Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, HUD.
Notice of funding availability (NOFA).
If you are interested in applying for funding under this program, please review carefully the following information:
(1)
(2)
(3)
For information concerning the HUD Rural Housing and Economic Development program, contact Jackie Mitchell, Office of Community Planning and Development, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW, Room 7134, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708–2290 (this is not a toll-free number). Persons with speech or hearing impairments may access this number via TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339.
Prior to the application deadline, HUD at the numbers above will be available to provide general guidance, but not guidance in actually preparing the application. Following selection, but prior to award, HUD staff will be available to assist in clarifying or confirming information that is a prerequisite to the offer of an award by HUD.
Approximately $24.75 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2000 funding is being made available through this NOFA for the Rural Housing and Economic Development program. The breakdown for this funding is discussed below.
The Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 (Pub.L. 106–74, approved October 20, 1999) (the “FY 2000 HUD Appropriations Act”) made $25 million in FY 2000 funds available under the Rural Housing and Economic Development program.
HUD will award up to $24.75 million on a competitive basis in the following funding categories. HUD reserves the right to modify the size of a grant award to meet the objectives of the Rural Housing and Economic Development program.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(1)
A number of resources are available from the Federal government to address these problems, including programs of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the Department of Interior (for Indian Tribes) and HUD. The Rural Housing and Economic Development program has been developed to supplement these resources and to focus specifically on capacity building and innovative approaches to both housing and economic development in rural areas. In administering these funds, HUD will encourage coordination between all Federal agencies in support of the program objectives.
(i) Is located in the State of Arizona, California, New Mexico, or Texas;
(ii) Is located in the U.S.-Mexico border region (that is, within 150 miles of the border between the U.S. and Mexico);
(iii) Meets objective criteria, including lack of potable water supply, lack of adequate sewage systems, and lack of decent, safe, sanitary, and accessible housing.
Although section 916(e)(4) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 5306(e)(4)) included the notation that a colonia must have been in existence and generally recognized as such prior to its enactment, HUD recognizes that additional identifiable colonias have come into existence, in the near-decade since the enactment, and are in need of assistance to the same extent as older colonias.
(i) Specify the authority by which the commitment is made, the amount of the commitment and the use of funds. If the committed activity is to be self-financed, the applicant's partner must evidence its financial capability through a corporate or personal financial statement or other appropriate means. If any portion of it is to be financed through a lending institution, the participant must evidence the institution's commitment to fund the loan;
(ii) State the amount and use of the grant, and the relationship of the grant to the proposed investment; and
(iii) Affirm that its investment is contingent upon receipt of the total grant or other public money (or a specified portion thereof), and state a willingness on the part of the signatory to sign a legally binding commitment (conditioned on HUD environmental review and approval of a property, where applicable) upon award of the grant.
(i) Any private entity with tax exempt status recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which serves the eligible rural area involved in the application (including local affiliates of national organizations that provide technical and capacity building assistance in rural areas); or
(ii) Any public non-profit such as a Council of Governments that will serve local non-profit organizations in the eligible area.
(i) A place having fewer than 2,500 inhabitants (within or outside of metropolitan areas).
(ii) A county with no urban population (
(iii) Territory, persons, and housing units in the rural portions of “extended cities.” The U.S. Census Bureau identifies the rural portions of extended cities in the United States.
(iv) Open country which is not part of or associated with an urban area. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) determines what constitutes “open country.”
(v) Any place with a population not in excess of 20,000 and is not located in a Metropolitan Statistical Area.
(3)
(a)
(i) Have any experience in providing technical assistance and capacity building assistance in rural areas; or
(ii) Partner with another organization that has any such experience.
(b)
(c)
(4)
(a)
Activities in connection with strengthening existing organizations include hiring qualified staff, supporting and training existing staff, providing software and other tools to provide networking and research capability, and obtaining expertise from outside sources. They also include hiring staff and training to improve management capability, including development of accounting systems, MIS support and related activities. Eligible activities also include arranging for technical assistance to conduct need assessments, conduct asset inventories, develop strategic plans. These activities also include the promotion of fair housing by training local organizations and residents in fair housing issues, and by helping them to file fair housing complaints with HUD, when warranted.
