFR 84.42 and 85.36(b)(3)). The applicant must
provide, or have provided, documentation that demonstrates that it has
a written code of conduct.
(2) The applicant must submit a copy of its code of conduct as part
of the application if its code of conduct is not already on file with
HUD. See 24 CFR 84.42 and 85.36(b)(3).
(3) Unless the applicant is listed on HUD's Web site at http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/codeofconduct/cconduct.cfm and the
information has not been revised, the applicant is required to submit:
(a) A copy of its code of conduct;
(b) A description of the methods it will use to ensure that all
officers, employees, and agents of its organization are aware of its
code of conduct; and
(c) The following information, as it is stated on the SF-424:
(i) Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number;
(ii) Employer Identification Number (EIN);
(iii) Applicant's Legal Name (Note: Applicants must enter their
legal name in box 8.a. of the SF-424 as it appears in the Central
Contractor Register (CCR). See the 2008 General Section regarding CCR
registration);
(iv) Address (Street, PO Box, City, State, and ZIP Code); and
(d) Authorized Official's information (Name, Title, Telephone
Number, and E-mail Address).
(4) The code of conduct must prohibit real and apparent conflicts
of interest that may arise among officers, employees, or agents;
prohibit the solicitation and acceptance of gifts or gratuities by the
organization's officers, employees, or agents for their personal
benefit in excess of minimal value; and outline administrative and
disciplinary actions available to remedy violations of such standards.
(5) See section III.C. of the 2008 General Section for more
detailed information and instructions if the applicant needs to submit
its code of conduct to HUD via facsimile.
(6) If the applicant does not provide a copy of the code of conduct
and its implementation methodology in its application, or is not listed
by HUD as having already submitted such documentation, the application
will not be eligible for funding through this NOFA.
h. The following sub-sections of section III of the 2008 General
Section are hereby incorporated by reference. The applicant must comply
with each of the incorporated threshold requirements in order to be
eligible for funding, including:
(1) Ineligible Applicants;
(2) DUNS Number Requirement;
(3) Compliance With Fair Housing and Civil Rights Laws;
(4) Conducting Business in Accordance With Core Values and Ethical
Standards;
(5) Delinquent Federal Debts;
(6) Pre-Award Accounting System Surveys;
(7) Name Check Review;
(8) False Statements;
(9) Prohibition Against Lobbying Activities; and
(10) Debarment and Suspension.
i. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (Section T). Successful
applicants engaged in housing or housing related activities are obliged
to take reasonable steps in affirmatively furthering fair housing
(AFFH). Consistent with the 2008 General Section, applicants must
provide a statement on AFFH in accordance with the 2008 General
Section's instructions. Failure to include this statement will render
the application ineligible for funding through this NOFA.
3. Certification of Certain Thresholds.
a. Certification by Application. The SF-424, ``Application for
Federal Assistance,'' is the cover sheet to the application. By
manually or electronically signing the SF-424, the applicant certifies
that the following thresholds have been met:
(1) The Main Street Area rejuvenation effort:
[[Page 36385]]
(a) Is carried out within the jurisdiction of the applicant;
(b) Involves the development of affordable housing that is located
in the commercial area that is the subject of the rejuvenation effort;
and
(c) Has as its purpose the revitalization or redevelopment of a
historic or traditional commercial area.
(2) A portion of the Main Street affordable housing project units
will be reserved for very low-income initial occupants.
(3) Historic preservation requirements in section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) will be fulfilled,
where applicable.
(4) Environmental requirements stated in the NOFA will be
fulfilled.
(5) Building standards stated in the NOFA will be fulfilled.
(6) Relocation requirements under the Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (URA) will be
fulfilled.
(7) Fair Housing, Civil Rights, and Section 3 requirements will be
followed and fulfilled.
4. Program Requirements.
a. Main Street Area Recognition by HUD. The applicant must have,
within the applicant's jurisdiction, an existing HUD-recognized Main
Street Area rejuvenation effort that involves affordable housing. In
order to be recognized by HUD, a Main Street Area rejuvenation effort
must:
(1) Be located within a definable Main Street Area (See Section
I.D. of this NOFA);
(2) Have as its purpose the rejuvenation or redevelopment of a
historic or traditional commercial area;
(3) Involve investment or other participation by BOTH the local
government and locally located private entities;
(4) Comply with historic preservation requirements as directed by
the cognizant State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) or, if such
historic preservation requirements are not applicable, to preserve
significant traditional, architectural, and design features in the
project structures or Main Street Area; and
(5) Include the development of the project that is proposed and
described in the application for a grant through this NOFA.
b. Main Street Affordable Housing Project (Project). The ``Main
Street affordable housing project'' is the collection of affordable
housing units that are rejuvenated or developed in the Main Street Area
using match funds related to this NOFA, funds obtained through this
NOFA, and, optionally, other Leverage funds or in-kind services. The
project must:
(1) Involve the construction or rehabilitation of affordable
housing units. The number of units that will be developed through this
NOFA must have a value that exceeds the Total Development Cost
calculated in the form HUD-52861, ``HOPE VI Main Street Application
Data Sheet'';
(2) Be located within the boundaries of the applicant's Main Street
Area; and
(3) NOT replace demolished or otherwise disposed of public housing
units.
c. Program Schedule. The application requires a Program Schedule
for the applicant's Project. The Program Schedule must reflect the
Reasonable Time-Frame and Development Proposal time requirements stated
in section VI.B. of this NOFA.
d. Requirements During the Initial Occupancy Period.
(1) Initial residents of affordable rental units and initial
resident purchasers of affordable homeownership units must be subject
to the same rules regarding occupant contribution toward rental or
purchase, and basic terms of rental or purchase, as residents of HOPE
VI development public housing units. Site-based waiting lists, resident
job or training requirements, and other occupancy requirements that are
allowed under section 24 of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 (1937 Act) may
be applied to the units. As with public housing, initial residents
cannot be evicted without cause.
(2) The project owner entity is not required to develop and
maintain mandatory PHA documentation; e.g., the PHA Plans as described
in 24 CFR part 903, etc. However, before the project is initially
rented, the ownership entity must determine and develop a written
statement of its rent determination and occupancy policies, and obtain
HUD approval of the policies.
(3) Public housing, HUD HOME, or Low-Income Housing Tax Credit
rental requirements are not mandatory under the Main Street program,
but may be used as examples for such policies. Such examples are
located at 24 CFR 903.7(d) and 24 CFR 903.7(f). If other government
programs are used in connection with the applicant's Main Street grant
activities, such requirements apply to the extent required by the other
programs.
e. Main Street Homeownership. The initial sale of an affordable
homeownership unit to a third-party, low-income purchaser must take
place in accordance with Section 24 of the 1937 Act. Providing
homeownership counseling to residents is mandatory if the application
includes development of homeownership units.
f. Use Restrictions. PROJECT UNITS MUST BE MAINTAINED AS AFFORDABLE
HOUSING ONLY FOR THE PERIOD OF INITIAL RENTAL OCCUPANCY OR THE INITIAL
RESIDENT'S OWNERSHIP. The applicant may elect to apply use restrictions
for a longer period, or in excess, of this requirement.
g. Leveraging Other Resources.
(1) Leverage is the contribution of funds or in-kind services from
sources other than a grant that results from this NOFA. The Main Street
Area rejuvenation effort must have community support from government
and the private sector. Leverage demonstrates this support. See
``Leverage'' in ``Definitions,'' section I.D of this NOFA. To measure
the amount of support that the Main Street Area rejuvenation effort
has, this NOFA includes a Leverage rating factor. See Rating Factor
3(c) in section V.A.3 of this NOFA.
(2) Unlike grant and match funds from this NOFA, Leverage is not
limited to the funding of affordable housing development. Leverage can
include contributions that have been made to, or are firmly committed
to, the Main Street Area rejuvenation effort as a whole. It can include
past or future funding for other affordable housing, retail supportive
services, jobs, and other economic development that is part of the Main
Street Area rejuvenation effort. Other examples of uses for Leverage
funds include, but are not limited to:
(a) The acquisition of existing housing units that will become
affordable housing, but do not require rehabilitation, including
associated costs, such as appraisals, surveys, tax settlements, broker
fees, and other closing costs;
(b) Off-site site improvements that are contiguous to the site;
(c) Demolition;
(d) Restoration of the Main Street affordable housing project
fa[ccedil]ade when fa[ccedil]ade rehabilitation is not an integral part
of the project's rehabilitation;
(e) Rehabilitation of retail space in the Main Street affordable
housing project, even if this rehabilitation is not an integral part of
the rehabilitation of the rental areas of the project;
(f) Rehabilitation of retail space elsewhere in the Main Street
Area;
(g) Funding of Reserves; e.g., the Initial Operating Reserve
necessary for financial viability during the initial affordable housing
occupancy period, Replacement Reserves, etc.;
(h) Homeownership financial assistance, e.g., write-down of
[[Page 36386]]
homeownership unit development costs and downpayment assistance;
(i) Other uses that relate directly to the project;
(j) Site improvements, e.g., repaving streets or upgrading streets
or sidewalks with brick or cobblestone, adding ``boulevard'' islands,
etc.;
(k) Legal and administrative fees and costs; and
(l) Other uses that do not relate directly to the project, but do
relate to the Main Street Area rejuvenation effort.
h. Transfer of Title for Tax Credits. The original owner entity of
project properties may transfer title to, or commit to a long-term
lease with, an owner entity partnership that includes the original
owner, the applicant, an equity partner and, when appropriate, other
partners, for the purpose of obtaining Low-Income or Historic Tax
Credit equity as a Leverage resource. Such a transfer, excluding legal
fees, is an allowable grant activity. See section IV.E. of this NOFA
for limits on the sale of real property.
i. Section 106 Historic Preservation Requirements. Grantees may not
commit HUD funds until HUD has completed the historic preservation
review and consultation process under Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 470f) and its implementing
regulation, 36 CFR part 800, as applicable, in accordance with
environmental review requirements under 24 CFR part 50. See http://www.achp.gov/ for details on the section 106 review process.
j. Environmental Requirements.
(1) HUD's notification of award to a selected applicant constitutes
a preliminary approval by HUD, subject to HUD's completion of an
environmental review of proposed sites in accordance with 24 CFR part
50. Selection for participation (preliminary approval) does not
constitute approval of the proposed site(s).
(2) The application constitutes a certification that the applicant
will supply HUD with all available, relevant information necessary for
HUD to perform any environmental review required by 24 CFR part 50 for
each property; will carry out mitigating measures required by HUD or,
if mitigation is not feasible, select alternate eligible property; and
will not acquire, rehabilitate, convert, demolish, lease, repair, or
construct property, nor commit or expend HOPE VI, other HUD or other
non-HUD funds, for these program activities with respect to any
eligible property, until the applicant receives written HUD approval of
the property.
(3) Each proposal will be subject to a HUD environmental review, in
accordance with 24 CFR part 50, and the proposal may be modified or the
proposed sites rejected as a result of that review.
(4) Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments. If the
applicant is selected for funding, the applicant must have a Phase I
environmental site assessment completed in accordance with the ASTM
Standards E 1527-05, as amended (see http://www.astm.org/). The results
of the Phase I assessment must be included in the documents that must
be provided to HUD for the environmental review. If the Phase I
assessment recognizes environmental concerns or if the results are
inconclusive, a Phase II environmental site assessment will be
required.
(5) Mitigating and remedial measures. You must carry out any
mitigating/remedial measures required by HUD. If a remediation plan,
where required, is not approved by HUD and a fully funded contract with
a qualified contractor licensed to perform the required type of
remediation is not executed, HUD reserves the right to determine that
the grant is in default.
