Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 82 / Monday, April 30, 2007 / Notices 21207 

Site can obtain self-validating passes at 

more than 150 commercial vendors in 

central Arizona including at least three 

locations in Payson, Arizona or at any 

Tonto National Forest administrative 

office including the Payson and Pleasant 

Valley ranger stations. An on-site fee 

payment option may also be provided. 

Details about the Tonto fee program can 

be found at the Tonto National Forest 

Web site, http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto 

or by calling 602–225–5200. 

Dated: April 24, 2006. 

Gene Blankenbaker, 

Forest Supervisor. 

[FR Doc. 07–2099 Filed 4–27–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) 

for the Section 515 Rural Rental 

Housing Program for New 

Construction in Fiscal Year 2007 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service (RHS), 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This NOFA announces the 

timeframe to submit applications for 

Section 515 Rural Rental Housing (RRH) 

loan funds, including applications for 

the nonprofit set-aside for eligible 

nonprofit entities, the set-aside for the 

most Underserved Counties and 

Colonias (Cranston-Gonzalez National 

Affordable Housing Act), and the setaside for Empowerment Zones and 

Enterprise Communities (EZ/ECs) and 

Rural Economic Area Partnership 

(REAP) zones, and a designated reserve 

for states with rental assistance 

programs. This document describes the 

methodology that will be used to 

distribute funds, the application 

process, submission requirements, and 

areas of special emphasis or 

consideration. 

DATES: The deadline for receipt of all 

applications in response to this NOFA 

is 5 p.m., local time for each USDA 

Rural Development State Office on June 

29, 2007. The application closing 

deadline is firm as to date and hour. The 

Agency 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 USDA 

Rural Development State Office serving 

the place in which they desire to submit 

an application for rural rental housing 

to receive further information and 

copies of the application package. 

USDA 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 USDA 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, 

(334) 279–3618, TDD (334) 279–3495, 

Van McCloud. 

Alaska State Office, 800 West Evergreen, 

Suite 201, Palmer, AK 99645, (907) 

761–7740, TDD (907) 761–8905, 

Debbie Andrys. 

Arizona State Office, Phoenix 

Courthouse and Federal Building, 230 

North First Ave., Suite 206, Phoenix, 

AZ 85003–1706, (602) 280–8768, TDD 

(602) 280–8706, Carol Torres. 

Arkansas State Office, 700 W. Capitol 

Ave., Room 3416, Little Rock, AR 

72201–3225, (501) 301–3250, TDD 

(501) 301–3063, Greg Kemper. 

California State Office, 430 G Street, 

#4169, Davis, CA 95616–4169, (530) 

792–5821, TDD (530) 792–5848, Debra 

Moretton. 

Colorado State Office, 655 Parfet Street, 

Room E100, Lakewood, CO 80215, 

(720) 544–2923, TDD (800) 659–2656, 

Mary Summerfield. 

Connecticut, Served by Massachusetts 

State Office. 

Delaware and Maryland State Office, 

1221 College Park Drive, Suite 200, 

Dover, DE 19904, (302) 857–3615, 

TDD (302) 857–3585, Pat Baker. 

Florida & Virgin Islands State Office, 

4440 N.W. 25th Place, Gainesville, FL 

32606–6563, (352) 338–3465, TDD 

(352) 338–3499, Elizabeth M. 

Whitaker. 

Georgia State Office, Stephens Federal 

Building, 355 E. Hancock Avenue, 

Athens, GA 30601–2768, (706) 546–

2164, TDD (706) 546–2034, Wayne 

Rogers. 

Hawaii State Office, (Services all 

Hawaii, American Samoa Guam, and 

Western Pacific), Room 311, Federal 

Building, 154 Waianuenue Avenue, 

Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933–8305, TDD 

(808) 933–8321, Thao Khamoui. 

Idaho State Office, Suite A1, 9173 West 

Barnes Dr., Boise, ID 83709, (208) 

378–5630, TDD (208) 378–5644, 

Miriam Haylett. 

Illinois State Office, 2118 West Park 

Court, Suite A, Champaign, IL 61821–

2986, (217) 403–6222, TDD (217) 403–

6240, Barry L. Ramsey. 

