Employment and Training Administration Workforce Investment Act--
Migrants and Seasonal Farmworkers Program--Solicitation for Grant
Applications--National Farmworker Jobs Program, Housing Assistance for
Program Year 2007
[04/20/2007]
Volume 72, Number 76, Page 19966-19972
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Employment and Training Administration Workforce Investment Act--
Migrants and Seasonal Farmworkers Program--Solicitation for Grant
Applications--National Farmworker Jobs Program, Housing Assistance for
Program Year 2007
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration.
ACTION: New. Initial announcement of a grant competition for operating
the Housing Assistance portion of the National Farmworker Jobs Program
(NFJP), under section 167 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
(WIA), 29 U.S.C. 2912.
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Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA-PY 06-05.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.264.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (the Department or DOL),
Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of Workforce
Investment (OWI), Division of Adult Services (DAS), announces a grant
competition for operating the housing assistance portion of the
National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP), under section 167 of the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), 29 U.S.C. 2912. All applicants
for grant funds should read this notice in its entirety.
Section 167, paragraph (a) of WIA requires the Secretary to award
grants or contracts on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the
purposes of carrying out the activities authorized under section 167.
Although housing assistance is identified in WIA as one of the
allowable activities under the NFJP, Congressional appropriations
language directs the Department to make available a specific amount of
the funds appropriated for the NFJP for migrant and seasonal
farmworkers housing assistance grants, and that no less than 70 percent
of the specified amount must be used for permanent housing activities.
Therefore, under this solicitation, of the $4,950,000 appropriated for
NFJP Housing assistance, approximately $3,465,000 will be available for
permanent housing assistance and approximately $1,485,000 for temporary
and/or emergency housing assistance.
DATES: Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under
this announcement is May 29, 2007. Applications must be received at the
address below no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be directed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: James Stockton, Room N-4673, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Supplementary Information
Funding Opportunity Description
The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration, Office of Workforce Investment (OWI), Division of Adult
Services (DAS), is requesting applications for grants to operate the
housing assistance portion of the National Farmworker Jobs Program
(NFJP) in accordance with Section 167 of WIA, 29 U.S.C. 9201. The NFJP
serves economically disadvantaged persons who primarily depend on
employment in agricultural labor performed within the United States,
including Puerto Rico, and who experience chronic unemployment or
underemployment. Housing assistance is a supportive service offered to
assist migrant and seasonal farmworkers to retain employment or enter
into or complete training. Funds for housing assistance activities are
made available through the NFJP appropriation included in the FY 2007
Continuing Appropriations Resolution, Pub. L. 110-5.
Housing assistance under the NFJP became available three decades
ago as a tool to improve economic outcomes for farmworkers and was
included as one of a number of supportive services to assist
farmworkers to retain employment or enter into and/or remain in
training. The NFJP regulations consider housing assistance one of a
number of related assistance and/or supportive services available to
eligible farmworkers through the NFJP (20 CFR 669.430). Over time,
however, a strong link between the provision of housing assistance and
achievement of employment, training, and earnings has eroded.
To once again establish a strong link between housing assistance
activities and improved economic outcomes for farmworkers, the
Department engaged in a dialogue with current and former housing
assistance grantees to develop a set of principles and definitions of
housing assistance that renewed the focus on employment and training
objectives in future solicitations/competitions. The results of the
dialogue are the Guiding Principles and Definitions that follow. Please
note that a factor in scoring applications will be how well these
Principles are applied to the proposed plan of services requested by
this solicitation. The Definitions are intended to provide clarity for
applicants as they develop their applications, and will also be
factored into the scoring of the applications.
Guiding Principles
Housing Assistance Should Leverage Improved Economic Outcomes for
Farmworkers
Housing assistance should enable migrant and seasonal farmworkers
to retain employment, enter into, or complete job training activities,
and improve their earnings. Housing is a service that supports the
economic objectives of the NFJP.