(6) The application constitutes a certification that there are not
any environmental or public policy factors, such as sewer moratoriums,
that would preclude development in the requested Main Street Area.
(7) Note that environmental requirements for this NOFA are found in
24 CFR part 50, which requires HUD environmental approval. Please note
that 24 CFR part 58, which allows state and local governments to assume
federal environmental responsibilities, is not applicable. It only
applies to PHAs.
(8) HUD's environmental Web site is located at http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/environment/index.cfm.
k. Building Standards.
(1) Building Codes. All activities that include construction,
rehabilitation, lead-based paint removal, and related activities must
meet or exceed local building codes. The applicant is encouraged to
read the policy statement and Final Report of the HUD Review of Model
Building Codes that identify the variances between the design and
construction requirements of the Fair Housing Act and several model
building codes. That report can be found on the HUD Web site at http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/disabilities/modelcodes/.
(2) Deconstruction. HUD encourages the applicant to design programs
that incorporate sustainable construction and demolition practices,
such as the dismantling or ``deconstruction'' of housing units,
recycling of demolition debris, and reusing of salvage materials in new
construction. ``A Guide to Deconstruction'' can be found at http://www.huduser.org/publications/destech/decon.html.
(3) Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH). HUD
encourages the applicant to use PATH technologies in the construction
and delivery of affordable housing. PATH is a voluntary initiative that
seeks to accelerate the creation and widespread use of advanced
technologies to improve the quality, durability, environmental
performance, energy efficiency, and affordability of our nation's
housing radically.
(a) The goal of PATH is to achieve dramatic improvement in the
quality of U.S. housing by the year 2010. PATH encourages leaders from
the home building, product manufacturing, insurance, and financial
industries and representatives from federal agencies dealing with
housing issues to work together to spur housing design and construction
innovations. PATH will provide technical support in design and cost
analysis of advanced technologies to be incorporated in project
construction.
(b) Applicants are encouraged to employ PATH technologies to exceed
prevailing national building practices by:
(i) Reducing costs;
(ii) Improving durability;
(iii) Increasing energy efficiency;
(iv) Improving disaster resistance; and
(v) Reducing environmental impact.
(c) More information, including a list of technologies, the latest
PATH Newsletter, results from field demonstrations, and descriptions of
PATH projects can be found at http://www.pathnet.org.
(4) Energy Efficiency.
(a) New construction and rehabilitation must comply with the 2003
International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2003), which incorporates
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE) 90.1 2001 by reference for high-rise multifamily
housing.
(i) IECC 2003 Administrative Guidance. IECC 2003 applies to all
construction and rehabilitation of residential and commercial property.
The standard contains exceptions that allow for its reasonable
application to Main Street NOFA activities.
(A) IECC 2003 section ``101.2.2.3 Historic buildings. The
provisions of this code * * * shall not be mandatory for existing
buildings or structures specifically identified and classified as
[[Page 36387]]
historically significant by the state or local jurisdiction, listed in
The National Register of Historic Places, or which have been determined
to be eligible for such listing.''
(B) IECC 2003 section ``101.2.3 Mixed occupancy. [For mixed-use
buildings,] * * * each portion of the building shall conform to the
requirements for the occupancy housed therein. Buildings [with more
than two housing units] with a height of four or more stories above
grade shall be considered commercial buildings * * * regardless of the
number of floors that are classified as residential.'' That is, if
there is a store in the building, that part of the building is
considered commercial. The rest of the building would incorporate low-
rise residential requirements.
(C) IECC 2003 section ``101.2.2.2 Additions, alterations or
repairs. Additions [and rehabilitation of a building or portion of a
building] * * * shall conform to the provisions of this code * * * ,
without requiring the unaltered portions(s) of the existing system to
comply with all of the requirements of this code. Additions [or
rehabilitation] shall not cause any one of the aforementioned and
existing systems to become unsafe, hazardous or overloaded.''
(b) Where local or state energy-related building codes exceed the
above standards, new construction and rehabilitation must comply with
those local or state standards.
(c) The applicant must use new technologies that will conserve
energy and decrease operating costs, where cost effective. Examples of
such technologies include:
(i) Geothermal heating and cooling;
(ii) Placement of buildings and size of eaves that take advantage
of the directions of the sun throughout the year;
(iii) Photovoltaics (technologies that convert light into
electrical power);
(iv) Extra insulation;
(v) Smart windows;
(vi) Energy Star appliances; and
(vii) Combined heat and power (cogeneration).
(5) Universal Design. HUD encourages the applicant to incorporate
the principles of universal design in the construction or
rehabilitation of housing, retail establishments, and community
facilities, and when communicating with community residents at public
meetings or events. Universal Design is the design of products and
environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent
possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. The
intent of Universal Design is to simplify life for everyone by making
products, communications, and the built environment more usable by as
many people as possible at little or no extra cost. Universal Design
benefits people of all ages and abilities. Examples include designing
wider doorways, installing levers instead of doorknobs, and putting
bathtub/shower grab bars in all units. Computers and telephones can
also be set up in ways that enable as many residents as possible to use
them. The Department has a publication that contains a number of ideas
about how the principles of Universal Design can benefit persons with
disabilities. To order a copy of ``Strategies for Providing
Accessibility and Visitability for HOPE VI and Mixed Finance
Homeownership,'' go to the publications and resource page of the HOPE
VI Web site at http://www.huduser.org/publications/pubasst/strategies.html.
(6) Energy Star. HUD has adopted a wide-ranging energy action plan
for improving energy efficiency in all program areas. As a first step
in implementing the energy plan, HUD, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), and the Department of Energy have signed a partnership to
promote energy efficiency in HUD's affordable housing efforts and
programs. The purpose of the Energy Star partnership is to promote
energy efficiency of the affordable housing stock, but also to help
protect the environment. Applicants constructing, rehabilitating, or
maintaining housing or community facilities are encouraged to promote
energy efficiency in design and operations. They are urged especially
to build to Energy Star qualifications and to purchase and use Energy
Star-labeled products. Applicants providing housing assistance or
counseling services are encouraged to promote Energy Star building to
homebuyers and renters. Program activities can include developing
Energy Star promotional and informational materials, outreach to low-
and moderate-income renters and buyers on the benefits and savings when
using Energy Star products and appliances, and promoting the
designation of community buildings and homes as Energy Star compliant.
For further information about Energy Star, see http://www.energystar.gov or call (888) STAR-YES ((888) 782-7937) or, for the
hearing-impaired, (888) 588-9920 (TTY). See the 2008 General Section,
section VI.B.2.h on page 14901, as published in Volume 73 of the
Federal Register.
l. Lead-Based Paint. The applicant must comply with lead-based
paint evaluation and reduction requirements as provided for under the
Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act (42 U.S.C. 4821, et seq.),
the EPA's Pre-Renovation Education Rule (40 CFR 745, subpart E), HUD's
Lead Safe Housing Rule (24 CFR 35, subparts B-R), and the Lead
Disclosure Rule (24 CFR 35, subpart A), which addresses documents
provided to pre-1978 housing owners regarding lead paint or hazard
testing or lead hazard reduction activities, as they may be amended or
revised from time to time. The applicant will be responsible for lead-
based paint evaluation and reduction activities for housing constructed
prior to 1978. The National Lead Information Hotline is (800) 424-5323.
m. Labor Standards. Davis-Bacon wage rates do NOT apply to grants
from this NOFA, with the following exceptions:
(1) If other federal programs are used in connection with the
applicant's HOPE VI Main Street activities, Davis-Bacon requirements
apply to the extent required by the other federal programs.
(2) If any grant funds from an award through this NOFA are expended
by a PHA, acting as a Developer, partnering with a Developer, or as a
partner in an ownership entity partnership, Davis-Bacon wage rates will
apply to laborers and mechanics (other than volunteers under 24 CFR
part 70) employed in development of all housing units, and HUD-
determined wage rates will apply to laborers and mechanics (other than
volunteers) employed in the operation of all housing units, regardless
of whether such units are public housing or non-public housing.
n. Relocation Requirements. The Uniform Relocation Assistance and
Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4601-4655),
implementing regulations at 49 CFR part 24, and, as advice only,
``Handbook CPD 02-08, Guidance on the Application of the Uniform
Relocation Assurance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970
(URA), as amended in HOPE VI Projects'' apply to anyone who is
displaced as a result of acquisition, rehabilitation, or demolition due
to a HUD-assisted activity.
o. Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Requirements.
Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity requirements stated in section
III.C. of the 2008 General Section are hereby incorporated by reference
and apply to this NOFA. In addition, the following requirement applies:
(1) Accessibility Requirements.
(a) All ``multifamily'' HOPE VI developments, defined as projects
with more than five units, are subject to the accessibility
requirements contained in several federal laws, as implemented in
[[Page 36388]]
24 CFR part 8. PIH Notice 2003-31, as advice only, available at http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/publications/notices/, and subsequent updates,
provide an overview of all pertinent laws and implementing regulations
pertaining to HOPE VI.
(b) Generally, for substantial rehabilitation of projects with more
than 15 housing units, or new construction of a multifamily project, at
least 5 percent of the units, or one unit, whichever is greater, must
be accessible to persons with mobility impairments. An additional 2
percent, but not less than one unit, must be made accessible for
persons with hearing or vision impairment. See, in particular, 24 CFR
parts 8.20 through 8.32.
(c) In addition, under the Fair Housing Act, all new construction
of covered multifamily buildings must contain certain features of
accessible and adaptable design. The relevant accessibility
requirements are provided on HUD's FHEO Web site at http://www.hud.gov/groups/fairhousing.cfm. Units covered are all those in elevator
buildings with four or more units and all ground floor units in
buildings without elevators. See also ``program accessibility'' at
http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/disabilities/sect504faq.cfm#anchor263905. This section is in addition to, and does
not replace, other non-HUD accessibility requirements to which the
applicant local government may be subject.
p. Procurement. City governments are required to follow the
procurement regulations at 24 CFR 85.36 at a minimum. State and local
procurement requirements apply to the extent required by those
governments.
5. 2008 General Section References. The following subsections of
section III of the 2008 General Section are hereby incorporated by
reference:
a. Additional Nondiscrimination and Other Requirements;
(1) Civil Rights Laws, including the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.);
(2) The Age Discrimination Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.);
and
(3) Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (20 U.S.C.
1681 et seq.)
b. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing;
c. Economic Opportunities for Low- and Very Low-Income Persons
(Section 3);
d. Ensuring the Participation of Small Businesses, Small
Disadvantaged Businesses, and Women-Owned Businesses;
e. Relocation;
f. Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons
With Limited English Proficiency (LEP);
g. Executive Order 13279, Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-
Based and Community Organizations;
h. Accessible Technology;
i. Procurement of Recovered Materials;
j. Participation in HUD-Sponsored Program Evaluation;
k. Executive Order 13202, Preservation of Open Competition and
Government Neutrality Towards Government Contractors' Labor Relations
on Federal and Federally Funded Construction Projects;
l. Salary Limitation for Consultants;
m. OMB Circulars and Government-wide Regulations Applicable to
Financial Assistance Programs;
n. Environmental Requirements;
o. Conflict of Interest;
p. Drug-Free Workplace; and
q. Safeguarding Resident/Client Files.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Addresses to Request Application Package. This section describes
how the applicant may obtain application forms, additional information
about the 2008 General Section of this NOFA, and technical assistance.