Indiana State Office, 5975 Lakeside 

Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46278, 

(317) 290–3100 (ext. 423), TDD (317) 

290–3343, Stephen Dye. 

Iowa State Office, 210 Walnut Street 

Room 873, Des Moines, IA 50309, 

(515) 284–4685, TDD (515) 284–4858, 

Julie Sleeper. 

Kansas State Office, 1303 SW First 

American Place, Suite 100, Topeka, 

KS 66604–4040, (785) 271–2721, TDD 

(785) 271–2767, Virginia M. 

Hammersmith. 

Kentucky State Office, 771 Corporate 

Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 

40503, (859) 224–7325, TDD (859) 

224–7422, Paul Higgins. 

Louisiana State Office, 3727 

Government Street, Alexandria, LA 

71302, (318) 473–7962, TDD (318) 

473–7655, Yvonne R. Emerson. 

Maine State Office, 967 Illinois Ave., 

Suite 4, PO Box 405, Bangor, ME 

04402–0405, (207) 990–9110, TDD 

(207) 942–7331, Bob Nadeau. 

Maryland, Served by Delaware State 

Office. 

Massachusetts, Connecticut, & Rhode 

Island State Office, 451 West Street, 

Amherst, MA 01002, (413) 253–4333, 

TDD (413) 253–4590, Donald Colburn. 

Michigan State Office, 3001 Coolidge 

Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 

48823, (517) 324–5192, TDD (517) 

337–6795, Julie Putnam. 

Minnesota State Office, 375 Jackson 

Street Building, Suite 410, St. Paul, 

MN 55101–1853, (651) 602–7820, 

TDD (651) 602–7830, Rodney Jackson. 

Mississippi State Office, Federal 

Building, Suite 831, 100 W. Capitol 

Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965–

4325, TDD (601) 965–5850, Darnella 

Smith-Murray. 

Missouri State Office, 601 Business 

Loop 70 West, Parkade Center, Suite 

235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876–

0990, TDD (573) 876–9480, Colleen 

James. 

Montana State Office, 900 Technology 

Blvd., Suite B, Bozeman, MT 59718, 

(406) 585–2515, TDD (406) 585–2562, 

Deborah Chorlton. 

Nebraska State Office, Federal Building, 

Room 152, 100 Centennial Mall N, 

Lincoln, NE. 68508, (402) 437–5734, 

TDD (402) 437–5093, Linda Anders. 

Nevada State Office, 1390 South Curry 

Street, Carson City, NV 89703–5146, 

(775) 887–1222 (ext. 25), TDD (775) 

885–0633, Angilla Denton. 

New Hampshire State Office, Concord 

Center, Suite 218, Box 317, 10 Ferry 

Street, Concord, NH 03301–5004, 

(603) 223–6050, TDD (603) 229–0536, 

Robert McCarthy. 


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New Jersey State Office, 5th Floor North 

Suite 500, 8000 Midlantic Dr., Mt. 

Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 787–7740, 

TDD (856) 787–7784, George Hyatt, Jr. 

New Mexico State Office, 6200 Jefferson 

St., NE., Room 255, Albuquerque, NM 

87109, (505) 761–4944, TDD (505) 

761–4938, Carmen N. Lopez. 

New York State Office, The Galleries of 

Syracuse, 441 S. Salina Street, Suite 

357 5th Floor, Syracuse, NY 13202, 

(315) 477–6419, TDD (315) 477–6447, 

George N. Von Pless. 

North Carolina State Office, 4405 Bland 

Road, Suite 260, Raleigh, NC 27609, 

(919) 873–2066, TDD (919) 873–2003, 

Beverly Casey. 

North Dakota State Office, Federal 

Building, Room 208, 220 East Rosser, 

PO Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502, 

(701) 530–2049, TDD (701) 530–2113, 

Kathy Lake. 

Ohio State Office, Federal Building, 

Room 507, 200 North High Street, 

Columbus, OH 43215–2477, (614) 

255–2418, TDD (614) 255–2554, 

Melodie Taylor-Ward. 

