83_FR_8457 83 FR 8418 - Request for Proposals: Multi-Family Housing Transfer and Prepayment Technical Assistance Grants

83 FR 8418 - Request for Proposals: Multi-Family Housing Transfer and Prepayment Technical Assistance Grants

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 39 (February 27, 2018)

Page Range8418-8422
FR Document2018-03900

This Request for Proposal (RFP or Notice) announces an availability of funds and the timeframe to submit proposals for Multi- Family Housing (MFH) Transfer and Prepayment Technical Assistance (TA) grants. Section 771 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 appropriated $1,000,000 to provide grants to qualified non-profit organizations and public housing authorities (PHA). Selected grantees will use the funds to provide financial and legal TA to the Rural Housing Service (RHS) MFH loan applicants to facilitate the acquisition of RHS Section 515 properties with maturing Rural Development (RD) mortgages, in areas at risk of losing affordable housing. Consistent with Section 771 and the pilot program initiated by RHS on March 1, 2017 (available at: www.rd.usda.gov/files/RDUL-Nonprofit.pdf), this RFP is soliciting proposals from qualified non-profit organizations and PHA to provide TA to MFH loan applicants who are qualified non-profit organizations and PHA with their acquisitions of Section 515 properties with maturing mortgages. Work performed under these grants is expected to result in an increased submission of quality applications for transfers of Section 515 properties to eligible non-profit and PHA loan applicants as defined in RD regulations. Furthermore, it will result in the preservation and continued availability of decent, safe, and sanitary housing for eligible Rural Rental Housing (RRH) tenants and maximize the Government's ongoing return on the public's investment in rural areas. The grant funds must be used to assist eligible loan applicants with specific transactions to acquire Section 515 projects with maturing mortgages under the pilot program. Grant funds are available for obligation through September 30, 2018.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8418-8422]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03900]


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                                                Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2018 / 
Notices

[[Page 8418]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service


Request for Proposals: Multi-Family Housing Transfer and 
Prepayment Technical Assistance Grants

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This Request for Proposal (RFP or Notice) announces an 
availability of funds and the timeframe to submit proposals for Multi-
Family Housing (MFH) Transfer and Prepayment Technical Assistance (TA) 
grants. Section 771 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 
appropriated $1,000,000 to provide grants to qualified non-profit 
organizations and public housing authorities (PHA). Selected grantees 
will use the funds to provide financial and legal TA to the Rural 
Housing Service (RHS) MFH loan applicants to facilitate the acquisition 
of RHS Section 515 properties with maturing Rural Development (RD) 
mortgages, in areas at risk of losing affordable housing. Consistent 
with Section 771 and the pilot program initiated by RHS on March 1, 
2017 (available at: www.rd.usda.gov/files/RDUL-Nonprofit.pdf), this RFP 
is soliciting proposals from qualified non-profit organizations and PHA 
to provide TA to MFH loan applicants who are qualified non-profit 
organizations and PHA with their acquisitions of Section 515 properties 
with maturing mortgages.
    Work performed under these grants is expected to result in an 
increased submission of quality applications for transfers of Section 
515 properties to eligible non-profit and PHA loan applicants as 
defined in RD regulations. Furthermore, it will result in the 
preservation and continued availability of decent, safe, and sanitary 
housing for eligible Rural Rental Housing (RRH) tenants and maximize 
the Government's ongoing return on the public's investment in rural 
areas.
    The grant funds must be used to assist eligible loan applicants 
with specific transactions to acquire Section 515 projects with 
maturing mortgages under the pilot program. Grant funds are available 
for obligation through September 30, 2018.

DATES: February 27, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Complete proposals should be addressed to Mirna Reyes-Bible, 
Finance and Loan Analyst, Preservation and Direct Loan Division, STOP 
0781 (Room 1243-S), USDA Rural Development, 1400 Independence Avenue 
SW, Washington, DC 20250-0781 and must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern 
Daylight Time March 29, 2018 (deadline).
    You should contact a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural 
Development State Office if you have questions. You are encouraged to 
contact your State Office well in advance of the proposal deadline to 
ask any questions about the process. Contact information for State 
Offices can be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices.
    Program guidance as well as application guidance may be obtained 
at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/multi-family-housing-direct-loans.
    Please review the grants.gov website at: http://grants.gov/applicants/organization/registration.jsp for instructions on the 
process of registering your organization as soon as possible to ensure 
you are able to meet the proposal deadline. Proposals received after 
the deadline will not be evaluated.
    RHS will date and time stamp incoming proposals to evidence timely 
receipt and; upon request, will provide the responding entities with a 
written acknowledgement of receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mirna Reyes-Bible, Finance and Loan 
Analyst, Preservation and Direct Loan Division, STOP 0781 (Room 1243-
S), USDA Rural Development, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20250-0781, telephone: (202) 720-1753 (this is not a toll free number), 
or via email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview Information

    Federal Agency Name: Rural Housing Service.
    Funding Opportunity Title: Request for Proposals: Multi-Family 
Housing Transfer and Prepayment Technical Assistance Grants.
    Announcement Type: Initial Announcement.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: 10.447.
    Dates: The deadline for receipt of all proposals in response to 
this RFP is 5:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on March 29, 2018.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the paperwork 
burden associated with this Notice has been approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0570-0006.

Funding Opportunity Description

    The TA grants authorized under this Notice are for the purpose of 
facilitating the transfer and preservation of existing RRH properties 
with maturing mortgages under Section 515 of the Housing Act of 1949, 
as amended. RHS regulations for the Section 515 program are published 
at 7 CFR part 3560. Proposals must demonstrate the responding entity's 
experience and expertise in all aspects of acquisition and 
rehabilitation of affordable MFH properties and their demonstrated 
capacity to provide advisory services in affordable housing. All 
responding entities must project the net Return on Investment (ROI) of 
the grant funds being requested to demonstrate the relative 
effectiveness and efficiency of grantee's proposed Statement of Work 
(SOW) for future Agency decisions and program revisions.
    Responding entities may submit separate requests involving 
properties in multiple local areas. For the purpose of this Notice, 
responding entities may and are encouraged to submit a grant proposal 
for multiple local areas provided they are within the same region as 
described in this section. A responding entity may apply to more than 
one region; however, separate proposals must be submitted for each 
region. Entities interested in responding to this Notice must consult 
with the Rural Development State Director in the proposal's region to 
develop a list of

[[Page 8419]]

targeted local areas in their respective State Office jurisdictions. To 
effectively represent the geographic diversity of projects within the 
RD portfolio the Agency will consider and score all proposals on a 
regional basis. RHS intends to award at least one grant for each of the 
four geographic regions listed below.

