[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 93 (Monday, May 14, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24402-24408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-12011]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Section 167, Workforce Investment Act: Migrant and Seasonal 
Farmworker Housing Programs

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and solicitation for grant 
applications.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA), announces the availability of $3,666,667 to award 
competitive grants for projects that assist farmworkers in seeking and 
securing temporary or permanent housing. This program is supported by 
funds made available pursuant to Section 167, of the Workforce 
Investment Act (WIA).

DATES: Applications for grant awards will be accepted commencing May 
15, 2001. The closing date for receipt of applications shall be June 
15, 2001 at 2 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) at the address below.

ADDRESSES: Submit an original and four copies of the application to: 
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, 
Office of Grants and Contract Management, Division of Federal 
Assistance, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S-4203, Washington, DC 
20210. ATTN: Ms. Serena Boyd, Reference SGA/DAA 01-108

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Serena Boyd, telephone (202) 
693-3338 (this is not a toll-free number) or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7b283914021f3b1f14171e0f1a551c140d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="471405283e230723282b22332669202831">[email protected]</span></a>). 
This solicitation will be published on the internet on the Employment 
and Training Administration's Home Page at http://doleta.gov. Award 
notifications will also be published on this Home Page.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Solicitation for Grant Applications 
(SGA) consists of five parts. Part I provides the background, 
objectives and allowable activities of the Farmworker

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Housing Assistance program. Part II describes the content of the 
technical proposal and the selection criteria used in reviewing 
proposals. Part III describes the financial proposal and other required 
documents of the proposal. Part IV sets forth the application process. 
Part V describes the reporting requirements. This notice contains all 
information required to submit a grant application.

Part I--Background

    To meet the problems of agriculture-related unemployment and 
underemployment, the Congress has directed the Secretary of Labor to 
establish employment and training programs specifically for migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers. Under section 167 of WIA, the Department of Labor 
(DOL) provides employment, training and supportive services to eligible 
migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the conterminous forty-eight (48) 
States, the State of Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
    Housing needs are a primary barrier to employment and job retention 
for many farmworkers. Farmworker housing assistance has been an 
authorized activity under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and 
continues to be under WIA section 167. To further support this needed 
service, the DOL has long invested in strategic efforts to increase 
farmworker access to rental housing and home ownership opportunities. 
The DOL awarded a total of $3,000,000 in farmworker housing assistance 
grants for Program Year (PY) 2000 in support of this effort. DOL also 
awarded $333,333 for support of the staff who operated the Hope Migrant 
Rest Center in PY 2000.
    In the past year, working in coordination with current Migrant and 
Seasonal Farmworker (MSFW) housing assistance grantees, DOL has 
reviewed the farmworker housing program allowable activities to ensure 
continued appropriateness under WIA section 167. The activities 
acceptable for implementation in PY 2001 fall in two categories: (1) 
activities which serve to leverage funds leading to increased 
farmworker housing stock, and (2) farmworker housing activities 
directly delivered to farmworkers.
    Applications must show how proposed activities promote and expand 
housing to migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Proposed activities are 
limited to the two categories of direct housing activities and 
leveraging. The farmworkers eligible for housing assistance are those 
who are employed in agricultural labor that is characterized by chronic 
unemployment and underemployment.
    In Program Year 2001, the DOL will award up to nine grants for a 
total of $3,666,667. DOL will consider applications from regional 
consortia or applications that feature sub-grant arrangements to 
facilitate services within a proposed service delivery area. Inasmuch 
as some grant applications may contain proposed service areas which 
geographically overlap the service areas of other prospective grantees, 
the Department reserves the right to determine the service area for 
each prospective grantee.

Overall Objectives

    As this farmworker housing grant program continues into a new 
program year there will be increased emphasis on efficiency and 
reliance on quantifiable (hence measurable) results.

Part II--Technical Proposal and Rating Criteria

    The technical proposal shall consists of four (4) sections. The 
rating criteria and points are described immediately following each 
respective section.