(b)
(ii) With regards to housing, eligible activities include homeownership counseling, application of innovative construction methods encouraging building design which reflects terrain, weather, and availability of indigenous materials. Building design is subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. HUD strongly recommends that all housing designs be made “visitable.”
(iii) For both housing and economic development, eligible activities include establishing CDFIs, lines of credit, revolving loan funds, microenterprises, small business incubators, provision of direct financial assistance to homeowners/businesses/developers, etc. This can be in the form of establishing default reserves, pooling/securitization mechanisms, loans, grants, etc.
(c)
To be eligible for funding under this NOFA, you, the applicant, must meet all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. If you need copies of the HUD regulations referenced in this NOFA, they are available at the HUD web site located at http://www.HUD.gov. HUD may reject an application from further funding consideration if the activities or projects proposed in the application are not eligible, or HUD may eliminate the ineligible activities from funding consideration and reduce the grant amount accordingly.
With the exception of Federally recognized Indian tribes, all applicants and their subrecipients must comply with all Fair Housing and civil rights laws, statutes, regulations and executive orders as enumerated in 24 CFR 5.105(a). If you are a Federally recognized Indian tribe, you must comply with the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Indian Civil Rights Act.
If you, the applicant, or any of your partners or affiliates—
(1) Have been charged with a systemic violation of the Fair Housing Act by the Secretary alleging ongoing discrimination;
(2) Are a defendant in a Fair Housing Act lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice alleging an ongoing pattern or practice of discrimination; or
(3) Have received a letter of noncompliance findings under Title VI, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974—
HUD will not rank and rate your application under this NOFA if the charge, lawsuit, or letter of findings has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the Department before the application deadline stated in this NOFA. HUD's decision regarding whether a charge, lawsuit, or a letter of findings has been satisfactorily resolved will be based upon whether appropriate actions have been taken to address allegations of ongoing discrimination in the policies or practices involved in the charge, lawsuit, or letter of findings.
You, the applicant, must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.
With the exception of Indian tribes, if you are a successful applicant, you will have a duty to affirmatively further fair housing. You, the applicant, should include in your work plan the specific steps that you will take to promote and ensure fair housing rights and fair housing choice.
You must comply with section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, 12 U.S.C. 1701u (Economic Opportunities for Low and Very Low-Income Persons) and the HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 135, including the reporting requirements in subpart E, if:
(1) The amount of your grant exceeds $200,000; and
(2) Your funded project involves the construction, reconstruction, conversion or rehabilitation of housing (including the reduction and abatement of lead-based paint hazards), or other public construction which involves buildings and improvements (regardless of ownership).
Section 3 requires recipients to ensure that, to the greatest extent feasible, training, employment and other economic opportunities will be directed to low and very low income persons, particularly those who are recipients of government assistance for housing; and business concerns which provide economic opportunities to low and very low income persons.
Any person (including individuals, partnerships, farms, corporations or associations) who moves from real property or moves personal property from real property directly (1) because of a written notice to acquire real property in whole or in part, or (2) because of the acquisition of the real property, in whole or in part, for a HUD-assisted activity is covered by the Federal relocation statute and regulations. Specifically, this type of move is covered by the acquisition policies and procedures and the relocation requirements of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended (URA), and the implementing government-wide regulation at 49 CFR part 24. The relocation requirements of the URA and the government-wide regulations also cover any person who moves permanently from real property or moves personal property from real property directly because of rehabilitation or demolition for an activity undertaken with HUD assistance.
You, the applicant, are required to submit signed copies of the standard forms, certifications, and assurances included in the Appendix to this NOFA signed by the managing officer of your organization.
The policies, guidance, and requirements of OMB Circular No. A–87 (Cost Principles Applicable to Grants, Contracts and Other Agreements with State and Local Governments), OMB Circular No. A–122 (Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations), OMB Circular No. A–133 (Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations), 24 CFR part 84 (Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and other Non-Profit Organizations) and 24 CFR part 85 (Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State, Local, and Federally recognized Indian tribal governments) apply to the award, acceptance and use of assistance under the Rural Housing and Economic Development program NOFA, and to the remedies for noncompliance, except when inconsistent with the provisions of the FY 2000 HUD Appropriations Act, other Federal statutes or the provisions of this NOFA. Copies of the OMB Circulars may be obtained from EOP Publications, Room 2200, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 10503, telephone (202) 395–7332 (this is not a toll free number).
Selection for award does not constitute approval of any proposed sites. Following selection for award, HUD will perform an environmental review of activities proposed for assistance under this part, in accordance with 24 CFR part 50. The results of the environmental review may require that proposed activities be modified or that proposed sites be rejected. Applicants are particularly cautioned not to undertake or commit funds for acquisition or development of proposed properties (including establishing lines of credit that permit financing of such activities or making commitments for loans that would finance such activities from a revolving loan fund capitalized from funds under this NOFA) prior to HUD approval of specific properties or areas. Each application shall contain an assurance that you, the applicant, will assist HUD to comply with part 50; will supply HUD with all available, relevant information to perform an environmental review for each proposed property; will carry out mitigating measures required by HUD or select alternate property; and will not acquire, rehabilitate, convert, lease, repair or construct property, not commit or expend HUD or local funds for these program activities with respect to any eligible property, until HUD approval of the property is received. In supplying HUD with environmental information, grantees are to use the same guidance as provided in the HUD Handbook entitled “Field Environmental Review Processing for HUD Colonias Initiative (HCI) grants” issued January 27, 1998.
In the event you, the applicant, are awarded a grant that has been reduced (e.g. the application contained some activities that were ineligible or budget information did not support the request), you will be required to modify your project plans and application to conform to the terms of HUD's approval before execution of a grant agreement. HUD reserves the right to reduce or de-obligate the award if approvable modifications to the proposed project are not submitted by the awardee in the required amounts in a timely manner. Any modifications must be within the scope of the original application. HUD reserves the right not to make awards under this NOFA.
Recipients will have 36 months from the date of funding to complete all project activities except the final evaluation and reporting, fulfillment and audit requirements and final project close-out.
After all applications have been rated and ranked and a selection has been made, HUD may require that grantees participate in negotiations to determine the specific tasks and grant budget. Where a specific area or one or more specific sites for project activities are identified in an application or during negotiations, HUD may undertake and complete its environmental review during negotiations. In cases where HUD cannot successfully conclude negotiations or a selected applicant fails to provide HUD with requested information, or if the reduced amount of
(1) HUD reserves the right to fund less than the full amount requested in your application to ensure the purpose of the program is met. HUD may not fund portions of the applications that are ineligible for funding under applicable program statutory or regulatory requirements, or which do not meet the requirements of this NOFA, but may fund eligible portions of the applications.
(2) If funds remain after funding the highest ranking applications in each funding category, HUD may fund part of the next highest ranking application in the same category (i.e., capacity-building). If the applicant turns down the award offer, or if the project is not feasible at the proposed funding level, HUD will make the same determination for the next highest ranking applications in each category.
(3) HUD reserves the right to reallocate funds between categories to achieve the maximum allocation of funds in all categories.
(1)
(2)
(3)
During the period immediately following the application deadline, HUD will screen each application to determine eligibility. Applications will be rejected if they:
(1) Are submitted by ineligible applicants (including applicants that do not meet the fair housing and civil rights threshold requirement described in section IV(B) of this NOFA);
(2) Do not serve an eligible rural area; or
(3) Propose a program for which significant activities are ineligible.
HUD will notify you if your application failed to pass the initial screening review.
This rating factor addresses the qualifications and experience of the applicant and participating parties to carry out the objectives of the proposed activities within a reasonable time period. HUD will review and evaluate the information provided documenting capacity.
(a)
(b)
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
The Rural Housing and Economic Development program has been designed to address the problems of rural poverty, inadequate housing and lack of economic opportunity. Need will be addressed in two ways—documentation of the demographics of economic distress (including the special factors discussed below); and demonstrated need for the specific activity or project, including needs identifies in the State's Consolidated Plan and/or an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI).
(a)
(b)
(i) Areas with very small populations in non-urban areas (2,500 population or less);
(ii) Migrant and seasonal farmworkers;
(iii) Indian Tribes;
(iv) Colonias;
(v) Appalachia's Distressed Counties; or (vi) the Lower Mississippi Delta Region.
(c)
(i)
(ii)
(
(
(
(
(
(
(iii)
This factor addresses the quality, comprehensiveness, and anticipated effectiveness of the proposed program in meeting the needs you have identified in Rating Factor 2, including those that had been previously identified in a statewide Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing (AI) or Consolidated Plan. The populations which were described in demographics that documented need should be the same populations which will receive the primary benefit of the activities. HUD will be evaluating your Statement of Work based on your description of, and estimated schedule for, proposed activities, your management plan and method for assuring effective and timely completion of all work, your projected outcomes, evidence of coordination and cost efficiency, your budget and cost estimates, and your self-monitoring and program evaluation process. HUD is interested in quickly creating housing and economic development opportunities in rural areas. HUD will consider:
(a) Description of and Rationale for Proposed Activities
The extent to which your proposed program meets the purposes of this NOFA and the needs outlined under Rating Factor 2 of your application. You must describe the proposed activities in detail and indicate why you believe the proposed activities will be most effective in addressing the identified need. If you are proposing new methods for which there is limited knowledge of the effectiveness, you must provide the basis for modifying past practices, and your rationale for why the modified approach will yield more effective results.
(b) Management Plan and Method
The extent to which your management plan identifies the specific actions that you and your partners will take to complete your proposed activities on time and within budget. Your management plan must include a description of the management structure for the program and a schedule outlining the estimated completion of all tasks associated with the proposed program. If your proposed activities will quickly produce demonstrable results and advance the purposes of the Rural Housing and Economic Development program, you will receive a higher score.
(c) Expected Outcomes
The extent to which your proposed program is likely to achieve desirable outcomes. You must provide a qualitative and/or quantitative description of estimated outcomes as appropriate. The type and level of estimated outcomes will be highly dependent on the nature of your proposed program. Outcomes may be described using statistics such as the estimated number of new units constructed, new businesses created, jobs created/retained, loans financed, staff members hired, or individuals assisted through counseling or training programs. Outcomes that do not lend themselves to numerical interpretation, such as the extent to which you anticipate your organization to be strengthened as a result of capacity building funding, should be described in narrative terms. The level of project funding, availability of outside resources, complexity of proposed activities, and size of your organization will be taken into account when evaluating the projected outcomes.
(d) Coordination and Cost-Efficiency
The extent to which the proposed program uses available local resources to increase coordination and cost-effectiveness. You must describe your
(e) Budget and Cost Estimates
The quality, thoroughness, and reasonableness of the proposed project budget. Cost estimates must be broken down by line item for each proposed activity and documented by outside sources when appropriate.
(f) Program Evaluation
The description of a comprehensive plan for monitoring the program and evaluating programmatic success. Your program evaluation plan must include a method for measuring the actual project outcomes and the attainment of program goals.
(g) The extent to which any housing constructed as a result of this funding benefits all segments of the population, including but not limited to accessibility and visibility for persons with disabilities, large families, and senior citizens.
