FEDERAL AGENCY:

OFFICE OF HEALTHY HOMES AND LEAD HAZARD CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

AUTHORIZATION:

Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, Title X, Public Law 102-550.

OBJECTIVES:

Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control grants are to assist State, Tribal, and local governments in undertaking programs for the identification and control of lead-based paint hazards in privately- owned housing that is owned by or rented to low- or very-low income families. Specific objectives include: (1) Implementation of a national strategy, as defined in Title X, to assist States, tribal, and local governments to build the capacity necessary to eliminate lead- based paint hazards in all housing, as widely and expeditiously as possible; (2) Encouragement of effective action to prevent childhood lead poisoning by establishing a workable framework for lead-based paint hazard identification and control; (3) Mobilization of public and private resources, involving cooperation among all levels of government, the private sector, faith-based organizations, and community-based organizations, to develop cost- effective methods for identifying and controlling lead-based paint hazards; (4) Development of comprehensive community approaches which result in integration of all community resources (governmental, faith-based organizations, community-based, and businesses) to address lead hazards in housing; (5) Integration of lead-safe practices into housing maintenance, repair, weatherization, rehabilitation, and other programs which will continue beyond the life of the grant; (6) Establishment of a public registry of lead-safe housing; and (7) Promoting job training, employment, and other economic lift opportunities for low-income residents of project neighborhoods. Additional grant assistance specifically for use at Superfund and Brownfield sites has been provided in the past; however, funding for this use is not available in fiscal year 2002.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

For fiscal year 2002, available grant funding includes: Lead Hazard Control Grants for State, tribal, and local governments to undertake lead-based paint hazard control in privately-owned housing; and Research Grants related to various aspects of lead hazard evaluation and control. Potential applicants should consult the Super NOFA for application due dates. Applications are available by calling 1-800-HUD-8929. Eligible Activities for Hazard Control Grants: The following direct and support activities are eligible under this grant program: (1) Performing risk assessments, inspections and testing of eligible housing units constructed prior to 1978 to determine the presence of lead-based paint, lead dust, or lead- contaminated soil through the use of acceptable testing procedures; (2) Conducting lead hazard control activities, which may include any combination of the following: interim control of lead-based paint hazards in housing (which may include intensive cleaning techniques to address lead dust), (a) hazard abatement for programs that apply a differentiated set of resources to each unit, dependent upon conditions of the unit and the extent of hazards, and (b) abatement of lead-based paint hazards, including soil and dust, by means of removal, enclosure, encapsulation, or replacement methods. Complete abatement of all lead- based paint is only accepted as a cost effective strategy under exceptional circumstances; (3) Carrying out temporary relocation of families and individuals during the period in which hazard control is conducted and until the time the affected unit receives clearance for reoccupancy; (4) Conducting pre-hazard control blood lead testing of children under six years of age residing in units undergoing risk assessment, inspection or hazard control; (5) Performing blood lead testing and air sampling to protect the health of the hazard-control workers, supervisors and contractors; (6) Undertaking minimal housing rehabilitation activities under this program that are specifically required to ensure effective hazard control, and without which, the hazard control could not be effected. Grant funds from this program may also be used for lead-based paint hazard control work conducted in conjunction with other housing rehabilitation programs. HUD strongly encourages integration of this grant program with housing rehabilitation, weatherization, and other energy conservation activities; (7) Conducting pre-hazard control and clearance dust-wipe testing and analysis; (8) Carrying out engineering and architectural activities that are necessary to, and in direct support of, lead hazard control; (9) Providing training to low-income persons for the purposes of lead-based paint worker or contractor certification and/or licensing; (10) Providing training to homeowners, painters, remodelers, and apartment maintenance staff working in low-income housing on lead-safe maintenance practices; (11) Providing cleaning supplies to faith-based and community-based organizations, homeowners, and renters in low income housing; (12) Conducting planning and coordination activities to facilitate local implementation of the HUD Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention in Certain Residential Structures (published at 64 FR 50140) regulations, which took effect on September 15, 2000; (13) Conducting general or targeted community awareness or education programs on lead hazard control and lead poisoning prevention; (14) Procuring liability insurance for lead hazard control activities; (15) Supporting the data collection, analysis, and evaluation of grant program activities; (16) Applied research activities directed at demonstrating cost effective methods for lead hazard control (maximum 5 percent of total grant); (17)Administrative costs of the grantee (maximum 10 percent); (18) Program planning and management costs of sub-grantees and other sub- recipients; and (19) Preparing a final report at the conclusion of grant activities. Ineligible Activities: Grant funds may not be used: (1) to purchase real property; (2) in the case of Hazard Control grants, to purchase equipment having a per unit cost in excess of $5,000 except for XRF analyzers; (3) for chelation or other medical treatment costs related to children with elevated blood lead levels; and (4) for Lead hazard control activities in publicly-owned housing or Project-Based Section 8 housing.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   Applicants for Hazard Control Grants shall be States, Tribes, or units of general local government that have a current, approved Consolidated Plan. Federal agencies and Federal employees are not eligible to submit applications. Applicants with outstanding civil rights violations are not eligible for funding.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Hazard Control Grants shall be for lead-based paint hazard control in eligible target housing, as defined under Section 217 of Public Law 104-134 (the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996, 110 Stat. 1321, approved April 26, 1996) as amended by Section 1011 (a) of the Residential Lead- Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 (Title X). Funds shall be available only for projects conducted using contractors and inspectors certified, and workers trained through an EPA authorized program.