Housing Assistance Services, and the Strategies Used To Deliver Them,
Should Meet the Needs of All Farmworkers
Farmworkers seeking to improve their economic future have diverse
housing needs. Moreover, these needs are not static but change over
time. Strategies used to meet these diverse and dynamic housing
assistance needs must be flexible and based on a mix of permanent and
temporary housing and emergency assistance solutions tailored to
regional and local needs.
Housing Developed With WIA 167 (NFJP) Funding Should Be Actively
Marketed, and Broadly Accessible, to NFJP-Eligible Farmworkers
While occupancy of year-round and migrant rental units is not
restricted to NFJP-eligible farmworkers, the strong link between
housing assistance and the economic objectives of the NFJP should
translate directly into broad access by NFJP farmworkers to housing
assistance. Providing housing assistance to NFJP-eligible farmworkers
should be a priority.
Definitions
Permanent Housing (and its corresponding housing assistance
services) is defined as housing intended to be owner-occupied, or
occupied on a permanent, year-round basis (notwithstanding ownership)
as the farmworker's primary residence to which he/she typically returns
at the
[[Page 19967]]
end of the work or training day, and assists the farmworker to stay
employed or enter into or complete job training.
Permanent housing (services) includes: Rental units, single family,
duplexes, and other multi-family structures, dormitory, group home and
other housing types that provide short-term, seasonal, or year-round
housing opportunities in permanent structures. Modular structures,
manufactured housing or mobile units placed on permanent foundations
and supplied with appropriate utilities and other infrastructure are
also considered permanent housing.
Managing permanent housing assistance activities may require
investments in development services, project management, resource
development to secure acquisition, construction/renovation and
operating funds, property management services and program management.
New construction, purchase of existing structures, and rehabilitation
of existing structures, as well as the infrastructure, utilities and
other improvements necessary to complete or maintain those structures
may also be considered part of managing permanent housing.
Temporary housing (and its corresponding housing services,
including emergency housing assistance) is defined as housing intended
to meet the farmworker's need to temporarily occupy a unit of housing
for reasons related to seeking or retaining employment, or engaging in
training. It is not owner-occupied housing, and those farmworkers most
likely to utilize it are those engaged in migratory employment or
seasonal workers whose employment requires occasional travel outside
their normal commuting area.
Temporary housing includes housing units intended for temporary
occupancy located in permanent structures, such as rental units in an
apartment complex. Yurts, mobile structures, and tents that provide
short-term, seasonal housing opportunities are also included. They may
be moved from site to site, dismantled and re-erected when needed for
farmworker occupancy, closed during the off-season, or other similar
arrangements.
Temporary housing may also be off-farm housing operated
independently of employer interest in or control of the housing, or on-
farm housing operated by a nonprofit, including faith based or
community non-profit organizations, but located on property owned by an
agricultural employer. Managing temporary housing assistance may
involve property management of temporary housing facilities, case
management and referral services, and emergency housing payments,
including vouchers and cash payments for rent/lease and utilities.
As mentioned earlier, applicants must design their programs around
the aforementioned Guiding Principles and Definitions, since they will
be used as scoring factors.
Applicants may propose to provide permanent housing assistance
services only, temporary/emergency housing assistance services only, or
both permanent and temporary/emergency housing assistance services. The
proposal must describe the proposed housing services to be provided and
discuss the reasons why the proposed service mix is best suited to meet
the employment and training and program performance objectives of the
NFJP. Awards made in cases where housing assistance services are
proposed in a single category only (permanent or temporary/emergency)
will reflect ETA's compliance with the Congressional mandate that
seventy (70) percent of housing assistance funds be used to provide
permanent housing assistance services.
Applicants proposing to offer both types of housing assistance
services must clearly describe the permanent and temporary/emergency
housing assistance services proposed to be provided, and discuss the
reasons why the proposed service strategy is best suited to meet the
employment and training and program performance objectives of the NFJP.
Such applications must include separate budgets for the proposed
permanent and temporary/emergency housing assistance, respectively.
These separate budget requests must conform to the Congressional
mandate that seventy (70) percent of housing assistance funds be used
to provide permanent housing assistance services.