1. Copies of this published NOFA and related application forms may
be downloaded from the Grants.gov Web site at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. If the applicant has difficulty
accessing the information, it may receive customer support from
Grants.gov by calling the help line at (800) 518-GRANTS ((800) 518-
4726) or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. The operators will
assist the applicant in accessing the information. If the applicant
does not have Internet access and needs to obtain a copy of this NOFA,
it can contact HUD's NOFA Information Center toll-free at (800) HUD-
8929. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may call the Federal
Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
2. The published Federal Register document is the official document
that HUD uses to evaluate applications. Therefore, if there is a
discrepancy between any materials published by HUD in its Federal
Register publications and other information provided in paper copy,
electronic copy, or at http://www.grants.gov, the Federal Register
publication prevails. Please be sure to review the application
submission against the requirements in this NOFA.
3. An unofficial MS Word 2003 version of this NOFA (which contains
active links to Internet addresses stated in this NOFA), and related
materials, can also be found at http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/grants/fy08/index.cfm.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission.
1. Number of Applications Permitted. Each applicant may submit only
one application.
2. Joint Applications. Joint applications are not permitted.
However, the applicant may enter into subgrant agreements with procured
Developers, other partners, nonprofit organizations, state governments,
or other local governments to perform the activities proposed under the
application.
3. General Format and Length of Application.
a. Applicant Name. The applicant's official name is the name that
is submitted to Grants.gov on the form SF-424. (Note: Applicants must
enter their legal name in box 8.a. of the SF-424 as it appears in the
Central Contractor Register (CCR). See the 2008 General Section
regarding CCR registration.)
b. Electronic Format.
(1) General.
(a) Sections of the application are as listed below.
(b) In accordance with the 2008 General Section, applications are
to be submitted electronically via http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. Applicants should be aware that HUD is using
the Adobe forms package, not Pure Edge forms (as in previous years).
Applicants must download Adobe Reader version 8.1.2 to be able to
complete the application download. See the 2008 General Section for
additional instructions.
(2) File Names.
(a) The name of each submitted file should include the information
below so that a HUD reviewer will be able to identify it as part of the
application:
(i) Short version of applicant's name, e.g., town, city, county/
parish, etc., and state; and
(ii) The word ``Narrative'' or ``Attachment,'' as applicable, and
the Section (Tab) letter(s) (A through V) that are included in the
file, as listed below.
(b) Examples of file names are ``AtlantaGANarrativeSectionD.doc''
and ``NewYorkNYAttachmentSection--M.pdf.'' Do not include spaces in the
file names. Replace spaces with underscore marks.
(3) Summary and Rating Factor Narrative Files.
(a) In the Application Package, the form SF-424, ``Application for
Federal Assistance,'' should be completed first. Other Exhibits are
part of the
[[Page 36389]]
Application Instructions that the applicant will download from
Grants.gov, which are described in sections IV.B.5 through 6 and in the
``Rating Factors,'' section V.A of this NOFA. The following
instructions apply to those Narrative Exhibits.
(b) Each narrative file submitted must be formatted so it can be
read by MS Word (including versions from MS Office 97 to 2007).
(c) Each Narrative Exhibit, for each Section of the application,
should be contained in a separate file, as listed in section IV.A.3.d
of this NOFA, directly below.
(d) Narrative Exhibit Title Pages. HUD will use title pages to
identify each section of the application. Each Narrative Exhibit file
should contain one title page as the first page of the file. This title
page may be used as a Section Tab. Do not create title pages separately
from the documents they go with. Provided the information on the title
page is limited to the list in section (i) below, the title pages will
not be counted when HUD determines the length of each Narrative
Exhibit, or the overall length of the Narrative Exhibits.
(i) Each title page should contain only:
(A) The name of the Narrative Exhibit, as described in ``File
Names,'' Section IV.B.3.b.(2), above, e.g., ``Narrative Exhibit B:
Executive Summary'';
(B) The name of the applicant; and
(C) The name of the file that contains the Narrative Exhibit.
(4) Narrative Files
(a) Each narrative file submitted must be formatted so it can be
read by MS Word (from MS Office versions 97 to 2007).
(b) To be included in the application, each file must be entered
into the Grants.gov ``Project Narrative Attachment Form'' located in
the Mandatory Documents area of the ``Grant Application Package.''
(i) Project Narrative Attachment Form Instructions. After the form
is open, enter the first file as the ``Mandatory Project Narrative
File.'' Add subsequent files, if any, as ``Optional Project Narrative
Files'' by clicking on ``Attach'' in the Attachments window. The
applicant may request clarification from HUD's contacts, as listed in
section VII.B. of this NOFA.
(5) Attachment Files.
(a) In the Grants.gov Grant Application Package, certain form
Attachments have been converted into documents for completion by the
applicant on the screen. The applicant must simply fill these forms in
and submit them. Other Attachments are part of Grants.gov Application
Instructions and are defined in this section IV of this NOFA. The
following instructions apply to those Attachments.
(b) Each Attachment file must be formatted so it can be read by MS
Word (.doc), MS Excel (.xls) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). See the 2008
General Section for format version specifications.
(c) Downloaded files, e.g., forms HUD-52861 and HUD-52825A, should
be submitted in their original format.
(d) Existing and third-party documents, e.g., Main Street Plan,
maps, and drawings, should be submitted in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format,
or faxed using the HUD Facsimile Transmittal (HUD-96011) form. Note
that HUD has a new fax number for 2008 applications. If facsimiles are
submitted to the old number, they will not be matched to the
application submission. See the 2008 General Section.
(e) You must complete these Attachments in stand-alone computer
applications, such as MS Excel. To include these downloaded Attachments
in the application, the applicant must enter each Attachment's file
into the Grants.gov ``Other Attachments Form,'' which is located in the
Mandatory Documents area of the Grant Application Package.
(i) Other Attachments Form Instructions. After the form is open,
enter the first file as the ``Mandatory Other Attachment.'' Add
subsequent files, if any, as ``Optional Other Attachments'' by clicking
on ``Attach'' in the Attachments window. The applicant may request
clarification from HUD's contacts, as listed in section VII.B. of this
NOFA.
(6) THE ABOVE TITLE PAGE AND FILE NAME INSTRUCTIONS ARE EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT. PARTS OF YOUR APPLICATION MAY BE MISSED OR PLACED IN YOUR
APPLICATION UNDER THE WRONG TAB IF THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOT FOLLOWED.
c. Maximum Length of Application.
(1) There is no overall maximum application length. However, there
are maximum page limits for specific parts of the application. Pages
beyond the below listed limits will not be reviewed. Page limits are as
follows:
(a) All of the Narrative Sections' responses together, including
the Rating Factor responses, are limited to a maximum of 20 pages;
(b) The Program Schedule is limited to a maximum of one page;
(c) The Main Street Area Map, including identification of all
project sites, is limited to a maximum of one page. The map may be
hand-drawn, but must be approximately to scale and must be of
sufficient quality to be legible at 11'' x 17'' printed size. Computer-
Aided Design software is not necessary;
(d) The representative affordable housing unit layout is limited to
a maximum of one page; and
(e) Applicant Team Resumes are limited to a maximum of five pages.
More than one resume may be placed on each page.
(2) Page Definition and Layout.
(a) A page is the electronic equivalent of an 8\1/2\'' x 11'' paper
page, with one-inch top, bottom, left, and right margins.
(b) For .doc files, a ``page'' contains a maximum of 23 double-
spaced lines. The length of each line is limited to 6\1/2\ inches. The
font must be 12-point Times New Roman. Each page must be numbered. The
page numbers may be within the bottom one inch of the page, e.g., in
the footer area.
(c) Third-party and existing documents converted into PDF format
may retain their original page layout. They must not be shrunk to fit
more than one original page on each application page. These forms do
not count toward any page limits. To add page numbers to PDF files
using Adobe Acrobat 6, click on Document; Add Headers & Footers;
Footer; Align Right; and Insert Page Number. Page numbers may also be
added manually.
(d) Pages of HUD forms and certification formats furnished by HUD
must remain as numbered by HUD. These forms do not count toward any
page limits.
d. List of Application Sections and Related Documents.
(1) Summary Information:
(a) Section A: Application for Federal Assistance, form SF-424;
(b) Section B: Executive Summary;
(2) Rating Factor Responses:
(a) Section C: Rating Factor 1, Capacity, Narrative Response;
(b) Section D: Rating Factor 3, Readiness and Appropriateness of
the Main Street affordable housing project, Narrative Response;
(c) Section E: Rating Factor 4, Program Administration and Fiscal
Management, Narrative Response;
(d) Section F: Rating Factor 5, Incentive Criteria on Regulatory
Barrier Removal (HUD Community Initiative (information required by form
HUD-27300), Narrative Response);
(3) Attachments:
(a) Section G: Match and Readiness Certifications and Documents
(Including the Section 3 Plan);
(b) Section H: Program Schedule;
(c) Section I: HOPE VI Main Street Application Data Sheet, form
HUD-52861;
(d) Section J: HOPE VI Budget, form HUD-52825A;
[[Page 36390]]
(e) Section K: 5-Year Cash Flow Proforma;
(f) Section L: Map of Main Street Area;
(g) Section M: Site Plan and Typical Unit Layout;
(h) Section N: HUD Community Initiative, form HUD-27300 (Narrative
includes explanation and background);
(i) Section O: Certification of Consistency with the RC/EZ/EC-IIs
Strategic Plan, form HUD-2990, if applicable;
(j) Section P: Program Outcome Logic Model, form HUD-96010
(including indicators, outcomes and related items obtained in
accordance with Section VI.C of the 2008 General Section);
(k) Section Q: Code of Conduct (including distribution
methodology);
(l) Section R: Applicant/Recipient Disclosure Report, form HUD-
2880, (``HUD Applicant Recipient Disclosure Report'' on Grants.gov) if
applicable;
(m) Section S: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, Standard Form
LLL, if applicable;
(n) Section T: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Statement;
(o) Section U: HUD-96011 Third Party Documentation Facsimile
Transmittal (``Facsimile Transmittal Form'' on Grants.gov) (to be used
to transmit third-party documents as part of the electronic
application, if applicable); and
(p) Section V: HUD-2994, You Are Our Client Grant Applicant Survey
(optional).
4. Threshold Documentation (Sections Q and T). Threshold
documentation requirements are limited to those stated in
``Thresholds,'' section III.C.2, ``Certification of Certain
Thresholds,'' section III.C.3., of this NOFA, and ``Conducting Business
in Accordance with Core Values and Ethical Standards,'' in section
III.C. of the 2008 General Section.
5. Summary and Attachment Documentation.
a. Executive Summary (Section B).
(1) Provide an Executive Summary. Describe the affordable housing
plan in general terms. State whether: (1) The applicant has procured
(or will procure) a Developer, (2) the applicant will act as its own
Developer, or (3) the applicant will not use a Developer because the
housing project is not complex enough to warrant one. Briefly describe:
(a) The type of housing, e.g., walk-up above retail space, detached
house, etc.;
(b) The number of units and buildings;
(c) The description of the Main Street Area that surrounds the Main
Street affordable housing project. Include the existing income mix,
basic features (such as restoration of streets), and a general
description of mixed-use and non-housing Main Street rejuvenation
components;
(d) The number of homeownership units in the proposal, if any;
(e) The amount of HOPE VI funds the applicant is requesting. (See
section IV.E of this NOFA for funding limits); and
(f) A list of major non-HOPE VI funding resources for the Main
Street affordable housing project and the Main Street Area rejuvenation
effort as a whole.
b. Readiness (Site Control, Zoning, and Developer/Construction
Agreement) (Sections D and G). See ``Rating Factor Documentation,''
Section 6, below.
c. Program Schedule (Section H). The application requires a Program
Schedule for the applicant's Project. The Program Schedule must reflect
the Reasonable Time-Frame and Development Proposal time requirements
stated in section VI.B of this NOFA.
d. HOPE VI Main Street Application Data Sheet, form HUD-52861, in
MS Excel format (.xls) (Section I).