North-East: CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VI, WV
South: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, NC, OK, MS, PR, SC, TN, TX, VI
Mid-West: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI
West: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY, WP

I. Award Information

    RHS will evaluate and score the grant applications according to the 
criteria set forth in this Notice. RHS will select grantees based on 
the scoring as well as the goal of achieving the highest number of 
different grantees, areas and loan applicants, and cost-efficiency. The 
maximum award within a region will be $250,000. The maximum total 
expenditure for all TA services, including administrative costs, per 
project is $40,000.
    RHS has the authority under the Act to utilize up to 100 percent of 
the Section 771 appropriation for MFH TA grants. Funds not obligated to 
initial awardees by June 1, 2018, may be awarded to other non-profit 
and/or PHA applicants waiting for the TA grants based on scoring.
    When selecting a grantee, RHS may request changes to the SOW (see 
Part III of this Notice). Grantees must execute a Grant Agreement that 
will, among other things, incorporate a SOW (see Part III of this 
Notice) agreed to by the RHS. If the selected grantee does not accept 
the terms of RHS and/or does not deliver an executed Grant Agreement to 
RHS within ten business days after receiving the Grant Agreement with 
the agreed upon SOW, RHS may choose to rescind the award and select 
another grantee without further notice.

II. Eligibility Information

    Eligibility for grants under this Notice is limited to non-profit 
organizations and PHAs meeting the requirements specified in this 
Notice.

A. Expertise and Capacity

    Eligible grantees must have the knowledge, ability, technical 
expertise, practical experience, and capacity necessary to develop and 
package Section 515 property transfer transactions. They must also be 
able to demonstrate the ability to provide TA to non-profits and/or 
PHAs to facilitate their acquisition of Section 515 properties, 
including, but not limited to, the submission of loan application 
packages. In addition, all eligible grantees must possess the ability 
to exercise leadership, organize work, and prioritize assignments to 
meet work demands in a timely and cost efficient manner. Eligible 
grantees will include a proposed SOW (see Section III of this Notice) 
which will be evaluated as part of any eligibility qualification and 
award determination.

B. Organization Status

    Responding entities must document each of the following in their 
response:
    1. Status as a non-profit and/or PHA.
    2. Good standing within the State you are organized.
    3. Legal authority to operate and deliver financial and legal TA 
under the applicable State law for the State(s) you propose to deliver 
the TA. Examples of acceptable documentation include but are not 
limited to bylaws, organizational charters, and statutes or 
regulations.
    4. No current or unresolved default or violation of any other 
Federal, State or local grant or loan agreement(s).
    5. Experience in providing TA for MFH affordable housing (describe 
in the SOW).
    6. The requirements above will also apply to any entity performing 
services on behalf of the respondent.

III. SOW

    Responding entities must submit a detailed SOW describing each of 
the following requirements:
    1. An introduction/overview with a description of your plan to 
provide TA to non-profits and PHAs in the acquisition of Section 515 
properties with maturing mortgages.
    2. Explain your organization's capabilities to execute your plan, 
focusing on the elements described in Section II.A of this RFP.
    3. Provide a timeline projection with when, how, and to whom you 
intend to provide the TA. Include a grant funds usage projection that 
corresponds with the timeline and illustrates administrative costs in 
dollars, and as a percentage of the TA services provided. Please see 
Section IV for more information regarding eligible costs.
    4. Describe the types of TA you propose to provide for non-profits 
and/or PHAs to enable them to submit successful transfer applications 
to RHS.
    5. Describe how you will access other funding sources for any 
needed development and/or construction, repair and rehabilitation of 
the MFH properties.
    6. Describe which services you will provide directly and which you 
will provide through third parties.
    7. Describe how you will identify potential sellers of properties 
to be acquired by non-profits and/or PHAs.
    8. Explain your process to use grant funds to non-profits and/or 
PHAs for actual legal and financial soft cost expenditures.
    9. Describe your direct and indirect administrative costs that 
would be associated with the administration of this grant.
    10. Describe any other strength and/or capability not included 
above that you believe qualifies you to administer this grant.
    11. Project the ROI of the requested grant funds to demonstrate the 
effectiveness and efficiency of your proposal. Describe the method 
being used to project an ROI, which must involve a detailed examination 
of outputs and outcomes.

IV. Eligible Purposes

    Entities responding to this Notice are required to provide TA to 
non-profits and/or PHAs acquiring Section 515 projects with maturing 
mortgages for eligible expenses in any or all of the following areas: 
Assisting non-profits or PHAs locate potential Section 515 properties 
with maturing mortgages for transfer; providing TA in the transfer 
analysis, negotiation, underwriting, and application process; and 
working with the non-profit or PHA to identify other financial 
assistance and help secure funding from other sources for the purpose 
of leveraging those funds with RHS funds. Costs will be limited to 
those that are allowed under 2 CFR part 200. The provider will need to 
secure RHS' written approval for payment of any services not 
specifically listed below.
    1. Eligible purposes may include soft costs such as legal costs, 
tax consultation fee, financial analysis, transaction structuring 
analysis and documentation of other transaction details such as Capital 
Needs Assessments (CNA), appraisals, and market surveys or other 
consultation, advisory and non-construction services the buyer may be 
required to provide as part of the application process. Build 
materials, labor and trades or any costs or expenditures otherwise 
typically included as any hard costs for actual construction, repairs, 
prepayment, interest or principal payments or reductions or other costs 
not disclosed to and approved by the RHS National Office prior to being 
incurred will not be eligible for payment with any of the grant funds 
awarded under this Notice.

[[Page 8420]]

    2. Grant funds will not be used by the provider for TA activities 
that are not directly related to a specific transaction (such as 
outreach, conferences, provider personnel education/training, etc.).
    3. Grant funds will not be used by the provider for TA activities 
for transactions in which they have any direct or indirect ownership 
interest (regardless of whether it is an interest as a current or 
prospective owner).
    4. In addition, if selected for funding, the respondent will be 
required to revise their SOW to identify any changes in the geographic 
location of the targeted areas and will submit their revised SOW to the 
National Office for approval. Any revision must not lower the initial 
score used in selection. If a revision lowers the score, it will result 
in a review of the initial scores for all applications received in the 
region and the grant will be awarded to the responding entity in the 
same manner as previously prescribed in this Notice. When submitted for 
approval, the respondent must also submit a summary of their 
consultation with the RD State Directors. At grant closing, the revised 
SOW will be attached to, and become a part of, the Grant Agreement. 
Revision and consultation under this paragraph is not an eligible 
purpose.

V. Proposal and Submission Information

    All proposals must be delivered in three identical binders 
organized as follows:

A. Summary

    The proposal must include a summary page listing all of the 
following items. This information should be double-spaced between items 
and not be in narrative form:
    A. Responding entity's name,
    B. Responding entity's Taxpayer Identification Number,
    C. Responding entity's address,
    D. Responding entity's telephone number,
    E. Name of responding entity's contact person, telephone number, 
and address,
    F. Amount of grant requested,
    G. The MFH TA grant region for which the proposal is submitted 
(i.e., North-East, South, Mid-West, or West), and
    H. Responding entity's Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering 
System (DUNS) number, registration in the Central Contractor 
Registration (CCR) database prior to submitting a proposal pursuant to 
2 CFR 25.200(b), and other supporting information to substantiate their 
legal authority and good standing. Organizations can receive a DUNS 
number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number 
request line at (866) 705-5711 or via the internet at http://www.dnb.com/. Additional information concerning this requirement can be 
obtained on the grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov. Similarly, 
respondents may register for the CCR at https://uscontractingregistration.com or by calling (877) 252-2700. In 
addition, the responding entity must maintain registration in the CCR 
database at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an 
application or plan under construction by the Agency. Similarly, all 
recipients of Federal financial assistance are required to report 
information about first-tier sub-awards and executive compensation in 
accordance with 2 CFR part 170, so long as an entity respondent does 
not have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b), the grantee must have the 
necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting 
requirements should the responding entity receive funding. See 2 CFR 
170.200(b).