Housing assistance under the NFJP is subject to the requirements of
WIA section 167 and the Department's regulations at 20 CFR part 669.
This program is also subject to the requirements of 29 CFR parts 93
(New Restrictions on Lobbying), 96 (Audit Requirements), and 98
(Debarment, Suspension, and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements); the
Department's non-discrimination regulations at 29 CFR part 34, the non-
discrimination regulations implementing WIA Section 188 at 29 CFR part
37, and the Equal treatment regulations found at 29 CFR Part 2, Subpart
D. Applicants should be familiar with and consult the WIA regulations
at 20 CFR parts 660 through 671 in developing their grant proposals.
Should the regulations at part 669 of WIA conflict with regulations
elsewhere in 20 CFR, the regulations at part 669 will control.
In addition, this program is subject to the provisions of the
``Jobs for Veterans Act,'' Public Law 107-288, which provides priority
of service to veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt
of employment, training, and placement services in job training
programs directly funded, in whole or in part, by the U.S. Department
of Labor. In circumstances where NFJP housing assistance grant
recipients must choose between two equally qualified candidates for
housing assistance, one of whom is a veteran, the Jobs for Veterans Act
requires that NFJP housing assistance grant recipients give the veteran
priority of service by admitting him or her into the program. Please
note that, to obtain priority of service, a veteran must meet the
program's eligibility requirements. ETA Training and Employment
Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 5-03, along with additional guidance, is
available at the ``Jobs for Veterans Priority of Service'' Web site at
http://www.doleta.gov/programs/vets.
DAS will continue to work with grantees to develop a reporting and
performance management and accountability system that allows for
improved tracking of activities and performance results. Until such
system is established, applicants awarded grants will be expected to
report in narrative form on a quarterly basis. Instructions will be
provided to organizations once grants are awarded.
II. Award Information
The type of assistance instrument to be used for the NFJP Housing
Assistance program is a grant. Grants awarded through this solicitation
will be for a two-year period, as prescribed in WIA section 167. Please
be advised that the $4,950,000 provides funding for the NFJP for PY
2007 only (July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008). Therefore, second year
funding will be dependent on the availability of funding through the FY
2008 appropriation process.
The amount available nationally for the NFJP Housing Assistance
program is $4,950,000. The FY 2007 Continuing Appropriations
Resolution, Public Law 110-5, provides that no less than 70 percent of
this amount shall be used for permanent housing activities. Therefore,
approximately $3,465,000 will be available for permanent housing
activities, and $1,485,000 will be available for temporary and
emergency housing activities. Applicants are reminded that separate
budgets and descriptions of activities are required for permanent and
temporary and/or
[[Page 19968]]
emergency housing assistance, particularly in cases where the applicant
organization intends to provide both types of services.
In the past, housing grantees have typically provided housing
assistance services in more than one state or area of a state.
Therefore, for applications covering more than one area, applicants
will be required to submit detailed information about the services to
be provided in each of the areas covered by the proposal, including
information regarding sub-grantees, if any. The application must
include a detailed budget for each of the sub-grantees and describe the
housing assistance services to be provided by each sub-grantee.
Applications that propose to use sub-grantees but contain one budget
for the entire project, without the breakdown for the sub-grantees,
will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.
The number and funding amount of grants awarded will vary depending
on the number of applications received and found to be fundable. In the
past, awards have ranged from approximately $150,000 to approximately
$1,000,000.
Note: Selection of an organization as a grantee does not
constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before
the actual grant is awarded, the Department may enter into
negotiations about such items as program components, the budget
proposal, staffing and funding levels, and administrative systems in
place to support grant implementation. If the negotiations do not
result in a mutually acceptable submission, the Grant Officer
reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline to fund
the application.
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants
Applicants need not be a current or prior housing assistance
grantee to be eligible for a grant award under this solicitation. State
workforce agencies and State Workforce Boards, Local Workforce
Investment Boards (LWIBs), and faith-based and community organizations
are examples of the entities eligible to apply for a grant award.
