02-32761. Notice of Timeframe for Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants for Fiscal Year 2003

AGENCY:

Rural Housing Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) announces that it is soliciting competitive applications under its Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program. We are publishing this Notice prior to passage of a final appropriations act to give applicants the maximum amount of time possible to complete their applications, and to provide the Agency sufficient time to select and process the selected applications within the current fiscal year. Although a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) outlining the level of funding for the program will be published after enactment of a final appropriation act, no additional time for submitting applications will be included in this notice. Applications must be submitted within the timeframe set forth below. Because the Agency's appropriations act has not been passed, applicants are cautioned that the Agency cannot make commitments based on the anticipated funding. Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the applicant's risk.

The HPG program is a grant program which provides qualified public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, and other eligible entities grant funds to assist very low- and low-income homeowners repair and rehabilitate their homes in rural areas, and to assist rental property owners and cooperative housing complexes to repair and rehabilitate their units if they agree to make such units available to low- and very low-income persons. This action is taken to comply with Agency regulations found in 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N, which require the Agency to announce the opening and closing dates for receipt of preapplications for HPG funds from eligible applicants. The intended effect of this Notice is to provide eligible organizations notice of these dates.

Discussion of Anticipated Funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003

The FY 2002 funding level for the section 533 program was $7,982,000. To the extent an appropriation act provides funding for HPG grants in FY 2003, the actual funds available for FY 2003 will be published at a later date in a subsequent Notice.

DATES:

The closing deadline for receipt of all applications in response to this Notice is 5 p.m., local time for each Rural Development State Office on March 27, 2003. The application closing deadline is firm as to date and hour. RHS will not consider any application that is received after the closing deadline. Applicants intending to mail applications must provide sufficient time to permit delivery on or before the closing deadline date and time. Acceptance by the United States Postal Service or private mailer does not constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX) and postage due applications will not be accepted.

ADDRESSES:

Applicants wishing to apply for assistance must contact the Rural Development State Office serving the place in which they desire to submit an application to receive further information and copies of the application package. Rural Development will date and time stamp incoming applications to evidence timely receipt, and, upon request, will provide the applicant with a written acknowledgment of receipt. A listing of Rural Development State Offices, their addresses, telephone numbers, and person to contact follows:

Note:

Telephone numbers listed are not toll-free.

Alabama State Office, Suite 601, Sterling Centre, 4121 Carmichael Road , Montgomery, AL 36106-3683, [phone], TDD [phone], Van McCloud

Alaska State Office 800 West Evergreen, Suite 201, Palmer, AK 99645, 907) 761-7740, TDD [phone], Deborah Davis

Arizona State Office, Phoenix Corporate Center, 3003 N. Central Ave., Suite 900, Phoenix, AZ 85012-2906, [phone], TDD [phone], Johnna Vargas

Arkansas State Office, 700 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 3416, Little Rock, AR 72201-3225, [phone], TDD [phone], Clinton King

California State Office, 430 G Street, #4169, Davis, CA 95616-4169, [phone]-5830, TDD [phone], Jeff Deiss

Colorado State Office, 655 Parfet Street, Room E100, Lakewood, CO 80215, [phone], TDD [phone], “Sam” Mitchell

Connecticut: Served by Massachusetts State Office

Delaware and Maryland State Office, 4607 South Dupont Highway, P.O. Box 400, Camden, DE 19934-9998, [phone], TDD [phone], Pat Baker

Florida & Virgin Islands State Office, 4440 N.W. 25th Place, Gainesville, FL 32606-6563, [phone], TDD [phone], Joseph P. Fritz

Georgia State Office, Stephens Federal Building, 355 E. Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 30601-2768, [phone], TDD [phone], Wayne Rogers

Guam: Served by Hawaii State Office

Hawaii State Office (Services all Hawaii, American Samoa and Western Pacific), Room 311, Federal Building, 154 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, [phone], TDD [phone], Thao Khamoui

Idaho State Office, Suite A1, 9173 West Barnes Dr., Boise, ID 83709, [phone], TDD [phone], LaDonn McElligott

Illinois State Office, 2118 West Park Court, Suite A, Champaign, IL 61821-2986, [phone], TDD [phone], Barry L. Ramsey

Indiana State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46278, [phone] (ext. 423), TDD [phone], John Young

Iowa State Office, 210 Walnut Street, Room 873, Des Moines, IA 50309, [phone], TDD [phone], Julie Sleeper

Kansas State Office, 1303 SW First American Place, Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040, [phone], TDD [phone], Virginia M. Hammersmith

Kentucky State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40503, [phone], TDD [phone], Beth Moore

Louisiana State Office, 3727 Government Street, Alexandria, LA 71302, [phone], TDD [phone], Yvonne R. Emerson

Maine State Office, 967 Illinois Ave., Suite 4, PO Box 405, Bangor, ME 04402-0405, [phone], TDD [phone], Lorrie Hamlin

Maryland: Served by Delaware State Office

Massachusetts, Connecticut, & Rhode Island State Office, 451 West Street, Suite 2 , Amherst, MA 01002, [phone], TDD [phone], Donald Colburn

Michigan State Office, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 48823, [phone], TDD [phone], Philip Wolak

Minnesota State Office, 375 Jackson Street Building, Suite 410, St. Paul, MN 55101, [phone], TDD [phone], Joyce Vondal