B. Felonies and Federal Tax Delinquencies

    Awards made under this Notice are subject to Sections 745 and 746 
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Pub. L. 115-31) regarding 
corporate felony convictions and corporate Federal tax delinquencies. 
To comply with these provisions, all respondents must complete and 
include the proposed paragraph (A) of this representation, and all 
corporate respondents also must complete paragraphs (B) and (C) of this 
representation:
    (1) The responding entity: ______ [insert name] has __ has not __ 
(check one) filed articles of incorporation in one of the fifty States, 
the District of Columbia, or the various territories of the United 
States including American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, 
Midway Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Republic of 
Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
    (2) Neither the responding entity nor any key principle or member 
of the controlling board, council, or governing body, ______ [insert 
name] has __ has not __ (check one) been convicted of a felony criminal 
violation under Federal or State law in the 24 months preceding the 
date of application. The entity has __ has not __ (check one) had any 
officer or agent of the respondent convicted of a felony criminal 
violation for actions taken on behalf of the respondent under Federal 
or State law in the 24 months preceding the date of the signature on 
the pre-application.
    (3) The responding entity ______ [insert name] has __ does not have 
__ (check one) any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, 
for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted 
or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant 
to an Agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax 
liability.

C. Organizational and Financial Status

    Proposals must include organizational status documents reflecting 
the criteria in Section II.B of this Notice, as well as financial 
statements to evidence the responding entity's status as a properly 
organized private or public non-profit or PHA and its financial ability 
to carry out the objectives of the grant program. If other entities 
will be working on behalf of the grantees, working agreements between 
the respondent and those entities must be submitted as part of the 
proposal and any associated cost must be included in the responding 
entity's budget.
    Responding entities must also disclose all RHS projects in which 
the respondent and or its third-party affiliates have a direct or 
indirect ownership interest.

D. Organizational Expertise and Experience

    Responding entities must provide a capabilities statement 
describing the respondent's qualifications under Section II.A to 
provide TA on Section 515 transfers and loan applications.
1. Narrative
    The responding entity must include a narrative describing its 
knowledge, demonstrated ability, and practical experience in providing 
training and TA to MFH applicants of loans or grants for the 
development or rehabilitation of MFH, and the number of projects to 
which they have provided such assistance. This includes its knowledge 
and demonstrated ability in estimating development and construction 
costs of MFH and for obtaining the necessary permits and clearances.
    The responding entity must also explain why the targeted areas are 
at risk for loss of affordable housing.
2. Specific MFH Experience
    For purposes of demonstrating past MFH experience of responding 
entities, the Agency will consider experience with MFH programs beyond 
USDA MFH programs.

[[Page 8421]]

    The responding entity must identify the types of TA they proposed 
to offer will be delivered to the potential purchasers. Proposals must 
identify types of MFH financial assistance (loans, grants, tax credits, 
leveraged funding, etc.) for which the responding entity has applied in 
the last 5 years, as well as the success ratio of those applications.
    Proposals must also identify any applications of a third-party for 
MFH financial assistance where the responding entity assisted in the 
development and packaging of the application in the last 5 years, as 
well as the success ratio of those applications.
    Proposals must identify third parties to whom the responding entity 
has provided TA on applications for financial assistance for the 
development, rehabilitation or transfer of MFH projects in the last 5 
years.
    Proposals must identify MFH projects for which the responding 
entity assisted in estimating transfer, development and rehabilitation/
construction costs and obtaining permit and clearances in the last 5 
years.
    Proposals must identify specific MFH projects for which the 
responding entity has been able to leverage funding from two or more 
sources for transfer, rehabilitation, or development.
    For the projects and applications above, information must be 
provided concerning the number of housing units, their size, their 
design, and the amount of grant and loan funds that were secured.
3. Key Personnel
    Proposals must include the resumes of the Key Personnel that will 
perform the day-to-day administration of this grant. Describe each Key 
Personnel's ability to perform the proposal's activities, and past 
experience in successfully managing grants. Also include an 
organizational plan that includes a staffing chart complete with name, 
job title, salary, hours, timelines, and descriptions of employee 
duties to achieve the objectives of the grant program.
4. Agents
    If the responding entity intends to have other entities working on 
its behalf, the narrative must identify those entities and address 
their ability to meet the stated eligibility requirements.

E. SOW

    Proposals must include a detailed SOW (see Section III of this 
Notice). The ROI description and method of evaluation is an integral 
part of the SOW and is a critical component of the selection process 
and is required under the Government Performance and Results Act of 
1993 (Pub. L. 103-62).

F. Scoring Criteria Worksheet

    Proposals must include a separate one-page information sheet 
listing each of the ``Proposal Scoring Criteria'' contained in Section 
VI of this Notice, followed by the page numbers of all relevant 
material and documentation that is contained in the proposal that 
supports these criteria.

VI. Proposal Review Information

    Only those respondents deemed to be qualified under Sections V.A, 
V.B and V.C of this Notice will be scored under this section. The 
review process designed for this RFP will evaluate the degree to which 
the proposal sets forth measurable realistic objectives that are 
consistent with this Notice and can be completed within realistic time 
frames consistent with the proposal and processing guidance established 
by RD transfer regulations. Proposals will only compete against other 
proposals within the same region previously identified in this Notice. 
Selection points will be awarded as follows:

A. Key Personnel

    1. Key Personnel has successful verifiable experience performing 
the requirements of this RFP:

Less than 2 years: 0 points
2-5 years: 5 points
More than 5-8 years: 10 points
More than 8-12 years: 20 points
More than 12 years: 30 points

    2. Key Personnel has successful verifiable experience managing 
grants through their lifecycle:

1 or less grants: 0 points
2-4 grants: 5 points
5-8 grants: 10 points
9-12 grants: 20 points
13 or more grants: 30 points

B. Target Areas

    1. The more areas the proposal commits to targeting, the more 
points will be awarded. Points will be given based on the number of 
areas within a region that the responding entity has targeted:

5 or less targeted areas: 0 points
6 targeted areas: 5 points
7 targeted areas: 10 points
8 targeted areas: 15 points
9 or more targeted areas: 20 points

    2. RHS wants the responding entity to cover as much of the grant 
region as possible and as supported by the respective RD State 
Office(s). For this reason, additional points will be awarded to grant 
proposals that target areas in more than two States within the same 
region. All responses to this Notice only compete within the regions 
previously identified. The grant proposal commits to targeting areas in 
the following number of States:

Less than 3 States: 0 points
3 or 4 States: 5 points
5 or 6 States: 10 points
7 or 8 States: 15 points
9 or more States: 20 points

C. Multifamily Housing Experience

    1. The number of individually successful (approved, obligated or 
completed) multi-family loan or grant applications the responding 
entity has assisted in developing and packaging:

0-1 applications: 0 points
2-3 applications: 5 points
4-6 applications: 10 points
7-9 applications: 20 points
10 or more applications: 30 points

    2. The number of clients seeking loans or grants for the 
development, rehabilitation, or transfer of multi-family projects to 
whom the respondent has provided training and TA.