(1) This form consists of several Excel worksheets. Each worksheet
requires information that is necessary for the applicant to meet
thresholds, obtain rating points, or determine the maximum grant
amount. Instructions for completing the data worksheets are located in
the left-hand worksheet, with the tab name, ``Instructions.'' The
worksheets should be completed from the left-most tab toward the right.
In this way, the information that the applicant provides will
automatically be inserted to the right into other worksheets, as
needed.
(2) Unit Mix. This worksheet will be HUD's primary source of
information on the Main Street affordable housing project's unit number
and type. This information also feeds into the calculations for maximum
grant amount.
(3) Construction Sources and Uses. This worksheet contains the
planned costs and funding resources that will exist during the
construction period. That is, if a construction loan will be obtained,
it would be included here along with other financing that will be
expended during the construction and rent-up period, including grant
funds used in construction. A permanent mortgage would not be included
here.
(4) Permanent Sources and Uses. This worksheet contains the planned
costs and long-term financing that will be used to develop the Main
Street affordable housing project. Tax credit equity, permanent
mortgages, grant funds that will be used in construction, rent-up,
Developer fee, etc., would be included here.
(5) Total Development Cost (TDC).
(a) The maximum amount of the grant must be based on HUD's
published TDC per unit developed. See HUD's Notice PIH-2006-22 (HA),
``Public Housing Development Cost Limits'' and the attachment to Notice
PIH-2007-19 (HA), which updates the TDC amounts. The Notice attachment
can be found at http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/notices/pih/07-19pih-Att.doc. This is a large file and may take several minutes to
open.
(b) HUD has developed TDCs for larger cities, metropolitan
statistical areas and primary metropolitan statistical areas (MSA/
PMSA), and some counties. HUD has not developed TDCs for all small,
non-metropolitan cities and towns. Therefore, to find out of which
county/parish or MSA/PMSA it is considered a part of, the applicant may
have to contact its closest HUD Field Office.
(6) Match. In order to meet HOPE VI's statutory 5 percent match
threshold, the applicant must enter match resource information in this
worksheet. If a resource is not listed in this worksheet, the amount
will not be included in HUD's calculation of match, and the application
may be barred from rating, ranking, and award. (Note that the applicant
must also provide a commitment letter for each match resource. See
``match,'' section III.B of this NOFA.)
(a) For each of the applicant's match resources, the applicant must
include in this form:
(i) The name of the entity providing the resource;
(ii) The name of a contact for the entity providing the resource
who is familiar with the contribution toward this application;
(iii) The telephone number of a contact for the resource who is
familiar with the contribution toward this application;
(iv) The match amount in dollars;
(v) Whether the match amount is cash or in-kind services; and
(vi) A letter from the entity that is furnishing the match,
including items (i) through (v) above and signed by an authorized
individual, stating that the match is firmly committed.
(vii) All columns, except the last, ``Leverage Period More than 2
Years,'' must be completed.
(b) Match may only include resources to fund the Main Street
affordable housing project, not the rest of the Main Street Area. The
applicant must enter all match resource information in this worksheet.
If a resource is not listed in
[[Page 36391]]
this worksheet, the amount will not be included in HUD's calculation of
the match amount. (Note that the applicant must also provide a
commitment letter for each match resource.)
(7) Leverage. Leverage is a HOPE VI program requirement of cash or
in-kind services that have been firmly committed to the Main Street
affordable housing project or the Main Street Area refurbishment
effort.
(a) For each of the applicant's Leverage resources, the applicant
must include in this form:
(i) The name of the entity providing the resource;
(ii) The name of a contact for the entity providing the resource
who is familiar with the contribution toward this application;
(iii) The telephone number of a contact for the resource who is
familiar with the contribution toward this application;
(iv) The Leverage amount on dollars;
(v) Whether the Leverage amount is cash or in-kind services;
(vi) A letter from the entity that is furnishing the Leverage,
including items (i) through (v) above, signed by an authorized
individual, stating that the Leverage is firmly committed, and
(vii) All columns, except the last, ``Leverage Period More than 2
Years,'' must be filled in.
e. HOPE VI Budget (Section J). Enter the amount the applicant is
requesting through this NOFA. Typically, HOPE VI assists PHAs. With the
Main Street program, HOPE VI is assisting local governments. Because of
this, the HOPE VI Budget form refers to PHAs instead of local
governments. In ``Part I: Summary,'' in the ``PHA'' space, enter the
applicant's name as stated on the form SF-424. Also complete the column
entitled, ``Revised Overall HOPE VI Budget for All Project Phases.'' It
is not necessary to fill in the other columns. In ``Part II: Supporting
Pages,'' in the ``PHA'' space, enter the applicant's name as stated on
the form SF-424 and complete only columns two and three.
f. Cash Flow Proforma (Section K). The applicant must include a 5-
year estimate of project income, expenses, and cash flow (``proforma'')
that shows that the project will be financially viable over the long
term. The proforma should show the affordable rents for the period of
the INITIAL occupancy and the affordable or market rents (set at the
discretion of the grantee) for subsequent occupants. Note that initial
funding of reserves with grant funds is NOT an allowable use of funds
from this NOFA, e,g., a rental reserve to support initial affordable
income. Reserves may be funded through Leverage resources.
g. Map of Main Street Area (Section L). The drawing must denote the
boundaries of a Main Street Area and denote each housing site that is
included in the applicant's project. The map should be grayscale for
printing on a black-and-white printer. Boundaries and site(s) should be
delineated with heavy black lines. The boundaries may include streets,
highways, railroad tracks, etc., and natural boundaries such as
streams, hills, and ravines, etc. The map may be hand-drawn and should
be approximately to scale. The purpose of this drawing is to define the
area where firmly committed Leverage resources that are included in the
application have been, or will be, expended.
h. Site Plan and Typical Unit Layout (Section M). The applicant
must include a drawing of the Main Street affordable housing project
site plan and a typical unit layout. The drawings may be hand-drawn,
should be approximately to scale, and should be in grayscale, for
printing on a black-and-white printer. The purpose of these drawings is
to determine if the building and unit configuration look feasible and
fulfill generally acceptable housing standards. If there are several
unit layouts, e.g., different size apartments, they may be shrunk to
fit on one page, provided that the drawings are in PDF format.
i. America's Affordable Communities Initiative, form HUD-27300
(Narrative in Section F and form is Section N). See ``Reviews and
Selection Process,'' Section V.B. of the 2008 General Section.
j. Certification of Consistency with the RC/EZ/EC-IIs Strategic
Plan, form HUD-2990 (Section O). See ``Rating Factor Documentation,''
below.
k. Logic Model (Section P). The applicant must complete the form
HUD-96010, ``Logic Model,'' in accordance with the ``Logic Model
Instructions in the 2008 General Section.''
l. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (Section T). Successful
applicants engaged in housing or housing related activities are obliged
to take reasonable steps toward affirmatively furthering fair housing
(AFFH). Consistent with the 2008 General Section, applicants must
provide a statement on AFFH in accordance with the 2008 General
Section's instructions. Failure to include this statement will render
the application ineligible for award.
6. Rating Factor Documentation.
a. Rating Factor 1--Capacity (Section C).
(1) Team Experience. This Rating Factor will be based upon the
applicant's narrative description of the various types and extent of
experience that each of its Team members has accumulated. Information
found in other Sections of the application that reflects on the Team's
capacity also will be weighed for this Rating Factor. The stated
experience will be reviewed to determine if the Team has successfully
completed similar projects. It will also be reviewed to determine how
similar those projects were to the activities that will be performed
under a grant from this NOFA. At a bare minimum, the following should
be included:
(a) A list and short description of affordable housing projects
that the members of the applicant's Team have completed; and
(b) A list and short description of contracts or grants completed
by the members of the applicant's Team for similar housing development
or services.
(2) Key Personnel Knowledge. Key personnel are those Team members
that must remain part of the Team in order for the Team to complete the
activities required by a grant under this NOFA. As examples, key
personnel may include the Developer if complex financing methods are
necessary to complete the grant activities, the owner of the property
that is going to be rehabilitated if it will remain in his possession,
or an affordable housing intermediary that is going to manage the
activities of other Team members. On the other hand, a specific
accountant would not be key to grant completion. Knowledge may come
from experience or from education. The quality and amount of knowledge
that key personnel have will be weighed by this Rating Factor. As an
example, short resumes would contain this type of information.
b. Rating Factor 2--Need for Affordable Housing. NO DOCUMENTATION
IS NECESSARY FOR THIS RATING FACTOR.
(1) HUD reviewers will derive the need for affordable housing based
on a comparison of HUD's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for the applicant's
primary metropolitan statistical area/metropolitan statistical area
(PMSA/MSA) or non-metropolitan county/parish and the maximum amount of
rent that a very low-income family living in that PMSA/MSA or non-
metropolitan county/parish can afford to pay. In performing the
comparison, HUD will compare the FMR for a two-bedroom unit to the rent
that would be paid by a three-person, very low-income family.
(2) PMSA/MSAs and non-metropolitan counties/parishes documentation
on the FMRs are listed at http://www.huduser.org/datasets/fmr.html.
[[Page 36392]]
(3) The FMRs are listed at http://www.huduser.org/intercept.asp?loc=/datasets/fmr/fmr2007P/FY2007P_ScheduleB.pdf.
(4) The maximum, affordable very low-income rent is based on HUD's
Income Limits, which can be obtained at http://www.huduser.org/intercept.asp?loc=/datasets/il/il08/FY2008_Section8_IncomeLimits.pdf
for very low-income families. The initial occupant must not pay more in
rent than a public housing resident at a HOPE VI development, which is
30 percent of one-twelfth of the listed gross income limit for a very
low-income family, adjusted for family size.
c. Rating Factor 3--Readiness and Appropriateness of the Main
Street Affordable Housing Project (Narrative in Section D and
documentation in Section G).
(1) Site Control, Zoning, and Developer/Construction Agreement.
(a) Evidence of Site Control should be included in the
application's Readiness Attachment Exhibit:
(i) For site(s) that WILL NOT be conveyed to perform under a grant
from this NOFA:
(A) A copy of the site's deed that shows ownership by the applicant
or a Team member owner entity; or
(B) A certification signed by the applicant's Mayor, City
Registrar, or other authorized city employee, stating that the
applicant has the legal authority to perform the proposed and the
required activities of a grant from this NOFA on the site(s).
(ii) For sites that WILL be conveyed in order to perform under a
grant from this NOFA, the first page and execution page of the
agreement, contract, sales contract, sales option, or other document
that gives the applicant the legal authority to perform the proposed
and required activities of a grant from this NOFA on the site(s).
(2) For Zoning, the application's Readiness Attachment Exhibit
should include a certification from the appropriate local official,
e.g., local government engineer, zoning/land-use official (not
necessarily the Mayor), documenting that either:
(a) All required land-use approvals for developed and undeveloped
land have been secured; or
(b) The request for such approval(s) is on the agenda for the next
meeting of the appropriate authority in charge of land use, e.g.,
zoning board, city council. This document must include the date of the
meeting.
(3) For Developer/Construction Agreement, the application's
Readiness Attachment Exhibit should include one of the following:
(i) If an agreement/contract does not yet exist, a description in
the Rating Factor Narrative of activities that the applicant Team has
performed in order to obtain a Developer, construction manager, or
construction contractor. These may include discussions, procurement
processing, etc., that the applicant has completed. The description
should also contain a description of the activities that have not been,
and must be, completed to sign an agreement with such a Team member or
contractor to perform the proposed and required grant activities. Note
that in accordance with 24 CFR 50.3, the grantee must not enter into a
binding agreement for choice-limiting actions until HUD completes an
environmental review, i.e., there must be an agreement/contract clause
allowing substitution of another property if the original property
fails its environmental reviews.