(h) Because HUD fully supports the expansion of lending opportunities to disadvantaged areas of rural America, HUD will award up to 5 points to those applicants that—either individually or through coalitions of organizations—propose, as an innovative housing and/or economic development activity, to structure and carry out diversified financial leveraging linkages that secure a pool of much larger funds from other funding sources,
HUD will evaluate the extent to which applicants for any of the three funding categories have obtained firm commitments of financial or in kind resources from other Federal, State, local, and private sources. In assigning points for this criterion, HUD will consider the level of outside resources obtained for cash or in kind services that support activities proposed in your application. This criterion is applicable to all three funding categories under this NOFA. The level of outside resources for which commitments are obtained will be evaluated based on their importance to the total program.
This factor addresses the extent to which your proposed program is coordinated with other ongoing and related activities in the area you propose to serve. The purpose of this factor is to ensure that whenever possible, activities are not operated in isolation, but rather are linked with related activities and organizations to improve the overall effectiveness of all efforts being undertaken as part of your total effort. In evaluating this factor, HUD will consider the extent to which you have coordinated your activities with other known organizations, participate or promote participation in the state's Consolidated Planning process and/or a statewide Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and have addressed your described need in a holistic and comprehensive manner through linkages with other activities in the area or approved plans and programs funded by state or local governments.
In evaluating this factor, HUD will consider the extent to which you demonstrate that you have:
(a) Coordinated your proposed plan of activities with those of other groups or organizations in order to best complement and mutually support others' ongoing efforts or programs;
(b) Identified specific actions that have been taken or will be taken to coordinate comprehensive solutions through meetings, information networks, planning processes and other mechanisms with:
(i) Other HUD funded projects/activities; and
(ii) Other Federal, State or locally funded activities, including those proposed or ongoing in the area.
EZ/EC Bonus Points (2 points).
HUD will award two bonus points to all applications that include documentation stating that the proposed eligible activities/projects will be located in and serve Federally designated Rural Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities (Rural EZs/ECs). A listing of Federally designated Rural EZs and ECs are available on the Internet at http://www.ezec.gov.
You must submit a separate application for each funding category you are applying for under this NOFA. The portion of your application consisting of your Statement of Work (see below) must be no more than 25 pages, and must be submitted on 8.5″ by 11″ paper, with lines double spaced and printed only one side. All pages of the application shall be numbered sequentially. Your application must include the following:
(A)
(1) You must describe your organization and the assignment of responsibilities for the work to be carried out under the grant (Rating Factor 1).
(2) You must describe the need and extent of the problem (Rating Factor 2).
(a) If you propose to create a new organization or institution under the capacity building funding category, you must provide evidence documenting that no existing organization or institution exists which serves the need identified in the area.
(b) If you are applying for seed support funding, you must provide evidence documenting that the area has limited capacity for the development of rural housing and economic development.
(3) You must describe the objective of your proposed program (Rating Factor 3). In addressing this submission requirement, you must:
(a) Describe the activities you propose to undertake to address the needs which have been identified, and describe the specific outcomes you expect to achieve.
(b) Include a budget in the format provided which explains the uses of both Federal and non-Federal funds and the period of performance under the grant.
(c) Include a discussion of the process by which the work accomplished with the grant will be evaluated to determine if the objectives of the grant were met.
(4) You must identify the resources which will be leveraged by the amount of this grant's funding that you are requesting and explain their importance to the program (Rating Factor 4). To receive the maximum number of points under Rating Factor 4(a), you must provide evidence of firm commitments. The commitment can be contingent upon HUD site approval following environmental review.
(5) You must describe the extent to which your program reflects a coordinated, community based process of identifying needs and building a system to address these needs (Rating Factor 5).
(B) In addition to the Statement of Work, your application must also include an original and three copies of the items listed below:
(1) A transmittal letter;
(2) A table of contents;
(3) A signed SF–424 (application form);
(4) A budget for all funds (Federal and Non-Federal) and a breakdown of all Federal funds requested, in the format provided in the Appendix to this NOFA;
(5) Documentation of funds pledged in support of Rating Factor 4—“Leveraging Resources”;
(6) The required certifications (signed, as appropriate, and attached as an Appendix);
(7) Acknowledgment of Application Receipt form (submitted with application and returned to you as verification of timely receipt).