Oklahoma State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 

108, Stillwater, OK 74074–2654, (405) 

742–1070, TDD (405) 742–1007, Ivan 

S. Graves. 

Oregon State Office, 1201 NE Lloyd 

Blv., Suite 801, Portland, OR 97232, 

(503) 414–3325, TDD (503) 414–3387, 

Sherryl Gleason. 

Pennsylvania State Office, One Credit 

Union Place, Suite 330, Harrisburg, 

PA 17110–2996, (717) 237–2281, TDD 

(717) 237–2261, Martha Eberhart. 

Puerto Rico State Office, 654 Munoz 

Rivera Avenue, IBM Plaza, Suite 601, 

Hato Rey, PR 00918, (787) 766–5095 

(ext. 249), TDD (787) 766–5332, 

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, (803) 253–3432, 

TDD (803) 765–5697, Larry D. Floyd. 

South Dakota State Office, Federal 

Building, Room 210, 200 Fourth 

Street, SW, Huron, SD 57350, (605) 

352–1132, TDD (605) 352–1147, Roger 

Hazuka or Pam Reilly. 

Tennessee State Office, Suite 300, 3322 

West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 

37203–1084, (615) 783–1375, TDD 

(615) 783–1397, Don Harris. 

Texas State Office, Federal Building, 

Suite 102, 101 South Main, Temple, 

TX 76501, (254) 742–9758, TDD (254) 

742–9712, Julie Hayes. 

Utah State Office, Wallace F. Bennett 

Federal Building, 125 S. State Street, 

Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 

84147–0350, (801) 524–4325, TDD 

(801) 524–3309, Janice Kocher. 

Vermont State Office, City Center, 3rd 

Floor 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 

05602, (802) 828–6021, TDD (802) 

223–6365, Heidi Setien. 

Virgin Islands, Served by Florida State 

Office . 

Virginia State Office, Culpeper Building, 

Suite 238, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, 

Richmond, VA 23229, (804) 287–

1596, TDD (804) 287–1753, CJ 

Michels. 

Washington State Office, 1835 Black 

Lake Blvd., Suite B, Olympia, WA 

98512, (360) 704–7730, TDD (360) 

704–7760, Robert Lund. 

Western Pacific Territories, Served by 

Hawaii State Office. 

West Virginia State Office, Federal 

Building, 75 High Street, Room 320, 

Morgantown, WV 26505–7500, (304) 

284–4872, TDD (304) 284–4836, 

David Cain. 

Wisconsin State Office, 4949 Kirschling 

Court, Stevens Point, WI 54481, (715) 

345–7615 (ext. 151), TDD (715) 345–

7614, Peter Kohnen. 

Wyoming State Office, PO Box 11005, 

Casper, WY 82602, (307) 233–6715, 

TDD (307) 233–6733, Jack Hyde. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

general information, applicants may 

contact Barbara Chism, Senior Loan 

Specialist, Multi-Family Housing 

Processing Division, Rural Housing 

Service, United States Department of 

Agriculture, Stop 0781, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250, telephone (202) 

690–1436 (voice) (this is not a toll free 

number), (800) 877–8339 (TDD-Federal 

Information Relay Service), or via 

e-mail, Barbara.Chism@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Programs Affected 

The Rural Rental Housing program is 

listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance under Number 10.415, Rural 

Rental Housing Loans. Rental 

Assistance is listed in the Catalog under 

Number 10.427, Rural Rental Assistance 

Payments. 

Discussion of Notice 

I. Authority and Distribution 

Methodology 

A. Authority 

Section 515 of the Housing Act of 

1949 (42 U.S.C. 1485) provides RHS 

with the authority to make loans to any 

individual, corporation, association, 

trust, Indian tribe, public or private 

nonprofit organization, consumer 

cooperative, or partnership to provide 

rental or cooperative housing and 

related facilities in rural areas for verylow, low, or moderate income persons 

or families, including elderly persons 

and persons with disabilities. Rental 

assistance (RA) is a tenant subsidy for 

very-low and low-income families 

residing in rural rental housing facilities 

with RHS financing and, when 

available, may be requested with 

applications for such facilities. 