To provide housing assistance services to eligible migrant and
seasonal farmworkers under WIA section 167, whether permanent,
temporary/emergency, or a mix of both, the Department will select those
proposals that are deemed most responsive to the requirements of this
solicitation, as reviewed and scored during the review panel process.
To that end, proposals must show that the applicant:
--Has an understanding of the housing market in the area(s) they
propose to serve, as well as an understanding of the housing needs of
migrant and seasonal farmworkers;
--Has a familiarity with the housing conditions in the proposed service
area, the housing assistance available from other agencies in the
service area, and the impact of both those elements on the housing
needs of farmworkers; and
--Has the capacity to effectively administer a housing assistance
program with the proper administrative and fiscal oversight and
integrity.
Additionally, to be responsive to the requirements of this
solicitation, applicants must demonstrate how the proposed service plan
will reflect the Guiding Principles described in Section I of this
solicitation.
Applicants must describe their collaboration and working
relationships with other agencies in the proposed service area that may
provide housing or employment assistance, such as the One-Stop system
and the wider community of social service agencies, including faith-
based and community organizations.
The proposal should describe the expected results of those
relationships on the development of and enhanced housing assistance
services for farmworkers under this grant, if an award is made.
Cost Sharing or Matching
The WIA section 167 program does not require grantees to share
costs or provide matching funds.
Other Eligibility Criteria
In accordance with 29 CFR part 98, entities that are debarred or
suspended are excluded from Federal financial assistance and are
ineligible to receive a WIA section 167 housing assistance grant.
Prior to awarding a grant, the Department will conduct a
responsibility review of each potential grantee through available
records. The responsibility review relies on testing available records
to determine if an applicant has a satisfactory history of accounting
for Federal funds and property. The responsibility review is
independent of the competitive process. Applicants failing to meet the
requirements of this section may be disqualified for selection as
grantees, irrespective of their standing in the competition. Any
applicant not selected as a result of the responsibility review will be
advised of their appeal rights. The responsibility tests that will be
applied are those present in the WIA regulations (20 CFR 667.170).
Legal Rules Pertaining to Inherently Religious Activities by
Organizations That Receive Federal Financial Assistance
The government is generally prohibited from providing direct
financial assistance for inherently religious activities. Please note
that, in this context, the term direct financial assistance means
financial assistance that is provided directly by a government entity
or an intermediate organization, as opposed to financial assistance
that an organization receives as the result of the genuine and
independent private choice of a beneficiary. These grants may not be
used for religious instruction, worship, prayer, proselytizing, or
other inherently religious activities. Neutral, non-religious criteria
that neither favor nor disfavor religion must be utilized in the
selection of grant recipients and sub-recipients. The Department's
Equal Treatment regulations can be found at 29 CFR Part 2, Subpart D.
IV. Application and Submission Information
Address To Request Application Package
This SGA includes all information and forms needed to apply for
this funding opportunity. If additional copies of forms are needed,
they can be found at http://www.doleta.gov/msfw and http://www
.doleta.gov/sga.
Content and Form of Application Submission
An application must include two (2) separate and distinct parts:
Part I--a cost proposal, and Part II--a technical proposal.
Applications that fail to adhere to the instructions in this section
will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed. Part I of
the proposal is the Cost Proposal and must include the following items:
A cover letter, an original plus two (2) copies of the
proposal, and an ink-signed original SF 424, ``Application for Federal
Assistance,'' must be submitted. As of October 12, 2003, all applicants
for federal grant and funding opportunities are required to have a Dun
and Bradstreet (DUNS) number (see OMB Notice of Final Policy Issuance,
68 FR 38402, dated June 27, 2003). Applicants must supply their DUNS
number in item 8 of the new SF 424 issued by OMB (Rev. 10-
2005). The DUNS number is a nine digit identification number that
uniquely identifies business entities.
Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a
[[Page 19969]]
http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711.
The Standard Form (SF) 424-A. In preparing the budget
form, the applicant must provide a concise narrative explanation to
support the request. The budget narrative should break down the budget
and discuss precisely how the administrative costs support the project
goals.