(8) If you are a private nonprofit organization, a copy of your organization's IRS ruling providing tax-exempt status under section 501 of the IRS Code of 1986, as amended.
(9) The attached forms specifying:
(a) Which category of funds, as described in section II(C), you are applying for (you must submit a separate application for each category applied for);
(b) Which of the five definitions of the term “rural area” set forth in section III(A)(2) of this NOFA applies to the proposed service area and accompanying documentation as indicated on the form; and
(c) Which special populations, as set forth in Rating Factor 2(b), you intend to serve.
(10) The Environmental Review Assurance.
After the application due date, HUD may not, consistent with its regulations in 24 CFR part 4, subpart B, consider any unsolicited information you, the applicant, may want to provide. HUD may contact you, however, to clarify an item in your application or to correct technical deficiencies. You should note, however, that HUD may not seek clarification of items or responses that improve the substantive quality of your response to any eligibility or selection factors.
The information collection requirements related to this program have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520). The OMB approval number, once approved, will be published in the
A Finding of No Significant Impact with respect to the environment has been made in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 50, implementing section 102(2)(C) of the national Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). The Finding of No Significant Impact is available for public inspection during business hours in the Office of the Rules Docket Clerk, Room 10276, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410.
This notice does not have federalism implications and does not impose substantial direct compliance costs on State and local governments or preempt State law within the meaning of Executive Order 13132 (entitled “Federalism”). Specifically, the NOFA solicits applicants to build capacity at the State and local level for rural housing and economic development and to support innovative housing and economic development activities in rural areas, and does not impinge upon the relationships between the Federal government and State and local governments. As a result, the NOFA is not subject to review under the Order.
You, the applicant, are subject to the provisions of section 319 of the Department of Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Act for Fiscal Year 1991, 31 U.S.C. 1352 (the Byrd Amendment), which prohibits recipients of Federal contracts, grants, or loans from using appropriated funds for lobbying the executive or legislative branches of the Federal Government in connection with a specific contract, grant, or loan. You are required to certify, using the certification found at Appendix A to 24 CFR part 87, that you will not, and have not, used appropriated funds for any prohibited lobbying activities. In addition, you must disclose, using Standard Form LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,” any funds, other than Federally appropriated funds, that will be or have been used to influence Federal employees, members of Congress, and congressional staff regarding specific grants or contracts. Tribes and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs) established by an Indian tribe as a result of the exercise of the tribe's sovereign power are excluded from coverage of the Byrd Amendment, but tribes and TDHEs established under State law are not excluded from the statute's coverage.
Section 102 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C. 3545) (HUD Reform Act) and the regulations codified in 24 CFR part 4, subpart A, contain a number of provisions that are designed to ensure greater accountability and integrity in the provision of certain types of assistance administered by HUD. On January 14, 1992 (57 FR 1942), HUD published a notice that also provides information on the implementation of section 102. The documentation, public access, and disclosure requirements of section 102 apply to assistance awarded under this NOFA as follows:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(i) Assistance subject to section 102(a) of the HUD Reform Act; or
(ii) Assistance that is provided through grants or cooperative agreements on a discretionary (non-formula, non-demand) basis, but that is not provided on the basis of a competition.
HUD's regulations implementing section 103 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C. 3537a), codified in 24 CFR part 4, apply to this funding competition. The regulations continue to apply until the announcement of the selection of successful applicants. HUD employees involved in the review of applications and in the making of funding decisions are limited by the regulations from providing advance information to any person (other than an authorized employee of HUD) concerning funding decisions, or from otherwise giving any applicant an unfair competitive advantage. Persons who apply for assistance in this competition must confine their inquiries to the subject areas permitted under 24 CFR part 4.
Applicants or employees who have ethics related questions should contact the HUD Ethics Law Division at (202) 708–3815. (This is not a toll-free number.) For HUD employees who have specific program questions, the employee should contact the appropriate field office counsel, or Headquarters counsel for the program to which the question pertains.
The Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 (Pub. L. 106–74, approved October 20, 1999).