Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: Job Training Partnership Act— Migrant and seasonal farmworker housing programs,

[Federal Register: April 1, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 62)]

[Notices]

[Page 15889-15896]

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

[DOCID:fr01ap98-90]

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Job Training Partnership Act: Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Housing Programs

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications.

SUMMARY: This notice contains all information required to submit a grant application. The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA), announces the availability of $2,460,383 to award competitive grants for projects that assist farmworkers in seeking and securing temporary or permanent housing. This program is supported by funds made available pursuant to Title IV, section 402, of the Job Training Partnership Act.

DATES: Applications for grant awards will be accepted commencing May 1, 1998. The closing date for receipt of applications shall be May 18, 1998, at 2 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) at the address below.

ADDRESSES: Submit an original and four (4) copies of the application to: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants and Contract Management, Division of Acquisition and Assistance, Room S-4203, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. ATTN: Ms. Irene Taylor-Pindle, Reference SGA/DAA 98-008.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Irene Taylor-Pindle, Division of Acquisition and Assistance, Telephone: (202) 219-8702 ext. 114 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) consists of five parts. Part I provides the background and objectives of the Farmworker Housing Assistance Program. Part II identifies allowable housing services. Part III describes the content of the technical proposal and the selection criteria used in reviewing proposals. Part IV sets forth the application process. Part V describes the reporting requirements.

Part I--Background

To meet the problems of agriculture-related underemployment and unemployment, the Congress has directed the Secretary of Labor to establish employment and training programs specifically for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Under section 402 of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), the Department of Labor (DOL or the Department) provides employment, training and supportive services to eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families in the conterminous forty-eight (48) States, the State of Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

In accordance with the intent of Congress and JTPA section 402(c)(3), the services include, but are not limited to, classroom training, on-the-job training, work experience, job search assistance, counseling, job development, relocation assistance, training-relating and non-training-related supportive services. Among the services provided over the years has been farmworker housing assistance.

The Department awarded six grants in Program Year (PY) 1994, for farmworker housing assistance. Some of the grant recipients have operated farmworker housing assistance programs, while others have served chiefly as facilitating

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agents who provide assistance in planning, grantsmanship and management of housing operations to agencies and organizations chartered to assist farmworker families with either temporary rental housing or new construction for permanent residency and ownership.

Many of the organizations funded by the Department of Labor provide assistance and services to farmworker communities within their service delivery areas, while others serve farmworker communities confined to small residential pockets within and extending over large geographical regions. In some instances, these service areas have extended over several contiguous States.

In calling for grant applications, the Department is not limiting or suggesting specific geographic regions as service areas for the implementation of farmworker housing assistance programs. In making the award(s), the Department will take into consideration the needs of the eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers throughout the conterminous forty-eight (48) States, the State of Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico which may result in the award of up to six grants.

The Department will consider applications from regional consortia or applications that feature subgrant arrangements for specified geographic regions. Inasmuch as some grant applications may contain proposed service areas which overlap the service areas of the other prospective grantees, the Department reserves the right to negotiate the proposed service area with each prospective grantee in order to maximize the number of farmworkers to be served.

Organizations are discouraged from competing for more than one geographic area of the country. Preference will be given to those organizations demonstrating prior farmworker housing experience within the proposed service area.

Overall Objectives

As this farmworker housing grant program continues into a new program year, there will be an increased emphasis on efficiency, cost effectiveness and measurable outcomes.

Part II--Statement of Work

This Statement of Work sets forth the objectives, general specifications, and conditions for providing farmworker housing assistance during the 12-month Program Year 1998 grant period.

The Department recognizes that all of the activities listed below may not be necessary for a prospective grantee's proposed service area. Accordingly, prospective grantees should include appropriate justification for not including particular activities in their proposals. The desired activities sought under this solicitation should address all of the following areas:

1. Farmworker Housing Technical Assistance

   --Providing technical assistance to agencies or organizations specifically chartered to provide local assistance to farmworkers seeking permanent or temporary housing. --Providing technical assistance and training to agencies and organizations concerning legislative and regulatory changes affecting farmworker housing programs, applications and funding.

2. Farmworker Housing Rehabilitation

   --Providing assistance either directly to eligible farmworkers or indirectly to agencies or organizations engaged in the provision of housing services to farmworkers with regard to housing rehabilitation through Community Development Block Grants and other applications; target area identification for program activities; program design for farmworker housing rehabilitation services; assuring farmworker community participation; performing environmental reviews prior to rehabilitation activities; program design and administration. --Providing assistance with weatherization of farmworker housing; assisting in either conducting outreach farmworker eligibility certification or training agencies and organization on ``how to'' engage in the same; providing assistance with actual weatherization, program administration, client identification, the preweatherization process involving applications, work writeups, bid process, contract negotiations, monitoring and fund disbursements.

3. Farmworker Single Family Housing Assistance

   --Providing either direct assistance to individuals and communities or indirect assistance through the provision of technical assistance and training regarding the following:

   1. Preparation of Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) 523 applications for self-help technical assistance grants; securing land and recruiting eligible farmworker families; developing housing plans, specifications and cost estimates.

   2. Site development, including site identification and acquisition, engineering selection, preliminary mapping, zoning and planning reviews, FmHA site review and contractor selection.

   3. FmHA 502 Single Family Loans, including outreach and eligibility determination of farmworkers, loan packaging and filing, training on the FmHA review process and finally on the loan award and closing.

   4. Construction (all aspects), ownership and family accounting; and local program management.

4. Farmworker Rental Housing Development Assistance

   --The provision of assistance either directly to farmworkers or indirectly through training and technical assistance to agencies and organizations chartered to assist farmworkers in developing or obtaining rental housing through FmHA 514, 515 and 516 programs. --Through the provision of assistance in the following areas related to rental housing: Sponsor development and incorporation; housing surveys and market analyses; site identification and property acquisition; architectural selection; involvement starting pre-application and continuing through approval; zoning permits acquisition; development of management plans; advertising for bids on construction through the loan/mortgage, closing, and rental process.

5. Sewer and Water for Farmworker Housing

   --Assisting agencies and organizations engaged in the development and provision of assistance of farmworkers seeking either temporary or permanent housing as it applies to water and sewer lines. --Providing technical assistance in the following associated areas: Project identification, needs assessment, preliminary applications, engineering selection, land acquisition, easement, district formation, design, final applications and letters of conditions, hookup funding, environmental reviews, bidding and contract negotiations, construction, grants management, board training, revenue and budget management and finally operation and maintenance training.

6. Farmworker Housing Counseling

   --The grant recipient(s) will engage in training and provide technical assistance to organizations working with farmworkers, or directly to farmworkers providing counseling concerning the following issues as they apply to home ownership: ownership rights and responsibilities,

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   effects of mortgage payment delinquency and default, preoccupation, referrals for other forms of assistance along with foreclosure assistance.

7. New Housing Program Development

   --Will provide training to agencies and/or organizations chartered to assist farmworkers obtain housing ownership, or directly to farmworkers with regard to building coalitions that will aid home ownership, researching resources, developing new farmworker housing programs and how to network with other farmworker housing organizations and housing programs for the mutual benefit of all concerned.

   In listing these activities, the Department recognizes that all of the activities may not be necessary for a prospective grantee's proposed service area. Accordingly, prospective grantees should include appropriate justification for not including any of these activities in their proposal.

   Part III--Contents of Technical Proposals and Rating Criteria

   1. Technical Capability of Contractor

      The technical proposal should document the applicant's capacity to develop a technical approach which accomplishes the objectives described in the Statement of Work (See Part II, above).

      An application submitted by a consortium of farmworker housing agencies/organizations, or which involves a sub-grantee arrangement, should detail the arrangements between the parties. Further, the application must explain how these arrangements will strengthen the overall technical capabilities of the applicant. Total of 20 Points.

   2. Administrative Capability

      In reviewing this criterion, the reviewers will consider the applicant's qualifications in terms of relevant experience, facilities and other resources. Applicant should describe their experience providing farmworker housing technical assistance in order to illustrate their skills and their ability to administer a grant under the MSFW housing program. An application which is submitted by a consortium or which involves a sub-grantee arrangement shall describe how the program components would be linked, administered, and monitored, and how the applicant would provide oversight and assure that goals are met. The applicant must document its experience by providing the Department of Labor with the name(s) and telephone number(s) of any entity which has awarded funds to the applicant for the administration of farmworker housing assistance program(s). Furthermore, the proposal should include a staffing chart which lists name, qualifications and pertinent experience of each key staff person, along with amount of time each such staffer would spend on the project if involved less than full-time. Total of 20 Points.

   3. Program Design

      In reviewing this criterion, the reviewers will consider the applicant's description of the following:

      (a) The proposed service area, providing the rationale for the service area proposed (e.g. the State(s) or political subdivision to be served).

      (b) The main problems relating to farmworker housing in the targeted area(s); how the problems have been identified and how the proposed activities will address and resolve them.

      (c) The housing activities (See Part II, above) that the applicant plans to undertake, and the rationale for selecting those activities. The applicant should relate each proposed activity to the problems affecting farmworkers in the identified geographic areas within the proposed overall service area.

      The applicant shall set measurable (quantifiable) goals for each activity identified, covering each quarter within the program year (funding period). The Department will consider this information during grant negotiations and will incorporate it into the grant award documents. The applicant should include in this section an itemized annual budget indicating personnel and all other administrative costs to be charged to the grant. Proposed expenditures must be consistent with and fully supported by the proposed housing activities. Total of 50 Points.

   4. Linkages & Coordination

      In reviewing this criterion, the reviewers will consider the applicant's description of the following:

      Any and all linkages that the applicant (be it a single applicant, a consortium or an applicant with sub-grantee arrangements) has established within the identified service area to further the proposed farmworker housing assistance activities. The applicant should identify and demonstrate (including letters of support) linkages with farmworker organizations and JTPA, section 402, employment and training recipients and effected farmworker communities, and any organizations chartered to provide services and assistance to farmworks in the designated service area of the proposed housing assistance program. Additionally, the applicant should describe how these linkages will benefit the program. Total of 10 Points.