EEO Survey. Applicants are required to submit OMB Survey
No. 1890-0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants,
which can be found at http://www.doleta.gov/sga/forms.cfm.
Part II of the application is the Technical Proposal, which
demonstrates the applicant's capabilities to plan and implement the
grant project in accordance with the provisions of this solicitation.
The Technical Proposal should be limited to 20 numbered pages, double-
spaced and single-sided, in 12-point text font with one-inch margins.
Any pages over the 20 page limit will not be reviewed. It should be
noted that letters of support and any required attachments will not be
subject to the page limitations; letters of support will not be
included in the materials provided to the panel for review of the
proposal.
No cost data or reference to prices should be included in the
Technical Proposal. Instead, applicants should include a two-page
abstract summarizing the proposed project and applicant profile
information including the applicant's name, the project title, and the
funding level requested. The two-page abstract is not included in the
20-page limitation. Applications that do not meet these requirements
will not be reviewed.
Submission Dates and Times
The closing date for receipt of applications under this
announcement is May 29, 2007. Applications must be received at the
address below no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.
Applications may be submitted by mail or electronically through
Grants.gov at the address listed below. Applications sent by e-mail,
telegram, or facsimile (fax) will not be accepted. Applications that do
not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will not be honored.
No exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set forth in
this notice will be granted.
Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: James Stockton, Reference SGA/DFA PY 04-07, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-4673, Washington, DC 20210. Applicants
are advised that mail delivery in the Washington, DC area may be
delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand-delivered
proposals will be received at the above address.
Applicants may apply online at http://www.grants.gov. Any
application received after the deadline will not be accepted. For
applicants submitting electronic applications via Grants.gov, it is
strongly recommended that they immediately initiate and complete the
``Get Started'' steps to register with Grants.gov, at http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted.
These steps will probably take multiple days
to complete, which should be factored in to an applicant's plans for
electronic applications submission in order to avoid unexpected delays
that could result in the rejection of the application. Also, it is
recommended that applicants experiencing problems with electronic
submissions submit their proposals by overnight mail until the
electronic issues are resolved. Other submission options are discussed
in Section IV of this announcement.
Late Applications
Any application received after the closing date and time specified
for receipt at the office designated in this notice will not be
considered, unless it is received before awards are made and (a) it was
sent by the U.S. Postal Service registered or certified mail no later
than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of
applications (e.g.; an application required to be received by the 20th
of the month must be postmarked by the 15th of that month); or (b) it
was sent via professional overnight delivery service or submitted on
Grants.gov to the addressee not later than one working day prior to the
date specified for receipt of applications.
The term ``working days'' excludes weekends and Federal holidays.
``Postmarked'' means that a printed, stamped, or otherwise placed
impression that is readily identifiable, without further action, as
having been supplied or affixed on the date of mailing by an employee
of the U.S. Postal Service.
Intergovernmental Review
Executive Order (E.O.) No. 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs,'' and the implementing regulations at 29 CFR part 17
are applicable to this program. Under these requirements, an applicant
must provide a copy of the funding proposal for comment to the states
that have established a consultation process under the E.O.
Applications must be submitted to the state's Single Point of Contact
(SPOC), no later than the deadline for submission of the application to
the Department. For states that have not established a consultative
process under E.O. 12372, but have a State Workforce Investment Board
(State Board), the State Board will be the SPOC. For WIA implementation
purposes, this consultative process fulfills the requirement of WIA
Section 167(e) concerning consultation with Governors and Local
Workforce Investment Boards (LWIB). To strengthen the implementation of
the E.O., the Department establishes a timeframe for the treatment of
comments from the state's SPOC on WIA Section 167 applications
(including housing assistance). The SPOC must submit comments, if any,
to the Department and the applicant no later than 30 days after the
deadline for submission of the application. The applicant's response to
the SPOC comments, if any, must be submitted to the Department no later
than 15 days after the postmarked date of the comments from the SPOC.
The Department will notify the SPOC of its decision regarding the SPOC
comments and the applicant's response, and implement that decision
within 10 days after notification to the SPOC.