1. Statement of Need

    The Statement of Need sets forth the objectives, general 
specification and conditions for providing farmworker housing 
assistance during Program Year 2001 grant period.
    The applicant must describe the proposed geographic service 
delivery area and the demographics of the farmworker population in the 
proposed service delivery area. The description of demographics must 
include (but is not limited to) the number and type (migrant or 
seasonal) of farmworkers; family status (single or families), income 
range, type of work and approximate length of time the farmworkers are 
generally engaged in. The statement of need must clearly describe the 
housing needs of the farmworker population in the specific service 
delivery area and, the housing needs which are the most critical for 
the population in this area.
    Rating Criteria for Statement of Need--20 Points: Clear and 
descriptive response to each of the above identified categories of 
information.

2. Program Design

    The applicant's program design must include:
    A. The service or activities to be provided and rationale for the 
selection of the proposed activities/services proposed, relative to the 
identified needs.
    B. The services/activities proposed must be within the following 
categories of activities:
    (1) Direct assistance to farmworkers leading to access and 
maintenance of affordable rental homes or home ownership;
    (2) Leveraging of resources
    <bullet> Leading to increased farmworker housing stock, and/or
    <bullet> Maintenance of current farmworker housing stock.
    C. The applicant must set measurable (quantitative) goals by 
category, for each activity identified, for each quarter of the program 
year (funding period).
    D. Budget Narrative: The applicant must include in this section an 
itemized, line item annual budget with a narrative description of the 
costs supporting each line item. Proposed expenditures must be 
consistent with and fully support the proposed housing activities. 
Total budget costs shall be equal to the total Federal Assistance 
requested in the applicant's financial proposal.
    Rating Criteria for Program Design--50 Points: Rating will be based 
on the completeness, applicability, and appropriateness of the 
applicant response to the elements in items A through D.

3. Technical and Organizational Capacity

    The applicant must demonstrate technical capacity to provide 
proposed services by providing a descriptive narrative of:
    (a) The specific types of farmworker housing activities and 
services it has provided for no less than the past five years; and
    (b) The outcomes achieved through the above activities.
    If the applicant constitutes a consortium of agencies/organizations 
where the expertise lies with the consortium members, items (a) and (b) 
above must also apply to the consortium members who will be the 
deliverers of the service, a descriptive narrative demonstrating this 
must be included as an addendum to this application package.
    Applicants must demonstrate organizational capacity in the delivery 
of services by providing a listing of all federal grants it has 
administered in the past five years. The list must include: project 
name, objectives, grant number and amount, grant period, and grant 
funding source. Each applicant must also include in this section the 
applicant's organizational chart and a list of names of key agency 
officials and all staff to be specifically funded with this proposed 
project. For each agency

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official and staff to be specifically funded (in whole or in part) by 
this proposal, please include a resume and the position description. 
For any position to be funded by this proposal but for which a staff 
person has not yet been identified, please include a position 
description.
    Rating Criteria for Technical and Organizational Capacity--20 
Points: Rating will be based on the completeness of the applicant's 
response to each of the specific items of information requested in this 
section. Secondly, the application will also be rated on the technical 
and organizational experience which is directly related to farmworker 
housing services and activities documented by the applicant.

4. Linkages and Coordination

    The applicant should identify and demonstrate (including letters of 
support) linkages with farmworker organizations and specifically with 
NFJP grantees. Additionally, the applicant should fully describe the 
direct connection between the identified linkages and services the 
applicant will provide to farmworkers. For purposes of the application, 
simply listing the services the linkage provides will not suffice. 
Linkages and coordinative efforts relevant to this application and 
considered for rating purposes must directly correspond to the proposed 
services and needs of the population to be served, and must directly 
enhance the applicant's capacity to provide such services.
    Rating Criteria for Linkages and Coordination--10 Points: Rating 
will be based on the completeness of the applicant's response, and the 
relevancy of the linkages to meeting the needs identified in the 
application.