Mississippi State Office, Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 W. Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269, [phone], TDD [phone], Darnella Smith-Murray

Missouri State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203, [phone], TDD [phone], Colleen James

Montana State Office, Unit 1, Suite B, 900 Technology Blvd., Bozeman, MT 59715, [phone] , TDD [phone], Deborah Chorlton

Nebraska State Office, Federal Building, Room 152, 100 Centennial Mall N, Lincoln, NE 68508, [phone], TDD [phone], Sharon Kluck

Nevada State Office, 1390 South Curry Street, Carson City, NV 89703-9910, [phone] (ext. 25), TDD [phone], Angilla Denton

New Hampshire State Office, Concord Center, Suite 218, Box 317, 10 Ferry Street, Concord, NH 03301-5004, [phone], TDD [phone], Jim Fowler

New Jersey State Office, 5th Floor North, Suite 500, 8000 Midlantic Drive, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054, [phone], TDD [phone], George Hyatt, Jr.

New Mexico State Office, 6200 Jefferson St., NE, Room 255, Albuquerque, NM 87109, [phone], TDD [phone], Carmen N. Lopez

New York State Office, The Galleries of Syracuse, 441 S. Salina Street, Suite 357 5th Floor, Syracuse, NY 13202, [phone], TDD [phone], Tia Baker

North Carolina State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, Raleigh, NC 27609, [phone], TDD [phone], William A. Hobbs

North Dakota State Office, Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East Rosser, PO Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502, [phone], TDD [phone], Barry Borstad

Ohio State Office, Federal Building, Room 507, 200 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2477, [phone], TDD [phone], Melodie Taylor-Ward

Oklahoma State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK 74074-2654, [phone], TDD [phone], Ivan Graves

Oregon State Office, 101 SW Main, Suite 1410, Portland, OR 97204-3222, [phone], TDD [phone], Bill Daniel

Pennsylvania State Office, One Credit Union Place, Suite 330, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996, [phone], TDD [phone], Gary Rothrock

Puerto Rico State Office, 654 Munoz Rivera Avenue, IBM Plaza, Suite 601, Hato Rey, PR 00918, [phone] (ext. 249), TDD [phone], Lourdes Colon

Rhode Island: Served by Massachusetts State Office

South Carolina State Office, Strom Thurmond Federal Building, 1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201, [phone], TDD [phone], Larry D. Floyd

South Dakota State Office, Federal Building, Room 210, 200 Fourth Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350, [phone], TDD [phone], Jim Hafner

Tennessee State Office, Suite 300, 3322 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203-1084, [phone], TDD [phone], Larry Kennedy

Texas State Office, Federal Building, Suite 102, 101 South Main, Temple, TX 76501, [phone], TDD [phone], Julie Hayes

Utah State Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 S. State Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84138, [phone], TDD [phone], Robert L. Milianta

Vermont State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, [phone], TDD [phone], Sandra Mercier

Virgin Islands: Served by Florida State Office

Virginia State Office, Culpeper Building, Suite 238, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA 23229, [phone], TDD [phone], CJ Michels

Washington State Office, Puyallup Executive Park, 1011 E. Main, Suite 306, Puyallup, WA 98372-6771, [phone] (ext. 118), TDD [phone], Don Wagnoner

Western Pacific Territories: Served by Hawaii State Office

West Virginia State Office, Federal Building, 75 High Street, Room 320, Morgantown, WV 26505-7500, [phone], TDD [phone], Craig St. Clair

Wisconsin State Office, 4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens Point, WI 54481, [phone] (ext. 151), TDD [phone], Sherry Engel

Wyoming State Office, 100 East B, Federal Building, Room 1005, PO Box 820, Casper, WY 82602, [phone], TDD [phone], Jack Hyde

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For general information, applicants may contact Mary Fox, Senior Loan Officer, Multi-Family Housing Processing Division, Rural Housing Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Stop 0781, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, 20250-0781, telephone [phone] (voice) (this is not a toll free number) or [phone] (TDD-Federal Information Relay Service).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Programs Affected

This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under Number 10.433, Rural Housing Preservation Grants. This program is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372 which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials (7 CFR 3015, subpart V). Applicants are referred to 7 CFR 1944.674 and 1944.676(f) and (g) for specific guidance on these requirements relative to the HPG program.

Application Requirements

7 CFR part 1944, subpart N provides details on what information must be contained in the preapplication package. Entities wishing to apply for assistance should contact the Rural Development State Office to receive further information, the State allocation of funds if and when a final appropriation act is enacted providing funding for the HPG Program, and copies of the preapplication package. Eligible entities for these competitively awarded grants include state and local governments, nonprofit corporations, Federally recognized Indian Tribes, and consortia of eligible entities.

Funding Information

The funding instrument for the HPG Program will be a grant agreement. The term of the grant can vary from 1 to 2 years, depending on available funds and demand. No maximum or minimum grant levels have been established at the National level. If and when a final appropriation act is enacted providing funding for the HPG Program, you should contact the Rural Development State Office to determine the allocation and the State maximum grant level, if any. From funds available for the HPG Program, there will be monies set aside for grants located in Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, and Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones and other funds will be distributed under a formula allocation to States pursuant to 7 CFR part 1940, subpart L.

Dated: December 20, 2002.

James E. Selmon,

Associate Administrator, Rural Housing Service.