B. Distribution Methodology 

The total amount available for Fiscal 

Year (FY) 2007 for section 515 is 

$99,000,000, of which $25,740,000 is 

available for new construction as 

follows: 

Non-Restricted—$8,234,537 

Set-aside for nonprofits—$8,910,000 

Set-aside for Underserved Counties and 

Colonias—$4,950,000 

Earmark for EZ, EC, and REAP Zones—

$2,655,463 

Designated Reserve for States with 

Rental Assistance Programs—

$990,000 

C. Section 515 New Construction Funds 

For FY 2007, the Administrator has 

determined that it would not be 

practical to allocate funds to States 

because of funding limitations; 

therefore, section 515 new construction 

funds will be distributed to States based 

on a National competition, as follows: 

1. States will accept, review, score, 

and rank requests in accordance with 7 

CFR 3560.56. The scoring factors are: 

(a) The presence and extent of 

leveraged assistance for the units that 

will serve RHS income-eligible tenants 

at basic rents, comparable to those if 

RHS provided full financing, computed 

as a percentage of the RHS total 

development cost (TDC). Loan proposals 

that include secondary funds from other 

sources that have been requested but 

have not yet been committed will be 

processed as follows: The proposal will 

be scored based on the requested funds, 

provided (1) the applicant includes 

evidence of a filed application for the 

funds; and (2) the funding date of the 

requested funds will permit processing 

of the loan request in the current 

funding cycle, or, if the applicant does 

not receive the requested funds, will 

permit processing of the next highest 

ranked proposal in the current year. 

Points will be awarded in accordance 

with the following table. Percentages 

will be rounded to the next higher 

whole number. (0 to 20 points) 

Percentage of leveraging Points 

75 or more .................................... 20 

70–74 ............................................ 19 

65–69 ............................................ 18 

60–64 ............................................ 17 

55–59 ............................................ 16 

50–54 ............................................ 15 

45–49 ............................................ 14 


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Percentage of leveraging Points 

40–44 ............................................ 13 

35–39 ............................................ 12 

30–34 ............................................ 11 

25–29 ............................................ 10 

20–24 ............................................ 9 

15–19 ............................................ 8 

10–14 ............................................ 7 

5–9 ................................................ 6 

0–4 ................................................ 0 

(b) The units to be developed are in 

a colonia, tribal land, EZ, EC, or Rural 

Economic Area Partnership (REAP) 

community, or in a place identified in 

the State Consolidated Plan or State 

Needs Assessment as a high need 

community for multifamily housing. (20 

points) 

(c) Pursuant to 7 CFR 3560.56 

(c)(1)(iii), in states where RHS has an 

on-going formal working relationship, 

agreement, or Memorandum of 

Understanding (MOU) with the State to 

provide State resources (State funds, 

State RA, HOME funds, Community 

Development Block Grant (CDBG) 

funds, or Low-Income Housing Tax 

Credits (LIHTC)) for RHS proposals; or 

where the State provides preference or 

points to RHS proposals in awarding 

such State resources, 20 points will be 

provided to loan requests that include 

such State resources in an amount equal 

to at least 5 percent of the TDC. Native 

American Housing and Self 

Determination Act (NAHASDA) funds 

may be considered a State Resource if 

the Tribal Plan for NAHASDA funds 

contains provisions for partnering with 

RHS for multi-family housing. (National 

Office initiative) 

(d) The loan request includes donated 

land meeting the provisions of 7 CFR 

3560.56(c)(1)(iv). (5 points) 

(e) In an effort to implement USDA’s 

nationwide initiative to promote 

renewable energy and energy 

conservation, Rural Development has 

adopted incentives for energy 

generation and energy conservation. 

Participation in these nationwide 

initiatives is voluntary, but is strongly 

encouraged. 

Energy Generation. Applicants will be 

awarded points if the proposal includes 

the installation of energy generation 

systems to be funded by a third party. 