0-1 clients: 0 points
2-3 clients: 5 points
4-6 clients: 10 points
7-9 clients: 15 points
10 or more clients: 20 points

    3. The number of multi-family projects for which the respondent has 
assisted in estimating transfer, development and rehabilitation/
construction costs and obtaining the necessary permits and clearances:

0 to 1 projects: 0 points
2 to 4 projects: 5 points
5 to 7 projects: 10 points
8 to 9 projects: 15 points
10 or more projects: 20 points

    4. The number of times the responding entity has been able to 
leverage funding from two or more sources for the transfer, 
rehabilitation, or development of a multi-family project.

0 to 1 times: 0 points
2 to 4 times: 5 points
5 to 10 times: 10 points
11 to 15 times: 15 points
16 or more times: 20 points

D. Administrative Costs

    Administrative costs as a percentage of grant funds used:

More than 20%: 0 points
15% or more but less 20%: 5 points
10% or more but less 15%: 15 points
5% or more but less 10%: 25 points
Less than 5%: 40 points

E. Additional Factors

    In the event two or more proposals within a region are scored with 
an equal

[[Page 8422]]

amount of points, the Agency will make selections based on achieving 
the maximum number of areas, regions, grantees and loan applicants 
being served, as well as cost-efficiency.
    All proposals received under this Notice and grantees will be 
screened for eligibility to participate in the grant program using 
Treasury's Do Not Pay Portal in compliance with the Improper Payments 
Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act.
    RHS will notify all responding entities whether their proposal has 
been accepted or rejected and provide appeal rights under 7 CFR part 
11, as appropriate.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The reporting requirements contained in this Notice have been 
approved by the OMB under Control Number 0575-0181.

Non-Discrimination Statement

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its 
Agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or 
administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on 
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including 
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital 
status, familial/parental status, income derived from a public 
assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for 
prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or 
funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and 
complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of 
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible 
Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or 
contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages 
other than English.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA 
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or 
write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the 
information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint 
form, call (866) 632-9992, submit your completed form or letter to USDA 
by:
    Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410;
    Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
    Email: [email protected].
    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

     Dated: February 15, 2018.
Curtis M. Anderson,
Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-03900 Filed 2-26-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P



                                               8418

                                               Notices                                                                                                       Federal Register
                                                                                                                                                             Vol. 83, No. 39

                                                                                                                                                             Tuesday, February 27, 2018



                                               This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER                    ongoing return on the public’s                        Overview Information
                                               contains documents other than rules or                  investment in rural areas.
                                               proposed rules that are applicable to the
                                                                                                                                                               Federal Agency Name: Rural Housing
                                                                                                          The grant funds must be used to assist             Service.
                                               public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
                                               committee meetings, agency decisions and                eligible loan applicants with specific                  Funding Opportunity Title: Request
                                               rulings, delegations of authority, filing of            transactions to acquire Section 515                   for Proposals: Multi-Family Housing
                                               petitions and applications and agency                   projects with maturing mortgages under                Transfer and Prepayment Technical
                                               statements of organization and functions are            the pilot program. Grant funds are                    Assistance Grants.
                                               examples of documents appearing in this                 available for obligation through                        Announcement Type: Initial
                                               section.                                                September 30, 2018.                                   Announcement.
                                                                                                       DATES:   February 27, 2018.                             Catalog of Federal Domestic
                                                                                                                                                             Assistance: 10.447.
                                               DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE                               ADDRESSES:    Complete proposals should                 Dates: The deadline for receipt of all
                                                                                                       be addressed to Mirna Reyes-Bible,                    proposals in response to this RFP is 5:00
                                               Rural Housing Service                                   Finance and Loan Analyst, Preservation                p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on March
                                                                                                       and Direct Loan Division, STOP 0781                   29, 2018.
                                               Request for Proposals: Multi-Family
                                                                                                       (Room 1243–S), USDA Rural
                                               Housing Transfer and Prepayment                                                                               Paperwork Reduction Act
                                                                                                       Development, 1400 Independence
                                               Technical Assistance Grants
                                                                                                       Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250–                        In accordance with the Paperwork
                                               AGENCY:    Rural Housing Service, USDA.                 0781 and must be received by 5:00 p.m.                Reduction Act, the paperwork burden
                                                                                                       Eastern Daylight Time March 29, 2018                  associated with this Notice has been
                                               ACTION:   Notice.                                       (deadline).                                           approved by the Office of Management
                                                                                                          You should contact a U.S. Department               and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control
                                               SUMMARY:   This Request for Proposal                                                                          Number 0570–0006.
                                                                                                       of Agriculture (USDA) Rural
                                               (RFP or Notice) announces an
                                                                                                       Development State Office if you have                  Funding Opportunity Description
                                               availability of funds and the timeframe
                                                                                                       questions. You are encouraged to
                                               to submit proposals for Multi-Family                                                                             The TA grants authorized under this
                                                                                                       contact your State Office well in
                                               Housing (MFH) Transfer and                                                                                    Notice are for the purpose of facilitating
                                                                                                       advance of the proposal deadline to ask
                                               Prepayment Technical Assistance (TA)                                                                          the transfer and preservation of existing
                                                                                                       any questions about the process. Contact
                                               grants. Section 771 of the Consolidated                                                                       RRH properties with maturing
                                                                                                       information for State Offices can be
                                               Appropriations Act, 2017 appropriated                                                                         mortgages under Section 515 of the
                                                                                                       found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/
                                               $1,000,000 to provide grants to qualified                                                                     Housing Act of 1949, as amended. RHS
                                                                                                       contact-us/state-offices.
                                               non-profit organizations and public                                                                           regulations for the Section 515 program
                                               housing authorities (PHA). Selected                        Program guidance as well as
                                                                                                                                                             are published at 7 CFR part 3560.
                                               grantees will use the funds to provide                  application guidance may be obtained
                                                                                                                                                             Proposals must demonstrate the
                                               financial and legal TA to the Rural                     at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-
                                                                                                                                                             responding entity’s experience and
                                               Housing Service (RHS) MFH loan                          services/multi-family-housing-direct-
                                                                                                                                                             expertise in all aspects of acquisition
                                               applicants to facilitate the acquisition of             loans.
                                                                                                                                                             and rehabilitation of affordable MFH
                                               RHS Section 515 properties with                            Please review the grants.gov website               properties and their demonstrated
                                               maturing Rural Development (RD)                         at: http://grants.gov/applicants/                     capacity to provide advisory services in
                                               mortgages, in areas at risk of losing                   organization/registration.jsp for                     affordable housing. All responding
                                               affordable housing. Consistent with                     instructions on the process of registering            entities must project the net Return on
                                               Section 771 and the pilot program                       your organization as soon as possible to              Investment (ROI) of the grant funds
                                               initiated by RHS on March 1, 2017                       ensure you are able to meet the proposal              being requested to demonstrate the
                                               (available at: www.rd.usda.gov/files/                   deadline. Proposals received after the                relative effectiveness and efficiency of
                                               RDUL-Nonprofit.pdf), this RFP is                        deadline will not be evaluated.                       grantee’s proposed Statement of Work
                                               soliciting proposals from qualified non-                   RHS will date and time stamp                       (SOW) for future Agency decisions and
                                               profit organizations and PHA to provide                 incoming proposals to evidence timely                 program revisions.
                                               TA to MFH loan applicants who are                       receipt and; upon request, will provide                  Responding entities may submit
                                               qualified non-profit organizations and                  the responding entities with a written                separate requests involving properties in
                                               PHA with their acquisitions of Section                  acknowledgement of receipt.                           multiple local areas. For the purpose of
                                               515 properties with maturing mortgages.                                                                       this Notice, responding entities may and
                                                                                                       FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                  Work performed under these grants is                 Mirna Reyes-Bible, Finance and Loan                   are encouraged to submit a grant
                                               expected to result in an increased                      Analyst, Preservation and Direct Loan                 proposal for multiple local areas
                                               submission of quality applications for                  Division, STOP 0781 (Room 1243–S),                    provided they are within the same
                                               transfers of Section 515 properties to                  USDA Rural Development, 1400                          region as described in this section. A
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                                               eligible non-profit and PHA loan                        Independence Avenue SW, Washington,                   responding entity may apply to more
                                               applicants as defined in RD regulations.                DC 20250–0781, telephone: (202) 720–                  than one region; however, separate
                                               Furthermore, it will result in the                      1753 (this is not a toll free number), or             proposals must be submitted for each
                                               preservation and continued availability                 via email: mirna.reyesbible@                          region. Entities interested in responding
                                               of decent, safe, and sanitary housing for               wdc.usda.gov.                                         to this Notice must consult with the
                                               eligible Rural Rental Housing (RRH)                                                                           Rural Development State Director in the
                                               tenants and maximize the Government’s                   SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                            proposal’s region to develop a list of