Part III--Financial Proposal

    The financial proposal must include a completed ``Application for 
Federal Assistance'' (SF-424), and Budget Information Sheet. Both 
required forms are attached to this SGA. For purposes of this 
application, the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is 
17.255.
    Rating Criteria for Part III--0 points: No points are allocated to 
the Financial Proposal however, incomplete information to this part 
will render the application non-responsive and thereby it will not be 
considered for funding. A budget narrative is required as specified in 
the Technical Proposal of this application under the Program Design 
discussion.

Part IV--Application Process

A. Eligible Applicants

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

B. Application Procedures

(1) Submission of Proposal
    All instructions and information required for submission of this 
application are included in this announcement.
    The application package shall consist of two (2) separate and 
distinct parts. Part I, The Financial Proposal and Part II the 
Technical Proposal. The Financial Proposal must contain the SF-424, 
``Application for Federal Assistance'' (Attachment No. 1) and Budget 
(Attachment No. 2). The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 
is 17.255. The budget must include on separate page(s) a cost analysis 
of the budget, identifying in detail the amount of each budget line 
item attributable to each cost category. The technical proposal as 
described in Part II, must demonstrate the applicant's capability to 
provide the services described in this SGA.
    The Technical Proposal is limited to forty (40) doubled spaced, 
single-sided, 8.5 inch x 11 inch pages with 1 inch margins and 12-point 
text type. Appendices, which are separately numbered, must not exceed 
twenty (20) pages.
    Applications not meeting these requirements will be considered non-
responsive. Final decisions on the awards will be based on what is most 
advantageous to the Federal Government as determined by the Grant 
Officer.
(2) Hand-Delivered Proposals
    Proposals may be mailed or delivered by hand. Hand delivered 
proposals will be accepted if they are received by 2 p.m., Eastern 
Standard Time on June 15, 2001. All overnight 9 mail will be considered 
to be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place by 
the specified time on the closing date. Applications transmitted by 
electronic mail, telegraph, facsimile and/or faxed will not be honored. 
Except as provided in paragraph 3 below, failure to adhere to these 
instructions will render a proposal non-responsive.
(3) Late Proposals
    An application not received by the specified time and date and 
reaching the designated place, will not be considered, unless it is 
received before funds are awarded and was either:
    (a) Sent by U. S. Postal Service registered or Certified mail no 
later than the fifth (5th) calendar day before the date specified for 
receipt of application; or
    (b) Was sent by U.S. Postal Express Mail Next Day Service through a 
U.S. Post Office to the addressee, no later than 5 p.m. at the place of 
mailing two working days (excludes week-ends and U.S. Federal holidays) 
prior to the closing date for receipt of proposals.
    The only acceptable evidence for establishing the date of mailing 
by the U.S. Postal Service for applications received after the closing 
date and time is the U.S. Postmark. The U.S. Postmark must be on the 
envelope or wrapper and on the original receipt from the U.S. Postal 
Service with a clearly legible date. ``Postmark'' means a printed, 
stamped, or otherwise placed impression (exclusive of postage meter 
machine impression) that is readily identifiable without further action 
as having been supplied and affixed by employees of the U.S. Postal 
Service on the date of mailing. Therefore, applicants should request 
the postal clerk to place a legible hand 10 cancellation ``bull's eye'' 
postmark on both the receipt and the envelope.
(4) Period of Performance
    The period of performance will be 12 months beginning July 1, 2001, 
and continuing through June 30, 2002.
(5) Option To Extend
    The Department reserves the right to extend this grant for an 
additional one year, based on the availability of funds, a grantee's 
success in completing work under this SGA, and the needs of the 
Department.

Part V--Reporting Requirements

    Recipients of grant funds under this SGA will be required to submit 
reports, as determined by the Division of Migrant and Seasonal Farmwork 
Programs, Office of National Programs, Employment and Training

[[Page 24405]]

Administration, U. S. Department of Labor.

Lorraine H. Saunders,
Grant Officer, Division of Federal Assistance.

BILLING CODE 4510-30-P

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[FR Doc. 01-12011 Filed 5-11-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-30-C


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