The proposal must include an overview 

of the energy generation system being 

proposed. Evidence that an energy 

generation system has been funded by a 

third party and that it has a quantifiable 

positive impact on energy consumption 

will be required. (5 points) 

Energy Conservation. Applicants will 

be awarded points to construct (or 

substantially rehabilitate) housing that 

earns the ENERGY STAR label for new 

residential construction. Units earning 

the ENERGY STAR label must be 

independently verified to meet 

guidelines for energy efficiency as set by 

the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency. All procedures used in 

verifying a unit for the ENERGY STAR 

label must comply with National Home 

Energy Ratings System (HERS) 

guidelines. ENERGY STAR guidelines 

for residential construction apply to 

homes that are three stories or less and 

single or low-rise multi-family 

residential buildings. 

The Applicant will include in the 

summary an explanation of how they 

plan to incorporate ENERGY STAR. 

Construction plans pertaining to energy 

efficiency must be developed with, 

reviewed, and accepted by a HERS 

certified rater, the contractor, and the 

owner. Progress inspections must be 

made at appropriate times by a HERS 

certified rater to ensure that the housing 

is being constructed or rehabilitated 

according to ENERGY STAR 

specifications. In order to receive final 

payment, applicants will be required to 

submit the appropriate rating reports 

from the HERS rater to Rural 

Development as evidence that the 

housing has been constructed to meet 

the standards of ENERGY STAR. In the 

event that housing does not meet 

ENERGY STAR guidelines for new 

residential construction, the Agency 

shall, at its discretion, deduct 5 points 

from future funding proposals. For 

further information about ENERGY 

STAR, see http://www.energystar.gov or 

call the following toll-free numbers: 

(888) 782–7939 or (888) 588–9920 

(TTY). (5 points) 

2. The National Office will rank all 

requests nationwide and distribute 

funds to States in rank order, within 

funding limits. If insufficient funds 

remain for the next ranked proposal, the 

Agency will select the next ranked 

proposal that falls within the remaining 

levels. Point score ties will be handled 

in accordance with 7 CFR 3560.56(c)(2). 

D. Applications That Do Not Require 

New Construction RA 

In the event new construction RA is 

available for FY 2007, it will be 

available in limited amounts. Therefore, 

the Agency is inviting applications to 

develop units in markets that do not 

require RA. The market study for 

proposals must clearly demonstrate a 

need and demand for the units by 

prospective tenants at income levels 

that can support the proposed rents 

without tenant subsidies. The proposed 

units must offer amenities that are 

typical for the market area at rents that 

are comparable to conventional rents in 

the market for similar units. 

E. Set-Asides 

Loan requests will be accepted for the 

following set-asides: 

1. Nonprofit set-aside. An amount of 

$8,910,000 has been set aside for 

nonprofit applicants. All loan proposals 

must be in designated places in 

accordance with 7 CFR 3560.57. A State 

or jurisdiction may receive one proposal 

from this set-aside, which cannot 

exceed $1 million. A State could get 

additional funds from this set-aside if 

any funds remain after funding one 

proposal from each participating State. 

If there are insufficient funds to fund 

one loan request from each participating 

State, selection will be made by point 

score. If there are any funds remaining, 

they will be handled in accordance with 

42 U.S.C. 1485(w)(3). Funds from this 

set-aside will be available only to 

nonprofit entities, which may include a 

partnership that has as its general 

partner a nonprofit entity or the 

nonprofit entity’s for-profit subsidiary 

which will be receiving low-income 

housing tax credits authorized under 

section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code 

of 1986. To be eligible for this set-aside, 

the nonprofit entity must be an 

organization that: 

(a) Will own an interest in the project 

to be financed and will materially 

participate in the development and the 

operations of the project; 

(b) Is a private organization that has 

nonprofit, tax exempt status under 

section 501(c)(3) or section 501(c)(4) of 

the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; 

(c) Has among its purposes the 

planning, development, or management 

of low-income housing or community 

development projects; and 

(d) Is not affiliated with or controlled 

by a for-profit organization. 

2. Underserved counties and colonias 

set-aside. An amount of $4,950,000 has 

been set aside for loan requests to 

develop units in the 100 most needy 

underserved counties or colonias as 

defined in section 509(f) of the Housing 

Act of 1949. 

3. EZ, EC, and REAP Earmark. An 

amount of $2,655,463 has been set aside 

to develop units in an EZ, EC, or REAP 

zone. Loan requests that are eligible for 

this set-aside are also eligible for regular 

Section 515 funds. If requests for this 

set-aside exceed available funds, 

selection will be made in accordance 

with 7 CFR 3560.56(c). 