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                                                                           Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2018 / Notices                                             8419

                                               targeted local areas in their respective                their acquisition of Section 515                         6. Describe which services you will
                                               State Office jurisdictions. To effectively              properties, including, but not limited to,            provide directly and which you will
                                               represent the geographic diversity of                   the submission of loan application                    provide through third parties.
                                               projects within the RD portfolio the                    packages. In addition, all eligible                      7. Describe how you will identify
                                               Agency will consider and score all                      grantees must possess the ability to                  potential sellers of properties to be
                                               proposals on a regional basis. RHS                      exercise leadership, organize work, and               acquired by non-profits and/or PHAs.
                                               intends to award at least one grant for                 prioritize assignments to meet work                      8. Explain your process to use grant
                                               each of the four geographic regions                     demands in a timely and cost efficient                funds to non-profits and/or PHAs for
                                               listed below.                                           manner. Eligible grantees will include a              actual legal and financial soft cost
                                               North-East: CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH,                     proposed SOW (see Section III of this                 expenditures.
                                                  NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VI, WV                           Notice) which will be evaluated as part                  9. Describe your direct and indirect
                                               South: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, NC,                      of any eligibility qualification and                  administrative costs that would be
                                                  OK, MS, PR, SC, TN, TX, VI                           award determination.                                  associated with the administration of
                                               Mid-West: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO,                                                                         this grant.
                                                                                                       B. Organization Status                                   10. Describe any other strength and/
                                                  NE, ND, OH, SD, WI
                                               West: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV,                     Responding entities must document                   or capability not included above that
                                                  NM, OR, UT, WA, WY, WP                               each of the following in their response:              you believe qualifies you to administer
                                                                                                         1. Status as a non-profit and/or PHA.               this grant.
                                               I. Award Information                                                                                             11. Project the ROI of the requested
                                                                                                         2. Good standing within the State you
                                                  RHS will evaluate and score the grant                                                                      grant funds to demonstrate the
                                                                                                       are organized.
                                               applications according to the criteria set                                                                    effectiveness and efficiency of your
                                                                                                         3. Legal authority to operate and                   proposal. Describe the method being
                                               forth in this Notice. RHS will select                   deliver financial and legal TA under the
                                               grantees based on the scoring as well as                                                                      used to project an ROI, which must
                                                                                                       applicable State law for the State(s) you             involve a detailed examination of
                                               the goal of achieving the highest number                propose to deliver the TA. Examples of
                                               of different grantees, areas and loan                                                                         outputs and outcomes.
                                                                                                       acceptable documentation include but
                                               applicants, and cost-efficiency. The                    are not limited to bylaws, organizational             IV. Eligible Purposes
                                               maximum award within a region will be                   charters, and statutes or regulations.
                                               $250,000. The maximum total                                                                                      Entities responding to this Notice are
                                                                                                         4. No current or unresolved default or              required to provide TA to non-profits
                                               expenditure for all TA services,                        violation of any other Federal, State or
                                               including administrative costs, per                                                                           and/or PHAs acquiring Section 515
                                                                                                       local grant or loan agreement(s).                     projects with maturing mortgages for
                                               project is $40,000.                                       5. Experience in providing TA for
                                                  RHS has the authority under the Act                                                                        eligible expenses in any or all of the
                                                                                                       MFH affordable housing (describe in the               following areas: Assisting non-profits or
                                               to utilize up to 100 percent of the
                                                                                                       SOW).                                                 PHAs locate potential Section 515
                                               Section 771 appropriation for MFH TA
                                                                                                         6. The requirements above will also                 properties with maturing mortgages for
                                               grants. Funds not obligated to initial
                                                                                                       apply to any entity performing services               transfer; providing TA in the transfer
                                               awardees by June 1, 2018, may be
                                                                                                       on behalf of the respondent.                          analysis, negotiation, underwriting, and
                                               awarded to other non-profit and/or PHA
                                               applicants waiting for the TA grants                    III. SOW                                              application process; and working with
                                               based on scoring.                                                                                             the non-profit or PHA to identify other
                                                                                                         Responding entities must submit a                   financial assistance and help secure
                                                  When selecting a grantee, RHS may
                                                                                                       detailed SOW describing each of the                   funding from other sources for the
                                               request changes to the SOW (see Part III
                                                                                                       following requirements:                               purpose of leveraging those funds with
                                               of this Notice). Grantees must execute a
                                                                                                         1. An introduction/overview with a                  RHS funds. Costs will be limited to
                                               Grant Agreement that will, among other
                                                                                                       description of your plan to provide TA                those that are allowed under 2 CFR part
                                               things, incorporate a SOW (see Part III
                                                                                                       to non-profits and PHAs in the                        200. The provider will need to secure
                                               of this Notice) agreed to by the RHS. If
                                                                                                       acquisition of Section 515 properties                 RHS’ written approval for payment of
                                               the selected grantee does not accept the
                                                                                                       with maturing mortgages.                              any services not specifically listed
                                               terms of RHS and/or does not deliver an
                                               executed Grant Agreement to RHS                           2. Explain your organization’s                      below.
                                               within ten business days after receiving                capabilities to execute your plan,                       1. Eligible purposes may include soft
                                               the Grant Agreement with the agreed                     focusing on the elements described in                 costs such as legal costs, tax
                                               upon SOW, RHS may choose to rescind                     Section II.A of this RFP.                             consultation fee, financial analysis,
                                               the award and select another grantee                      3. Provide a timeline projection with               transaction structuring analysis and
                                               without further notice.                                 when, how, and to whom you intend to                  documentation of other transaction
                                                                                                       provide the TA. Include a grant funds                 details such as Capital Needs
                                               II. Eligibility Information                             usage projection that corresponds with                Assessments (CNA), appraisals, and
                                                  Eligibility for grants under this Notice             the timeline and illustrates                          market surveys or other consultation,
                                               is limited to non-profit organizations                  administrative costs in dollars, and as a             advisory and non-construction services
                                               and PHAs meeting the requirements                       percentage of the TA services provided.               the buyer may be required to provide as
                                               specified in this Notice.                               Please see Section IV for more                        part of the application process. Build
                                                                                                       information regarding eligible costs.                 materials, labor and trades or any costs
                                               A. Expertise and Capacity                                 4. Describe the types of TA you                     or expenditures otherwise typically
                                                  Eligible grantees must have the                      propose to provide for non-profits and/               included as any hard costs for actual
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                                               knowledge, ability, technical expertise,                or PHAs to enable them to submit                      construction, repairs, prepayment,
                                               practical experience, and capacity                      successful transfer applications to RHS.              interest or principal payments or
                                               necessary to develop and package                          5. Describe how you will access other               reductions or other costs not disclosed
                                               Section 515 property transfer                           funding sources for any needed                        to and approved by the RHS National
                                               transactions. They must also be able to                 development and/or construction, repair               Office prior to being incurred will not be
                                               demonstrate the ability to provide TA to                and rehabilitation of the MFH                         eligible for payment with any of the
                                               non-profits and/or PHAs to facilitate                   properties.                                           grant funds awarded under this Notice.