The names and addresses of the SPOCs are listed in the Office of
Management and Budget's (OMB) home page at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html
.
Funding Restrictions
As mentioned earlier in this document, appropriations language
requires that no less than 70 percent of the funds available through
this solicitation must be spent on permanent housing activities. Given
this requirement, applicants should clearly identify the types of
housing assistance services that will be provided to farmworkers,
particularly in cases where an applicant is proposing to provide both
permanent and temporary housing assistance.
Applicants are advised that the requirement to spend 70 percent of
the funds available through this solicitation on permanent housing may
affect the number of applications funded and/or the amount of funding
per grant.
Administrative costs are limited to fifteen (15) percent of the
grant (see definition of administrative costs at 20 CFR 667.220).
Administrative costs limits higher than fifteen (15) percent will not
be approved.
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Indirect Cost Rate
An indirect cost rate is required when an organization operates
under more than one grant or other activity, whether Federally-assisted
or not. Organizations must use the indirect cost rate supplied by the
cognizant Federal agency. If an organization requires a new indirect
cost rate or has a pending indirect cost rate, the Grant Officer will
award a billing rate for 90 days until a provisional rate can be
issued.
Allowable Costs
The Department shall determine what constitutes allowable cost in
accordance with the following Federal cost principles, as applicable:
OMB Circular A-87, State and Local Governments; OMB Circular A-21,
Educational Institutions; OMB Circular A-122, Nonprofit Organizations;
and 48 CFR Part 31, Profit-making Commercial Firms.
Other Submission Requirements
All other submission materials are identified in the various
sections of this solicitation.
V. Application Review Information Criteria
The following full review criteria, totaling a maximum of 100
points, applies to all applications:
Understanding the Housing Assistance Needs of the Eligible Migrant and
Seasonal Farmworkers in the Proposed Service Area(s)--20 Points
The Guiding Principles contained in Section I of this solicitation
reflect critical elements for a sound housing assistance strategy,
including how housing assistance services should leverage improved
outcomes for farmworkers, and that housing developed with NFJP funding
should be actively marketed and broadly accessible to NFJP-eligible
farmworkers. These Principles, along with an understanding of the
housing market in the proposed service area(s) and the problems faced
by migrant and seasonal farmworkers in accessing that market, are
critical to the formulation of an effective housing assistance
strategy. In addition, an effective strategy of outreach to migrant and
seasonal farmworkers is essential to meeting their housing assistance
needs, as discussed in the Principles.
Applicants must describe the housing market in the proposed service
area(s), including a description of employer-provided housing, if any;
publicly-subsidized housing, if any; and the problems encountered by
migrant and seasonal farmworkers in accessing affordable housing.
Include a discussion of the problems faced by migrant and seasonal
farmworkers in getting and keeping a job, or in participating in
training activities that lead to improved economic outcomes, as a
result of housing needs going unmet. Applicants must also describe
their strategy for identifying and conducting outreach to eligible
farmworkers with housing needs. In cases where a number of different
organizations are jointly applying, this section must include the
requested information for each of the areas covered by the potential
sub-grantee organizations. Scoring on this factor will be based on how
the tenets included in the Principles were incorporated in the
applicant's analysis of the housing market in the area(s) of proposed
services, as well as any studies and analyses conducted to determine
farmworker housing assistance needs. Scoring will also take into
account the quality of the applicant's analysis of housing assistance
available through other housing assistance organizations, including
faith-based and community organizations, and the applicants' plans to
integrate their housing assistance services with those already present
in the proposed area(s). The applicant's analysis must demonstrate an
in-depth knowledge of the housing market in the service area(s) and how
housing availability impacts a farmworker's ability to obtain and
retain employment, or participate in training or other activities that
lead to improved economic outcomes.
Familiarity With the Proposed Service Area(s)--20 Points
Familiarity with the housing conditions in the proposed service
area(s) and the housing assistance available from other sources in that
area(s) is essential to providing housing assistance services that are
appropriate for the migrant and seasonal farmworkers in need of
services, to assure non-duplicative use of WIA Section 167 housing
assistance funds, and to reflect the Principles described in Section I
of this solicitation.