(ii) If the applicant has entered into a binding contract before
submitting an application for activities that may be partially funded
by a grant from this NOFA, the applicant must state so in the
application. Note that, prior to HUD's completion of its environmental
review, funds from this NOFA must not be committed or used to fund
construction activities that started under a binding contract that was
executed before application submission. Such a contract must not
include choice-limiting decisions, as described in (i) above.
(4) Leverage. The applicant must provide Leverage funds/in-kind
services that are firmly committed to the Main Street rejuvenation
effort. This Leverage may include Leverage specifically committed to
development of the Main Street affordable housing project. This
Leverage demonstrates statutorily required government and private-
sector community support. Leverage does NOT need to be expended on
affordable housing uses. Leverage may include infrastructure and other
government expenditures that have occurred since the Main Street
rejuvenation effort began. See ``Definitions,'' Section I.D and
``Program Requirements,'' Section III.C of this NOFA for more
information about Leverage.
(a) To be counted as Leverage, the application must contain a
letter from the Leverage resource. The letter must be in writing and
signed by a person authorized to make the commitment, and must
explicitly state:
(i) The amount of the Leverage; and
(ii) That the Leverage has been or will be expended on the Main
Street Area rejuvenation effort.
(b) To be counted as Leverage, the resource must also be included
on pages 12 and 13 of the ``HOPE VI Main Street Application Data
Sheet,'' form HUD-52861. All columns, except the last, ``Leverage
Period More than 2 Years,'' must be filled in. No narrative discussion
of Leverage is necessary.
(c) Funds/in-kind services that are included as match resources
CANNOT be included in Leverage and should not be duplicated in Leverage
documentation.
(5) Retention of Historic or Traditional Architecture. The Rating
Factor Narrative Exhibit should include the age of, and restoration
work being done to, facades that are part of the Main Street affordable
housing project, along with other significant preservation or
restoration that has taken place or is planned as part of the rest of
the Main Street Area rejuvenation effort.
(6) Section 3. The Rating Factor Narrative Exhibit should contain a
section 3 plan that must include (at a minimum) the general methods
that the applicant will use to comply with implementing regulations at
24 CFR part 135, which require recipients of covered financial
assistance to make efforts to direct training, employment, contracting,
and other economic opportunities to section 3 residents and section 3
business concerns, e.g., low- and very low-income persons and the
businesses that substantially employ these individuals. A Section 3
plan that exceeds this may contain more specific information, e.g.,
goals by age group, types of jobs, and other opportunities to be
provided by the applicant, and plans for tracking and evaluation of
goals. To include Logic Model section 3 information in the section 3
plan, the applicant should make reference to such information in the
section 3 Narrative.
(7) Energy Star.
(a) The Rating Factor Narrative Exhibit should include examples of
any of the following Energy Star activities that will be performed
under a grant from this NOFA:
(i) It will use Energy Star-labeled products;
(ii) It will promote Energy Star design of affordable units; and
(iii) If the application includes the development of homeownership
units, it will include Energy Star in required homeownership
counseling.
(b) See the 2008 General Section, section VI.B.2.h on page 14901,
as published in Volume 73 of the Federal Register.
d. Rating Factor 4--Program Administration and Fiscal Management
(Section E).
[[Page 36393]]
(1) Documentation that demonstrates program administration and
fiscal management MUST include a list of any findings issued or
material weaknesses found by HUD or other federal or state agencies. If
any of these exist, documentation must also include a description of
how the applicant addressed the findings and/or weaknesses. If no
findings or material weaknesses were exposed or existed on or before
the publication date of this NOFA, include a statement to that effect
in the narrative. HUD will consider this statement an applicant's
certification of fact.
(2) Program Schedule (section E for methodology and section H for
the schedule). The Program Schedule should contain all of the
milestones stated in ``Administrative Requirements,'' section VI.B of
this NOFA. The Narrative Exhibit for this Rating Factor should describe
the methodology used in developing the schedule, including the parties
that were contacted and that contributed information to the applicant.
(3) Achieving Results and Program Evaluation: Logic Model (section
E for the Narrative and section P for the form). The grantee will be
required to submit: Quarterly reports to HUD using a HUD-developed, on-
line data input system; and annual reports based on the Logic Model.
The application's Rating Factor Narrative Exhibit should describe the
method that the applicant will use to collect production information,
other information that it states will be measured on through the Logic
Model, and the type of computers and Internet access that the applicant
Team possesses. Training on the Logic Model rating factor is archived
on HUD's Web site. Documentation on creating the Logic Model and on the
method used to rate it can be found at http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/nofa08/elogicmodel.pdf and through the Logic Model webcast at
http://www.hud.gov/webcasts/archives/supernofa08.cfm under the title,
``SuperNOFA Logic Model (Grantees), April 24, 2008.'' This Rating
Factor measures the quality of the Logic Model, not the number of
metrics measured. Rationale for inclusion of metrics should be
addressed in the Narrative. Note that the inclusion of metrics that
will be difficult or impossible to measure based upon the applicant's
local conditions will not improve the rating of the Logic Model. A list
of such exclusions may included in the Logic Model Narrative section.
(4) Development, Financial, and Fiscal Management. The Rating
Factor narrative should include identification of the Team members,
their positions in the Team, and the methods they will use to manage:
(a) General administration of the grant activities and reporting;
(b) Construction activities, including inspections;
(c) Leverage and match resources to guarantee fulfillment of
commitments;
(d) Accounting and distribution of grant funds; and
(e) Local, state, and federal procurement requirements of the
applicant government.
e. Rating Factor 5--Incentive Criteria on Regulatory Barrier
Removal (Section F for Narrative and Section N for form).
(1) The applicant must include the completed form HUD-27300 in the
application, along with background documentation where required by the
form, in order to receive up to 2 policy priority points for removal of
barriers to affordable housing. Please read the form's instructions
carefully and see section V.B. of the 2008 General Section.
f. Rating Factor 6--RC/EZ/EC-IIs (Section O).
(1) To receive up to two bonus points for performing the NOFA
activities in a RC/EZ/EC-II area, the applicant must complete, sign,
and submit the ``Certification of Consistency with RC/EZ/EC Strategic
Plan'' (form HUD-2990) as part of the application and meet the
requirements of the 2008 General Section.
C. Submission Dates and Times.
1. Application deadline date. Electronic applications must be
received AND VALIDATED by Grants.gov by 11:59:59 p.m. eastern time on
the application deadline date. If a waiver to the electronic submission
is granted, paper copy applications must be received by the application
deadline date. See the 2008 General Section and section IV.F. below.
2. No Facsimiles or Videos. HUD will not accept for review,
evaluation, or funding any entire application sent by facsimile (fax).
However, third-party documents or other materials sent by facsimile in
compliance with the instructions under section IV. of the 2008 General
Section, and that are received by the application deadline date, will
be accepted. Also, videos submitted as part of an application will not
be viewed. See the 2008 General Section for the new 2008 fax number.
D. Intergovernmental Review.
1. Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs. Executive Order 12372 was issued to foster intergovernmental
partnership and strengthen federalism by relying on state and local
processes for the coordination and review of federal financial
assistance and direct federal development. HUD implementing regulations
are published in 24 CFR part 52. The executive order allows each state
to designate an entity to perform a state review function. The official
listing of State Points of Contact (SPOCs) for this review process can
be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. States not
listed on the Web site have chosen not to participate in the
intergovernmental review process and, therefore, do not have a SPOC. If
the applicant's state has a SPOC, the applicant should contact it to
see if it is interested in reviewing the application prior to
submission to HUD. The applicant should allow ample time for this
review process when developing and submitting the applications. If the
applicant's state does not have a SPOC or if the SPOC elects not to
review the application, the applicant may send applications directly to
Grants.gov.
E. Funding Restrictions.
1. Grant funds must only be used to provide assistance to carry out
eligible affordable housing activities, as stated in section III.C. of
this NOFA.
2. HOPE VI funds may not be used to meet the match requirement.
3. Non-allowable Costs and Activities. Grant funds awarded through
this NOFA must not be expended on:
a. Total demolition of a building (including where a building
foundation is retained);
b. Sale or lease of the Main Street affordable housing project
site, excluding:
(1) Long-term lease or transfer of title for the purposes of
obtaining tax credits or implementation of extended use restrictions,
provided that the recipient owner entity of the title or lease includes
the applicant;
(2) Transfer of title from a private owner to the applicant for
deminimus consideration, e.g., $1.
(3) Acquisition of land or property for the purpose of developing,
reconfiguring, or rehabilitating affordable housing units;
c. Funding of project reserves of any type;
d. Payment of the applicant's administrative costs (Certain staff
costs are allowed, as stated in section III.C. of this NOFA);
e. Payment of any and all legal fees;
f. Development of public housing replacement units (defined as
units that replace disposed of or demolished public housing);
g. Housing Choice Vouchers;
h. Transitional security activities;
i. Main Street technical assistance consultants or contracts; and
[[Page 36394]]
j. Costs incurred prior to grant award, including the cost of
application preparation.
4. Cost Controls.
a. The total amount of HOPE VI funds expended shall not exceed the
TDC for the total number of units in the project, as described in the
application to this NOFA. TDC limits are published by HUD in Notice PIH
2007-19 (HA), ``Public Housing Development Cost Limits.'' The TDC
limits can be found through HUD's HUDClips Web site at http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/index.cfm or at http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/notices/pih/07-19pih-Att.doc. This information is
also included as background data in form HUD-52861, ``HOPE VI Main
Street Application Data Sheet.''
b. Cost Control Safe Harbors apply. Grantees must comply with HOPE
VI Main Street Cost Control and Safe Harbor Standards, as follows:
(1) Developer Fee Safe Harbor. The HOPE VI Main Street Safe Harbor
for the Developer fee is 9 percent or less of total Main Street
affordable housing project costs that are funded by grant funds or
Leverage funds included in the NOFA application (less the total amount
of all reserve accounts and less the Developer fee, itself.) The
maximum Developer fee is 12 percent of total Main Street affordable
housing project costs that are funded by grant funds or Leverage funds
included in the NOFA application. Any fee above the 9 percent safe
harbor must be justified and approved by HUD in advance. Possible
justifications for exceeding the 9 percent safe harbor include:
(a) Developer independently obtains project financing, including
tax credits. The more sources of financing, the greater the
justification for a higher Developer fee;
(b) Developer obtains site control from an entity other than the
Grantee. The more sites acquired the greater the justification for a
higher Developer fee;
(c) The project is complex (e.g., in financial, legal,
environmental, and/or political terms.);
(d) The Developer bears more than 25 percent of the predevelopment
costs;
(e) The Developer fee is deferred or paid out of positive cash flow
from the project;
(f) The Developer guarantee(s) is for a large dollar amount in
proportion to the project size and/or the guarantee(s) is for a long
term.
(2) General Contractor Fee Safe Harbor. The HOPE VI Main Street
Safe Harbor for the general contractor fee is as follows:
(a) General Requirements: 6 percent of hard-costs (including
contingency and bond premium);
(b) Overhead: 2 percent of hard-costs plus general requirements;
(c) Profit: 6 percent of hard-costs, general requirements, and
overhead;
(d) The maximum Safe Harbor for these combined costs is 14 percent,
unless adequate justification is provided to HUD.