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                                               8420                        Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2018 / Notices

                                                  2. Grant funds will not be used by the               receive a DUNS number at no cost by                   in the 24 months preceding the date of
                                               provider for TA activities that are not                 calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS                  the signature on the pre-application.
                                               directly related to a specific transaction              Number request line at (866) 705–5711                    (3) The responding entity ______
                                               (such as outreach, conferences, provider                or via the internet at http://                        [insert name] has __ does not have __
                                               personnel education/training, etc.).                    www.dnb.com/. Additional information                  (check one) any unpaid Federal tax
                                                  3. Grant funds will not be used by the               concerning this requirement can be                    liability that has been assessed, for
                                               provider for TA activities for                          obtained on the grants.gov website at                 which all judicial and administrative
                                               transactions in which they have any                     http://www.grants.gov. Similarly,                     remedies have been exhausted or have
                                               direct or indirect ownership interest                   respondents may register for the CCR at               lapsed, and that is not being paid in a
                                               (regardless of whether it is an interest as             https://uscontractingregistration.com or              timely manner pursuant to an
                                               a current or prospective owner).                        by calling (877) 252–2700. In addition,               Agreement with the authority
                                                  4. In addition, if selected for funding,             the responding entity must maintain                   responsible for collecting the tax
                                               the respondent will be required to revise               registration in the CCR database at all               liability.
                                               their SOW to identify any changes in                    times during which it has an active
                                               the geographic location of the targeted                 Federal award or an application or plan               C. Organizational and Financial Status
                                               areas and will submit their revised SOW                 under construction by the Agency.                        Proposals must include organizational
                                               to the National Office for approval. Any                Similarly, all recipients of Federal                  status documents reflecting the criteria
                                               revision must not lower the initial score               financial assistance are required to                  in Section II.B of this Notice, as well as
                                               used in selection. If a revision lowers                 report information about first-tier sub-              financial statements to evidence the
                                               the score, it will result in a review of the            awards and executive compensation in                  responding entity’s status as a properly
                                               initial scores for all applications                     accordance with 2 CFR part 170, so long               organized private or public non-profit or
                                               received in the region and the grant will               as an entity respondent does not have                 PHA and its financial ability to carry out
                                               be awarded to the responding entity in                  an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b),                  the objectives of the grant program. If
                                               the same manner as previously                           the grantee must have the necessary                   other entities will be working on behalf
                                               prescribed in this Notice. When                         processes and systems in place to                     of the grantees, working agreements
                                               submitted for approval, the respondent                  comply with the reporting requirements                between the respondent and those
                                               must also submit a summary of their                     should the responding entity receive                  entities must be submitted as part of the
                                               consultation with the RD State                          funding. See 2 CFR 170.200(b).                        proposal and any associated cost must
                                               Directors. At grant closing, the revised                                                                      be included in the responding entity’s
                                               SOW will be attached to, and become a                   B. Felonies and Federal Tax
                                                                                                       Delinquencies                                         budget.
                                               part of, the Grant Agreement. Revision                                                                           Responding entities must also
                                               and consultation under this paragraph is                   Awards made under this Notice are                  disclose all RHS projects in which the
                                               not an eligible purpose.                                subject to Sections 745 and 746 of the                respondent and or its third-party
                                               V. Proposal and Submission                              Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017                 affiliates have a direct or indirect
                                               Information                                             (Pub. L. 115–31) regarding corporate                  ownership interest.
                                                                                                       felony convictions and corporate
                                                 All proposals must be delivered in                    Federal tax delinquencies. To comply                  D. Organizational Expertise and
                                               three identical binders organized as                    with these provisions, all respondents                Experience
                                               follows:                                                must complete and include the                           Responding entities must provide a
                                               A. Summary                                              proposed paragraph (A) of this                        capabilities statement describing the
                                                                                                       representation, and all corporate                     respondent’s qualifications under
                                                 The proposal must include a                           respondents also must complete
                                               summary page listing all of the                                                                               Section II.A to provide TA on Section
                                                                                                       paragraphs (B) and (C) of this                        515 transfers and loan applications.
                                               following items. This information                       representation:
                                               should be double-spaced between items                                                                         1. Narrative
                                                                                                          (1) The responding entity: ______
                                               and not be in narrative form:
                                                                                                       [insert name] has __ has not __ (check                   The responding entity must include a
                                                 A. Responding entity’s name,
                                                 B. Responding entity’s Taxpayer                       one) filed articles of incorporation in               narrative describing its knowledge,
                                               Identification Number,                                  one of the fifty States, the District of              demonstrated ability, and practical
                                                 C. Responding entity’s address,                       Columbia, or the various territories of               experience in providing training and TA
                                                 D. Responding entity’s telephone                      the United States including American                  to MFH applicants of loans or grants for
                                               number,                                                 Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia,                the development or rehabilitation of
                                                 E. Name of responding entity’s                        Guam, Midway Islands, Northern                        MFH, and the number of projects to
                                               contact person, telephone number, and                   Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Republic                which they have provided such
                                               address,                                                of Palau, Republic of the Marshall                    assistance. This includes its knowledge
                                                 F. Amount of grant requested,                         Islands or the U.S. Virgin Islands.                   and demonstrated ability in estimating
                                                 G. The MFH TA grant region for                           (2) Neither the responding entity nor              development and construction costs of
                                               which the proposal is submitted (i.e.,                  any key principle or member of the                    MFH and for obtaining the necessary
                                               North-East, South, Mid-West, or West),                  controlling board, council, or governing              permits and clearances.
                                               and                                                     body, ______ [insert name] has __ has                    The responding entity must also
                                                 H. Responding entity’s Dun and                        not __ (check one) been convicted of a                explain why the targeted areas are at
                                               Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering                     felony criminal violation under Federal               risk for loss of affordable housing.
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                                               System (DUNS) number, registration in                   or State law in the 24 months preceding
                                                                                                                                                             2. Specific MFH Experience
                                               the Central Contractor Registration                     the date of application. The entity
                                               (CCR) database prior to submitting a                    has __ has not __ (check one) had any                   For purposes of demonstrating past
                                               proposal pursuant to 2 CFR 25.200(b),                   officer or agent of the respondent                    MFH experience of responding entities,
                                               and other supporting information to                     convicted of a felony criminal violation              the Agency will consider experience
                                               substantiate their legal authority and                  for actions taken on behalf of the                    with MFH programs beyond USDA
                                               good standing. Organizations can                        respondent under Federal or State law                 MFH programs.