Applicants must provide an analysis of the housing assistance
resources available from all sources in the proposed service area(s),
including employer-sponsored housing, state and local agencies, the
One-Stop system, and housing assistance organizations, including faith-
based and community organizations. Applicants must describe their
efforts to engage these resources on behalf of farmworkers, including
any successful efforts in the past, and the results of those efforts.
Applicants must also describe the strategies they propose to ensure
access to these housing opportunities by eligible migrant and seasonal
farmworkers, emphasizing the different strategies for each farmworker
population. In cases where a number of different organizations are
jointly applying, this section must include the requested information
for each of the areas covered by the potential sub-grantees.
Scoring on this factor will be based on the comprehensiveness and
quality of the mapping of housing assistance resources available from
sources other than WIA section 167 funds, and the applicant's strategy
for using other housing assistance funds to maximize the housing
assistance services available to migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
Administrative Capacity--20 Points
The capacity to effectively administer a housing assistance program
is contingent on effective and efficient systems to assure program and
fiscal oversight and integrity.
Applicants must describe the management information and performance
management systems to be used for reporting, and its performance
accountability and management, fiscal management, and case management
systems. The applicant must include a clear description of its
experience with performance management systems and how the results
achieved were applied to improved customer service. The discussion
should include:
A description of how eligibility to receive housing
assistance services will be determined, including how that relates to
improved employment outcomes for farmworkers;
a discussion of whether the criteria used to determine
eligibility differs among migrant and seasonal farmworker groups, and,
if so, what the differences are, and the rationale for them.
Applicants must also describe their recordkeeping system in
sufficient detail to demonstrate that it is sufficient to prepare
financial reports and to trace funds to adequate levels of expenditures
to ensure lawful spending. Please note that in cases where a number of
different organizations are applying together, the lead agency will be
expected to prepare a ``roll-up'' or aggregated report that clearly
identifies the expenditures of each sub-grantee individually, as well
as the combined total.
The WIA section 167 housing assistance program is required to use
electronic reporting via the Internet. The applicant must describe its
capacity to provide the equipment (including Personal Computers,
software for word
[[Page 19971]]
processing and spreadsheets, individual e-mail accounts), access
(including Internet access), and staff qualified to perform on-line
reporting.
Scoring on this factor will be based on the quality and
comprehensiveness of evidence presented to demonstrate that the
applicant has effective management, program and fiscal accounting and
reporting systems.
Proposed Activities and Services--40 Points
The applicant's discussion of the proposed approach to providing
specific housing assistance services (permanent, temporary/emergency,
or both) is the most important single element of the application, and
must reflect the Principles contained in Section I of this
solicitation. With regard to the requirements below, this section
should clearly indicate whether different housing services strategies
will be employed to meet the housing and related employment and
training needs of seasonal farmworkers versus migrant farmworkers.
Permanent Housing Assistance
Applicants proposing to carry out permanent housing activities only
must describe their system for identifying farmworkers in need of
permanent housing assistance, including the process for eligibility
determination and coordination with the NFJP grantee and the relevant
state and local One-Stop system to ensure that the housing assistance
supports an employment outcome or training objective for farmworkers
eligible for NFJP services.
The proposal must:
Describe all the phases of the permanent housing project,
including pre-development activities, housing development,
construction, lease-up, and post-leasing activities (or the activities
leading to successful rehabilitation of existing permanent housing),
and include a timeline that estimates the length of time required for
each project to be undertaken;
Include a description of the housing counseling activities
to be provided to farmworkers (including information on first-time home
ownership);
Include the types of technical assistance to be provided
to other housing organizations, if appropriate; and
A description of the system that will be used to capture
the number of referrals made from the NFJP grantee or other One-Stop
system partners to permanent housing facilities or units established
through a permanent housing program.
The proposal should include an estimate of the number of
farmworkers to be assisted through the permanent housing program, and
an estimate of how many of those farmworkers are also NFJP-eligible
farmworkers.
