23958 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND

URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR–4361–N–01]

Super Notice of Funding Availability

for National Competition Programs

(National SuperNOFA)

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD.

ACTION: Super Notice of Funding

Availability for National Competition

Programs (National SuperNOFA).

SUMMARY: This National SuperNOFA

announces the availability of

approximately $5,050,000 in HUD

program funds covering three (3)

National Competition Programs

operated and managed by the following

HUD Offices: Fair Housing and Equal

Opportunity (FHEO), Housing, and Lead

Hazard Control. The General Section of

this National SuperNOFA contains the

procedures and requirements applicable

to all 3 programs. The Programs Section

of this National SuperNOFA contains a

description of the specific programs for

which funding is made available under

this National SuperNOFA and

additional procedures and requirements

that are applicable to each.

APPLICATION DUE DATES: The information

contained in this ‘‘APPLICATION DUE

DATES’’ section applies to all programs

contained in this National SuperNOFA.

Completed applications must be

submitted to HUD no later than July 7,

1998. Applications may not be sent by

facsimile (FAX). The Program Chart also

lists the application due dates.

ADDRESSES AND APPLICATION SUBMISSION

PROCEDURES: Addresses. Completed

applications must be submitted to the

location specified in the Programs

Section of this SuperNOFA. When

submitting your application, please refer

to the program name for which you are

seeking funding.

Applications to HUD Headquarters.

All applications under this National

SuperNOFA are to be submitted to HUD

Headquarters at: Department of Housing

and Urban Development, 451 Seventh

Street, SW., Room llll (See

Program Chart or Programs Section for

room location), Washington DC 20410.

Please follow the requirements of the

Programs Section to ensure that you

submit your application to the proper

location. HUD requests additional

copies in order to expeditiously review

your application and appreciates your

assistance in providing the copies.

Please note that timeliness of

submission will be based on the time

the application is received at HUD

Headquarters.

Applications Procedures—Mailed

Applications. Applications will be

considered timely filed if postmarked

on or before 12:00 midnight on the

application due date and received by

the designated HUD Office on or within

ten (10) 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 filed if

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. For

applications submitted to HUD

Headquarters, 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 am to 5:15

pm, 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 pm until 12:00

midnight, local time.

FOR APPLICATION KITS, FURTHER

INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:

The information contained in this

section is applicable to all programs

contained in this National SuperNOFA.

For Application Kits and SuperNOFA

User Guide. HUD is pleased to provide

you with application kits and/or a

guidebook to all HUD programs. When

requesting an application kit, please

refer to the program name of the

application kit you are interested in

receiving. Please be sure to provide your

name, address (including zip code), and

telephone number (including area code).

Requests for application kits should

be made immediately to ensure

sufficient time for application

preparation. We will distribute

application kits as soon as they become

available.

The SuperNOFA Information Center

(1–800–HUD–8929) can provide you

with assistance, application kits, and

guidance in determining which HUD

Office(s) should receive a copy of your

application.

Consolidated Application

Submissions. Where an applicant can

apply for funding under more than one

program in this National SuperNOFA,

the applicant need only submit one

originally signed SF–424 and one set of

original signatures for the other required

assurances and certifications,

accompanied by the matrix contained in

each application kit. As long as the

applicant submits one originally signed

set of these documents with an

application, only copies of these

documents may be submitted with any

additional application submitted by the

applicant.

For Further Information. For answers

to your questions about this National

SuperNOFA, you have several options.

You may call the HUD Office or

Processing Center serving your area at

the telephone number listed in your

program area section to this National

SuperNOFA, or you may contact the

SuperNOFA Information Center at 1–

800–HUD–8929. Persons with hearing

or speech impairment may call the

Center’s TTY number at 1–800–HUD–

2209. Information on this National

SuperNOFA also may be obtained

through the HUD web site on the

Internet at http://www.hud.gov.

For Technical Assistance. Before the

application due date, HUD staff will be

available to provide general guidance

and technical assistance about this

National SuperNOFA. Current law does

not permit HUD staff to assist in

preparing the application. Following

selection of applicants, but prior to

award, HUD staff will be available to

assist in clarifying or confirming

information that is a prerequisite to the

offer of an award or Annual

Contributions Contract (ACC) by HUD.

Introduction to the SuperNOFA Process

To further HUD’s objective, under the

direction of Secretary Andrew Cuomo,

of improving customer service and

providing the necessary tools for

revitalizing communities and improving

the lives of people within those

communities, HUD will publish three

SuperNOFAs, in addition to this

National SuperNOFA, in 1998, which

coordinate program funding for nearly

40 programs and cut across traditional

program lines.

(1) The first is the SuperNOFA and

consolidated application process for

Housing and Community Development

Programs, published in the March 31,

1998, Federal Register, at 63 FR 15490,

covering 19 Housing and Community

Development Programs.

(2) The second is the SuperNOFA and

consolidated application process for

Economic Development and

Empowerment Programs. This second

SuperNOFA includes funding for the

following programs and initiatives:

Brownfields; Youthbuild; Economic

Development Initiative; Neighborhood

Initiatives; Tenant Opportunity

Program; Economic Development and

Supportive Services; Mark to Market

Outreach and Training, and Mark to

Market Technical Assistance

Intermediaries Grant Administration.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23959

This second SuperNOFA is published

elsewhere in today’s Federal Register.

(3) The third is the SuperNOFA and

consolidated application process for

Targeted Housing and Homeless

Assistance Programs. This third

SuperNOFA includes the following

programs and initiatives: Housing

Opportunities for Persons with Aids;

Continuum of Care Assistance; Section

202 Elderly Housing; Section 811

Disabled Housing; Service Coordinators;

and Elderly Housing Revitalization.

This third SuperNOFA is published

elsewhere in today’s Federal Register.

All of these SuperNOFAs and

consolidated applications, to the

greatest extent possible, given statutory,

regulatory and program policy

distinctions, will have one set of rules

that, together, offer a ‘‘menu’’ of

approximately 39 programs. From this

menu, communities will be made aware

of funding available for their

jurisdictions. Nonprofits, public

housing agencies, local and State

governments, tribal governments and

tribally designated housing entities,

veterans service organizations, faithbased organizations and others will be

able to identify the programs for which

they are eligible for funding. HUD is

anticipating publishing all three

SuperNOFAs before May 1, 1998.

The National Competition SuperNOFA

In addition to the three SuperNOFAs,

HUD is publishing this single NOFA for

three national competitions: the Fair

Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP)

National Focus Education and Outreach

Competition; the National Housing

Counseling Training Program; and the

National Lead Hazard Awareness

Campaign.

The Housing and Community

Development SuperNOFA

The first SuperNOFA announced the

availability of approximately

$1,247,906,870 in HUD program funds

covering nineteen (19) Housing and

Community Development Programs

operated and managed by the following

HUD Offices: Community Planning and

Development (CPD), Public and Indian

Housing (PIH), Housing, Policy

Development and Research (PD&R),

Office of Lead Hazard Control, and Fair

Housing and Equal Opportunity

(FHEO).

Assisting Communities to Make Better

Use of Available Resources.

The SuperNOFA approach represents

a marked departure from, and HUD

believes a significant improvement over,

HUD’s past approach to the funding

process. In the past, HUD has issued as

many as 40 separate NOFAs, all with

widely varying rules and application

processing requirements. This

individual program approach to

funding, with NOFAs published at

various times throughout the fiscal year,

did not encourage and, at times,

unintentionally impeded local efforts

directed at comprehensive planning and

development of comprehensive local

solutions. Additionally, the old

approach seemed to require

communities to respond to HUD’s needs

rather than HUD responding to local

needs. Secretary Cuomo brings to the

leadership of HUD the experience of

successfully implementing a

consolidated planning process in HUD’s

community development programs. As

Assistant Secretary for Community

Planning and Development, Secretary

Cuomo consolidated the planning,

application, and reporting requirements

of several community development

programs. The Consolidated Plan rule,

published in 1995, established a

renewed partnership among HUD, State,

and local governments, public and

private agencies, tribal governments,

and the general citizenry by

empowering field staff to work with

other entities in fashioning creative

solutions to community problems.

The SuperNOFA approach builds

upon Consolidated Planning

implemented by Secretary Cuomo in

HUD’s community development

programs, and also reflects the

Secretary’s organizational changes for

HUD, as described in the Secretary’s

management reform plan. On June 26,

1997, Secretary Cuomo released the

HUD 2020 Management Reform Plan,

which provides for significant

management reforms at HUD. This plan

calls for significant consolidation of like

programs to maximize efficiency and

dramatically improve customer service.

The plan also calls for HUD to improve

customer service by adopting a

principle of ‘‘menus not mandates.’’

By announcing the funding of groups

of related programs in one NOFA, HUD

hopes to assist communities in making

better use of available resources to

address their needs and the needs of

those living within the communities in

a holistic and effective fashion. These

funds are available for eligible

applicants to support individual

program objectives, as well as crosscutting and coordinated approaches to

improving the overall effective use of

available HUD program funds.

To date, HUD has been consolidating

and simplifying the submission

requirements of many of its formula

grant and discretionary grant programs

to offer local communities a better

opportunity to shape available resources

into effective and coordinated

neighborhood housing and community

development strategies that will help

revitalize and strengthen their

communities, physically, socially and

economically. To complement this

overall consolidation and simplification

effort, HUD designed this process to

increase the ability of applicants to

consider and apply for funding under a

wide variety of HUD programs in

response to a single NOFA. Everyone

interested in HUD’s assistance programs

can benefit from having this information

made available in one NOFA.

Coordination, Flexibility, and

Simplicity in the HUD Funding Process

This National SuperNOFA

coordinates the application process for

those program activities which

successful grantees will be required to

implement on a nationwide, rather than

a local or regional, basis. This

nationwide scope is the unique

characteristic which distinguishes the

three programs included in this

National SuperNOFA. The programs

which make funding available under the

other three FY 1998 SuperNOFAs focus

on meeting local housing and

community development needs. For

those programs, the SuperNOFAs

encourage greater coordination by, and

provide flexibility to, eligible applicants

to determine what HUD program

resources best fit a community’s needs,

as identified in local Consolidated Plans

and Analysis of Impediments to Fair

Housing Choice (‘‘Analysis of

Impediments’’ (AI)).

This National SuperNOFA seeks to

implement the same improvements for

nationwide activity grant competitions

as the other SuperNOFAs do for local

activity grants: a simplification of the

application process; the promotion of

effective and coordinated use of

program funds; a reduction of

duplication in the delivery of services

and housing and community

development programs; permitting

interested applicants to seek to deliver

a wider, more integrated array of

services; and an improvement in the

system for potential grantees to be aware

of, and compete for program funds.

HUD encourages eligible applicants to

apply for multiple HUD programs and

work together to coordinate and, to the

maximum extent possible, join their

activities to form a seamless and

comprehensive program of assistance to

meet the nationwide needs addressed by

this National SuperNOFA.

The specific statutory and regulatory

requirements of each of the three

separate programs continue to apply to
23960 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices

each program. The National

SuperNOFA reflects, where necessary,

the statutory requirements and

differences applicable to the specific

programs. Please pay careful attention

to the individual program requirements

that are identified for each program.

Also, you will note that not all

applicants are eligible to receive

assistance under all three programs

identified in this SuperNOFA.

The National SuperNOFA contains

two major sections. The General Section

contains the procedures and

requirements applicable to all

applications. The Programs Section

describes each program for which

funding is made available in the

National SuperNOFA. As in the past,

each program provides a description of

eligible applicants, eligible activities,

and any additional requirements or

limitations that apply to the program.

An additional feature of this National

SuperNOFA is that it consolidates both

the factors for award and application

submission requirements into common

elements that apply to all three national

programs. The presentation of a single

set of uniform rating factors and

submission requirements further

advances the coordination and

simplification of the NOFA process, and

demonstrates the interconnections that

can be realized even with programs as

diverse as the three covered under this

National SuperNOFA.

Please read carefully both the General

Section and the Programs Section of the

SuperNOFA for the program(s) to which

you are applying. This will ensure that

you apply for program funding for

which your organization is eligible to

receive funds and you fulfill all the

requirements for that program(s).

The Programs of this National

SuperNOFA and the Amount of Funds

Allocated

The three programs for which funding

availability is announced in this

National SuperNOFA are identified in

the following chart. The approximate

available funds for each program are

listed as expected funding levels based

on appropriated funds. Should

recaptured or other funds become

available for any program, HUD reserves

the right to increase the available

program funding amounts by the

amount available.

The chart also includes the

application due date for each program,

the OMB approval number for the

information collection requirements

contained in the specific program, and

the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) number.

BILLING CODE 4210–32–P
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23961

BILLING CODE 4210–32–C
23962 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

For those programs listed in the chart

which have OMB approval numbers, the

information collection requirements

contained in this National SuperNOFA

for those programs 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). For those programs

listed in the chart for which an OMB

approval number is pending, the

approval number when received will be

announced by HUD in the Federal

Register. 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.

General Section of the National

SuperNOFA

I. Authority; Purpose; Amount

Allocated; Eligible Applicants and

Eligible Activities

(A) Authorities

The authority for Fiscal Year 1998

funding availability under this National

SuperNOFA is the Department of

Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban

Development and Independent Agencies

Appropriations Act, 1998 (Pub.L. 105–

65, approved October 27, 1997) (FY

1998 HUD Appropriations Act). Where

applicable, additional authority for each

program in this National SuperNOFA is

identified in the Programs Section.

(B) Purpose

The purpose of this National

SuperNOFA is to:

(1) Make funding available through a

variety of programs to implement

information, outreach and education

activities on a nationwide scale that will

empower communities and their

residents, particularly the poor and

disadvantaged, to develop viable

communities, provide decent housing

and a suitable living environment for all

citizens, without discrimination in

order to improve themselves both as

individuals and as a community.

(2) Simplify and streamline the

application process for funding under

HUD programs. By making available to

eligible applicants the application

requirements for HUD programs with

nationwide coverage in one NOFA,

HUD hopes that the result will be a less

time consuming and less complicated

application process. This new process

also allows an applicant to submit one

application for funds for several

programs. Except where statutory or

regulatory requirements or program

policy mandate differences, the National

SuperNOFA strives to provide for one

set of rules, standardized rating factors,

and uniform and consolidated

application procedures.

(3) Enhance the ability of applicants

to make more effective and efficient use

of HUD national funding to implement

coordinated information, outreach and

education activities on a nationwide

scale. Through this National

SuperNOFA process, applicants are

encouraged to promote methods for

developing more coordinated and

effective approaches to dealing with

national problems by recognizing the

interconnections among the underlying

problems and ways to address them

through layering of available HUD

programs;

(4) Promote the ability of eligible

applicants to participate in the programs

contained in this National SuperNOFA;

provide an increased opportunity to

assist the effort to develop and

implement consistent, national

programs which promote fair housing

practices and open housing

opportunities; and provide technical

assistance and services to improve

program results and increase the

productivity of HUD programs in

meeting community needs; and

(5) Recognize and make better use of

the expertise that each of the programs,

and organizations eligible for funding

under this National SuperNOFA, can

contribute when developing and

implementing nationwide information,

outreach and education activities.

(C) Amounts Allocated

The amounts allocated to specific

programs in this National SuperNOFA

are based on appropriated funds.

Should recaptured funds become

available in any program, HUD reserves

the right to increase the available

funding amounts by the amount of

funds recaptured.

(D) Eligible Applicants and Eligible

Activities

The eligible applicants and eligible

activities for each program are identified

and described for the program in the

Programs Section of the National

SuperNOFA.

II. Requirements and Procedures

Applicable to All Programs

Except as may be modified in the

Programs Section of this Super NOFA,

or as noted within the specific

provisions of this Section II, the

following principles apply to all

programs. Please be sure to read the

program area section of the National

SuperNOFA for additional requirements

or information.

(A) Statutory Requirements

All applicants must meet and comply

with all statutory and regulatory

requirements applicable to the program

for which they are seeking funding in

order to be awarded funds. Copies of the

regulations are available from the

SuperNOFA Information Center or

through the Internet at http://

www.HUD.gov. HUD may reject an

application from further funding

consideration if the activities or projects

proposed are ineligible, or HUD may

eliminate the ineligible activities from

funding consideration and reduce the

grant amount accordingly.

(B) Threshold Requirements—

Compliance with Fair Housing and Civil

Rights Laws

All applicants must comply with all

applicable Fair Housing and civil rights

laws, statutes, regulations and executive

orders as enumerated in 24 CFR

§ 5.105(a). If an applicant (1) has been

charged with a violation of the Fair

Housing Act by the Secretary; (2) is the

defendant in a Fair Housing Act lawsuit

filed by the Department of Justice; or (3)

has received a letter of noncompliance

findings under Title VI of the Civil

Rights Act, Section 504 of the

Rehabilitation Act, or Section 109 of the

Housing and Community Development

Act, the applicant is not eligible to

apply for funding under this National

SuperNOFA until the applicant resolves

such charge, lawsuit, or letter of

findings to the satisfaction of the

Department.

(C) Additional Nondiscrimination

Requirements

Applicants must comply with the

Americans with Disabilities Act, and

Title IX of the Education Amendments

Act of 1972.

(D) Affirmatively Furthering Fair

Housing

Where applicable, each successful

applicant will have a duty to

affirmatively further fair housing.

Applicants should include in their work

plans the specific steps that they will

take to (1) address the elimination of

impediments to fair housing; (2) remedy

discrimination in housing; or (3)

promote fair housing rights and fair

housing choice. Further, applicants

have a duty to carry out the specific

activities cited in their responses to the

rating factors that address affirmatively

furthering fair housing in this National

SuperNOFA.

(E) Forms, Certifications and Assurances

Each applicant is required to submit

signed copies of the standard forms,
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23963

certifications, and assurances, listed in

this section, unless the program

requirements in the Programs Section

specifies otherwise.

(1) Standard Form for Application for

Federal Assistance (SF–424);

(2) Standard Form for Budget

Information—Non-Construction

Programs (SF–424A) or Standard Form

for Budget Information-Construction

Programs (SF–424C), as applicable;

(3) Standard Form for Assurances—

Non-Construction Programs (SF–424B)

or Standard Form for Assurances—

Construction Programs (SF–424D), as

applicable;

(4) Drug-Free Workplace Certification

(HUD–50070);

(5) Certification and Disclosure Form

Regarding Lobbying (SF–LLL); (Tribes

and tribally designated housing entities

(THDEs) established by an Indian tribe

as a result of the exercise of the tribe’s

sovereign power are not required to

submit this certification. Tribes and

TDHEs established under State law are

required to submit this certification.)

(6) Applicant/Recipient Disclosure

Update Report (HUD–2880);

(7) Certification that the applicant

will comply with the requirements of

the Fair Housing Act, Title VI of the

Civil Rights Act of 1964, section 504 of

the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the

Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and

will affirmatively further fair housing.

(8) Certification required by 24 CFR

24.510. (The provisions of 24 CFR part

24 apply to the employment,

engagement of services, awarding of

contracts, subgrants, or funding of any

recipients, or contractors or

subcontractors, during any period of

debarment, suspension, or placement in

ineligibility status, and a certification is

required.)

(F) OMB Circulars

The policies, guidances, and

requirements of OMB Circular No. A–87

(Cost Principles Applicable to Grants,

Contracts and Other Agreements with

State and Local Governments) and 24

CFR part 84 (Grants and Agreements

with Institutions of Higher Education,

Hospitals, and other Non-Profit

Organizations) and 24 CFR part 85

(Administrative Requirements for

Grants and Cooperative Agreements to

State, Local, and Federally recognized

Indian tribal governments) apply to the

award, acceptance and use of assistance

under the programs of this SuperNOFA,

and to the remedies for noncompliance,

except when inconsistent with the

provisions of the FY 1998 HUD

Appropriations Act, other Federal

statutes or the provisions of this

SuperNOFA. Compliance with

additional OMB Circulars may be

specified for a particular program in the

Programs Section of the SuperNOFA.

Copies of the OMB Circulars may be

obtained from EOP Publications, Room

2200, New Executive Office Building,

Washington, DC 10503, telephone (202)

395–7332 (this is not a toll free number).

(H) Prohibition Against Multiple Billing

A recipient may not bill two or more

awards for the same work, materials, or

any other expenses.

III. Application Selection Process

(A) General

To review and rate applications, HUD

may establish panels including persons

not currently employed by HUD to

obtain certain expertise and outside

points of view, including views from

other Federal agencies.

(1) Rating. All applications for

funding in each program listed in this

National SuperNOFA will be evaluated

and rated against the criteria in this

National SuperNOFA. The rating of the

‘‘applicant’’ or the ‘‘applicant’s

organization and staff’’ for technical

merit or threshold compliance, unless

otherwise specified, will include any

sub-contractors, consultants, subrecipients, and members of consortia

which are firmly committed to the

project.

(2) Ranking. Applicants will be

ranked within each program. Applicants

will be ranked only against others that

applied for the same program funding

and where there are set-asides within

the competition, the applicant would

only compete against applicants in the

same set-aside competition.

(B) Threshold Requirements

HUD will review each application to

determine whether the application

meets all of the threshold criteria

described for program funding made

available under this National

SuperNOFA. Applications that meet all

of the threshold criteria will be eligible

to be rated and ranked, based on the

criteria described, and the total number

of points to be awarded.

(C) Factors For Award Used To Evaluate

and Rate Applications

(1) For all of the programs for which

funding is available under this National

SuperNOFA, the points awarded for the

factors total 100.

(2) The Five Standard Rating Factors.

In accord with the other three

SuperNOFAS for this year, this National

SuperNOFA uses Five Standard Rating

Factors. One of these factors in the other

SuperNOFAs, Rating Factor 2: Need/

Extent of the Problem, has been

modified to reflect the national scope of

the programs under this National

SuperNOFA. The Need in the other

SuperNOFA programs must be

identified by applicants at the local

level at which they propose to

undertake activities. In this National

SuperNOFA, the need for the eligible

activities has been determined by HUD

to exist at the national level. Therefore,

applicants will be expected to address

this factor by describing the basis or

rationale they used to determine why

the proposed work activities will best

address the needs that HUD has

identified.

The factors for rating and ranking

applicants and the maximum points for

each factor are listed in this Section

III(C)(2) as follows:

Rating Factor 1: Capacity of the

Applicant and Relevant Organizational

Experience (30 Points)

This factor addresses the extent to

which the applicant has the

organizational resources necessary to

successfully implement the proposed

activities in a timely manner, and the

applicant’s ability to develop and

implement large information campaigns,

community tension projects, or training

programs, as appropriate, on a national

scale. The rating of the ‘‘applicant’’ or

the ‘‘applicant’s organization and staff’’

for technical merit or threshold

compliance, unless otherwise specified,

will include any sub-contractors,

consultants, sub-recipients, and

members of consortia that are firmly

committed to the project. In rating this

factor, HUD will consider the extent to

which the application demonstrates:

(1) General Description of Applicant

Organization and Relevant Experience.

(a) The eligibility and qualifications of

the applicant organization; the type of

organization (e.g., public, private, nonprofit, for profit); and the organization’s

general areas of activity or line of

business.

(b) If the applicant has managed large,

complex, interdisciplinary projects, the

applicant must include information on

them in its response.

(c) Awards and major

accomplishments of the applicant

organization must be described. HUD

will also consider any documented

evidence, such as performance reviews,

newspaper articles, or monitoring

findings, that may reflect positively or

negatively upon the ability of the

applicant and its proposed staff to

perform the work.

(d) The applicant’s capability in

handling financial resources with

adequate financial control procedures

and accounting procedures. In addition,
23964 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices

HUD will consider findings identified in

applicants’ most recent audits; internal

consistency in the application of

numeric quantities; accuracy of

mathematical calculations; and other

available information on financial

management capability.

(2) Specific Description of Staff for

Proposed Activities. The applicant has

sufficient personnel or will be able to

quickly access qualified experts or

professionals to deliver the proposed

activities in a timely and effective

fashion, including the readiness and

ability of the applicant to immediately

begin the proposed work program; the

knowledge and experience of the overall

proposed project director and staff,

including the day-to-day program

manager, consultants and contractors in

planning and managing programs for

which funding is being requested. To

demonstrate that the applicant has

sufficient personnel, the applicant must

submit the proposed number of staff

hours for the employees and experts to

be allocated to the project, the titles and

relevant professional background and

experience of each employee and expert

proposed to be assigned to the project,

and the roles to be performed by each

identified employee and expert.

Experience will be judged in terms of at

least two years’ worth of recent and

relevant experience to undertake

eligible program activities or projects

similar in scope or nature and directly

relevant to the work activities proposed.

(3) Specific Description of Experience

Relevant to the Proposed Activities.

Applicants must describe their ability to

effectively develop, implement, and

manage a media campaign, tension

reduction project for communities, or

training program, as appropriate, on a

national scale. Applicants for FHIP

program funding must specifically

describe their experience in formulating

or crrying out programs to prevent or

eliminate discriminatory housing

practices. Applicants must discuss their

knowledge of implementing coordinated

national training programs, reducing

community tensions, or marketing

national awareness campaigns,

especially in the areas of fair housing,

discrimination, public health, and

housing. In responding to this subfactor,

the applicant must describe the extent

to which its past activities have resulted

in successful national media campaigns,

training programs, or reduction of

tensions in communities, as

appropriate, especially with respect to

developing and implementing

innovative strategies resulting in

positive public response.

Rating Factor 2: Need/Approach to the

Problem (10 Points)

This factor addresses the extent to

which the applicant documents the

national need that its proposed

activities and methods are intended to

address, and how its proposal offers the

most effective approach for dealing with

that national need. In responding to this

factor, an applicant will be evaluated on

the following:

(1) The extent to which the applicant

describes and documents the national

need the application intends to address,

which demonstrates a grasp of the

elements of the problem and its

pervasiveness at the national level. The

applicant’s description of the national

need will be used to evaluate the depth

of the applicant’s understanding of the

problem as an indication of ability to

address the problem; and

(2) The extent to which the applicant

provides a rationale for how its

proposed activities and methods most

effectively deal with the national need

described by the applicant in response

to subfactor (1), immediately above. To

the extent possible, applicants should

demonstrate effectiveness in terms of

scope and cost.

Rating Factor 3: Soundness of Approach

(40 Points)

This factor addresses the quality and

cost-effectiveness of the applicant’s

proposed work plan. In evaluating this

factor, HUD will consider the extent to

which:

(1) Work Plan. Applications include

work plans that:

(a) Clearly describe the specific tasks

and subtasks to be performed, the

sequence in which the tasks are to be

performed, noting areas of work which

must be performed simultaneously,

estimated completion dates, and the

work and program deliverables to be

completed within the grant period,

including specific numbers of

quantifiable end products and program

improvements the applicant aims to

deliver by the end of the award

agreement period as a result of the work

performed;

(b) Provide national coverage, specific

protected class focus, as well as focus

on persons traditionally underserved;

and

(c) Describe the immediate benefits of

the project and how the benefits will be

measured. Applicants must describe the

methods they will use to determine the

effectiveness of their national marketing

strategies or training programs.

(2) Budget. Applications include

proposed budgets that demonstrate:

(a) Cost estimates of salary levels, staff

assignments, number of staff hours, and

all other budget items are reasonable,

allowable, and appropriate for the

proposed activities;

(b) The proposed program is cost

effective in achieving its anticipated

results, as well as in achieving

significant impact;

(3) Proposed activities will be

conducted in a manner (e.g., languages,

formats, locations, distribution, use of

minority media) that will reach and

benefit all members of the public,

especially members of target groups

identified in the individual program

sections of this National SuperNOFA;

(4) Applications describe how

proposed activities will yield long-term

results and innovative strategies or ‘‘best

practices’’ that can be readily

disseminated to other organizations and

State and local governments; and

(5) The proposed media campaign,

community tensions project, or training

program makes activities, training and

meeting sites, and information services

and materials in places and formats that

are accessible to all persons including

persons with disabilities.

Rating Factor 4: Leveraging Resources

(10 Points)

This factor addresses the ability of the

applicant to secure other resources

which can be combined with HUD’s

program resources to achieve program

purposes. In evaluating this factor HUD

will consider:

The extent to which the applicant has

partnered with other entities to secure

additional resources, including financial

resources, to increase the effectiveness

of the proposed program activities.

Resources may include funding or inkind contributions, such as services or

equipment, allocated to the purpose(s)

of the award the applicant is seeking.

Resources may be provided by

governmental entities, public or private

nonprofit organizations, for-profit

private organizations, or other entities

willing to partner with the applicant.

Applicants must also describe how they

plan to use their affiliated branches, or

partner with other organizations, to

distribute materials, training or services

developed under this National

SuperNOFA for use at the local level.

Applicants may also partner with other

program funding recipients to

coordinate the use of resources in the

target area or subject.

Applicants must provide evidence of

leveraging/partnerships by including in

the application letters of firm

commitment, memoranda of

understanding, or agreements to

participate from those entities identified

as partners in the application. Each

letter of commitment, memorandum of
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23965

understanding, or agreement to

participate should include the

organization’s name, proposed level of

commitment and responsibilities as they

relate to the proposed program. The

commitment must also be signed by an

official of the organization legally able

to make commitments on behalf of the

organization.

Rating Factor 5: Comprehensiveness and

Coordination (10 Points)

This factor addresses the extent to

which the applicant’s program makes

materials, training or services available

to local community programs and

implements a coordinated process of

addressing the national need by using

HUD funding resources and other

available resources. Applicants must

also describe how they plan to use their

affiliated branches, or partner with other

organizations, to distribute materials,

training or services developed under

this National SuperNOFA for use at the

local level. In evaluating this factor,

HUD will consider:

(1) The extent to which the

application demonstrates that project

activities will reach the targeted

audience. This includes a discussion of

the applicant’s methods or approaches

to ensure that activities and materials

are made available to local groups and

organizations and a description of how

such activities can enhance or work in

tandem with local activities and

materials. At a minimum, the

application should discuss procedures

to be used to promote awareness of the

services provided by the proposed

project.

(2) The extent to which the

application demonstrates that the

applicant, in carrying out program

activities, will make communities and

organizations aware of opportunities for

linking activities with:

(a) Other HUD funded program

activities, proposed or on-going; or

(b) Other proposed or on-going State,

Federal, local or privately funded

activities which, taken as a whole,

support and sustain a comprehensive

system to address the purposes of these

programs.

(D) Negotiation

After all applications have been rated

and ranked and a selection has been

made, HUD requires that all winners

participate in negotiations to determine

the specific terms of the grant agreement

and budget. In cases where HUD cannot

successfully conclude negotiations or a

selected applicant fails to provide HUD

with requested information, awards will

not be made. In such instances, HUD

may offer an award to the next highest

ranking applicant, and proceed with

negotiations with the next highest

ranking applicant.

(E) Adjustments to Funding

HUD reserves the right to fund less

than the full amount requested in any

application to ensure the fair

distribution of the funds and to ensure

the purposes of the programs contained

in this National SuperNOFA are met.

HUD also reserves the right to adjust

funding based on revisions in locations

for project activities. HUD may choose

not to fund portions of the applications

that are ineligible for funding under

applicable program statutory or

regulatory requirements, or which do

not meet the requirements of this

General Section of this National

SuperNOFA or the requirements in the

Programs Section for the specific

program, and fund eligible portions of

the applications.

If funds remain after funding the

highest ranking applications, HUD may

fund part of the next highest ranking

application in a given program area. If

the applicant turns down the award

offer, HUD will make the same

determination for the next highest

ranking application. If funds remain

after all selections have been made,

remaining funds may be available for

other competitions for each program

area where there is a balance of funds.

Additionally, in the event of a HUD

procedural error that, when corrected,

would result in selection of an

otherwise eligible applicant during the

funding round of this National

SuperNOFA, HUD may select that

applicant when sufficient funds become

available.

(F) Performance and Compliance

Actions of Grantees

Performance and compliance actions

of grantees will be measured and

addressed in accordance with

applicable standards and sanctions of

their respective programs.

IV. Application Submission

Requirements

As discussed earlier in the

introductory section of this National

SuperNOFA, part of the simplification

of this funding process is to reduce the

duplication effort involved in

completing and submitting similar

applications for HUD funded programs.

The application submission

requirements for all three programs

under this National SuperNOFA have

been consolidated. In addition to the

forms, certifications and assurances

listed in Section II.(E) of the General

Section of this National SuperNOFA, all

applications must, at a minimum,

contain the following items:

(A) Transmittal Letter which

identifies the SuperNOFA, the program

under the SuperNOFA for which funds

are requested, the dollar amount

requested for each program, and the

applicant submitting the application. If

applying for more than one program,

please indicate in the letter the location

where the original signed application

was submitted.

(B) Budget identifying costs by cost

category in accordance with the

following:

(1) Direct Labor by position or

individual, indicating the estimated

hours per position, the rate per hour,

estimated cost per staff position and the

total estimated direct labor costs;

(2) Fringe Benefits identifying the

rate, the salary base the rate was

computed on, and the total estimated

fringe benefit cost;

(3) Material Costs indicating the item,

unit cost per item, the number of items

to be purchased, estimated cost per

item, and the total estimated material

costs;

(4) Transportation Costs, as

applicable. Where a local private

vehicle is proposed to be used, costs

should indicate the proposed number of

miles, rate per mile of travel identified

by item, and estimated total private

vehicle costs. Where air transportation

is proposed, costs should identify the

destination(s), number of trips per

destination, estimated air fare and total

estimated air transportation costs. For

purposes of estimating travel costs for

the Housing Counseling National

Training Program and the FHIP

Community Tensions Project, applicants

should project travel costs to the District

of Columbia, San Francisco, Atlanta,

Chicago, and New Orleans. The actual

sites of activities will be determined by

HUD. If other transportation costs are

listed, the applicant should identify the

other method of transportation selected,

the number of trips to be made and

destination(s), the estimated cost, and

the total estimated costs for other

transportation costs. In addition,

applicants should identify per diem or

subsistence costs per travel day and the

number of travel days included, the

estimated costs for per diem/

subsistence, other travel costs, such as

those for HUD-sponsored training, as

appropriate, and the total estimated

transportation costs;

(5) Equipment Charges, if any.

Equipment charges should identify the

type of equipment, quantity, unit costs

and total estimated equipment costs;

(6) Consultant Costs, if applicable.

Indicate the type, estimated number of
23966 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices

consultant days or hours, rate per day or

hour, total estimated consultant costs

per consultant and total estimated costs

for all consultants;

(7) Subcontract Costs, if applicable.

Indicate each individual subcontract

and amount. For each proposed

subcontract that is in excess of 10% of

the grant amount, a separate budget

which identifies costs by cost categories

should be included;

(8) Other Direct Costs listed by item,

quantity, unit cost, total for each item

listed, and total direct costs for the

award;

(9) Indirect costs should identify the

type, approved indirect cost rate, base to

which the rate applies and total indirect

costs. The submission should include

the rationale used to determine costs

and validation of fringe and indirect

cost rates, if the applicant is not using

an accepted, Federally negotiated

indirect cost rate.

(C) Financial Management and Audit

Information. Each applicant must

submit a certification from an

Independent Public Accountant or the

cognizant government auditor, stating

that the financial management system

employed by the applicant meets the

applicable prescribed standards for fund

control and accountability required by:

OMB Circular A–133, Audits of States,

Local Governments and Non-Profit

Organizations; OMB Circular A–110 (as

codified at 24 CFR Part 84), Uniform

Administrative Requirements for Grants

and Agreements With Institutions of

Higher Education, Hospitals, and other

Non-Profit Organizations; and/or OMB

Circular A–102 (as codified at 24 CFR

Part 85) Uniform Administrative

Requirements for Grants and

Cooperative Agreements to State, Local

and Federally Recognized Indian Tribal

Governments. This information should

contain the name and telephone number

of the Independent Auditor, cognizant

Federal auditor, or other audit agency,

as applicable. Copies of the OMB

Circulars may be obtained from EOP

Publications, Room 2200, New

Executive Office Building, Washington,

DC 10503, telephone (202) 395–7332

(this is not a toll free number).

(D) Narrative statement addressing

the five Rating Factors in Section III.(C)

of the General Section of this National

SuperNOFA. Your narrative response

should be numbered in accordance with

rating factor and subfactor identified

under Section III.(C) of the General

Section.

(E) A Work Plan which incorporates

all activities to be funded in the

application and details how the

proposed work will be accomplished.

Following a task-by-task format, the

Work Plan must identify activities

conducted and how the tasks meet the

requirements of Rating Factor 3,

Soundness of Approach, in the General

Section of this National SuperNOFA.

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

the proper certifications or 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.

Applicants must submit clarifications or

corrections of technical deficiencies in

accordance with the information

provided by HUD within 14 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.

VI. Findings and Certifications

(A) Environmental Impact

This National SuperNOFA does not

direct, provide for assistance or loan

and mortgage insurance for, or

otherwise govern or regulate, real

property acquisition, leasing,

rehabilitation, alteration, demolition, or

new construction, or establish, revise or

provide for standards for construction or

construction materials, manufactured

housing, or occupancy. Accordingly,

under 24 CFR 50.19(c)(1), this

SuperNOFA is categorically excluded

from environmental review under the

National Environmental Policy Act of

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321).

(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 National SuperNOFA will not

have substantial direct effects on States

or their political subdivisions, or on 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

National SuperNOFA solicits applicants

to implement nationwide information,

outreach and education activities, and

does not impinge upon the relationships

between the Federal government and

State and local governments. As a result,

the National SuperNOFA is not subject

to review under the Order.

(C) Prohibition Against Lobbying

Activities

Applicants for funding under this

National SuperNOFA are subject to the

provisions of section 319 of the

Department of Interior and Related

Agencies Appropriation Act for Fiscal

Year 1991, 31 U.S.C. 1352 (the Byrd

Amendment), which prohibits

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. Applicants are required

to certify, using the certification found

at Appendix A to 24 CFR part 87, that

they will not, and have not, used

appropriated funds for any prohibited

lobbying activities. In addition,

applicants must disclose, using

Standard Form LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of

Lobbying Activities,’’ any funds, other

than Federally appropriated funds, that

will be or have been used to influence

Federal employees, members of

Congress, and congressional staff

regarding specific grants or contracts.

(Tribes and tribally designated housing

entities (THDEs) established by an

Indian tribe as a result of the exercise of

the tribe’s sovereign power are excluded

from coverage of the Byrd Amendment,

but tribes and TDHEs established under

State law are not excluded from the

statute’s coverage.)

(D) Section 102 of the HUD Reform Act;

Documentation and Public Access

Requirements

Section 102 of the Department of

Housing and Urban Development

Reform Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C. 3545)

(HUD Reform Act) and the regulations

codified in 24 CFR part 4, subpart A,

contain a number of provisions that are

designed to ensure greater

accountability and integrity in the

provision of certain types of assistance

administered by HUD. On January 14,

1992 (57 FR 1942), HUD published a

notice that also provides information on

the implementation of section 102. The

documentation, public access, and

disclosure requirements of section 102

apply to assistance awarded under this

National SuperNOFA as follows:
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23967

(1) Documentation and public access

requirements. HUD will ensure that

documentation and other information

regarding each application submitted

pursuant to this National SuperNOFA

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 in 24

CFR part 15.

(2) Disclosures. HUD will make

available to the public for 5 years all

applicant disclosure reports (HUD Form

2880) submitted in connection with this

National SuperNOFA. Update reports

(also Form 2880) will be made available

along with the applicant disclosure

reports, but in no case for a period less

than 3 years. All reports—both

applicant disclosures and updates—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.

(3) Publication of Recipients of HUD

Funding. HUD’s regulations at 24 CFR

4.7 provide that HUD will publish a

notice in the Federal Register on at least

a quarterly basis to notify the public of

all decisions made by the Department to

provide:

(i) Assistance subject to section 102(a)

of the HUD Reform Act; or

(ii) Assistance that is provided

through grants or cooperative

agreements on a discretionary (nonformula, non-demand) basis, but that is

not provided on the basis of a

competition.

(E) Section 103 HUD Reform Act

HUD’s regulations implementing

section 103 of the Department of

Housing and Urban Development

Reform Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C. 3537a),

codified in 24 CFR part 4, apply to this

funding competition. The regulations

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 the regulations 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 Ethics Law Division at (202)

708–3815. (This is not a toll-free

number.) For HUD employees who have

specific program questions, the

employee should contact the

appropriate field office counsel, or

Headquarters counsel for the program to

which the question pertains.

VII. The FY 1998 National SuperNOFA

Process and Future HUD Funding

Processes

In FY 1997, Secretary Cuomo took the

first step at changing HUD’s funding

process to better promote

comprehensive, coordinated approaches

to housing and community

development. In FY 1997, the

Department published related NOFAs

on the same day or within a few days

of each other. In the individual NOFAs

published in FY 1997, HUD advised that

additional steps on NOFA coordination

may be considered for FY 1998. The

SuperNOFAs published for FY 1998

represent the additional step taken by

HUD to improve HUD’s funding process

and assist communities to make better

use of available resources through a

coordinated approach. This new

SuperNOFA process was developed

based on comments received from HUD

clients and the Department believes it

represents a significant improvement

over HUD’s approach to the funding

process in prior years. For FY 1999,

HUD may take even further steps to

enhance this process. HUD welcomes

comments from applicants and other

members of the public on this process,

and how it may be improved in future

years.

The description of program funding

available under this first National

SuperNOFA to implement information,

outreach and education activities on a

nationwide scale follows.

Dated: April 23, 1998.

Saul N. Ramirez, Jr.,

Acting Deputy Secretary.

BILLING CODE 4210–32–P

Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23969

BILLING CODE 4210–32–C

Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23971

Funding Availability for the Fair

Housing Initiatives Program, National

Focus Education and Outreach

Program Description: Approximately

$3,500,000 is available for the National

Focus Education and Outreach Initiative

under the Fair Housing Initiatives

Program (FHIP). This program assists

projects and activities designed to

enforce and enhance compliance with

the Fair Housing Act and substantially

equivalent State and local fair housing

laws. Under this competition, projects

that have a national focus will be

funded under the Education and

Outreach Initiative (EOI) as follows:

(1) Nationwide Education Project.

Activities funded must provide a

coordinated national education

campaign which provides fair housing

information to the public. Efforts must

include targeting such information

toward educating all persons about their

fair housing rights, including groups

historically underserved, such as new

immigrant groups as well as other

protected classes under the Fair

Housing Act about their fair housing

rights.

(2) Community Tensions Project.

Funded activities must be used to

develop and implement national

methodologies that can be used

nationwide as a model for both

preventing and responding to the

community tensions that arise from

persons exercising their rights of equal

housing choice and opportunity as

guaranteed by the Fair Housing Act

(nondiscrimination on the basis of race,

color, religion, sex, familial status,

national origin, and disability).

Implementation of these methodologies

must involve sending facilitators to

work with groups in HUD-selected

communities to prevent or respond to

the emergence of such community

tensions.

Application Due Date: Completed

applications must be submitted no later

than 12:00 midnight, Eastern time on

July 7, 1998, at HUD Headquarters. See

the General Section of this National

SuperNOFA for specific procedures

governing the form of application

submission (e.g., mailed applications,

express mail, overnight delivery, or

hand carried).

Address for Submitting Applications:

Completed applications (one original

and five copies) must be submitted to:

FHIP/FHAP Support Division, Fair

Housing and Equal Opportunity, U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban

Development, 451 7th Street, SW, Room

5234, Washington, DC 20410, by mail or

hand delivery. When submitting your

application, please refer to FHIP

National Focus, and include your name,

mailing address (including zip code)

and telephone number (including area

code).

For Application Kits, Further

Information, and Technical Assistance:

For Application Kits. For an application

kit and supplemental information please

call the HUD SuperNOFA Information

Clearinghouse at 1–800–HUD–8929.

Persons with hearing or speech

impairments may call the Center’s TTY

at 1–800–HUD–2209. The application

kit also will be available on the Internet

at: http://www.HUD.gov. When

requesting an application kit, please

refer to FHIP National Focus, and

provide your name, address (including

zip code), and telephone number

(including area code).

For Further Information. For answers

to your questions, you have several

options. You may contact Ivy Davis,

Director, FHIP/FHAP Support Division

at 202–708–0800 (this is not a toll-free

number). Persons who use a text

telephone (TTY) may call 1–800–290–

1617.

Additional Information

I. Authority; Purpose; Amount

Allocated; and Eligibility

(A) Authority

Section 561 of the Housing and

Community Development Act of 1987,

42 U.S.C. 3616 note, established the Fair

Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP). The

FHIP regulations are found at 24 CFR

part 125.

(B) Purpose

In September 1997, HUD announced

a ‘‘crackdown on housing

discrimination’’ and pledged to double

its enforcement actions. The projects

funded under the FHIP in FY 98 are

expected to contribute to the

accomplishment of this goal.

In keeping with the announced

crackdown on discrimination, HUD

believes that educating immigrants

about fair housing rights and ensuring

enforcement mechanisms to address the

specific types of discrimination they

and other underserved populations

encounter is necessary if we are to

expand housing opportunities in

communities across this nation.

Additionally, HUD continues to move

aggressively to expand opportunities in

housing into communities which have

not historically served persons who are

most likely to be the victims of unlawful

discrimination. HUD recognizes that

community tensions often arise

whenever there are changes or proposed

changes in the local housing market

caused by the entry or the departure of

persons from a community or

neighborhood. For example, such

tensions may be prompted by a rise in

the numbers of a particular immigrant

population, proposals to establish group

homes for persons with disabilities, or

persons moving or attempting to move

into neighborhoods where persons of

their race or ethnicity have not

previously lived or have been

underrepresented. Recognizing that

dealing with existing community

tensions as well as working to prevent

their development is an important

element of ensuring equal housing

opportunity, the Department seeks to

fund a single entity that can (a) develop

national methodologies for both

preventing and responding to

community tensions that are related to

persons exercising their Fair Housing

Act rights and moving into communities

where members of their protected class

either have not previously lived or have

been underrepresented, and (b) respond

to or attempt to prevent the emergence

of community tensions in communities

that HUD identifies as experiencing

high levels of community tensions or

showing a strong likelihood that such

tensions may build up without

intervention or preventive measures.

(C) Amount Allocated

The FY 1998 HUD Appropriations Act

appropriated $15 million for activities

pursuant to section 561, the Fair

Housing Initiatives Program. Of the

$4,500,000 allocated to the EOI,

$3,500,000 is being used for this

competition under the EOI for the

following projects:

(1) Nationwide Education Project. Of

the $3,500,000, $2,000,000 is available

for a single 18-month national EOI

project, of which at least $200,000 will

be for activities related to Fair Housing

Month.

(2) Community Tensions Project. A

total of $1,500,000 will be used to fund

a single 24-month project that will

address tensions that arise in local

communities as persons protected under

the Fair Housing Act seek to expand

their housing choices.

The remaining funding under this

initiative was made available through

the SuperNOFA published on March 31,

1998, which solicited applications that

are regional/local in scope.

The full cost of FY 1998 multi-year

awards under the FHIP will be funded

from FY 1998 funds. HUD retains the

right to transfer funds between the FHIP

projects listed below, within statutorily

prescribed limitations. The amounts

included in this notice are subject to

change based on the availability of

funds.
23972 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices

(D) Eligible Applicants

(1) Nationwide Education Project.

(a) The following organizations are

eligible to receive funding under the

EOI—Nationwide Education Project:

(i) Qualified Fair Housing

Enforcement Organizations (QFHOs)

(ii) Fair Housing Enforcement

Organizations (FHOs), and

(iii) Other non-profit organizations

representing groups of persons

protected under the Fair Housing Act.

(b) In addition to meeting the eligible

applicant requirement, all applicants

under the EOI—Nationwide Education

Project must include as part of their

proposal a subcontract with an

established media/advertising

organization which has experience in

conducting national media campaigns.

Applicants that fail to include such

subcontract arrangements in their

proposals will be ineligible for funding.

(2) Community-Tensions Project.

Eligible applicants that have the

organizational infrastructure of affiliate

chapters, branch members or other

outreach arms that can be utilized to

provide national coverage and facilitate

involvement at the local level in

communities to be selected throughout

the nation, and that possess familiarity

with local circumstances and issues in

diverse communities, are particularly

encouraged to apply. Applicants that do

not have affiliates or the organizational

structure to call upon should describe

plans to partner with other groups or

organizations to provide national

coverage. In addition, the Department

particularly encourages the submission

of applications from traditional civil

rights organizations. The organizations

that are eligible to receive funding

under the EOI—Community-Tensions

Project are:

(a) QFHOs;

(b) FHOs;

(c) Public or private non-profit

organizations or institutions and other

public or private entities that are

formulating or carrying out programs to

prevent or eliminate discriminatory

housing practices;

(d) State or local governments; and

(e) FHAP Agencies.

(E) Eligible Activities

(1) Nationwide Education Project.

Activities eligible to be funded under

the Nationwide Education Project must

provide a centralized, coordinated effort

for the development and

implementation of a fair housing media

campaign designed to educate the

public of their fair housing rights.

Applications must address at least one

of the following statutory objectives:

demonstrated cooperation with real

estate industry organizations; and/or

dissemination of educational

information and technical assistance to

support compliance with the housing

adaptability and accessibility guidelines

contained in the Fair Housing

Amendments Act of 1988. HUD

encourages applicants to provide

materials developed under this program

to housing counseling agencies and

service providers. HUD anticipates that

products will be available in at least 3

languages other than English.

Deliverables must include Public

Service Announcements (PSAs) for

radio and television, and posters and

other graphic materials. Graphic

materials may include, but are not

limited to, enlarged reproductions of

several print public service

announcements, separately produced

and printed posters for public

dissemination, and the development of

ad slicks to market in newspapers and

magazines nationwide. The applicant

should plan on using a clipping service

or other appropriate means to collect

information on frequency and scope of

the placement of ads.

Applications must include

development and dissemination of

media products in languages other than

English and a discussion of the

applicant’s and/or subcontractors’

expertise in languages other than

English and in reaching the

informational needs of such non-English

speaking audiences. Applicants should

also utilize media targeted to the

outreach group, e.g., minority

newspapers.

A minimum of $200,000 in the

Nationwide Education Project must be

budgeted for activities and materials

developed for future Fair Housing

Month activities, and budgets must

clearly break out funds relating to those

activities that support conformity with

this requirement.

(2) Community Tensions Project.

Activities funded as a community

tensions project must be designed to

meet the following objectives:

(a) Prevent the emergence of

community tensions that may occur

when persons who are members of

classes (race, color, religion, sex,

familial status, and disability) protected

by the Fair Housing Act exercise their

right of equal housing opportunity and

move into communities where members

of their protected class have not

previously lived or have been

underrepresented, and

(b) Respond through interventions

when such community tensions emerge

and create volatile situations which

harm, or threaten to harm, those who

are exercising their rights to equal

housing opportunity.

The applicant would be required to

develop a menu of strategies that

communities can use to reduce or

prevent tensions within a community

due to protected classes exercising their

fair housing choices and to increase the

referral of individuals to file complaints

with HUD when they believe they have

been victims of discriminatory housing

practices.

In its community response and

preventive work, the applicant should

solicit participation from, and work

with, a diverse group of local

organizations and community

representatives (such as local elected

officials, schools, police departments,

faith-based community groups, civil

rights organizations, community service

organizations, FHAP agencies). It is

anticipated that the community

response and preventive work will

implement some of the developed

strategies and address not only

immediate problems or problems

anticipated at that time, but also the

underlying issues which make the

existence or prospect of community

tensions a long-term problem. While the

application must be submitted by a

single entity, the application can

propose a partnership of multiple

organizations, consisting of the

applicant and its subrecipients or

subcontractors, in order to accomplish

the objectives of this project.

II. Program Requirements

In addition to the program

requirements listed in the General

Section of this National SuperNOFA,

grantees must meet the following

program requirements:

(A) Definitions

The additional definitions that apply

to this program section of the National

SuperNOFA are as follows:

(1) Fair Housing Assistance Program

(FHAP) Agencies means State and local

agencies funded by the Fair Housing

Assistance Program (FHAP), as

described in 24 CFR 115.

(2) Fair housing enforcement

organization (FHO) means an

organization engaged in fair housing

activities as defined at 24 CFR 125.103.

(3) Qualified Fair Housing

Enforcement Organization (QFHO)

means an organization engaged in fair

housing activities as defined at 24 CFR

125.103.

(4) Traditional Civil Rights

Organizations means private, non-profit

organizations or institutions and/or

private entities that are formulating or

carrying out programs to prevent or
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23973

eliminate discriminatory housing

practices and which have a history and

primary mission of engaging in

programs designed to secure civil rights

protections for groups and individuals.

(B) Additional Requirements

The following requirements are

applicable to all applications:

(1) All projects must address or have

relevance to housing discrimination

based on race, color, religion, sex,

disability, familial status, or national

origin.

(2) Applications that request FHIP

funding in excess of the award cap will

be ineligible.

(3) Projects aimed solely or primarily

at research or dependent upon such data

gathering, including but not limited to

surveys and questionnaires, will not be

eligible under this program section of

the National SuperNOFA.

(4) All proposals must contain a

description of how the activities or the

final products of the projects can be

used by other agencies and

organizations and what modifications, if

any, would be necessary for that

purpose.

(5) Every Community Tensions

Project application must include as one

of its activities a procedure for referring

persons with fair housing complaints to

HUD for further enforcement

processing. Every Nationwide Education

Project must propose to use HUD toll

free Housing Discrimination Hotline

numbers for voice and TTY.

(6) In accordance with 24 CFR

125.104(f), no recipient of assistance

under the FHIP may use any funds

provided by the Department for the

payment of expenses in connection with

litigation against the United States.

(7) Applicants Limited to a Single

Award. Applicants may apply for

funding for more than one project or

activity under one or more Initiatives.

However, applicants are limited to one

award under this program section of the

National SuperNOFA. If more than one

eligible application is submitted by an

applicant for the program section of the

National SuperNOFA and both are

within funding range, the Department

will select the application which the

applicant has indicated as its preference

for award.

(8) Independence of Applications.

There are no limits on the number of

applications that can be submitted by a

single applicant for this National

SuperNOFA. However, each project or

activity proposed in an application must

be independent and capable of being

implemented without reliance on the

selection of other applications

submitted by the applicant or other

applicants. This provision does not

preclude an applicant from submitting a

proposal which includes other

organizations as subcontractors to the

proposed project or activity.

(9) Project Starting Period. The

Department has determined that all

applications must propose that the

project will begin immediately upon

issuance of an award.

(10) Page Limitation. Applicants will

be limited to 10 pages of narrative

responses for each of the selection

factors (this does not include forms or

documents which are required under

each factor). Brochures, news articles,

PSAs, posters, and other materials

submitted to document capability will

be considered in the evaluation process

and will not count towards the page

limitation. Applicants that exceed the

10-page limit for each factor will only

have the first 10 pages evaluated for

each factor. Failure to provide narrative

responses to all selection factors will

result in an application being ineligible.

(11) Training. All applications must

include a training set-aside of $3,000 for

single-year projects and $6,000 (total)

for multi-year projects in all project

budgets. HUD will permit grantees to

use these funds to attend both HUDsponsored and HUD-approved training.

(12) Accessibility Requirements.

All activities funded by FHIP must be

accessible to persons with disabilities

and materials must be available in

accessible formats.

III. Application Selection Process

(A) Rating and Ranking

(1) General. The selection process is

structured to achieve the objectives set

forth in section I.(B) of this program

section of the National SuperNOFA.

Awards will be made in rank order,

except that the additional procedures

described below will be followed to

make awards out of rank order to

achieve the goals outlined below.

Each application for funding will be

evaluated competitively. Upon receipt,

the applications will be sorted into two

categories: EOI-Nationwide Education

Project and EOI—Community Tensions

Project. Then, in each category, they

will be awarded points and assigned a

score based on the Rating Factors

identified in section III.(C) of the

General Section of the National

SuperNOFA. After eligible applications

are evaluated against the factors for

award and assigned a score, they will be

organized by rank order. Awards for

each category listed above will be

funded in rank order until all available

funds have been obligated, or until there

are no acceptable applications, with the

exception described in section III.(A)(2),

immediately below. The final decision

rests with the Assistant Secretary for

Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity or

designee.

(2) Tie breaking. When there is a tie

in the overall total score and insufficient

funding is available to fund all

applications with the tied score, the

award will be made to the applicant that

has the higher score under Rating Factor

3 (Soundness of Approach). If these

applications are equal in this respect,

the application that receives a total

higher number of points under Rating

Factor 1 (Capacity of the Applicant and

Relevant Organizational Experience)

will receive the award.

(3) Applicant Notification and Award

Procedures.

(a) Notification. No information will

be available to applicants during the

period of HUD evaluation,

approximately 90 days, except for

notification in writing or by telephone

to those applicants that are determined

to be ineligible or that have technical

deficiencies in their applications that

may be corrected. Selectees will be

announced by HUD upon completion of

the evaluation process, subject to final

negotiations and award.

(b) Negotiations. After HUD has

ranked the applications and provided

notifications to applicants whose scores

are within the funding range, HUD will

require that applicants in this group

participate in negotiations to determine

the specific terms of the cooperative

agreement. HUD will follow the

negotiation procedures described in

Section III.(D) of the General Section of

this National SuperNOFA.

(c) Funding Instrument. HUD expects

to award a cost reimbursable

cooperative agreement to each

successful applicant. HUD reserves the

right, however, to use the form of

assistance agreement determined to be

most appropriate after negotiation with

the applicant.

(d) Reduction of Requested Grant

Amounts and Special Conditions. As

provided in Section III.(E) of the General

Section of this National SuperNOFA,

HUD may approve an application for an

amount lower than the amount

requested, fund only portions of an

application, withhold funds after

approval, and/or require the grantee to

comply with special conditions added

to the grant agreement.

(e) Performance Sanctions. A

recipient failing to comply with the

procedures set forth in its grant

agreement will be liable for such

sanctions as may be authorized by law,

including repayment of improperly used

funds, termination of further
23974 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices

participation in the FHIP, and denial of

further participation in programs of the

Department or of any Federal agency.

(B) Factors for Award Used To Evaluate

and Rate Applications

The factors for rating and ranking

applicants, and maximum points for

each factor, are provided in Section

III.(C) of the General Section of this

National SuperNOFA.

IV. Application Submission

Requirements

In addition to the forms, certifications

and assurances listed in Section II.(E) of

the General Section of this National

SuperNOFA, all applications must, at a

minimum, also contain the items listed

in Section IV. of the General Section.

V. Corrections to Deficient Applications

The General Section of this National

SuperNOFA provides the procedures for

corrections to deficient applications.

VI. Environmental Requirements

In accordance with 24 CFR 50.19(b)(9)

and (12) of the HUD regulations,

activities assisted under this program

are categorically excluded from the

requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and

are not subject to environmental review

under the related laws and authorities.

BILLING CODE 4210–32–P
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BILLING CODE 4210–32–C

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Funding Availability for the National

Housing Counseling Training Program

Program Description: Approximately

$550,000 in housing counseling funds is

available for the Housing Counseling

Training (HCT) Program to train housing

counselors of local HUD-approved

counseling agencies nationwide. HUD’s

HCT Program will cover basic to

advanced comprehensive counseling.

Application Due Date: Completed

applications must be received no later

than 12:00 midnight, Eastern time on

July 7, 1998, at HUD Headquarters. See

the General Section of this National

SuperNOFA for specific procedures

governing the form of application

submission (e.g., mailed applications,

express mail or overnight delivery, or

hand carried).

Address for Submitting Applications:

Completed application (one original and

two copies) must be submitted to: The

Director, Marketing and Outreach

Division, Office of Single Family

Housing, Department of Housing and

Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street,

SW, Room 9166, Washington, DC 20410.

When submitting your application,

please refer to the National Housing

Counseling Training Program, and

include your name, mailing address

(including zip code) and telephone

number (including area code).

For Application Kits, Further

Information and Technical Assistance:

For Application Kits. For an application

kit and supplemental information,

please call the SuperNOFA Information

Center at 1–800–HUD–8929. Persons

with hearing or speech impairments

may call the Center’s TTY number at 1–

800–HUD–2209. The application kit

also will be available on the Internet

through the HUD web site at http://

www.HUD.gov. When requesting an

application kit, please refer to the

National Housing Counseling Training

Program.

For Further Information and

Technical Assistance. You may call the

Marketing and Outreach Division at

HUD Headquarters at 202–708–0317.

Before the application deadline, HUD

Headquarters staff will be available to

provide general guidance.

Additional Information

I. Authority; Purpose; Amount

Allocated; and Eligibility

(A) Authority

HUD’s Housing Counseling Program

is authorized by section 106 of the

Housing and Urban Development Act of

1968 (12 U.S.C. 1701x), and is generally

governed by HUD Handbook 7610.1,

REV–4, dated August 9, 1995.

(B) Purpose

Section 106 of the Housing and Urban

Development Act of 1968 authorizes

HUD to provide counseling and advice

to tenants and homeowners with respect

to property maintenance, financial

management, and such other matters as

may be appropriate to assist tenants and

homeowners in improving their housing

conditions and meeting the

responsibilities of tenancy and

homeownership.

This includes housing counseling

training for housing counselors of local

HUD-approved counseling agencies

nationwide to assure that the counseling

being provided is current and accurate.

To achieve this purpose, the training

must include instructions to the housing

counselors on (1) how to conduct

community outreach to potential firsttime homebuyers, and (2) how to

provide counseling to individuals with

the objective of increasing awareness of

homeownership opportunities and

improving access of low and moderate

income households to sources of

mortgage credit. HUD believes that this

training is key to providing effective

counseling which will support the

revitalization and stabilization of low

income and minority neighborhoods.

In FY 1998, HUD is requiring

applicants to include in their proposed

training, counseling for:

(1) First-time homebuyers by offering

Homebuyer Education and Learning

Program (HELP) training sessions;

(2) Eligible persons 62 or older who

desire to use the Home Equity

Conversion Mortgage (HECM) in order

to convert their equity into a lump sum

payment or an income stream that can

be used for such purposes as home

improvements, medical costs, and/or

pay living expenses.

(3) Other homebuyers, homeowners

and renters.

(C) Amount Allocated

Under this National SuperNOFA

program, approximately $550,000 is

available for eligible non-profits or

public entities to provide technical

training under the HUD Housing

Counseling program, fundable for a

period from twelve (12) to eighteen (18)

calendar months. This funding is

available from unused Housing

Counseling funds appropriated in FY

1997. The funding period may begin

from the date that the award is executed

by HUD.

(D) Eligible Applicants

(1) Applicants must be public or

private non-profit organizations that are

HUD-approved housing counseling

agencies with at least 2 years of relevant

training experience. Applicants may

propose to provide all, or a portion of,

the eligible activities specified in

section I.(E) of this program section of

the National SuperNOFA, below.

(2) Number of Applicants To Be

Selected. One or more training

applicants will be selected who are

experienced in delivering housing

counseling training on a nationwide

basis; receive a high score based upon

the Rating Factors in Section III.(C) of

the General Section of this National

SuperNOFA; and satisfy all other

criteria in this National SuperNOFA.

They include the following: a HUDapproved local housing counseling

agency; a HUD-approved national,

regional, or multi-state housing

counseling intermediary, or affiliate; or,

a State housing finance agency, or

affiliate.

(E) Eligible Activities

The applicant(s) funded under this

National SuperNOFA program will

deliver comprehensive housing

counseling training, or a portion of such

training, which may be conducted onsite, through satellite broadcast, or by

means of CD-ROM computer training

software, to cover the following

components:

(1) Homebuyer Education Programs,

including HUD’s Homebuyer Education

and Learning Program (HELP) and

similar programs may be used in

sessions that consist of approximately

sixteen (16) hours of training.

Completion of the training may allow

graduates to receive first-time

homebuyer incentives, such as the

reduction in the FHA insurance

premium. Marketing and outreach

personnel at each HUD Homeownership

Center will be available to assist

agencies in this endeavor.

(2) Pre-purchase Homeownership

Counseling covering such issues as

purchase procedures, mortgage

financing, down payment/closing cost

fund accumulation, accessibility

requirements of the property, and if

appropriate, credit improvement, and

debt consolidation.

(3) Post-purchase Counseling,

including such issues as property

maintenance, and personal money

management.

(4) Mortgage delinquency and default

resolution counseling including

restructuring debt, arrangement of

reinstatement plans, loan forbearance,

and loss mitigation.

(5) Home Equity Conversion Mortgage

(HECM) counseling that assists clients,

who are 62 years old or older, with the

complexity of converting the equity in
23978 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices

their home to income that is used to pay

such items as living expenses or

medical expenses.

(6) Loss Mitigation Counseling for

clients who may be facing default and

foreclosure, and need mortgage default

resolution and foreclosure avoidance

counseling.

(7) Outreach Initiatives including

providing general information about

housing opportunities within the

community and providing appropriate

information to persons with disabilities.

(8) Renter Assistance including

information about rent subsidy

programs, rights and responsibilities of

tenants, and lease and rental

agreements.

(9) Fair housing counseling that

identifies rights, obligations and

requirements under the Fair Housing

Act.

(F) Eligible Costs

In addition to the budget items

required under the application

submission requirements in Section IV.

of the General Section of this National

SuperNOFA, the following costs are

eligible:

(1) Equipment Needed At Training.

Training sites must have the equipment

necessary for conducting the training,

such as overhead projectors, and

microphones. The training program

must provide for training sites,

information services, and materials

accessible to all persons, including

those with a wide range of disabilities.

These costs must be included in the

budget submitted by applicants.

(2) Cost of Training Facilities. The

cost is to be included in the budget

unless provided without charge by the

hotels or other training sites.

II. Program Requirements

In addition to the program

requirements listed in the General

Section of this National SuperNOFA,

grantees must meet the following

program requirements:

(A) Requirements Applicable to

Religious Organizations.

Where the applicant is a religious

organization, or a wholly secular

organization established by a primarily

religious organization, to provide

training, the organization must

undertake its responsibilities under the

counseling training program in

accordance with the following

principles:

(1) It will not discriminate against any

employee or applicant for employment

under the program on the basis of

religion and will not limit employment

or give preference in employment to

persons on the basis of religion;

(2) It will not discriminate against any

person applying for counseling under

the program on the basis of religion and

will not limit such assistance or give

preference to persons on the basis of

religion; and

(3) It will provide no religious

instruction or religious counseling,

conduct no religious services or

worship, engage in no religious

proselytizing, and exert no other

religious influence in the provision of

assistance under the Housing

Counseling Program.

(B) On-Site Training

(1) Number of Training Sites. If

applying for on-site training, include the

following locations: District of

Columbia, San Francisco, Atlanta,

Chicago, and New Orleans.

(2) Number of Workshops at Each

Site. There will be one to three

workshops at each site. Approximately

40 to 50 participants will attend each

workshop which will cover

approximately from two to three days.

(3) Total Number of Participants. It is

estimated that the total number of

participants will vary from an estimated

700 to 1000 participants.

(4) Eligible Participants. Housing

counselors on the staff of local HUDapproved housing counseling agencies

may participate. At least one housing

counselor from each local HUDapproved counseling agency will be

invited to attend the training. In some

instances, two participants may

participate in the workshop particularly

where there is a high turnover of

housing counseling staff and an agency

has recently become HUD-approved. On

a case by case basis, agencies applying

for HUD-approval may be authorized by

the Government Technical

Representative (GTR) to send staff

housing counselors to the workshop.

There are approximately 1250 HUDapproved local housing counseling

agencies with branch offices. One or

more housing counselors from the staff

of each may be invited to attend the

training.

(C) Reimbursement to Participants

Participants will not be reimbursed

for their travel, hotel and food costs by

the grantee. There will be no charge to

the participants for attending the

workshop, for the training manual and

other materials and handouts. However,

the participants may be reimbursed for

their travel and/or hotel costs by their

agencies.

(D) Applicants will use the HUD grant

to undertake any of the eligible housing

counseling activities described in this

National Housing Counseling Training

Program as included in their proposed

training activities. To the maximum

extent possible, applicants may provide

in-kind contributions and seek other

private and public sources of funding

for housing counseling training to

supplement HUD funding.

(E) Training Manual

The selected grantee(s) will use

existing materials from HUD and other

acceptable sources to prepare training

materials. The grantee(s) will be

required to update this information and

incorporate the updated material within

a training manual. HUD will print and

distribute the training manual to the

training sites. In the case of CD–ROM

training, the training manual shall be

incorporated on the CD–ROM. In the

case of satellite training, the training

manual must be available in text format

via the Internet.

(1) Cost of Packaging, Reproducing,

and Mailing to Training Sites.

These costs will be borne by HUD

outside of the grant amount.

(2) Use of Color or Black and White

for Training Manual. There will be

several programs included in the

training manual, including,

Comprehensive Housing Counseling,

Risk Loss Mitigation Counseling, and

Home Equity Conversion Mortgage

(HECM) Counseling. The training

manual must separate sections of the

manual to allow trainees to easily

identify each section.

(F) Training Level

The training to be provided under this

program is designated ‘‘Basic to

Advanced.’’ It will include participants

from beginners to experienced.

(G) Training Content

Training will include housing

counseling basics: initial interview;

intake and family history;

recordkeeping; how to write-up a case;

use of the computer; referrals and

follow-ups; and reporting, such as form

HUD–9902; and Housing Counseling

Agency Fiscal Year Activity Report.

Intermediate and advanced training will

include complex problem solving

covering the counseling components.

(H) In-kind Contributions

Applicant may provide such benefits.

III. Application Selection Process

(A) General

Applications will be evaluated

competitively, and ranked against all

other applicants that have applied for

the HCT program. However, after
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23979

selection, the actual amount funded is

subject to negotiation and adjustment as

described in the General Section of this

National SuperNOFA.

(B) Factors for Award Used To Evaluate

and Rate Applications

The factors for rating and ranking

applicants, and maximum points for

each factor, are provided in Section

III.(C) of the General Section of this

National SuperNOFA.

IV. Application Submission

Requirements

In addition to the forms, certifications

and assurances listed in Section II.(E) of

the General Section, all applications

must, at a minimum, also contain the

items listed in Section IV of the General

Section.V. Corrections to Deficient

Applications.

The General Section of this National

SuperNOFA provides the procedures for

corrections to deficient applications.

VI. Environmental Requirements

In accordance with 24 CFR 50.19(b)(9)

of the HUD regulations, activities

assisted under this program are

categorically excluded from the

requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act and are not

subject to environmental review under

the related laws and authorities.

BILLING CODE 4210–32–P

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BILLING CODE 4210–32–C

Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23983

Funding Availability for the National

Lead Hazard Awareness Campaign

Program Description: Approximately

$1,000,000 is available to fund this grant

program for a national media campaign

to market ‘‘The Campaign for a LeadSafe America,’’ as well as increase

overall lead awareness on a national

scale. Efforts must include developing

and marketing several public service

announcements, assisting activities

funded under the Local Lead Hazard

Awareness Campaign grant to develop

the infrastructure needed to implement

media strategies to successfully market

‘‘The Campaign for A Lead-Safe

America,’’ as well as identifying and

implementing media strategies to use

print, radio and television to increase

awareness about the dangers of leadbased paint nationally. Up to $1 million

will be awarded on a competitive basis

to eligible organizations with grant

awards ranging between $50,000–$1

million.

Application Due Date: Completed

applications must be submitted no later

than 12:00 midnight, Eastern time on

July 7, 1998, at the address shown

below. HUD reserves the right to

republish this program section of the

National SuperNOFA and announce

additional due dates, or to make no

awards at all, if proposals are deficient.

Address for Submitting Applications:

Completed applications (one original

and two copies) must be submitted to:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development, Office of Lead Hazard

Control, 451 7th Street, SW, B–133,

Washington, DC 20410, by mail or hand

delivery. When submitting your

application, please refer to the National

Lead Hazard Awareness Campaign, and

include your name, mailing address

(including zip code) and telephone

number (including area code).

For Application Kits, Further

Information, and Technical Assistance:

For Application Kits. For an application

kit and supplemental information please

call the HUD SuperNOFA Information

Clearinghouse at 1–800–HUD–8929.

Persons with hearing or speech

impairments may call the Center’s TTY

at 1–800–HUD–2209. The application

kit also will be available on the Internet

at: http://www.HUD.gov. When

requesting an application kit, please

refer to National Lead Hazard

Awareness Campaign grant, and provide

your name, address (including zip

code), and telephone number (including

area code).

For Further Information and

Technical Assistance. Dolline Hatchett,

Community Outreach Officer, Office of

Lead Hazard Control, 202–755–1785,

extension 114 (this is not a toll-free

number).

Additional Information

I. Authority; Purpose; Amount

Allocated; and Eligibility

(A) Authority

The National Lead Hazard Awareness

Campaign is authorized under Title X,

The Residential Lead-Based Paint

Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 of the

Housing and Community Development

Act 1992, Pub.L. 102–550, section

1011(g)(1).

(B) Purpose

The Federal government has launched

a national public education and

outreach campaign to protect America’s

children from the health hazards of

lead-based paint. The Campaign for a

Lead-Safe America was announced by

Mrs. Tipper Gore, the U.S. Department

of Housing and Urban Development and

the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency at a White House press

conference on November 17, 1997. The

National Lead Hazard Awareness

Campaign funding under this program

section of the National SuperNOFA will

be awarded to conduct a national media

campaign to market ‘‘The Campaign for

a Lead-Safe America’’; increase lead

hazard awareness through the use of

radio, newspaper, and television public

service announcements; and identify

and maximize opportunities to raise

visibility of the lead hazard issue among

the general public.

In keeping with the announced public

awareness campaign, the Department

has developed partnerships with major

national hardware retailers to display

posters in their paint sections and to

otherwise educate consumers about lead

hazards. Public service advertisements

have also been developed for various

publications throughout the nation. In

addition, Mrs. Tipper Gore has taped

two video public service

announcements for the Department to

use as part of the Campaign for A LeadSafe America under the slogan, ‘‘Take

the Lead on Lead.’’

The purpose of the campaign is: (1) to

identify and maximize opportunities to

raise visibility of the lead issue among

the general public, and invigorate the

efforts in both the public and private

sectors to help eradicate the problem,

and (2) to increase lead hazard

awareness through education and

outreach activities to specific high risk

communities, and other identified

audiences such as parents, caretakers,

pediatricians, children, pregnant

women, building owners, and

renovation and maintenance personnel.

(C) Amount Allocated

Up to $1 million will be made

available on a competitive basis to

eligible organizations with grant awards

ranging between $50,000—$1 million.

The funding selections will be based on

the Rating Factors described in the

General Section of the National

SuperNOFA. The amounts included in

this program section of the National

SuperNOFA are subject to change based

on funds availability.

(D) Eligible Applicants

The types of organizations listed

below are eligible to receive funding

under this program section of the

National SuperNOFA. Partnerships are

encouraged, although the application

must be made by a single entity.

(a) Public Relation Firms (PRFs)—For

profit firms may not include a fee or

profit in their budget or costs;

(b) Marketing/Advertising Companies

(MACs); and

(c) Non-profit organizations—must

submit proof of non-profit status.

(E) Eligible Activities

Eligible activities to be funded under

this program section of the National

SuperNOFA shall include but not be

limited to developing and conducting a

national media campaign to increase

lead awareness on a national scale to

market ‘‘The Campaign for A Lead-Safe

America.’’ Activities must also work

cooperatively with those funded under

the Local Lead Hazard Awareness

Campaign NOFA to assist in the

development of the infrastructure

needed to implement media strategies to

successfully market ‘‘The Campaign for

A Lead-Safe America,’’ as well as

conduct public education and outreach

for lead awareness in specific localities.

In addition, applicants are encouraged

to focus on innovative methods of

marketing several public service

announcements, and using well-known

public figures as spokespersons for the

campaign, as well as identifying and

implementing media strategies using

print, radio and television to increase

awareness about the dangers of leadbased paint nationally. Eligible

activities will also include work with

major national hardware retailers to

identify and coordinate opportunities to

increase lead awareness among

consumers. Activities may also include

the preparation of additional graphics

needed to maintain store inventories of

lead related posters and educational

information. Graphic materials may

include, but are not limited to, enlarged

reproductions of several print public

service announcements, separately
23984 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices

produced and printed posters for public

dissemination, and the development of

ad slicks to market in newspapers and

magazines nationwide. The applicant

should plan on using a clipping service

or other appropriate means to collect

information on frequency and scope of

the placement of ads. Applications

which include development and

dissemination of media products in

languages other than English must

include a discussion of the applicant’s

and/or subcontractors’ expertise in

languages other than English and in

reaching the informational needs of

such non-English speaking audiences.

Applicants should also utilize minority

media in an effort to achieve diversity

in its outreach efforts.

The performance measures and

deliverables will be negotiated between

the grantee and HUD as part of the

executed grant agreement and will be

based upon the applicant’s proposal.

II. Program Requirements

In addition to the program

requirements listed in the General

Section of this National SuperNOFA,

grantees must meet the following

program requirements:

(A) Applicants Limited to a Single

Award

Applicants are limited to one FY 1998

award under this program. If more than

one eligible application is submitted by

an applicant and both have an adequate

score, the Department will select the

application which the applicant has

indicated as its preference for award.

(B) Independence of Applications

There are no limits on the number of

applications that can be submitted by a

single applicant. However, each

application must be independent and

capable of being implemented without

reliance on the selection of other

applications submitted by the applicant

or other applicants. This provision does

not preclude an applicant from

submitting a proposal which includes

other organizations as subcontractors to

the proposed project or activity.

(C) Project Starting Period

The period of performance will be up

to 2 years. The applicant must be able

to commence work immediately.

(D) Page Limitation

Applicants will be limited to 10 pages

of narrative responses for each of the

rating factors for a total of no more than

50 pages (this does not include forms or

documents which are required under

each factor). Items such as brochures

and news articles or similar items

included in the application will be

considered in the evaluation process

and will not count towards the page

limitation. Applicants that exceed the

10-page limit for each factor will only

have the first 10 pages evaluated for

each factor. Failure to provide narrative

responses to all selection criteria will

result in an application being ineligible.

(E) Payment Contingent on Completion

Payment to grantees will be

contingent on the satisfactory

completion of each project activity.

(F) Accessibility Requirements

All activities and materials funded by

the grant must be accessible to persons

with disabilities.

(G) Type of Award

HUD reserves the right to award a

cooperative agreement that is cost

reimbursable or fixed price.

(H) Funding Requests

Applications that request funding in

excess of the stated maximum award

will be ineligible.

(I) Ineligible Projects

Projects aimed primarily at research

or data gathering, including but not

limited to surveys and questionnaires,

will not be eligible under this program

section of the National SuperNOFA.

(J) Interagency Cooperation and

Coordination

All proposals must contain a

description of how the activities or the

final products of the projects can be

used by other agencies and

organizations and what modifications, if

any, are needed to achieve that purpose.

(K) Minimum Application Score

In order to be funded applicants must

have a score of 80 points or better. If

applicants score less than 80 points,

they may apply again later under the

republished program section of this

National SuperNOFA, if funds remain

available. Not all applicants with scores

above 80 will necessarily receive

awards.

(L) Definitions

The definitions that apply to this

program section of the National

SuperNOFA are as follows:

High Risk Communities refers to

communities which consist of housing

built before 1978.

Media/Advertising Companies

(MACs) means private companies that

develop, advertise and market ideas

using media strategies to increase

awareness and better understanding

about a product, method, idea, or

campaign.

Public Relations Firms (PRFs) means

private organizations that develop and

implement public awareness methods

by using print, broadcast and electronic

media, or other communication tools to

influence public opinion.

III. Application Selection Process

(A) Rating and Ranking

(1) General. The selection process is

structured to achieve the purpose set

forth in Section I(B) of this program

section of the National SuperNOFA.

Awards will be made in rank order.

Each application for funding will be

evaluated competitively, and the

applicant will be assigned a score based

on the Rating Factors used to evaluate

and rate applications identified in

Section III.(C) of the General Section of

this National SuperNOFA. After eligible

applications are evaluated based upon

the factors for award and assigned a

score, they will be organized by rank

order.

(2) Tie breaking. When there is a tie

in the overall total score and insufficient

funding is available to fund all

applications with the tied score, the the

award will be made to the applicant that

has the higher score under Rating Factor

3 (Soundness of Approach). If these

applications are equal in this respect,

the application that receives a total

higher number of points under Rating

Factor 1 (Capacity of the Applicant and

Relevant Organizational Experience)

will receive the award.

(B) Factors For Award Used To

Evaluate and Rate National Lead

Hazard Awareness Campaign

The factors for rating and ranking

applicants, and maximum points for

each factor, are provided in Section

III.(C) of the General Section of this

National SuperNOFA.

(C) Applicant Notification and Award

Procedures

(1) Notification. No information will

be available to applicants during the

period of HUD evaluation of proposals,

which is approximately 90 days, except

for HUD notification in writing or by

telephone to those applicants that are

determined to be ineligible or that have

technical deficiencies in their

applications that may be corrected.

Selectees will be announced by HUD

upon completion of the evaluation

process, subject to final negotiations and

award.

(2) Funding Instrument. HUD expects

to award a fixed price or cost

reimbursable cooperative agreement to

each successful applicant. HUD reserves
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23985

the right, however, to use the form of

assistance determined to be most

appropriate after negotiation with the

applicant.

(3) Performance Sanctions. A

recipient failing to comply with the

procedures set forth in its grant

agreement will be liable for such

sanctions as may be authorized by law,

including repayment of improperly used

funds, termination of further

participation in the program, and denial

of further participation in programs of

the Department or of any Federal

agency.

IV. Application Submission

Requirements

In addition to the forms, certifications

and assurances listed in Section II.(E) of

the General Section, all applications

must, at a minimum, also contain the

items listed in Section IV of the General

Section.

V. Corrections to Deficient Applications

The General Section of this National

SuperNOFA provides the procedures for

corrections to deficient applications.

VI. Environmental Requirements

In accordance with 24 CFR

50.19(b)(2), (9) and (12) of the HUD

regulations, the assistance provided

under this program relates only to

information services, technical

assistance and supportive services and

therefore is categorically excluded from

the requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and is

not subject to environmental review

under the related laws and authorities.

This determination is based on the

ineligibility of real property acquisition,

construction, rehabilitation, conversion,

leasing or repair for HUD assistance

under this program.

[FR Doc. 98–11388 Filed 4–29–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210–32–P