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                                                                           Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2018 / Notices                                            8421

                                                  The responding entity must identify                  SOW and is a critical component of the                awarded to grant proposals that target
                                               the types of TA they proposed to offer                  selection process and is required under               areas in more than two States within the
                                               will be delivered to the potential                      the Government Performance and                        same region. All responses to this
                                               purchasers. Proposals must identify                     Results Act of 1993 (Pub. L. 103–62).                 Notice only compete within the regions
                                               types of MFH financial assistance                                                                             previously identified. The grant
                                                                                                       F. Scoring Criteria Worksheet
                                               (loans, grants, tax credits, leveraged                                                                        proposal commits to targeting areas in
                                               funding, etc.) for which the responding                   Proposals must include a separate                   the following number of States:
                                               entity has applied in the last 5 years, as              one-page information sheet listing each               Less than 3 States: 0 points
                                               well as the success ratio of those                      of the ‘‘Proposal Scoring Criteria’’                  3 or 4 States: 5 points
                                               applications.                                           contained in Section VI of this Notice,               5 or 6 States: 10 points
                                                  Proposals must also identify any                     followed by the page numbers of all                   7 or 8 States: 15 points
                                               applications of a third-party for MFH                   relevant material and documentation                   9 or more States: 20 points
                                               financial assistance where the                          that is contained in the proposal that
                                                                                                                                                             C. Multifamily Housing Experience
                                               responding entity assisted in the                       supports these criteria.
                                               development and packaging of the                                                                                 1. The number of individually
                                                                                                       VI. Proposal Review Information                       successful (approved, obligated or
                                               application in the last 5 years, as well
                                               as the success ratio of those                              Only those respondents deemed to be                completed) multi-family loan or grant
                                               applications.                                           qualified under Sections V.A, V.B and                 applications the responding entity has
                                                  Proposals must identify third parties                V.C of this Notice will be scored under               assisted in developing and packaging:
                                               to whom the responding entity has                       this section. The review process                      0–1 applications: 0 points
                                               provided TA on applications for                         designed for this RFP will evaluate the               2–3 applications: 5 points
                                               financial assistance for the                            degree to which the proposal sets forth               4–6 applications: 10 points
                                               development, rehabilitation or transfer                 measurable realistic objectives that are              7–9 applications: 20 points
                                               of MFH projects in the last 5 years.                    consistent with this Notice and can be                10 or more applications: 30 points
                                                  Proposals must identify MFH projects                 completed within realistic time frames                   2. The number of clients seeking loans
                                               for which the responding entity assisted                consistent with the proposal and                      or grants for the development,
                                               in estimating transfer, development and                 processing guidance established by RD                 rehabilitation, or transfer of multi-
                                               rehabilitation/construction costs and                   transfer regulations. Proposals will only             family projects to whom the respondent
                                               obtaining permit and clearances in the                  compete against other proposals within                has provided training and TA.
                                               last 5 years.                                           the same region previously identified in              0–1 clients: 0 points
                                                  Proposals must identify specific MFH                 this Notice. Selection points will be                 2–3 clients: 5 points
                                               projects for which the responding entity                awarded as follows:                                   4–6 clients: 10 points
                                               has been able to leverage funding from                                                                        7–9 clients: 15 points
                                                                                                       A. Key Personnel                                      10 or more clients: 20 points
                                               two or more sources for transfer,
                                               rehabilitation, or development.                           1. Key Personnel has successful                        3. The number of multi-family
                                                  For the projects and applications                    verifiable experience performing the                  projects for which the respondent has
                                               above, information must be provided                     requirements of this RFP:                             assisted in estimating transfer,
                                               concerning the number of housing units,                 Less than 2 years: 0 points                           development and rehabilitation/
                                               their size, their design, and the amount                2–5 years: 5 points                                   construction costs and obtaining the
                                               of grant and loan funds that were                       More than 5–8 years: 10 points                        necessary permits and clearances:
                                               secured.                                                More than 8–12 years: 20 points                       0 to 1 projects: 0 points
                                               3. Key Personnel                                        More than 12 years: 30 points                         2 to 4 projects: 5 points
                                                                                                         2. Key Personnel has successful                     5 to 7 projects: 10 points
                                                  Proposals must include the resumes                   verifiable experience managing grants                 8 to 9 projects: 15 points
                                               of the Key Personnel that will perform                  through their lifecycle:                              10 or more projects: 20 points
                                               the day-to-day administration of this                                                                            4. The number of times the
                                               grant. Describe each Key Personnel’s                    1 or less grants: 0 points
                                                                                                       2–4 grants: 5 points                                  responding entity has been able to
                                               ability to perform the proposal’s                                                                             leverage funding from two or more
                                                                                                       5–8 grants: 10 points
                                               activities, and past experience in                                                                            sources for the transfer, rehabilitation,
                                                                                                       9–12 grants: 20 points
                                               successfully managing grants. Also                                                                            or development of a multi-family
                                                                                                       13 or more grants: 30 points
                                               include an organizational plan that                                                                           project.
                                               includes a staffing chart complete with                 B. Target Areas                                       0 to 1 times: 0 points
                                               name, job title, salary, hours, timelines,                 1. The more areas the proposal                     2 to 4 times: 5 points
                                               and descriptions of employee duties to                  commits to targeting, the more points                 5 to 10 times: 10 points
                                               achieve the objectives of the grant                     will be awarded. Points will be given                 11 to 15 times: 15 points
                                               program.                                                based on the number of areas within a                 16 or more times: 20 points
                                               4. Agents                                               region that the responding entity has                 D. Administrative Costs
                                                                                                       targeted:
                                                  If the responding entity intends to                                                                          Administrative costs as a percentage
                                               have other entities working on its                      5 or less targeted areas: 0 points                    of grant funds used:
                                               behalf, the narrative must identify those               6 targeted areas: 5 points
                                                                                                       7 targeted areas: 10 points                           More than 20%: 0 points
                                               entities and address their ability to meet                                                                    15% or more but less 20%: 5 points
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                                               the stated eligibility requirements.                    8 targeted areas: 15 points
                                                                                                                                                             10% or more but less 15%: 15 points
                                                                                                       9 or more targeted areas: 20 points                   5% or more but less 10%: 25 points
                                               E. SOW                                                     2. RHS wants the responding entity to              Less than 5%: 40 points
                                                 Proposals must include a detailed                     cover as much of the grant region as
                                               SOW (see Section III of this Notice). The               possible and as supported by the                      E. Additional Factors
                                               ROI description and method of                           respective RD State Office(s). For this                 In the event two or more proposals
                                               evaluation is an integral part of the                   reason, additional points will be                     within a region are scored with an equal