      Applicants are advised that discussions may be necessary in order to clarify any inconsistencies in their applications, as well as to negotiate proposed service areas. Applications may be rejected where the information required is not provided in sufficient detail to permit adequate assessment of the proposal.

      The final decision on the award(s) will be based on what is most advantageous to the Federal Government as determined by the ETA Grant Officer. This determination will include an assessment of the need for farmworker assistance in seeking and securing both temporary and permanent housing throughout the conterminous forty-eight (48) States, the State of Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

      Part IV--Application Process

1. Eligible Applicants

   Eligible applicants for grant funds under this SGA include public organizations and private nonprofit organizations authorized by their charters or articles of incorporation to provide housing assistance services to the migrant and seasonal farmworker community. Entities described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities are not eligible to receive funds under this SGA. The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq, prohibits the award of federal funds to 501(c)(4) entities engaged in lobbying activities.

2. Application Procedures

   (1) Submission of Proposal

   All instructions and forms required for submittal of applications are included in this announcement.

   The application package shall consist of two (2) separate and distinct parts. Part I, The Financial Proposal and Part II, the Technical Proposal. The Financial Proposal, Part I, shall contain the SF-424. ``Application for Federal Assistance'' (Attachment No. 1) and SF424-A, ``Budget'' (Attachment No. 2). The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is 17.247. The budget shall include on separate page(s) a cost analysis of the budget, identifying in detail the amount of each budget line item attributable to each cost category.

   The technical proposal, Part II, shall demonstrate the applicant's capability to provide the services described in this announcement. Applicants should

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   describe the proposed technical approach including phasing of tasks and scheduling of time and personnel. Under Program Design (See Part III (3)(c), above), we request the submission of a budget to accompany the technical proposal.

   In addition, the Technical Proposal shall be limited to (fifty) 50 doubled spaced, single-side, 8.5 inch x 11 inch pages with 1 inch margins. Appendices shall not exceed twenty (20) pages. Text type shall be 12 point or larger. Applications not meeting these requirements may not be considered. The Technical Proposal must also contain activity and outcome information. (2) Hand-Delivered Proposal

   Proposals may be mailed or delivered by hand. Hand delivered proposals will be accepted if they are received by 2 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on May 18, 1998. All overnight mail will be considered to be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place by the specified time on the closing date. Grant applications transmitted by electronic mail, telegraph, facsimile and/or faxed will not be honored. Failure to adhere to the above instructions will be a basis for determining that an application is non-responsive. (3) Late Proposals

   Any proposal not reaching the designated place, by the specified time and date of the delivery requirements will not be considered, unless it is received before the award is made and was either:

   (a) Sent by U.S. Postal Service registered or Certified mail not later than the fifth (5th) calendar day before the date specified for receipt of application; or

   (b) Sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service--Post Office to addressee, not later than 5 p.m. at the place of mailing two working days prior to the date specified for receipt of proposals. The term ``working days'' excludes weekends and U.S. Federal holidays.

   The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a late proposal sent by either Express Mail or U.S. Postal Service Registered, Certified Mail is the U.S. Postmark both on the envelope or wrapper and on the original receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. Both postmarks must show a legible date or the proposal shall be processed as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped, or otherwise placed impression (exclusive of postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable without further action as having been supplied and affixed by employees of the U.S. Postal Service on the date of mailing.

   Therefore, applicants should request the postal clerk to place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's eye'' postmark on both the receipt and the envelope. (4) Period of Performance

   The period of performance will be 12 months beginning July 1, 1998, and continuing through June 30, 1999. (5) Option to Extend

   The Department reserves to extend this grant for an additional one or two years, based on the availability of funds, a grantee's success in completing work under this SGA, and the needs of the Department.

   Part V--Reporting Requirements

   Recipients of grants under this solicitation will be required to submit reports, as set forth below, to the Division of Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Programs, Office of National Programs, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.

1. Quarterly Reports

   Three copies of the first quarterly report will be due 45 days after the first three months of program operation, and should reflect program activities and financial outlays. The reports will record and measure agreed-upon activities in quantifiable terms, providing a means by which performance under the grants can be evaluated. Subsequent reports will be due on a quarterly basis and will follow the format and content of the first such report. Additional and more specific items and forms will be shared at the time of grant negotiations.

2. Final/Annual Status Reports

   The Grant Recipient shall submit three copies of a report which summarizes the grantee's activities under this grant during the program year, within 45 days after the end of the program year.

   Signed at Washington, DC. this 26th day of March, 1998. James C. De Luca, Grant Officer, Office of Grants and Contract Management, Division of Acquisition and Assistance.

   Attachments

   1. Appendix A--``Application for Federal Assistance'' (Standard Form 424)

   2. Appendix B--``Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs'' (Standard Form 424-A)

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   [FR Doc. 98-8494Filed3-31-98; 8:45 am]

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