II. Funding Limits 

A. Individual loan requests may not 

exceed $1 million. This applies to 

regular section 515 funds and set-aside 


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funds. The Administrator may make an 

exception to this limit in cases where a 

State’s average total development costs 

exceed the National average by 50 

percent or more. 

B. No State may receive more than 

20% of the total available for new 

construction, including set-aside funds. 

III. Rental Assistance (RA) 

In addition to the State Matching RA 

program as described in Section VI. E. 

of this Notice and subject to its 

availability, new construction RA will 

be held in the National Office for use 

with section 515 Rural Rental Housing 

loans. Because the amount of RA 

available for new construction is 

minimal, RA will be granted to projects 

which best meet the scoring and ranking 

criteria at 7 CFR 3560.56(c). Unused RA 

may be allocated from within the State 

jurisdiction to approved new 

construction projects. New construction 

RA may not be used in conjunction with 

a transfer or subsequent loan for repairs 

or rehabilitation, preservation purposes 

or for inventory property sales. 

IV. Application Process 

All applications for section 515 new 

construction funds must be filed with 

the appropriate Rural Development 

State Office and must meet the 

requirements of 7 CFR 3560.56, as well 

as comply with the provisions of 

Section V. of this notice. Incomplete 

applications will not be reviewed and 

will be returned to the applicant. No 

application will be accepted after 5 

p.m., local time, on the application 

deadline previously mentioned unless 

that date and time is extended by a 

Notice published in the Federal 

Register. 

V. Application Submission 

Requirements 

A. Each application shall include the 

following information, materials, forms 

and exhibits required by 7 CFR 3560.56, 

as well as comply with the provisions 

of this Notice. 

Forms to be included in initial 

application package: 

1. Form SF 424, Application for 

Federal Assistance, which can be found 

online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ 

omb/grants/sf424.pdf; 

2. Form RD 1940–20, Request for 

Environmental Information, which can 

be found online at http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/forms/1940- 

20.pdf; 

3. Form RD 3560–7, Multiple Family 

Housing Project Budget/Utility 

Allowance, which can be found online 

at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/ 

forms/3560-07.pdf; 

4. Form HUD 2530, Previous 

Participation Certification, which can be 

found online at http:// 

www.hudclips.org/sub_nonhud/cgi/ 

pdfforms/2530.pdf; 

5. Form RD 1924–13, Estimate and 

Certificate of Actual Costs, which can be 

found online at http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/forms/1924- 

13.pdf; 

6. Form RD 410–9, Statement 

Required by the Privacy Act (for 

individuals only), which can be found 

online at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ 

regs/forms/0410-09.pdf; 

Information requested in initial 

application package: 

I. To establish applicant eligibility: 

A. Current (within 6 months) 

financial statements with the following 

paragraph certified by someone with the 

legal authority to do so: 

I/we certify the above is a true and accurate 

reflection of my/our financial condition as of 

the date stated herein. This statement is 

given for the purpose of inducing the United 

States of America to make a loan or to enable 

the United States of America to make a 

determination of continued eligibility of the 

applicant for a loan as requested in the loan 

application of which this statement is a part. 

B. Check for $28 from individual 

applicants and $40 from organizational 

applicants made out to United States 

Department of Agriculture. This will be 

used to pay for credit reports obtained 

by the Agency. 

C. Statement signed by applicants that 

they will pay any cost overruns. 

D. Proposed limited partnership 

agreement and certificates of limited 

partners, if applicable. (Agency 

requirements should be contained in 

one section of the agreement and their 

location identified by the applicants or 

their attorney in a cover sheet.) 

E. If a nonprofit organization: 

1. Tax-exempt ruling from the IRS 

designating them as a 501(c)(3) or 

501(c)(4) organization. If the designation 

is pending, a copy of the designation 

request must be submitted. 

2. Purpose statement, including the 

provision of low income housing. 

3. Evidence of organization under 

state and local law, or copies of pending 

applications. 