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                                               8422                        Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2018 / Notices

                                               amount of points, the Agency will make                    Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture,               proceedings by first calling the Federal
                                               selections based on achieving the                       Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400                Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339 and
                                               maximum number of areas, regions,                       Independence Avenue SW, Washington,                   providing the Service with the
                                               grantees and loan applicants being                      DC 20250–9410;                                        conference call number and conference
                                               served, as well as cost-efficiency.                       Fax: (202) 690–7442; or                             ID number.
                                                  All proposals received under this                      Email: program.intake@usda.gov.
                                               Notice and grantees will be screened for                  USDA is an equal opportunity                          Members of the public are also
                                               eligibility to participate in the grant                 provider, employer, and lender.                       entitled to submit written comments;
                                               program using Treasury’s Do Not Pay                                                                           the comments must be received in the
                                                                                                         Dated: February 15, 2018.
                                               Portal in compliance with the Improper                                                                        regional office within 30 days following
                                                                                                       Curtis M. Anderson,                                   the meeting. Written comments may be
                                               Payments Elimination and Recovery
                                                                                                       Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service.          mailed to the Eastern Regional Office,
                                               Improvement Act.
                                                  RHS will notify all responding                       [FR Doc. 2018–03900 Filed 2–26–18; 8:45 am]           U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1331
                                               entities whether their proposal has been                BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P                                Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 1150,
                                               accepted or rejected and provide appeal                                                                       Washington, DC 20425. They may also
                                               rights under 7 CFR part 11, as                                                                                be faxed to the Commission at (202)
                                               appropriate.                                            COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS                            376–7548, or emailed to Evelyn Bohor at
                                               Paperwork Reduction Act                                                                                       ero@usccr.gov. Persons who desire
                                                                                                       Notice of Public Meeting of the Maine
                                                                                                                                                             additional information may contact the
                                                 The reporting requirements contained                  Advisory Committee to the U.S.
                                                                                                       Commission on Civil Rights                            Eastern Regional Office at (202) 376–
                                               in this Notice have been approved by
                                                                                                                                                             7533.
                                               the OMB under Control Number 0575–                      AGENCY: U.S. Commission on Civil
                                               0181.                                                                                                           Records generated from this meeting
                                                                                                       Rights.                                               may be inspected and reproduced at the
                                               Non-Discrimination Statement                            ACTION: Announcement of meeting.                      Regional Programs Unit Office, as they
                                                  In accordance with Federal civil                                                                           become available, both before and after
                                                                                                       SUMMARY:   Notice is hereby given,
                                               rights law and U.S. Department of                                                                             the meeting. Records of the meeting will
                                                                                                       pursuant to the provisions of the rules
                                               Agriculture (USDA) civil rights                                                                               be available via www.facadatabase.gov
                                                                                                       and regulations of the U.S. Commission
                                               regulations and policies, the USDA, its                                                                       under the Commission on Civil Rights,
                                                                                                       on Civil Rights (Commission) and the
                                               Agencies, offices, employees, and                                                                             Maine Advisory Committee link (http://
                                                                                                       Federal Advisory Committee Act that
                                               institutions participating in or                                                                              www.facadatabase.gov/committee/
                                                                                                       the Maine Advisory Committee
                                               administering USDA programs are                                                                               meetings.aspx?cid=252). Persons
                                                                                                       (Committee) will hold a meeting on
                                               prohibited from discriminating based on                                                                       interested in the work of this Committee
                                                                                                       Tuesday, February 27, 2018, at 1:00 p.m.
                                               race, color, national origin, religion, sex,
                                                                                                       EST for the purpose of preparing for its              are directed to the Commission’s
                                               gender identity (including gender
                                                                                                       public meeting on voting rights issues in             website, http://www.usccr.gov, or may
                                               expression), sexual orientation,
                                                                                                       the state.                                            contact the Regional Programs Unit
                                               disability, age, marital status, familial/
                                               parental status, income derived from a                  DATES: The meeting will be held on                    Office at the above email or street
                                               public assistance program, political                    Tuesday, February 27, 2018, at 1:00 p.m.              address.
                                               beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior           EST
                                                                                                                                                             Agenda
                                               civil rights activity, in any program or                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                               activity conducted or funded by USDA                    Evelyn Bohor, at ero@usccr.gov or 202–                Welcome and Roll Call
                                               (not all bases apply to all programs).                  376–7533.
                                                                                                                                                             Discussion: Voting Rights in Maine
                                               Remedies and complaint filing                           SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                                               deadlines vary by program or incident.                     Public Call Information: Dial: 1–888–              Public Comment
                                                  Persons with disabilities who require                724–9516, Conference ID: 315918.                      Future Plans and Actions
                                               alternative means of communication for                     Members of the public can listen to                Adjournment
                                               program information (e.g., Braille, large               the discussion. This meeting is available
                                               print, audiotape, American Sign                         to the public through the above listed                  Exceptional Circumstance: Pursuant
                                               Language, etc.) should contact the                      toll free number. Any interested                      to 41 CFR 102–3.150, the notice for this
                                               responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET                     member of the public may call this                    meeting is given less than 15 calendar
                                               Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and                     number and listen to the meeting. An                  days prior to the meeting because of the
                                               TTY) or contact USDA through the                        open comment period will be provided                  exceptional circumstance of this
                                               Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–8339.                to allow members of the public to make                Committee doing work on the FY 2018
                                               Additionally, program information may                   a statement as time allows. The                       statutory enforcement report.
                                               be made available in languages other                    conference call operator will ask callers
                                                                                                                                                               Dated: February 22, 2018.
                                               than English.                                           to identify themselves, the organization
                                                  To file a program discrimination                     they are affiliated with (if any), and an             David Mussatt,
                                               complaint, complete the USDA Program                    email address prior to placing callers                Supervisory Chief, Regional Programs Unit.
                                               Discrimination Complaint Form, AD–                      into the conference room. Callers can                 [FR Doc. 2018–03910 Filed 2–26–18; 8:45 am]
                                               3027, found online at http://                           expect to incur regular charges for calls             BILLING CODE P
                                               www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_                     they initiate over wireless lines,
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES




                                               cust.html and at any USDA office or                     according to their wireless plan. The
                                               write a letter addressed to USDA and                    Commission will not refund any
                                               provide in the letter all of the                        incurred charges. Callers will incur no
                                               information requested in the form. To                   charge for calls they initiate over land-
                                               request a copy of the complaint form,                   line connections to the toll-free
                                               call (866) 632–9992, submit your                        telephone number. Persons with hearing
                                               completed form or letter to USDA by:                    impairments may also follow the


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Document Created: 2018-02-27 01:14:29
Document Modified: 2018-02-27 01:14:29
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice.
DatesFebruary 27, 2018.
ContactMirna Reyes-Bible, Finance and Loan Analyst, Preservation and Direct Loan Division, STOP 0781 (Room 1243- S), USDA Rural Development, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-0781, telephone: (202) 720-1753 (this is not a toll free number), or via email: [email protected]
FR Citation83 FR 8418 

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