5. Community and Supportive Services (``CSS''). Furnishing CSS to
residents is voluntary, except for homeownership counseling when the
application includes development of homeownership units. If the
applicant chooses to furnish CSS, expenditures are limited to 15
percent of the grant amount.
6. Statutory time limit for award, obligation, and expenditure.
a. The estimated award date will be 32 days after the application
deadline date for this NOFA. Grant from this NOFA must be awarded on or
before September 30, 2008.
b. Funds available through this NOFA must be obligated on or before
September 30, 2008.
c. In accordance with 31 U.S.C. 1552 (Pub. L. 97-258, Sept. 13,
1982, 96 Stat. 935; Pub. L. 101-510, div. A, title XIV, Sec.
1405(a)(1), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1676), all HOPE VI funds that were
appropriated in FY 2008 must be expended by September 30, 2013. Any
funds that are not expended by these dates will be cancelled and
recaptured by the United States Treasury, and thereafter will not be
available for obligation or expenditure for any purpose.
7. Withdrawal of Funding. If a grantee under this NOFA does not
proceed within a reasonable time frame (in accordance with Section VI.
of this NOFA), HUD retains the right to unilaterally withdraw any grant
amounts that have not been obligated by the grantee. Unless these funds
must return to the U.S. Treasury, HUD shall redistribute any withdrawn
amounts to one or more other applicants eligible for assistance under
the HOPE VI program.
8. Transfer of Funds. HUD has the discretion to transfer funds
available through this NOFA to any other HOPE VI program.
9. Limitation on Eligible Expenditures. Expenditures on services,
equipment, and physical improvements must directly relate to project
activities allowed through this NOFA.
10. Pre-Award Activities. Award funds shall not be used to
reimburse expenses incurred before the award date.
F. Other Submission Requirements
1. Application Submission and Receipt Procedures. See sections
IV.B. and F. of the 2008 General Section.
2. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission.
a. Electronic Submission. All electronic applications must be
received AND VALIDATED by Grants.gov by 11:59:59 p.m. eastern time on
or before the deadline date established for this NOFA. See Sections
IV.B. and F. of the 2008 General Section. Applicants are advised to
submit their applications at least 24 to 48 hours in advance of the
deadline date and when the Grants.gov help desk is open so that any
issues can be addressed prior to the deadline date and time. PLEASE
NOTE THAT VALIDATION MAY TAKE UP TO 48 HOURS. In this way, if the
application is rejected for some reason, the applicant will have
sufficient time to learn what caused the rejection and to resubmit the
application prior to the deadline. Note that it is important to ensure
that the applicant's email is correct during registration or has been
updated during annual re-registration. If the email is not correct, the
applicant will not receive notification of rejection from Grants.gov.
b. Applications Receiving Waivers to Submit a Paper Copy
Application.
(1) Requests for HUD to waive the requirement that NOFA
applications be submitted electronically must be made in writing to:
Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Public Housing
Investments, Attention: Susan Wilson, Director, 451 Seventh Street,
SW., Washington, DC 20410-5000.
(2) Waiver requests must include justification explaining why the
application cannot be submitted electronically, and must be submitted
no later than 15 days prior to the application deadline date.
(3) See section IV. of the 2008 General Section for additional
information about waivers.
(4) Applicants granted a waiver of the electronic submission
requirement must submit their applications, in their entirety, to the
applicable HUD office by the application deadline date. Written
notification of waiver approval will include information on mailing
instructions and timely receipt of the application by HUD. HUD will not
accept a paper application without a waiver being granted.
c. No Facsimiles of Entire Application. HUD will not accept fax
transmissions as a paper copy application when a waiver to electronic
application has been granted. Paper
[[Page 36395]]
applications must be complete and submitted, in their entirety, on or
before the application deadline date.
3. 2008 General Section References. Section IV of the 2008 General
Section is hereby incorporated by reference.
V. Application Review Information
A. Selection Criteria (Rating Factors).
1. Rating Factor 1--Capacity (Section C) (up to 25 points). This
factor addresses whether the applicant Team has the capacity and
organizational resources necessary to implement successfully the
proposed activities within the grant period. Please do not include the
Social Security Number of any Team member.
a. Past Experience (up to 15 points).
(1) The applicant will earn a maximum of 15 points if the applicant
demonstrates that the applicant's Team has extensive experience of
affordable housing development and historic preservation requirements;
that is, that the applicant's Team has developed or rehabilitated
housing projects, including BOTH affordable housing projects and
National Register for Historic Preservation (NRHP) or traditional
architecture projects over the past 3 years.
(2) The applicant will earn a maximum of 10 points if the applicant
demonstrates that the applicant's Team has superior experience of
affordable housing development and historic preservation requirements;
that is, that the applicant's Team has developed or rehabilitated
housing projects, including EITHER affordable housing projects OR NRHP
or traditional architecture projects over the past 3 years.
(3) The applicant will earn a maximum of 5 points if the applicant
demonstrates that the applicant Team has adequate experience in housing
development; that is, that the applicant's Team has developed or
rehabilitated more than one housing project over the past 3 years.
(4) The applicant will earn a maximum of 0 points if the applicant
cannot demonstrate that its Team has at least adequate experience in
housing development.
b. Knowledge of Key Personnel (up to 10 points).
(1) The applicant will earn a maximum of 10 points if the applicant
demonstrates that its key personnel have extensive knowledge in the
development or rehabilitation of housing projects, including BOTH
affordable housing projects AND NRHP or traditional architecture
projects.
(2) The applicant will earn a maximum of 5 points if the applicant
demonstrates that the applicant Team's key personnel have adequate
knowledge in the development or rehabilitation of housing projects,
including EITHER affordable housing projects OR NRHP or traditional
architecture projects.
(3) The applicant will earn a maximum of 0 points if the applicant
cannot demonstrate that its key personnel have adequate knowledge in
the development or rehabilitation of housing projects.
2. Rating Factor 2--Need for Affordable Housing (up to 10 points).
a. For the applicant's PMSA/MSA or non-metropolitan county/parish,
if the ratio of the maximum affordable rent for a three-person very
low-income family to the FMR of a two-bedroom size unit (affordable
rent divided by FMR) is equal to or less than 0.9, the applicant will
receive 10 points. Affordable rent is 30 percent of the Income Limit
for a very low-income family, divided by 12 (months per year).
b. For the applicant's PMSA/MSA or non-metropolitan county/parish,
if the ratio of the maximum affordable rent for a three-person, very
low-income family to the FMR of a two-bedroom size unit (affordable
rent divided by FMR) is greater than 0.9, but less than or equal to
1.2, the applicant will receive 5 points. Affordable rent is 30 percent
of the Income Limit for a very low-income family, divided by 12 (months
per year).
c. For the applicant's PMSA/MSA or non-metropolitan county/parish,
if the ratio of the maximum affordable rent for a 3-person very low-
income family to the FMR of a two-bedroom size unit (affordable rent
divided by FMR) is greater than 1.2, the applicant will receive 0
points. Affordable rent is 30 percent of the Income Limit for a very
low-income family, divided by 12 (months per year).
3. Rating Factor 3--Readiness and Appropriateness of the Main
Street affordable housing project (Sections D, G and I) (up to 48
points).
a. Appropriateness and Feasibility of the Main Street Affordable
Housing Project (up to 10 points).
(1) You will receive 10 points if the application demonstrates the
following about the Main Street affordable housing project:
(a) It is appropriate and suitable, in the context of the community
and other affordable housing options, e.g., rehabilitation versus new
construction;
(b) Fulfills the needs of the Main Street Area rejuvenation effort;
(c) Is marketable, in the context of local conditions;
(d) If the affordable housing units that will be developed under a
grant from this NOFA are not a separable part of a larger development
effort, and the applicant includes market-rate housing or retail
structures in that larger development, the applicant must provide a
signed letter from an independent, third-party, market research firm or
real estate professional that describes its assessment of the demand
and associated pricing structure for the proposed residential units and
retail structures, based on the market and economic conditions of the
Main Street Area;
(e) Is financially feasible, as demonstrated in the proforma and
financial exhibits proposed in the application;
(f) Describes the cost controls that will be used in implementing
the project, in accordance with the Funding Restrictions and Program
Requirements sections of this NOFA; and
(g) Includes a completed TDC/Grant Limitations Worksheet in the
application and follows the Funding Restrictions and Program
Requirements sections of this NOFA.
(2) You will receive 5 points if the application demonstrates at
least 4 of the criteria above.
(3) You will receive 0 points if the application does not
demonstrate the criteria above or the application does not provide
sufficient information to evaluate this factor.
b. Promotion and Marketing (2 Points).
(1) The applicant will receive 2 points if the application sets
forth a plan to promote and market the Main Street Area rejuvenation
effort to financiers, to other parties that may be involved in the
rejuvenation effort, and to possible future residents of the Main
Street affordable housing project, including (in accordance with
affirmative fair housing marketing requirements) the population that is
least likely to apply.
(2) The applicant will receive 0 points if the application does not
include a discussion of promotion or marketing of the Main Street Area
rejuvenation effort.
c. Readiness (Site Control, Zoning, and Developer/Construction
Agreement) (up to 13 points).
(1) In order to perform the activities required under a grant from
this NOFA, the applicant must:
(a) Have obtained site control of the Main Street affordable
housing project site(s). (Note that an applicant that does not have
site control prior to HUD's receipt of the application must not acquire
title to any sites until completion of the HUD environmental review. In
addition, any purchase option entered into after HUD receipt of the
application must be contingent upon notification from HUD that the
property is acceptable, following a HUD
[[Page 36396]]
environmental review, and the cost of the option must be no more than a
nominal portion of the purchase price);
(b) Have received local zoning approval that allows residential use
of the Main Street affordable housing project site(s); and
(c) Have either:
(i) Begun discussions toward execution of an agreement or contract
with a Developer, construction manager, or construction company to
develop the Main Street affordable housing project. (Note that under 24
CFR 50.3, the grantee must not enter into a binding agreement for
choice-limiting actions until HUD completes an environmental review);
or
(ii) Had such a contract in place, before application submission,
to develop affordable housing that may be partially funded by this
NOFA. (Note that, prior to HUD's completion of its environmental
review, funds from this NOFA must not be committed or used to fund
construction activities that started under a binding contract that was
executed before application submission).
(2) Scoring:
(a) The applicant will receive 13 points if the application
includes documentation demonstrating that (a), (b), and (c), above,
have occurred.
(b) The applicant will receive 8 points if the application includes
documentation demonstrating that any two of (a), (b), or (c), above,
have occurred.
(c) The applicant will receive 4 points if the application includes
documentation demonstrating that only one of (a), (b), or (c), above,
has occurred.
(d) The applicant will receive 0 points if the application does not
include documentation demonstrating that either (a), (b), or (c),
above, have occurred.
d. Main Street Area Rejuvenation Leverage (up to 15 points).
Main Street Area Leverage includes Leverage used for activities
related to the Main Street Area rejuvenation effort as a whole, along
with Leverage that will be used directly for allowable activities in
the development of the Main Street affordable housing project.
(1) The applicant must provide Leverage funds/in-kind services that
are firmly committed to the Main Street rejuvenation effort as a whole,
including Leverage specifically committed to development of the Main
Street affordable housing project. This Leverage demonstrates
government and private-sector community support for the Main Street
Area rejuvenation effort.
(2) Match is NOT included in Leverage. Match is a separate,
statutorily required contribution of funds. If a resource is listed as
Leverage in the ``HOPE VI Main Street Application Data Sheet,'' form
HUD-52861, that is included in the application, HUD will not count that
resource as match.
(3) Points are assigned based on the following scale, as a percent
of the requested grant amount:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leverage as percent of grant amount Points awarded
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Less than 75 percent of the requested 0
grant amount.
Greater than or equal to 75 percent but 5
less than 150 percent.
Greater than or equal to 150 percent but 10
less than 225 percent.
225 percent or more....................... 15
------------------------------------------------------------------------
e. Retention of Historic or Traditional Architecture (up to 6
points).
(1) The applicant will receive 6 points if the application
demonstrates that the buildings in the project will maintain all of the
historic or traditional architecture and design features on all floors
of the buildings.
(2) The applicant will receive 3 points if the application
demonstrates that the buildings in the project will retain some of the
historic or traditional architecture and design features on some or all
of the floors of the buildings.
(3) The applicant will receive 0 points if the application does not
demonstrate that the buildings in the project will retain historic or
traditional architecture and design features.
f. Economic Opportunities for Low- and Very-Low-Income Persons
(Provision of Section 3) (up to 2 points).
(1) HOPE VI grantees must comply with section 3 of the Housing and
Urban Development Act of 1968 (12 U.S.C. 1701u) ``Economic
Opportunities for Low- and Very-Low-Income Persons in Connection with
Assisted Projects,'' and its implementing regulations at 24 CFR 135.32,
``Responsibilities of the recipient,'' which can be found through
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=886c710f53cf6d57a3105562b760fdb0&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title24/24cfr135_main_02.tpl and are hereby included in this NOFA by
reference. One of the purposes of the assistance is to give, to the
greatest extent feasible, and consistent with existing federal, state,
and local laws and regulations, job training, employment, contracting,
and other economic opportunities to section 3 residents and section 3
business concerns.
(2) Scoring:
(a) The applicant will receive 2 points if the application includes
a feasible plan to implement section 3 that not only meets the above
referenced minimum requirements, but also exceeds those requirements.
(b) The applicant will receive 1 point if the application includes
a feasible plan to implement section 3 that meets the above referenced
minimum requirements.
(3) The applicant will receive 0 points if the application does not
include a feasible plan to implement Section 3 that meets the minimum
referenced requirements.
4. Rating Factor 4--Program Administration and Fiscal Management
(Sections E, G, H, and P) (up to 15 points).
a. Program Schedule (up to 5 points).
(1) The applicant may receive a maximum of 5 points if the
applicant demonstrates that the milestones in the Program Schedule are
realistic and achievable; that is, that the application demonstrates
that the applicant has performed the following actions and, where
applicable, has obtained information that was used in developing the
Program Schedule:
(a) Contacted the State Historic Preservation Officer, the local
HUD Field Office, architects, materials suppliers, and other parties
that milestones depend upon, to ensure that the milestones can
reasonably be met;
(b) Checked to see if any litigation or court orders exist that
will affect the milestones; and
(c) Prepared a chart that states the estimated production
milestones, their relative time frames, and each milestone's time to
completion, e.g., in a Gantt Chart.
(2) The applicant may receive a maximum of 3 points if the
applicant has performed two of the three actions in (a) through (c)
above and, where applicable, has obtained information that was used in
developing the Program Schedule.
(3) The applicant will receive 0 points if the applicant has not
performed at least two of the three actions in (a) through (c) above.
b. Achieving Results and Program Evaluation: Logic Model (up to 2
points).
(a) The final Development Proposal for housing development
performed through a grant from this NOFA is required 9 months after
grant award, and, until that time, the detailed specifics of
measurement through the Logic Model cannot be known. Because of this,
contrary to the 2008 General Section, the Logic Model can earn a
maximum of 2 points for evaluation of
[[Page 36397]]
applications for this NOFA. The matrix provided in Attachment 1 of the
2008 General Section identifies how the Logic Model will be rated. The
points earned by the Logic Model apply to this Rating Factor as
follows:
(i) If the matrix demonstrates that the Logic Model has earned from
7 to 10 points, the applicant will receive 2 points for this rating
factor;
(ii) If the matrix demonstrates that the Logic Model has earned
from 3 to 6 points, the applicant will receive 1 point for this rating
factor;
(iii) If the matrix demonstrates that the Logic Model has earned
from 0 to 2 points, the applicant will receive 0 points for this rating
factor.
c. Development and Fiscal Management (up to 8 points).
(1) Development and fiscal management includes management of the
grant in general (administration and reporting), the construction
activities, receipt of financial commitments, accounting and
distribution of grant funds, and government procurement activities.
(2) If the applicant demonstrates management controls that are
adequate to manage a grant from this NOFA for all of the above areas,
the applicant will receive 8 points.
(3) If the applicant demonstrates management controls that are
adequate to manage a grant from this NOFA for some of the above areas,
the applicant will receive 4 points.
(4) If the applicant does not demonstrate management controls that
are adequate to manage a grant from this NOFA, the applicant will
receive 0 points.
5. Rating Factor 5--Incentive Criteria on Regulatory Barrier
Removal (Sections F and N) (up to 2 points).
a. Description.
(1) HUD's Notice, ``America's Affordable Communities Initiative,
HUD's Initiative on Removal of Regulatory Barriers: Announcement of
Incentive Criteria on Barrier Removal in HUD's FY 2004 Competitive
Funding Allocations,'' Federal Register Docket Number FR-4882-N-03,
published on March 22, 2004, provides that most HUD competitive NOFAs
will include an incentive for local and state governments to decrease
their regulatory barriers to the development of affordable housing.
(2) Form HUD-27300 contains questions that explore the applicant's
efforts to decrease regulatory barriers.
b. Scoring.
(1) If the applicant is considered a local unit of government with
land use and building regulatory authority, an agency or department of
a local unit of government, or other eligible applicant applying for
funding through this NOFA, the applicant should answer the 20 questions
in Part A of form HUD-27300. For those applications in which regulatory
authority is split between jurisdictions (e.g., county/parish and
town), the applicant should answer the question for the jurisdiction
that has regulatory authority over the issue at question.
(a) If the applicant checked Column 2 for five to ten questions
from Part A, the applicant will receive 1 point in the NOFA evaluation.
(b) If the applicant checked Column 2 for 11 or more questions from
Part A, the applicant will receive 2 points in the NOFA evaluation.
(2) Part B of the form is for an applicant that is a state
government or an agency or department of a state government. State
governments are not units of local government and are not eligible to
apply for funds through this NOFA. The questions in Part B should not
be answered.
(3) To receive the points for this policy priority, an applicant
must submit the documentation requested in the questionnaire or provide
a Web site address (URL) where the documentation can be readily found.
See section IV. of the 2008 General Section for documentation
requirements.
6. Bonus Points: RC/EZ/EC-II (Section O) (up to 2 points).
a. RC/EZ/EC-IIs. This NOFA provides for the award of two bonus
points for eligible activities/projects that the applicant proposes to
locate in federally designated Empowerment Zones (EZs), Renewal
Communities (RCs), or Enterprise Communities, designated by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture in round II (EC-IIs), that are intended to
serve the residents of these areas, and that are certified to be
consistent with the area's strategic plan or RC Tax Incentive
Utilization Plan (TIUP). (For ease of reference in this notice, all of
the federally designated areas are collectively referred to as ``RC/EZ/
EC-IIs'' and residents of any of these federally designated areas as
``RC/EZ/EC-II residents.'') This NOFA contains a certification,
``Certification of Consistency with RC/EZ/EC Strategic Plan'' (form
HUD-2990), that must be completed for the applicant to be considered
for RC/EZ/EC-II bonus points. A list of RC/EZ/EC-IIs can be obtained
from HUD's Web page at http://www.hud.gov/cr. Applicants can determine
if their program/project activities are located in one of these
designated areas by using the locator on HUD's Web site at http://www.hud.gov/crlocator.
B. Review and Selection Process.
1. HUD's selection process is designed to ensure that grants are
awarded to eligible local governments with the most meritorious
applications.
2. Application Screening.
a. HUD will screen each application to determine if:
(1) It meets the threshold criteria listed in section III.C. of
this NOFA; and
(2) It is deficient, i.e., contains any technical deficiencies.
b. Corrections to Deficient Applications. The subsection entitled,
``Corrections to Deficient Applications,'' in Section V.B. of the 2008
General Section applies, except for the following: Clarifications or
corrections of technical deficiencies in accordance with the
information provided by HUD must be submitted within three (3) Federal
Work Days of the date of receipt of HUD notification. HUD will notify
the applicant via the e-mail addresses stated in the ``Application for
Federal Assistance,'' Standard Form-424, and will request that any
clarifying documentation be scanned into PDF format and emailed back to
HUD. Note the importance of including the correct e-mails in the SF-
424.
c. Applications that will not be rated or ranked.
(1) HUD will not rate or rank applications that are deficient at
the end of a three (3) Federal Work Day cure period, as described in
Section V.B.2.b. above and the 2008 General Section. Such applications
will not be eligible for funding.
(2) HUD will not rate or rank applications that have not met the
thresholds described in Section III.C. of this NOFA. Such applications
will not be eligible for funding.
3. Preliminary Rating and Ranking.
a. Rating.
(1) HUD staff will preliminarily rate each eligible application,
SOLELY on the basis of the Rating Factors described in section V.A. of
this NOFA.
(2) When rating applications, HUD reviewers will not use any
information included in any application submitted for another NOFA.
(3) HUD will assign a preliminary score for each Rating Factor and
a preliminary total score for each eligible application.
(4) The maximum number of points for each application is 100, plus
a possible 2 RC/EZ/EC-II bonus points.
(5) Minimum Score. Applications that do not have a preliminary
score of at least 50 points will not be eligible for funding.
b. Ranking.
(1) After preliminary review, applications with a minimum score of
[[Page 36398]]
50 or above will be ranked in score order.
4. Final Panel Review.
a. A Final Review Panel made up of HUD staff will:
(1) Review the Preliminary Rating and Ranking documentation to:
(a) Ensure that any inconsistencies between preliminary reviewers
have been identified and rectified; and
(b) Ensure that the Preliminary Rating and Ranking documentation
accurately reflects the contents of the application.
(2) Assign a final score to each application; and
(3) Recommend for selection the most highly rated applications,
subject to the amount of available funding, described in section II. of
this NOFA.
5. HUD reserves the right to make reductions in funding for any
ineligible items included in an applicant's proposal in the
application's Sources and Uses' HOPE VI column, or HOPE VI budget.
6. In accordance with the FY 2008 HOPE VI appropriation, HUD may
not use HOPE VI funds, including HOPE VI Main Street funds, to grant
competitive advantage in awards to settle litigation or pay judgments.
7. Tie Scores. If two or more applications have the same score and
there are insufficient funds to select all of them, HUD will select for
funding the application(s) with the highest score for the Capacity
Rating Factor. If a tie remains, HUD will select for funding the
application(s) with the highest score for the Readiness (Site Control,
Zoning, and Developer/Construction Agreement) Rating Subfactor. HUD
will select further tied applications with the highest score for the
Program Administration and Fiscal Management Rating Factor.
8. Remaining Funds.
a. HUD reserves the right to reallocate remaining funds from this
NOFA to other eligible activities under section 24 of the Act.
(1) If the total amount of funds requested by all applications
found eligible for funding under section V.B. of this NOFA is less than
the amount of funds available from this NOFA, all eligible applications
will be funded and those funds in excess of the total requested amount
will be considered remaining funds.
(2) If the total amount of funds requested by all applications
found eligible for funding under section V.B. of this NOFA is greater
than the amount of funds available from this NOFA, eligible
applications will be funded until the amount of non-awarded funds is
less than the amount required to fund feasibly the next eligible
application. In this case, the funds that have not been awarded will be
considered remaining funds.