4. List of Board of Directors. 

F. If a limited liability company, 

proposed operating agreement and the 

authorized agent who has the authority 

to complete the loan application and 

loan closing documents. 

G. If a trust, organizational documents 

and attorney opinion letter that the trust 

is validly formed and identifying the 

authorized representative to act on the 

trust’s behalf. 

II. To establish project feasibility: 

A. Market feasibility documentation: 

Either a market study or a market 

survey, as appropriate. 

B. Type of project and structures 

proposed (total number of units by 

bedroom size, size of each unit type, 

size and type of other facilities). 

C. Schematic drawings: 

1. Site plan, including contour lines; 

2. Floor plan of each living unit type 

and other spaces, such as laundry 

facilities, community rooms, stairwells, 

etc.; 

3. Building exterior elevations; 

4. Typical building exterior wall 

section; and 

5. Plot plan. 

D. Description and justification of 

related facilities, schedule of separate 

charges for related facilities. 

E. Type and method of construction 

(owner builder, negotiated bid, or 

contractor method). 

F. Estimated costs (Form RD 1924–

13). 

G. Statement of proposed 

management. 

H. Congregate services package/plan 

(if applicable). 

I. Statement of support from other 

Government services providers to the 

project (congregate only). 

J. Response to the Uniform Relocation 

Assistance Act (if applicable). 

III. To establish project financing: 

A. Statement of budget and cash flow 

(applicant completes Form RD 3560–7), 

including type of utilities and utility 

allowance, if applicable and 

contribution to reserves. 

B. Congregate services charges (if 

applicable). 

C. Status of efforts to obtain leveraged 

funds. 

D. Proposed construction financing 

(interim or multiple advance; if interim 

financing, letter of interest from 

intended lender). 

IV. Environmental and site 

information: 

A. Environmental information 

(applicant completes Form RD 1940–

20). 

B. Evidence of compliance with 

Executive Order 12372 (A–95) (if 

applicable) Form SF 424 is sent to a 

clearinghouse for intergovernmental 

review. 

C. Phase I due diligence 

(Environmental Site Assessment; see 

Chapter 3 of the section 515 Rural 

Rental Housing Loan Origination 

Handbook). 

D. Map showing location of support 

services. 

E. Evidence of submission of project 

description to State Housing 

Preservation Office with request for 

comments. 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 82 / Monday, April 30, 2007 / Notices 21211 

F. Comments regarding relevant 

offsite conditions. 

G. Explanation of any proposed 

energy efficiency components. 

Applicants are encouraged, but not 

required, to include a checklist and to 

have their applications indexed and 

tabbed to facilitate the review process. 

The Rural Development State Office will 

base its determination of completeness 

of the application and the eligibility of 

each applicant on the information 

provided in the application. 

B. Applicants are advised to contact 

the Rural Development State Office 

serving the place in which they desire 

to submit an application for the 

following: 

1. Questions pertaining to the 

application process; and 

2. List of designated places for which 

applications for new section 515 

facilities may be submitted. 

VI. Areas of Special Emphasis or 

Consideration 

A. The RHS encourages the use of 

funding from other sources in 

conjunction with Agency loans. This 

year there will be a National Office 

Initiative pursuant to 7 CFR 

3560.56(c)(1)(iii), whereby preference 

points will be awarded to loan requests 

that meet the selection criteria as 

follows: In states where RHS has an ongoing formal working relationship, 

agreement, or MOU with the State to 

provide State resources (State funds, 

State RA, HOME funds, CDBG funds, or 

LIHTC) for RHS proposals; or where the 

State provides preference or points to 

RHS proposals in awarding these State 

Resources, 20 points will be provided to 

loan requests that include such State 

resources in an amount equal to at least 

5 percent of the TDC. NAHASDA funds 

may be considered a State Resource if 

the Tribal Plan for NAHASDA funds 

contains provisions for partnering with 

RHS for multi-family housing. 

B. $8,910,000 is available nationwide 

in a set-aside for eligible nonprofit 

organizations as defined in 42 U.S.C. 

1485(w). 

C. $4,950,000 is available nationwide 

in a set-aside for the 100 most 

Underserved Counties and Colonias. 

