Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: Facilities to assist homeless— HUD Colonias Initiative,

[Federal Register: August 7, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 152)]

[Notices]

[Page 42549-42552]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr07au98-178]

[[Page 42549]]

Part IV

Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD Colonias Initiative (HCI) Fiscal Year 1998 Funding Availability: Application Deadline Amendments and Extension; Notice

[[Page 42550]]

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4380-C-02]

Notice of Funding Availability for the HUD Colonias Initiative (HCI), Fiscal Year 1998; Amendments and Extension of Application Deadline

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development; HUD.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability; Amendments and extension of application deadline.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to make several revisions to the July 15, 1998 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the HUD Colonias Initiative (HCI). Specifically, the July 15, 1998 NOFA provided a definition of the term ``rural county.'' This notice revises the July 15, 1998 NOFA to use the broader and appropriate terms ``rural'' and ``rural area,'' which encompass ``rural county.'' The notice also amends the July 15, 1998 NOFA to provide for the award of two bonus points during the application review process for eligible activities/projects that are proposed to be located in a Federally designated Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community. HUD is also extending the HCI NOFA application due date, in order to ensure that applicants have sufficient time to prepare their applications in light of the revisions to the July 15, 1998 NOFA made by this notice.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: Completed applications (one original and two copies) must be submitted no later than 12:00 midnight, Eastern time, on September 8, 1998 to the address shown below. (Please note that the room number for application submissions has been revised from the room number identified in the July 15, 1998 NOFA.) The above-stated application deadline is firm as to date and hour. In the interest of fairness to all applicants, HUD will treat as ineligible for consideration any application that is not received before the application deadline. Applicants should submit their materials as early as possible to avoid any risk of loss of eligibility because of unanticipated delays or other delivery-related problems. HUD will not accept, at any time during the NOFA competition, application materials sent by facsimile (FAX) transmission.

ADDRESSES AND APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCEDURES: Addresses: Completed applications (one original and two copies) must be submitted to: Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 7251, Washington, DC 20410; ATTN: HUD Colonias Initiative. (Please note that the room number for application submissions has been revised from the room number identified in the July 15, 1998 NOFA.)

Applications Procedures. Mailed Applications. Applications will be considered timely filedif postmarked on or before 12:00 midnight on the application due date and received at the address above on or within five (5) days of the application due date.

Applications Sent by Overnight/Express Mail Delivery. Applications sent by overnight delivery or express mail will be considered timely filedif received before or on the application due date, or upon submission of documentary evidence that they were placed in transit with the overnight delivery service by no later than the specified application due date.

Hand Carried Applications. Hand carried applications delivered before and on the application due date must be brought to the specified location and room number between the hours of 8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Eastern time. Applications hand carried on the application due date will be accepted in the South Lobby of the HUD Headquarters Building at the above address from 5:15 p.m. until 12:00 midnight, Eastern time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yvette Aidara, Office of Block Grant Assistance, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW, Room 7184, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708-1322 (this is not a toll-free number). Persons with speech or hearing impairments may access this number via TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 15, 1998 (63 FR 38252), HUD published its Fiscal Year 1998 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the HUD Colonias Initiative (HCI). The NOFA announced the availability of $5 million for assistance to organizations serving colonia residents. Of this amount, up to $4 million will be provided to carry out development projects in colonias. One grant of $1 million may be provided to one or more private intermediary organization(s) (for profit and nonprofit) that would provide capacity-building loans, grants, or technical assistance to local nonprofit organizations serving colonias residents. Colonias eligible for assistance under the July 15, 1998 NOFA are any of the severely distressed, rural, unplanned, predominantly unincorporated settlements located along the 2,000 mile United States-Mexico border. The July 15, 1998 NOFA set forth the application instructions for the development grants and capacity-building grants.

The July 15, 1998 NOFA provided two possible definitions of the term ``rural county.'' This notice amends the NOFA to use the broader and appropriate terms ``rural'' and ``rural area,'' which encompass ``rural county.'' Applicants for HCI grants may use one of the four definitions described in this notice.

This notice also amends the July 15, 1998 NOFA to provide for the award of two bonus points for eligible activities/projects that are proposed to be located in a Federally designated Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community. This change will conform the July 15, 1998 HCI NOFA to HUD's three consolidated SuperNOFAs published in the Federal Register on May 31, 1998 and April 30, 1998.

Further, this notice amends the July 15, 1998 NOFA to provide that HCI applicants must submit clarifications or corrections to their applications within five calendar days of receipt of the HUD notification requesting the clarification or correction. The July 15, 1998 NOFA provided for a 7-day calendar period. This change will permit HUD to expedite the processing of HCI applications.

HUD is also extending the HCI NOFA application due date, in order to ensure that applicants have sufficient time to prepare their applications in light of the revisions to the July 15, 1998 NOFA made by this notice.

Accordingly, in the FY 1998 NOFA for the HUD Colonias Initiative (HCI), notice document 98-18932, beginning at 63 FR 38252, in the issue of Wednesday, July 15, 1998, the following corrections are made:

1. On page 38252, in the first column, under SUMMARY, the last sentence of that paragraph is amended to read as follows:

   As indicated in the body of this NOFA, applicants may use one of four definitions for the terms ``rural'' or ``rural area.''

2. On page 38252, in the third column, under Section I(B) (captioned ``Definitions''), the definition of the term ``rural county'' is amended to read as follows:

   Rural or Rural Area may be defined in one of four ways:

   (a) A place having fewer than 2,500 inhabitants (within or outside of metropolitan areas).

   (b) A county with no urban population (i.e., city) of 20,000 inhabitants or more.