Credentials/Documentation:   For the Lead Hazard Control Grant Program, costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A- 87 for State and local governments and specific requirements of 24 CFR 85.

Pre-application Coordination:   Not applicable. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   Once the competitive Notification of Funding Availability (NOFA) is issued for fiscal year 2001, Lead Hazard Control Grant and Research Grant application kits can be obtained by calling the SuperNOFA Information Center at 1-800-HUD-8929.

Award Procedure:   HUD will review each application to determine whether it is timely and meets all of the threshold requirements. Non- responsive applications will be declared ineligible for further consideration. Applications that meet all of the threshold criteria will be eligible to be scored and ranked. Each eligible application will be ranked based on the total number of points allocated for each of the rating factors. Within available dollar resources for Lead Hazard Control Grants, HUD intends to fund the final list of highest-ranked applications, but reserves the right to advance in funding rank other eligible applicants, if necessary, to foster either local approaches or lead hazard control methods which have not been employed before, or provide lead hazard control services to populations or communities that have high need (as measured by the "Need" factor for award) and have never received funding under this grant program. Applications from current and prior (previously funded) grantees will be evaluated and scored as a separate group and will not be in direct competition with applications from previously unfunded applicants. Within the category of current and prior grantees, a new subcategory has been created this year to allow for the "renewal" of current grants that meet specific criteria. Current grantees (with active grants at the application deadline date) whose period of performance commenced on or after January 1, 2000 and that have completed and cleared at least 65 % of the negotiated number of units and have expended, as evidenced by the drawdown from the HUD Line of Credit Control System (LOCCS), at least 45 % of their original HUD Federal grant award by March 31, 2002, are eligible to request continuation of their grant program activities for an additional 24 months after their current period of performance ends. By achieving the above referenced level of performance significantly ahead of the expected schedule, these grantees have demonstrated a clear basis for eligibility in receiving additional funds without the need to submit a full application in response to the SuperNOFA. The creation of this subcategory reflects the intention of this grant program to move towards more competitive performance-based awards.

Deadlines:   To be considered for funding, the original and a NOFA- specified number of copies of the application package should be submitted to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Lead Hazard Control, 451 7th Street SW, Room P-3206, Washington, DC 20410, by the date and time specified in the NOFA for the Lead Hazard Control Grants and Research Grants. Announcements regarding availability of funding will be published in the Federal Register.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   Not applicable.

Appeals:   Not applicable.