Temporary and/or Emergency Housing Assistance
Applicants proposing to carry out temporary and/or emergency
housing assistance only must describe their system for identifying
farmworkers in need of temporary and/or emergency housing assistance,
including the process for eligibility determination and coordination
with the NFJP grantee in the state and, if applicable, with the
relevant state and local One-Stop system, to ensure that the housing
assistance supports an employment outcome or training objective for
those farmworkers who are NFJP-eligible. The proposal must:
Include a description of the case management approach to
be used and the way the organization proposes to manage the delivery of
temporary and/or emergency housing assistance services; and
Describe the specific housing assistance services to be
offered and the estimated number of migrant and seasonal farmworkers to
be served through each proposed service (i.e., temporary and emergency
housing, respectively). Separate information should be provided for
temporary housing and for emergency housing;
Describe how eligible farmworkers' housing assistance will
be coordinated with training and related assistance services provided
through the NFJP grantee if the applicant did not apply for or is not
awarded an NFJP grant, as well as the Local Workforce Investment
Board(s), which oversees strategic planning for all One-Stop partner
programs.
Permanent and Temporary/Emergency Housing Assistance
Applicants proposing to conduct a plan of service that encompasses
both permanent and temporary/emergency housing activities must provide
all of the information requested above.
All applicants are responsible for clearly identifying the
organization that will be responsible for delivering the services,
whether permanent or temporary and/or emergency, in each proposed
service area, i.e., the descriptions requested above must be included
for each organization that will deliver housing services in cases where
a number of different organizations are applying jointly.
Scoring on this factor will be based on evidence that the applicant
has effectively used its knowledge and experience as presented in the
previous sections, as applicable, to develop a housing assistance
strategy. The housing strategy and plan of service must successfully
meet the objectives of the Guiding Principles described in Section I of
this solicitation and be tailored appropriately to meet the needs of
migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the service area(s).
Review and Selection Process
The Grant Officer will select potential grantees utilizing all
information available to him/her. A review panel will rate each
proposal according to the criteria specified in this solicitation.
Panel reviews are critical to the selection of grantees but are
advisory in nature, and their recommendations are not binding on the
Grant Officer. The Grant Officer will make the final selection
determination based on what best meets the needs of migrants and
seasonal farmworkers. The Grant Officer may, at his/her discretion,
request an applicant to submit additional or clarifying information if
needed to make a selection. Please note that selections may be made
without further contact with the applicants. In such situations, an
award will be based on the SF 424, which constitutes a binding offer.
VI. Award Administration Information
Award Notices
The Grant Officer will notify applicants, in writing, if they are
selected as potential grantees. The notification will invite each
potential grantee to negotiate the final terms and conditions of the
grant, as applicable, will establish a reasonable time and place for
negotiations, and will indicate the specific service delivery area and
amount of funds to be allocated under the grant. FY 2007 funds will be
awarded for the period July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008.
An applicant that is not selected as a potential grantee or whose
application has been denied in whole or in part by the Department will
be notified in writing by the Grant Officer and advised of all appeal
rights.
Administrative and National Policy Requirements
There are no additional administrative or national policy
requirements besides those discussed elsewhere in this solicitation.
Reporting
Reporting for the WIA section 167 housing assistance program is
under
[[Page 19972]]
consideration; applicants awarded grants will be apprised of the
progress and the implications for grantees. Grantees will be required
to submit reports on financial expenditures on a quarterly basis. In
addition, until a reporting system is operational, grantees will be
required to submit narrative reports on program participation and
participant outcomes.
VII. Agency Contacts
Questions related to this solicitation may be directed to Ms. Mamie
Williams, Grants Management Specialist; phone 202-693-3341; fax: 202-
693-2879 (this is not a toll-free number). Please include a contact
name, fax and telephone number.
This announcement is also being made available on the ETA Web site
at http://doleta.gov/sga/sga.cfm and http://www.grants.gov.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 16th day of April, 2007.
James W. Stockton,
Grant Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-7496 Filed 4-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P
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