   [[Page 42551]]

   (c) Territory, persons, and housing units in the rural portions of ``extended cities.'' Appendix A to this notice identifies the United States Census Bureau's list of those extended cities located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. The U.S. Census Bureau identifies the rural portions of extended cities in the United States. If, based on available information, an applicant is unable to determine if an area is located in the rural portion of an extended city, the applicant may contact Mr. Steve Johnson, Director, State and Small Cities Division at the address below and HUD will assist the applicant in making this determination.

   (d) Open country which is not part of or associated with an urban area. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) determines what constitutes ``open country.'' If an applicant does not have access to USDA determinations, the applicant may contact Mr. Steve Johnson, Director, State and Small Cities Division at the address below, and HUD will work with the USDA to provide this information to the applicant.

   Mr. Steve Johnson may be contacted at the following address: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 7184, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708-1322 (this is not a toll-free number). Hearing or speech-impaired individuals may access this number via TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

3. On page 38255, in the first column, under section II(H) (captioned ``Eligible Populations to be Served''), the second sentence of that section is corrected to read as follows:

   See definitions of ``colonias'' and ``rural/rural area'' above.

4. On page 38256, in the middle column, under section III(D) (captioned ``Factors for Award''), the first paragraph is amended to read as follows:

   (D) Factors for Award. All applicants will be considered for selection based on the following factors that demonstrate the need for the proposed project or activities, and the applicant's creativity, capacity and commitment to provide the maximum benefit to the residents of the colonias areas served and the extent to which the proposed project will increase the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and accessible affordable housing in colonias. The maximum points that may be awarded under this NOFA is 102.

5. On page 38257, in the first column, under section III(D) (captioned ``Factors for Award''), a new final paragraph is added to read as follows:

   EZ/EC Bonus Points. HUD may award two bonus points for eligible activities/projects that are proposed to be located in Federally designated Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities (EZs/ECs) and serve the EZ/EC residents, and are certified to be consistent with the strategic plan of the EZs and ECs. A listing of the Federally designated EZs and ECs are available from the SuperNOFA Information Center or through the HUD web site on the Internet at http:// www.HUD.gov.

6. On page 38257, in the first column, section V (captioned ``Corrections to Deficient Applications'') is amended to read as follows: V. Corrections to Deficient Applications

   After the application due date, HUD may not, consistent with 24 CFR part 4, subpart B, consider unsolicited information from an applicant. HUD may contact an applicant, however, to clarify an item in the application or to correct technical deficiencies. Applicants should note, however, that HUD may not seek clarification of items or responses that improve the substantive quality of the applicant's response to any eligibility or selection criterion. Examples of curable technical deficiencies include failure to submit an application containing an original signature by an authorized official. In each case, HUD will notify the applicant in writing by describing the clarification or technical deficiency. HUD will notify applicants by facsimile or by return receipt requested mail. Applicants must submit clarifications or corrections of technical deficiencies in accordance with the information provided by HUD within 5 calendar days of the date of receipt of the HUD notification. If the deficiency is not corrected within this time period, HUD will reject the application as incomplete.

   Dated: August 4, 1998. Saul N. Ramirez, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.

   Appendix A--List of Extended Cities Identified by the U.S. Census Bureau in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas

1. Avondale 2. Bullhead City 3. Camp Verde 4. Casa Grande 5. Cave Creek 6. Chandler 7. Clifton 8. Eloy 9. Flagstaff 10. Fountain Hills 11. Gilbert 12. Goodyear 13. Lake Havasu City 14. Oro Valley 15. Page 16. Parker 17. Phoenix 18. Prescott Valley 19. Scottsdale 20. Show Low 21. Sierra Vista 22. Snowflake 23. Surprise 24. Tucson 25. Williams 26. Adelanto 27. Apple Valley 28. Avenal 29. Bakersfield 30. Barstow 31. California City 32. Cathedral City 33. Coachella 34. Fremont 35. Hayward 36. Indian Wells 37. Lake Elsinore 38. Lancaster 39. La Quinta 40. Mammoth Lakes 41. Needles 42. Palmdale 43. Palm Springs 44. Palo Alto 45. Perris 46. Poway 47. Rancho Mirage 48. San Diego 49. Twentynine Palms 50. Union City 51. Victorville 52. West Sacramento 53. Moreno Valley 54. Rio Rancho 55. Socorro 56. Truth or Consequences 57. Allen 58. El Paso 59. Euless 60. Fort Worth 61. Frisco 62. Galveston 63. Grapevine 64. Hitchcock 65. League City 66. Lewisville 67. Liberty 68. McKinney 69. Mansfield 70. Manvel 71. Midlothian 72. Mineral Wells 73. Monahans 74. Port Arthur 75. Robinson 76. Schertz 77. Texas City 78. Waxahachie 79. Wylie

   Appendix B--Certification of Consistency With the EZ/EC Strategic Plan

   U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

   I certify that the proposed activities/projects in this application are consistent with the Strategic Plan of a Federally-

   [[Page 42552]]

   designated Empowerment Zone (EZ) or Enterprise Community (EC).

   Applicant Name:--------------------------------------------------------

   Name of the Federal Program to which the applicant is applying:--------

   Name of EZ/EC:---------------------------------------------------------

   I further certify that the proposed activities/projects will be located within the EZ/EC and serves EZ/EC residents. (2 points)

   Name of the Official Authorized to Certify the EZ/EC:

   Title:-----------------------------------------------------------------

   Signature:-------------------------------------------------------------

   Date:------------------------------------------------------------------

   [FR Doc. 98-21126Filed8-4-98; 2:09 pm]

   BILLING CODE 4210-29-P