9. The following subsections of section V. of the 2008 General
Section are hereby incorporated by reference:
a. HUD's Strategic Goals;
b. Policy Priorities;
c. Threshold Compliance;
d. Corrections to Deficient Applications;
e. Rating; and
f. Ranking.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices.
1. Initial Announcement. The HUD Reform Act prohibits HUD from
notifying the applicant as to whether or not the applicant has been
selected to receive a grant until HUD has announced all grant
recipients. If the application has been found to be ineligible or if it
did not receive enough points to be funded, the applicant will not be
notified until the successful applicants have been notified. HUD will
provide email notification to all eligible applicants, whether or not
they have been selected for funding.
2. Obligating Document. The ``Assistance Award/Amendment,'' form
HUD-1044, signed first by the grantee and then by the Assistant
Secretary for Public and Indian Housing (grants officer) is the
obligating document. This fully executed form will be delivered via the
United States Postal Service to the applicant's authorized signatory at
the applicant's address, as stated on the form SF-424.
3. 2008 General Section References. Section VI. of the 2008 General
Section is hereby incorporated by reference.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements.
1. Administrative Requirements.
a. Grant Agreement Execution. The grantee must execute the Grant
Agreement within 30 days after HUD emails the Grant Agreement to the
grantee.
b. Grant term. The time period for completion shall not exceed 30
months from the date the ``Assistance Award/Amendment,'' form HUD-1044,
is executed by HUD.
c. Sub-Grants and Contracts. Grant funds may be expended directly
by the applicant or they may be granted or loaned by the applicant to a
third-party procured Developer, Construction Manager, or Construction
Contractor who is undertaking the development of the Project.
d. Reasonable Time Frame. Grantees must proceed within a reasonable
time frame to complete the following milestone activities:
(1) Development Proposal. Grantees must submit a development
proposal for the project within 12 months after the grant award date.
(a) Development proposals must include the following documents and
information:
(i) Completed HUD Environmental Review, including the State
Historic Preservation Officer approval, in accordance with 24 CFR part
50;
(ii) Identification of parties to the project development;
(iii) Activities and relationships of parties, e.g., Party A will
loan $50,000 to Party C via a hard loan with an interest rate of 6
percent, with a 30-year amortization and a 15-year term;
(iv) Financing, i.e., sources and uses in the form HUD-52861
format;
(v) Unit description, i.e., unit number and sizes;
(vi) Site locations, i.e., lot and block, street address, or legal
description;
(vii) Development construction cost estimate; and
(viii) Certification that open competition has been or will be used
by the grantee to select a development partner and/or owner entity, if
applicable.
(2) First Construction Start. Grantees must start housing unit
construction within 18 months after grant award date.
(3) Last Construction Completion. Grantees must complete
construction, and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy if such is required
in the local government's jurisdiction, on a number and mix of units
that accounts for an amount of TDC equal to, or greater than, the
amount of the grant (TDC Units), within 30 months from the grant award
date.
(4) In determining reasonableness of such time frame, noted in the
paragraph above, HUD will take into consideration those delays caused
by factors beyond the applicant's control.
(5) In accordance with the threshold requirement in section III.C.
of this NOFA and the threshold documentation in section IV.B. of this
NOFA, the above time frames must be stated in a Program Schedule that
includes the following milestones, at a minimum:
(a) Grant Award Date (assume September 30, 2008);
(b) Grant Agreement Execution Date. The Grant Agreement will be e-
mailed to the grantee after notice of award. (assume grantee receipt of
the Grant Agreement within 30 days after the award date) The grantee
will be given a maximum of 30 days to execute the Agreement);
(c) Development Plan Submission Date;
[[Page 36399]]
(d) Date of closing of financing of the first phase. If the
applicant plans not to have a financial closing, it must state so in
the Schedule;
(e) Date of the start of construction of the first housing unit, or
obligation of grant funds if the targeted housing units are in a larger
development; and
(f) Date of the completion of construction of the last TDC Unit,
and date of receipt of its Certificate of Occupancy if such is required
in the local government's jurisdiction.
e. Preliminary Environmental Approval Only. HUD's notification of
award to a selected applicant constitutes a preliminary approval by
HUD, subject to the completion of an environmental review of the
proposed sites in accordance with 24 CFR part 50. See section III.C. of
this NOFA for information about environmental requirements.
f. Flood Insurance. In accordance with the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4001-4128), the application may not
propose to provide financial assistance for acquisition or construction
(including rehabilitation) of properties located in an area identified
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as having special
flood hazards, unless:
(1) The community in which the area is situated is participating in
the National Flood Insurance Program (see 44 CFR parts 59 through 79)
or less than one year has passed since FEMA notification regarding such
hazards; and
(2) Where the community is participating in the National Flood
Insurance Program, flood insurance is obtained as a condition of
execution of a Grant Agreement.
g. Coastal Barrier Resources Act. In accordance with the Coastal
Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3501), the application may not target
properties in the Coastal Barrier Resources System.
h. Information for Research and Evaluation Studies. As a condition
of the receipt of financial assistance under a HUD Program NOFA, all
successful applicants will be required to cooperate with all HUD staff
or contractors performing HUD-funded research and evaluation studies.
i. Final Audit. Grantees are required to obtain a complete final
closeout audit of the grantee financial statements for the grant funds.
The audit must be completed by a certified public accountant (CPA) in
accordance with generally accepted government audit standards, if the
Grantee expends $500,000 or more in a calendar or program year. A
written report of the audit must be forwarded to HUD within 60 days of
issuance. Grant recipients must comply with the requirements of 24 CFR
part 84 or 24 CFR part 85 as stated in OMB Circulars A-110, A-87, and
A-122, as applicable.
2. National Policy Requirements.
a. See references to the 2008 General Section in section III. of
this NOFA.
C. Reporting.
1. Quarterly Administrative and Compliance Checkpoints Report
(Quarterly Report).
a. If the applicant is selected for funding, the applicant must
submit a Main Street Quarterly Report to HUD. The report will be
completed on-line. The Grantee will enter into the Quarterly Progress
Report:
(1) On a quarterly basis:
(a) Administrative and production milestones, called
``Checkpoints;''
(b) Financial status, by Budget Line Item as listed on form HUD-
52825-A, ``HOPE VI Budget,'' including the grant budget, amounts
authorized by HUD for expenditure, and amounts expended to date; and
(c) A short status narrative.
(2) On an annual basis, the total real estate tax assessment for
the census tract that includes the Main Street Area and the total real
estate tax assessment for the entire local government's jurisdiction.
b. HUD will provide training and technical assistance on the filing
and submitting of Main Street Quarterly Progress Reports.
c. Filing of Quarterly Progress Reports is mandatory for all
grantees, and failure to do so within the required quarterly time frame
will result in suspension of grant funds until the report is filed and
approved by HUD.
d. Grantees will be held to the milestones that are reported in the
Quarterly Progress Report, as approved by HUD.
2. LOCCS. On a quarterly basis, grantees must report all
obligations and expenditures in HUD's Line of Credit Control System
(LOCCS), or its successor system.
3. Logic Model Reporting. The grantee's Logic Model will be based
upon the Logic Model included in the application or negotiated with HUD
after grant award. Provided that the Logic Model complies with the
requirements of this NOFA, the 2008 General Section, and the Grant
Agreement, HUD will approve the Logic Model's outputs and outcomes at
the time of approval of the Development Proposal. Beginning after HUD
approval, at a minimum, the grantee will be required to submit a
completed Logic Model showing outputs and outcomes achieved annually.
See Logic Model reporting in the 2008 General Section.
4. Final Report.
a. Within 30 days after the grantee obtains the results of the
Final Audit, the grantee shall submit a final report. The final report
will include a financial report, a narrative evaluating overall
performance against its HOPE VI Main Street application and Main Street
Quarterly Progress Report, and a completed Logic Model (form HUD-
96010), including responses to the management questions. Grantees shall
use quantifiable data to measure performance against goals and
objectives outlined in its application. For FY2008, HUD is considering
a new concept for the Logic Model. The new concept is a Return on
Investment (ROI) statement. HUD will be publishing a separate notice on
the Return on Investment (ROI) concept. The financial report shall
contain a summary of all expenditures made from the beginning of the
grant agreement to the end of the grant agreement and shall include any
unexpended balances.
b. The final narrative, financial report, and closeout
documentation, as required by HUD, and the Logic Model shall be due to
HUD 90 days after either the TDC units have been completed, or when the
grant term expires, whichever comes first.
c. Racial and Ethnic Data. HUD requires that funded recipients
collect racial and ethnic beneficiary data. It has adopted the OMB
Standards for the Collection of Racial and Ethnic Data. In view of
these requirements, the applicant should use form HUD-27061, Racial and
Ethnic Data Reporting Form (instructions for its use), found on http://www.HUDclips.org; a comparable program form; or a comparable electronic
data system.
VII. Agency Contacts
A. Technical Corrections to the NOFA.
1. Technical corrections to this NOFA will be posted to the
Grants.gov Web site and at http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/grants/fy08/index.cfm (unofficial copy).
2. Any technical corrections will also be published in the Federal
Register and at the above link.
3. The applicant is responsible for monitoring Grants.gov and the
Federal Register during the application preparation period. Applicants
may sign up for the Grants.gov notification service. Applicants signed
up for the service will receive notification from Grants.gov if HUD
issues any modifications to the NOFA, application package, or
application instructions.
[[Page 36400]]
B. Technical Assistance. Before the application deadline date, HUD
staff will be available to provide the applicant with general guidance
and technical assistance on this NOFA. However, HUD staff is not
permitted to assist in preparing the application. If the applicant has
a question or needs clarification, the applicant may call Lawrence
Gnessin at (202) 402-2676, may send an e-mail to
[email protected], or may contact Ms. Dominique Blom, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Public Housing Investments, Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 4130,
Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone (202) 401-8812; fax (202) 401-2370
(these are not toll-free numbers). Persons with hearing and/or speech
impairments may access these telephone numbers via text telephone (TTY)
by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at (800)
877-8339. For technical support about downloading an application,
registering with Grants.gov, and submitting an application, please call
Grants.gov Customer Support at (800) 518-GRANTS ((800) 518-4726) (this
is a toll-free number) or e-mail Grants.gov at [email protected].
C. General Information. General information specifically about
HUD's HOPE VI Main Street program can be found on the Internet at
http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/grants/mainstreet/.
General information about all of HUD's HOPE VI programs can be found on
the Internet at http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/.
VIII. Other Information
A. 2008 General Section References. The following subsections of
section VIII. of the 2008 General Section are hereby incorporated by
reference:
1. Executive Order 13132, Federalism;
2. Public Access, Documentation, and Disclosure;
3. Section 103 of the HUD Reform Act; and
B. Environmental Impact. A ``Finding of No Significant Impact''
(FONSI) with respect to the environment has been made for this notice
in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 50 that implement
section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4332). The FONSI is available for public inspection between 8
a.m. and 5 p.m. in the Office of the General Counsel, Regulations
Division, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh
Street, SW., Room 10276, Washington, DC 20410-0500.
C. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement. The information collection
requirements contained in this document have been approved by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), under the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520) and assigned OMB Control Number 2577-
0208. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD may not
conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a
collection of information unless the collection displays a currently
valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for the collection of
information is estimated to average 68 hours per annum per respondent
for the application and grant administration. This includes the time
for collecting, reviewing, and reporting the data for the application,
quarterly reports, and final report. The information will be used for
grantee selection and monitoring the administration of funds. Response
to this request for information is required in order to receive the
benefits to be derived.
Dated: June 18, 2008.
Paula O. Blunt,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. E8-14445 Filed 6-25-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P