D. $2,655,463 is available nationwide 

in an earmark for EZ, EC, and REAP 

zone. 

E. $990,000 is available nationwide in 

a reserve for States with viable State RA 

programs. In order to participate, States 

are to submit specific written 

information about the State RA program, 

i.e., a memorandum of understanding, 

documentation from the provider, etc., 

to the National Office. 

Dated: April 23, 2007. 

James C. Alsop, 

Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–8157 Filed 4–27–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Notice of Funding Availability: Section 

515 Multi-Family Housing Preservation 

and Revitalization Restructuring 

Program (MPR) for Fiscal Year 2007 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Announcement Type: Inviting 

applications from eligible applicants for 

Fiscal Year 2007 funding. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number (CFDA): 10.447. 

SUMMARY: USDA Rural Development 

administers the programs of Rural 

Housing Service (RHS) announces the 

availability of funds and the timeframe 

to submit applications to participate in 

a demonstration program to preserve 

and revitalize existing rural rental 

housing projects financed by Rural 

Development under Section 515 of the 

Housing Act of 1949. The intended 

effect is to restructure selected existing 

Section 515 loans expressly for the 

purpose of ensuring that sufficient 

resources are available to preserve the 

rental project for the purpose of 

providing safe and affordable housing 

for very low-, low-, or moderate-income 

residents. Expectations are that 

properties participating in this program 

will be revitalized and affordable use 

extended without displacing tenants 

because of increased rents. No 

additional Rural Development rental 

assistance units will be made available 

under this program. 

DATES: The deadline for receipt of all 

pre-applications in response to this 

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) 

is 5 p.m., Eastern Time, May 30, 2007. 

The pre-application closing deadline is 

firm as to date and hour. The Agency 

will not consider any pre-application 

that is received after the closing 

deadline. Applicants intending to mail 

pre-applications must allow sufficient 

time to permit delivery on or before the 

closing deadline. Acceptance by a post 

office or private mailer does not 

constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX) and 

postage-due pre-applications will not be 

accepted. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Carlton Jarratt, 

carlton.jarratt@wdc.usda.gov, (804) 

561–0665; Sherry Engel, 

sherry.engel@wi.usda.gov (715) 345–

7677; or Sandra Mercier, 

sandra.mercier@wdc.usda.gov (202) 

720–1617, Senior Loan Specialists, 

Multi-Family Housing Office of Rental 

Housing Preservation, STOP 0782, 

(Room 1263–S), U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Rural Housing Service, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0782. (Please 

note these phone numbers are not toll 

free numbers.) 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

The information collection 

requirements contained in this Notice 

have received approval from the Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) 

under Control Number 0570–0190. 

Overview 

The Agriculture, Rural Development, 

Food and Drug Administration, and 

Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 

2007 (Pub. L. 110–5), February 15, 2007, 

provides funding for and authorizes 

Rural Development to conduct a 

demonstration program for the 

preservation and revitalization of the 

Section 515 multi-family housing 

portfolio. The Section 515 multi-family 

housing program is authorized by 

Section 515 of the Housing Act of 1949 

(42 U.S.C. 1485) and provides Rural 

Development the authority to make 

loans for low-income multi-family 

housing and related facilities. 

Program Administration 

I. Funding Opportunities Description 

This NOFA solicits pre-applications 

from eligible borrowers/applicants to 

restructure existing multi-family 

housing within the Agency’s Section 

515 multi-family housing portfolio for 

the purpose of revitalization and 

preservation. The demonstration 

program shall be referred to in this 

notice as the Multi-Family Housing 

Preservation and Revitalization 

Restructuring Demonstration (MPR) 

program. Agency regulations for the 

Section 515 multi-family housing 

program are published at 7 CFR part 

3560. The MPR is intended to assure 

that existing rental projects will 

continue to deliver decent, safe, and 

sanitary affordable rental housing for 

the lesser of the remaining term of the 

loan or 20 years from the date of the 

MPR transaction closing. Once an 

applicant has been confirmed eligible 

and the project has been selected by the 

Agency in the process described in this 

notice, and the applicant agrees to 

participate in the MPR demonstration 

by written notification to the Agency, an 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES