[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 46 (Thursday, March 7, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9258-9261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5299]
[[Page 9257]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part III
Department of Housing and Urban Development
_______________________________________________________________________
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development
_______________________________________________________________________
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program; Expanding HUD
Partnerships for Neighborhood Revitalization; Notice of FY 1996 Funding
Availability
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 46 / Thursday, March 7, 1996 /
Notices
[[Page 9258]]
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development
[Docket No. FR-4014-N-01]
Notice of Funding Availability for FY 1996, Historically Black
Colleges and Universities Program; Expanding HUD Partnerships for
Neighborhood Revitalization
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of funding availability (NOFA) for fiscal year (FY)
1996.
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SUMMARY: This NOFA announces the expected availability of up to $6.5
million (depending on final appropriations for FY 1996) of FY 1996
funding for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)
Program, including any recaptured funds from prior appropriations. This
document contains the following information:
a. The purpose of the NOFA and information regarding available
amounts, objectives, eligibility, and selection criteria; and
b. Application processing, including how, where, and when to apply
and how selections will be made.
The Congress has not yet enacted an FY 1996 appropriation for HUD.
However, HUD is publishing this notice in order to give potential
applicants adequate time to prepare applications. The amount of funds
announced in this NOFA is an estimate of the amount that may be enacted
in 1996. HUD is not bound by the estimate set forth in this notice.
DATES: Application kits may be requested immediately. HUD will
distribute application kits as soon as they become available. Completed
applications are due before midnight Eastern Time, on May 23, 1996.
This application deadline is firm as to date and hour. In the interest
of fairness to all competing applicants, HUD will treat as ineligible
for consideration any application that is received after the deadline.
Applicants should take this practice into account and make early
submission of their materials to avoid any risk of loss of eligibility
brought about by unanticipated delays or other delivery-related
problems. Applications may not be submitted by facsimile (FAX).
ADDRESSES: For a copy of the application package and supplemental
information, including an instructional video, please call Community
Connections at 1-800-998-9999. Hearing- and speech-impaired persons may
call the toll-free TDD number 1-800-877-8339. These materials, except
the video, are also available on the Internet at gopher://
amcom.aspensys.com:75/11/funding. When requesting an application kit,
please refer to document FR-4014, and provide your name, address
(including zip code), and telephone number (including area code).
Requests for HBCU application packages should be made immediately. HUD
will distribute application packages as soon as they become available.
Application Submission: An original and three copies of the
completed application should be submitted to the following address:
Processing and Control Branch, Office of Community Planning and
Development, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th
Street, SW., Room 7251, Washington, DC 20410-3500; ATTN: HBCU Program.
HUD will accept only one application per HBCU. Applications may be
submitted on 3.25'' diskette, clearly indicating the software program
used and the computer environment in which it was created (Macintosh or
IBM compatible).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Yvette Aidara (x140) or Ms. Delores Pruden (x139), Historically
Black Colleges and Universities Program, Office of Community Planning
and Development, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th
St., SW., Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 401-8821 (this is not a
toll-free number). Hearing- and speech-impaired persons may access this
number via TDD by calling the Federal Information Relay Service toll-
free at 1-800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
The information collection requirements contained in this NOFA have
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520), and assigned control number 2506-0122. An agency may not conduct
or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of
information unless the collection displays a valid control number.
I. Purpose and Substantive Description
Purpose. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)
Program is designed to assist HBCUs to expand their role and
effectiveness in addressing community development in their localities.
For the purposes of this program, the term ``locality'' includes any
city, county, town, township, parish, village, or other general
political subdivision of a State or the U.S. Virgin Islands within
which an HBCU is located. An HBCU located in a metropolitan statistical
area (MSA), as established by the Office of Management and Budget, may
consider its locality to be one or more of these entities within the
entire MSA. The nature of the locality for each HBCU may, therefore,
differ depending on its location.
This program is further designed to help HBCUs address the needs of
their locality(ies) while furthering the following HUD values:
A Commitment to Community;
A Commitment to Support Families;
A Commitment to Economic Lift;
A Commitment to Reciprocity and to Balancing Individual
Rights and Responsibilities; and
A Commitment to Reducing the Separations by Race and
Income in American Life.
Objectives: The objectives of this program are:
1. To help HBCUs expand their role and effectiveness in addressing
community development needs in their localities, including neighborhood
revitalization, housing, and economic development, consistent with the
purposes of title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of
1974; and
2. To encourage greater citizen participation in the local/
neighborhood planning process and, ultimately, in development of their
localities' and States' Consolidated Plan for submission to HUD.
Applicants must address the objectives by successfully
demonstrating how the proposed activities will expand the role of the
HBCU in meeting local community economic development and/or housing
needs while furthering HUD's values identified in the purpose, above.
A. Authority
This program is authorized under section 107(b)(3) of the Housing
and Community Development Act of 1974 (the 1974 Act), which was added
by section 105 of the HUD Reform Act of 1989. The program is governed
by regulations contained in 24 CFR 570.400, 570.404 and 24 CFR part
570, subparts A, C, J, K and O.
[[Page 9259]]
B. Allocation Amounts and Form
This NOFA announces the availability of approximately $6.5 million
of FY 1996 funding for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCU) Program, including any recaptured funds from prior
appropriations. The actual amount that will be available is dependent
upon final appropriations because Congress has not yet enacted a FY
1996 appropriation for HUD. However, HUD is publishing this notice in
order to give potential applicants adequate time to prepare
applications. The amount of funds announced in this NOFA is an estimate
of the amount that may be enacted in 1996. HUD is not bound by the
estimate set forth in this notice. The estimated amount may be adjusted
further based on the enacted 1996 appropriation.
The maximum amount awarded to any applicant will be $500,000. HUD
reserves the right to award funds for less than the maximum amount. The
awards will be made in the form of grants.
C. Eligibility
1. Eligible Applicants. Only HBCUs as determined by the Department
of Education in 34 CFR 608.2 in accordance with that Department's
responsibilities under Executive Order 12677, dated April 28, 1989, are
eligible to submit applications.
2. Eligible Activities. Activities that may be funded under this
NOFA are those activities eligible for Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) funding. They are listed in 24 CFR 570, subpart C.
Generally, activities that can be carried out with these funds include,
but are not limited to:
a. Acquisition of real property, relocation and demolition,
rehabilitation of residential and nonresidential structures, water and
sewer facilities, streets;
b. Promoting opportunities for training and employment of low-
income residents in connection with HUD projects such as the ``Campus
of Learners'' initiative and other Federally-assisted projects and
activities;
c. Forming partnerships with units of general local government to
address the physical, social, and economic needs of the community in a
comprehensive manner and in accordance with a HUD-approved Consolidated
Plan;
d. Developing programs that provide a continuum of care for the
homeless;
e. Neighborhood or community services facilities that provide
activities such as adult basic education classes; GED preparation and
testing; job and career counseling and assessment; citizen
participation academics; public access telecommunications centers,
neighborhood cultural and recreational activities that include dancing
lessons, art classes and other support activities for youth, senior
citizens and other low- and moderate-income residents; and social and
medical services;
f. Promoting opportunities for the creation and expansion of small
businesses and minority enterprises; and
g. Identifying specific needs for affordable housing and increasing
housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income persons in the
locality to be served.
In annoucing the availability of Fiscal Year 1995 funding for this
program, HUD published two separate NOFAs on September 29, 1995. One
(60 FR 50694), announced the availability of funds to assist HBCUs in
forming partnerships with units of general local government to conduct
joint projects to establish multiple use community services facilities
on HBCU campuses that would benefit low-income and subsidized housing
residents, senior citizens, and the HBCUs. The second NOFA (60 FR
50700) announced the availability of additional funds to assist HBCUs
to form community development corporations (CDCs) to undertake eligible
activities. While there will not be separate competitions for these two
types of projects this fiscal year, both types of activities remain
eligible for (and applicants are encouraged to seek) assistance under
this competition.
Applicants are encouraged to propose the use of grant funds, at
reasonable levels, for the acquisition of computer hardware and
software compatible with Internet access and HUD's Consolidated
Planning and Community Connections software, if they do not currently
have such capability.
Those applicants planning to use funds for the provision of public
services are generally bound by the statutory requirement that no more
than 15 percent of the total grant amount be used for public service
activities.
3. Environmental Review. If the applicant proposes activities
involving rehabilitation of structures or construction of buildings, an
environmental review by HUD is required in accordance with 24 CFR part
50, including the authorities in Sec. 50.4. If the requirements of part
50 are not met, HUD reserves the right to terminate all or portions of
the award. The grantee is not authorized to proceed with any activity
requiring such approval until written approval is received from the HUD
State environmental office in its area certifying that the project has
been approved.
D. Selection Criteria/Rating Factors
An applicant must demonstrate that it meets the objectives of this
HBCU program by scoring at least 12 of the possible 20 points on rating
factor 1 (addressing the objectives) in order to qualify for funding.
Applicants must also receive a minimum score of 70 out of the total of
105 points to be considered eligible for funding. Activities that are
not eligible for funding under this program (see 24 CFR 570.204 and
570.207) will not be funded. If more than 50 percent of the amount
requested in the application is for ineligible activities, the
application will not be funded.
Applications for funding under this NOFA will be evaluated
competitively, and awarded points based on the factors identified
below. HUD will rank the applications in descending order according to
score. Applications meeting the minimum threshold requirements will be
funded in rank order, until all available funds have been obligated, or
until there are no acceptable applications. HUD reserves the right to
select lower rated projects if necessary to achieve geographic
diversity.
Negotiations. After all applications have been rated and ranked and
a determination of successful applicants has been made, HUD requires
that all successful applicants participate in negotiations to determine
the specific terms of the Statement of Work and grant budget. In cases
in which HUD cannot successfully conclude negotiations, awards will not
be made. In such instances, HUD may elect to offer an award (in an
amount not to exceed the amount of remaining funds available for the
competition) to the next highest ranking applicant and proceed with
negotiations as described above.
Optional Match. Although matching funds are not required to qualify
for funding, HUD wishes to stress that applicants that evidence a
commitment of matching funds are eligible for more rating points than
those not having a match. The maximum number of rating points an
applicant can receive for matching funds is 7 points of the 25 points
possible for Factor 4. To be eligible for match points, the applicant
must provide evidence of a commitment of additional funds and/or
resources from other Federal, State, local and/or private sources
(including the applicant's own resources). The match may be in the form
of cash and/or in-kind goods or services. Applicants having a cash
match will receive a higher number of points than those only
[[Page 9260]]
providing in-kind services. Applicants without a match will receive
zero points out of the possible 7 points available for match.
Rating Factors. The factors set forth below will be used by HUD to
evaluate applications. Each application must contain sufficient
information to be reviewed for its merits. The score of each factor
will be based on the qualitative and quantitative aspects demonstrated
for each factor in an application. The factors, and the maximum number
of points for each factor (out of a total of 105 points), are as
follows:
1. Addressing the Objectives (maximum points: 20).
The extent to which the applicant addresses the objectives of this
program is examined by this factor. Applicants must address objective
1, above, by successfully demonstrating how the proposed activities
will expand the role of the HBCU in meeting local community economic
development and/or housing needs while furthering HUD's values as
identified in the Purpose section of this NOFA, above.
2. Substantial Impact in Achieving Objectives (maximum points: 25).
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates an innovative,
creative, and holistic approach to addressing these objectives is
examined by this factor.
3. Special Needs (Distress) Applicant or Locality. (maximum points:
10).
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the level of
distress in the immediate community to be served by the project is
examined by this factor. While the poverty rate is a strong indicator
of distress levels, the applicant may demonstrate the level of distress
with other factors indicative of distress such as income, unemployment,
drug use, homelessness, and other generally accepted indicators of
socio-economic distress and/or disinvestment.
4. Technical and Financial Feasibility and Match. (maximum points:
25).
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the technical and
financial feasibility of achieving the objectives, including local
support for the activities proposed to be carried out in the locality
and any matching funds proposed to be provided from sources other than
the applicant, is examined by this factor.
5. Capacity. (maximum points: 20).
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the capacity to
carry out satisfactorily the proposed activities in a timely fashion,
including satisfactory performance in carrying out any prior HUD-
assisted projects or activities, is examined by this factor.
6. Bonus Points. Applicants that propose implementing activities in
a Federally-designated Urban or Rural Empowerment Zone, Urban
Supplemental Empowerment Zone, Urban or Rural Enterprise Community, or
Urban Enhanced Enterprise Community (EZ or EC) will receive a maximum
of 5 bonus points. To receive these points, applicants must submit with
the application package a certification from the authorized
representative of the unit of local government that proposed activities
will be carried out within the EZ or EC. An applicant may only receive
bonus points under this factor if it receives a minimum score of 70 out
of the total of 105 points available under actors 1 through 5, above.
II. Application Submission Requirements
Applicants must complete and submit applications for HBCU grants in
accordance with instructions contained in the FY 1996 Historically
Black Colleges and Universities Program application kit. The
application kit will request information in sufficient detail for HUD
to determine whether the proposed activities are feasible and meet all
the requirements of applicable statutes and regulations. The
application package requires a Statement of Work that clearly
identifies the proposed activities; a narrative response to the Rating
Factors identified above; a schedule for the program; budgets; and a
description of any other public or private resources proposed to be
used in the program. The application package also contains
certifications that the applicant will comply with fair housing and
civil rights requirements, program regulations, regulations in 24 CFR
part 135 with regard to economic opportunities for low-income persons
and business concerns, and other Federal requirements. Applicants
should refer to the HBCU application kit for further instructions.
III. Corrections to Deficient Applications
Immediately after the deadline for submission of applications,
applications will be screened to determine whether all items were
submitted. If the applicant fails to submit certain technical items, or
the application contains a technical mistake, such as an incorrect
signatory, HUD shall notify the applicant in writing that the applicant
has 14 calendar days from the date of the written notification to
submit the missing item, or correct the technical mistake. If the
applicant does not submit the missing item within the required time
period, the application will be ineligible for further processing.
The 14-day cure period pertains only to nonsubstantive technical
deficiencies or errors. Technical deficiencies relate to items that:
1. Are not necessary for HUD review under selection criteria/rating
factors; and
2. Would not improve the substantive quality of the proposal.
IV. Other Matters
(a) Environmetnal Impact. A Finding of No Significant Impact with
respect to the environment has been made in accordance with HUD's
regulations at 24 CFR Part 50 which implement section 102(2)(C) of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). The Finding
of No Significant Impact is available for public inspection between
7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. weekdays at the Office of the Rules Docket
Clerk, Room 10276, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20410.
(b) Federalism, Executive Order 12612. The General Counsel, as the
Designated Official under section 6(a) of Executive Order 12612,
Federalism, has determined that the policies contained in this NOFA
will not have substantial direct effects on States or their political
subdivisions, or the relationship between the Federal Government and
the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among
the various levels of government. Specifically, the NOFA solicits HBCU
applicants to expand their role in addressing community development
needs in their localities, and does not impinge upon the relationships
between the Federal government, and State and local governments.
(c) Family, Executive Order 12606. The General Counsel, as the
Designated Official under Executive Order 12606, The Family, has
determined that this document does not have potential for significant
impact on family formation, maintenance, and general well-being. The
NOFA solicits HBCUs to apply for funding to address community
development needs in their locality. Any impact on the family will be
indirect and beneficial in that better planning of community
development needs should result.
(d) Prohibition Against Lobbying Activities. The use of funds
awarded under this NOFA is subject to the disclosure requirements and
prohibitions of section 319 of the Department of Interior and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1990 (31 U.S.C. 1352) (The
``Byrd
[[Page 9261]]
Amendment'') and the implementing regulations at 24 CFR part 87. These
authorities prohibit recipients of Federal contracts, grants, or loans
from using appropriated funds for lobbying the executive or legislative
branches of the Federal Government in connection with a specific
contract, grant, or loan. The prohibition also covers the awarding of
contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or loans unless the
recipient has made an acceptable certification regarding lobbying.
Under 24 CFR part 87, applicants, recipients, and subrecipients of
assistance exceeding $100,000 must certify that no Federal funds have
been or will be spent on lobbying activities in connection with the
assistance.
(e) Section 102 of the HUD Reform Act; Documentation and Public
Access Requirements. HUD will ensure that documentation and other
information regarding each application submitted pursuant to this NOFA
are sufficient to indicate the basis upon which assistance was provided
or denied. This material, including any letters of support, will be
made available for public inspection for a 5-year period beginning not
less than 30 days after the award of the assistance. Material will be
made available in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (5
U.S.C. 552) and HUD's implementing regulations at 24 CFR part 15. In
addition, HUD will include the recipients of assistance pursuant to
this NOFA in its Federal Register notice of all recipients of HUD
assistance awarded on a competitive basis. (See 24 CFR 12.14(a) and
12.16(b), and the notice published in the Federal Register on January
16, 1992 (57 FR 1942), for further information on these requirements.)
(f) Section 103 HUD Reform Act. HUD's regulation implementing
section 103 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform
Act of 1989, codified as 24 CFR part 4, applies to the funding
competition announced today. The requirements of the rule continue to
apply until the announcement of the selection of successful applicants.
HUD employees involved in the review of applications and in the making
of funding decisions are limited by part 4 from providing advance
information to any person (other than an authorized employee of HUD)
concerning funding decisions, or from otherwise giving any applicant an
unfair competitive advantage. Persons who apply for assistance in this
competition should confine their inquiries to the subject areas
permitted under 24 CFR part 4.
Applicants or employees who have ethics related questions should
contact the HUD Office of Ethics (202) 708-3815. (This is not a toll-
free number.) For HUD employees who have specific program questions,
such as whether particular subject matter can be discussed with persons
outside HUD, the employee should contact the appropriate Regional or
Field Office Counsel, or Headquarters counsel for the program to which
the question pertains.
Authority: Title I, Housing and Community Development Act of
1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301-5320); sec. 7(d), Department of Housing and
Urban Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3535(d)): 24 CFR 570.404.
Dated: February 28, 1996.
Andrew Cuomo,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
[FR Doc. 96-5299 Filed 3-6-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4014-01-M