Renewals:   Not applicable.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   The Lead Hazard Control Grant Program requires a minimum of 10 percent local matching requirement. Local contributions above 10 percent, either cash or in- kind services, are weighed in a rating factor element. The applicant will be rated according to the sources of support and inclusion of letters or other evidence of commitments from donors. Community Development Block Grant funds are eligible as a local contribution. Other Federal resources will be excluded from a computation of the statutorily required 10 percent local matching requirement, but can be used as other contributed resources once this statutory threshold is achieved.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   The Hazard Control Grant award is for a 3-year period for a previously unfunded grantee and from 24 to 30 months for a current or prior funded grantee.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Quarterly financial management and performance reports are required of participating jurisdictions.

Audits:   In accordance with OMB Circular A-133.

Records:   Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other Organizations, A-110.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   86-0174-0-1-451.

Obligations:   (Grants, Contracts, IAAs) FY 01 $59,000,000; FY 02 est $80,000,000; and FY 03 est $96,000,000. (NOTE: Amounts reported reflect allocation of new budget authority rather than obligation amounts.)

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  
With Fiscal Year 2010 funds an estimated 21 Lead Hazard Control grants of approximately $3 million each will be awarded totaling $62 million.

As of fiscal year 2001, over 60,000 low- and very low-income units have been tested for lead hazards and more than 36,000 units have been made lead-safe.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

The Notice of Funding Availability and Application Kit are self-contained; all necessary information is provided; no other regulations pertain. For Hazard Control Grants, there is some change in the content and direction of the NOFA that is issued each year, dependent on SuperNOFA format, Congressional direction, changes in emphasis among priorities, and improvements based on experience with prior NOFAs.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   None.

Headquarters Office:   Jeff W. Simpkins, 451 Seventh Street, SW (Room 8236), Washington, District of Columbia 20410 Email: Jeffrey.W.Simpkins@hud.gov Phone: (202) 402-7180.

Web Site Address:  
http://www.hud.gov/healthyhomes/

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

The Lead Hazard Control Grant projects are designed to accomplish the following objectives: Perform testing and lead hazard control activities in targeted, low-income, private housing, and conduct general or targeted community awareness and education programs on lead hazard control and poisoning prevention within this designated area.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

For fiscal year 2002 HUD will use the technical and financial selection criteria listed below to rate and rank applications. These criteria are subject to the qualifications stated in the NOFA, and may change from year-to-year as priorities and emphases change. The technical quality of an application will be rated, and then the strength, quality, and completeness of the financial and resources plan will be used to assess the likelihood that the technical plan can be carried out using the available resources. The maximum score for the fiscal year 2002 Lead Hazard Control Grant Program rating factors is 104 points for previously unfunded applicants and for existing grantees. (1) Capacity of the Applicant and Relevant Organizational Experience (20 points for all applicants); (2) Needs/Extent of the Problem (20 points for all applicants); (3) Soundness of Approach (40 points for previously unfunded applicant, 50 points for current and prior applicant); (4) Leveraging Resources (10 points for previously unfunded applicant, 5 points for current and prior applicant); (5) Coordination, Self-sufficiency, and Sustainability (10 points for previously unfunded applicant, 5 points for current and prior applicant). Two bonus points will be awarded for eligible activities/projects proposed to be located in Federally designated Empowerment Zones (EZs), Enterprise Communities (ECs), Urban Enhanced Enterprise Communities (EECs), Strategic Planning Communities, or renewal Communities that serve the residents of these federally designated areas, and are certified to be consistent with the strategic plan of these federally designated areas. Under the SuperNOFA two bonus points are available for Federally designated Brounfields Showcase Communities, but these bonus points are not applicable to the lead hazard control grant programs. Up to two bonus points are available for any application from the City of Dallas, Texas (see Section III(C)(3) of the General Section of the SuperNOFA for details. Previously unfunded applicants and existing grantees will be evaluated separately for two different pools of funding. These criteria are subject to the qualifications stated in the NOFA, and may change from year-to-year as priorities and emphases change. The technical quality of an application will be rated, and then the strength, quality, and completeness of the financial and resources plan will be used to assess the likelihood that the technical plan can be carried out using the available resources.