Foa_Content_of_FR-6700-N-92.pdf

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Policy Development and Research

Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing through Off-Site Construction and Pro-Housing Reforms Research Grant Program Pre and Full Application

FR-6700-N-92

08/01/2023

Table of Contents

OVERVIEW

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Program Description

B. Authority

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funds

B. Number of Awards

C. Minimum/Maximum Award Information

D. Period of Performance

E. Type of Funding Instrument

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

B. Ineligible Applicants

C. Cost Sharing or Matching

D. Threshold Eligibility Requirements

E. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements Affecting Eligibility

F. Program-Specific Requirements

G. Criteria for Beneficiaries

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Obtain an Application Package

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

C. System for Award Management (SAM) and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

D. Application Submission Dates and Times

E. Intergovernmental Review

F. Funding Restrictions

G. Other Submission Requirements

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Review Criteria

B. Review and Selection Process

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notices

B. Administrative, National and Departmental Policy Requirements and Terms for HUD Applicants and Recipients of Financial Assistance Awards

C. Reporting

D. Debriefing

VII. AGENCY CONTACT(S)

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

APPENDIX

Program Office:

Policy Development and Research Funding Opportunity Title:

Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing through Off-Site Construction and Pro-Housing Reforms Research Grant Program Pre and Full Application Funding Opportunity Number:

FR-6700-N-92

Assistance Listing Number (formerly CFDA Number):

14.506 Due Date for Applications:

08/01/2023

OVERVIEW

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issues this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to invite applications from eligible applicants for the program and purpose described within this NOFO. You, as a prospective applicant, should carefully read all instructions in all sections to avoid sending an incomplete or ineligible application. HUD funding is highly competitive. Failure to respond accurately to any submission requirement could result in an incomplete or noncompetitive proposal.

In accordance with Title 24 part 4, subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), during the selection process (which includes HUD’s NOFO development and publication and concludes with the award of assistance), HUD is prohibited from disclosing covered selection information.

Examples of impermissible disclosures include: 1) information regarding any applicant’s relative standing; 2) the amount of assistance requested by any applicant; and 3) any information contained in the application. Prior to the application deadline, HUD may not disclose the identity of any applicant or the number of applicants that have applied for assistance.

For further information regarding this NOFO, direct questions regarding the specific requirements of this NOFO to the agency contact identified in section VII.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501- 3520) (PRA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the information collection requirements in this NOFO. HUD may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless the collection displays a valid OMB control number. This NOFO identifies its applicable OMB control number, unless its collection of information is excluded from these requirements under 5 CFR part 1320.

OMB Approval Number(s):

2528-0299

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Program Description

1. Purpose https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-4/subpart-B https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-1320?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-1320?toc=1

Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is announcing the availability of up to $4,000,000 for at least five cooperative agreements to study the adoption of innovative solutions that increase the production and supply of quality, affordable housing in the United States.

2. HUD and Program-Specific Goals and Objectives

This NOFO supports HUD’s Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2022-2026 to accomplish HUD’s mission and vision. Each of the five goals in the Strategic Plan include what HUD hopes to accomplish, the strategies to accomplish those objectives, and the indicators of success.

However, of the five goals only those applicable to this NOFO are identified below.

You are expected to align your application to the applicable strategic goals and objectives below.

Use the information in this section to describe in your application the specific goals, objectives, and measures that your project is expected to help accomplish. If your project is selected for funding, you are also expected to establish a plan to track progress related to those goals, objectives, and measures. HUD will monitor compliance with the goals, objectives, and measures in your project.

Applicable Goals and Objectives from HUD’s Strategic Plan

1. Strategic Goal 2: Ensure Access to and Increase the Production of Affordable Housing Ensure housing demand is matched by adequate production of new homes and equitable access to housing opportunities for all people.

2. 2A: Increase the Supply of Housing Enhance HUD's programs that increase the production and supply of housing across the country.

This research aims to address the priorities described in HUD’s Strategic Plan Objective 2A:

Increase the Supply of Housing. The results from the funded research are meant to inform decision makers, the housing industry, and the public on effective strategies to increase the supply of quality, affordable housing through off-site construction and local land-use, zoning, and other pro-housing reforms.

In addition to supporting the Strategic Plan Goal 2A, this NOFO also references the following documents:

HUD’s Learning Agenda: FY 2022–2026 identifies key research opportunities for HUD and highlights evidence-building priorities for research and data collection from across the Department and aligns with HUD’s strategic goals and objectives. The Learning Agenda helps drive HUD’s evidence-based policymaking, promoting the best possible policies and programs through accurate data, rigorous research, and sound policy advice.

Developed with input from diverse stakeholder groups, the Learning Agenda outlines the department’s most policy-relevant and timely research questions and evidence-building challenges in the fields of housing and community development. Relevant to this funding opportunity, the Learning Agenda contains several questions related to increasing housing supply.

Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap: includes key concepts in offsite construction for housing, as a complement to HUD’s Learning Agenda, and identifies key knowledge gaps that, if filled, could unleash the potential of offsite construction to help meet the country’s growing housing needs. The Research Roadmap brought together https://www.hud.gov/HUD-FY22-26-Strategic-Plan-Focus-Areas https://www.hud.gov/HUD-FY22-26-Strategic-Plan-Focus-Areas https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/HUD-Learning-Agenda.pdf https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/Offsite-Construction-for-Housing-Research-Roadmap.html many industry stakeholders, including builders, remodelers, trade contractors, material and product suppliers, financial representatives, codes and standards officials, and public sector R&D sponsors. The Research Roadmap identified a number of issues and barriers in offsite construction including regulatory barriers, financing gap concerns, material supply chain disruptions, design to manufacture software incompatibility, workflow obstacles, factory pipeline inconsistencies, cultural and social barriers, and transportation complications.

Background

As the nation continues to grapple with a housing affordability crisis, decision makers at all levels of government seek to find viable solutions that increase the production, supply, and availability of quality, affordable homes for all American families. Evidence has shown that housing production is severely impacted by supply chain disruptions, local zoning and land use requirements, the lack of feasible financing structures, labor market challenges, and compliance with building codes and standards.

Innovative building technologies, such as offsite construction and factory-built housing, can help expand production by allowing homes to be built more quickly and at a lower cost than conventional construction methods. In addition, communities across the country are experimenting with reforms to local zoning and land-use regulations aimed at increasing the supply of affordable housing and expand housing choices and opportunities for low- and moderate-income households. However, the research and evidence on the effectiveness of both sets of interventions remains thin, and even less is known about how to bring effective solutions to scale to address the nation’s growing shortage of quality, affordable homes.

Summary

This NOFO aims to support research that fills crucial knowledge gaps and to help build the evidence base to accelerate the adoption of effective practices and policies to increase the production and supply of quality, affordable housing in the United States.

Specifically, the purpose of this research grant program is: (1) to assess the potential for off-site construction methods to increase housing supply, lower the cost of construction and/or reduce housing expenses for low- and moderate-income owners and renters; and (2) to study how reforms to local zoning and other land-use regulations can increase the supply of quality, affordable housing and expand housing choices and opportunities for low- and moderate-income households.

The Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) invites researchers from a broad range of disciplines—including but not limited to architecture, data science, economics, engineering, environmental science, finance, geography, law, planning, political science, public health, public policy, sociology and urban studies—to submit applications that clearly address HUD’s Strategic Objective 2A: Increase the Supply of Housing, which is available in HUD’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.

Applicants will have the opportunity to select from the categories of research that are relevant to both the departmental Strategic Plan Goal 2A and relevant, housing supply-focused sections of HUD’s Learning Agenda. Applicants are also invited to submit proposals that address research questions listed in PD&R’s Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap. Applicants https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/CFO/documents/FY2022-2026HUDStrategicPlan.pdf https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/CFO/documents/FY2022-2026HUDStrategicPlan.pdf https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/Offsite-Construction-for-Housing-Research-Roadmap.html must clearly identify the priority research category (or categories) described below that their proposal addresses and clearly describe how their proposed research would make a valuable contribution to HUD’s Strategic Plan and Learning Agenda goals related to affordable housing supply.

Other Goals and Objectives

Applicants are invited to select topics under one or both of the two priority research categories below: (1) offsite construction methods and/or (2) zoning and land-use reforms to increase affordable housing supply. Under both categories, HUD encourages research projects that not only study the effects of interventions, but also suggest pathways and strategies for adopting or scaling effective interventions, whether through public policy or industry practice. Proposals shall include a clear description of proposed analysis and discuss how results from the research builds on existing evidence or scholarship, effectively addresses the statement of the problem, and offers feasible policy solutions and recommendations to the Department, policymakers and the industry for facilitating the production and supply of affordable housing.

Research Category 1 – Offsite Construction Methods

HUD’s Strategic Plan Goal 2A and HUD’s Learning Agenda include questions to explore the feasibility of off-site construction methods and opportunities to apply these methods to increase the supply of affordable housing. HUD invites applicants to submit proposals that address the core questions from those documents:

To what extent can modular or other off-site construction methods produce affordable, accessible rental units?

How do off-site methods compare with site-built housing?

Building upon HUD’s Strategic Plan and the Learning Agenda, the Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) recently released a research agenda-setting report, Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap, which offers a number of recommended research topics and knowledge gaps that, if filled, could help overcome barriers to the uptake of offsite construction methods in the U.S.[1]

In addition to focusing research on the two core questions above, HUD invites applicants to consider submissions of proposals which address research questions from the Offsite Construction Research Roadmap, including but not limited to the following:

Research Topic 1: Regulatory Frameworks– includes research topics on overcoming the barriers posed by building codes and zoning regulations, exploring effective solutions to the permitting and inspection process, examining the impact of standards on project delivery outcomes, and quantifying the challenges of offsite construction. Research in these areas should provide a clearer understanding of the obstacles and opportunities for improvement. Recommended research questions from Regulatory Frameworks include:

How do third-party inspections impact the cost and schedule of offsite construction for housing?

How effective are states’ enclosed and modular regulations in fostering offsite construction use?

Research Topic 2: Standards and System Performance- including topics such as standards and system performance, testing processes of materials and assemblies, and supply-chain disruptions by developing clear and evolving guidelines, improving productivity performance, and fostering reliability and redundancy in the material supply chain. Recommended research questions from Standards and System Performance include:

What materials and products cause problems for offsite construction due to the lack of precision, supply chain issues, or inconsistent quality?

What is the measurable lifecycle cost impact of offsite versus onsite residential construction?

What methods could offsite manufacturers use to make manufacturing line flow more predictably and securely?

Research Topic 3: Capital, Finance & Insurance – including research on solutions to overcome the offsite construction risk profile challenge, provide greater market confidence, and identify how public funding projects can support the evolution of offsite construction for housing.

Recommended research questions from Capital, Finance, & Insurance include:

How can offsite manufacturers develop more confidence among lenders that provide upfront finance?

Research Category 2 – Zoning and Land Use Reforms

PD&R invites applicants to submit research proposals that address an overarching question that, if answered, could help HUD, state and local governments, and housing industry stakeholders address the nation’s growing housing supply shortage and affordability challenges:

How can reforms to restrictive zoning and other land-use regulations and processes increase the supply of quality, affordable housing and expand housing choices and opportunities for low- and moderate-income households?

This question is central to the Department’s efforts to increase the production of and access to safe, high quality, and affordable housing under HUD’s Strategic Objective 2A, which includes solutions that reduce or eliminate regulatory and exclusionary barriers that prevent the development of affordable housing options across a broad range of neighborhoods and communities.

HUD’s Strategic Objective 2A and Learning Agenda both include specific research questions related to the effects of zoning and land use regulations and reforms on housing supply and strategies to lift barriers to affordable housing development, including:

How do zoning, subdivision regulations, procedural processes, and local land use conditions affect housing supply, and what regulatory reforms are most effective at matching housing supply to demand in a way that promotes inclusive communities?

(HUD Strategic Plan Objective 2A and HUD Learning Agenda)

To what extent do land use policies and other regulatory factors drive differences in rents and production of affordable rental units? (HUD Learning Agenda)

How successful have laws aimed at increasing duplexes, Accessory Dwelling Units, and other low-density, infill housing typologies been at creating new housing supply? (HUD Learning Agenda).

In addition, through other HUD-supported research and consultation with industry leaders and key stakeholders, HUD has identified the following four additional priority research questions which could be addressed in response to this NOFO[2]:

What are the unintended consequences of zoning and land use reforms for affordability and equity, and what policies and practices can help mitigate them?

How can land use and other regulatory reforms be aligned with subsidies, financing mechanisms, and incentives to achieve the deeper affordability necessary to meet the needs of cost-burdened renters and improve access to homeownership?

What are the administrative and political processes outside the zoning code that determine which projects are entitled? How can these processes be improved?

How have or could building code provisions be changed by state and local governments to produce or preserve affordable housing, while maintaining important public health, safety, and environmental protections?

Eligible Activities

In support of the objectives listed in the section above, applicants are being asked to undertake a variety of research and evaluation activities that include: articulating research questions and developing a research design; establishing appropriate methods for testing and data analysis;

communicating research findings and recommending informational tools and resources to improve practice and policy.

Deliverables

At a minimum, HUD expects the award recipient to produce the deliverables listed and described in this section. The Government Technical Representative (GTR) and/or relevant HUD staff, will work closely with the awardee to ensure that the requirements are clearly defined and understood. HUD shall review and comment prior to final approval. Deliverables shall not reveal trade secrets or other confidential information as part of the reporting requirements. However, testing data and other results are expected to be reported to help evaluate the effectiveness of any proprietary technologies.

1. Management and Work Plan (MWP): The MWP shall outline the overall strategy for completing the research within the budget and timeframe allotted. Specifically, the plan shall describe activities to be undertaken, identify assigned staff with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and provide a schedule of key tasks. A draft MWP must be submitted with the application. Following award, HUD will provide comments on the initial draft. A final MWP must be submitted to HUD within two weeks of the receipt of comments. A revised final budget may also be required to accompany the final MWP.

2. Research Design (RD): The RD shall describe the methodology to be used to complete the proposed effort, including data collection, management, and analysis. If appropriate, the research design shall describe the protocol for testing, data analysis and communicating the results. Following award, HUD will provide feedback on the initial RD two weeks following receipt of the initial draft. A final RD shall be submitted to HUD within four weeks of the receipt of HUD comments.

3. Quality Control Plan (QCP): A draft QCP that addresses all potential points of a Quality Control lapse shall be delivered within two weeks following the grant award. Following a review and comment period, the final QCP shall be submitted for GTR approval within six weeks following grant award. The awardee shall receive the GTR's acceptance in writing of any proposed change to the QCP. If there is additional feedback or instruction, the revisions shall be integrated into the final QCP and submitted to the GTR within five working days.

4. Quarterly Progress Reports: Quarterly Progress Reports shall clearly document and discuss activities completed in the most recent reporting period, planned activities for the upcoming reporting period, and budget expenditures by line item (including hours worked for specific staff). Progress reports must be submitted quarterly and shall be aligned with the submission of draw down requests. Should there be any changes in personnel or budget, the grantee shall clearly explain, in writing, how the changes will impact the timely submission of deliverables.

5. Interim and Final Briefings – Grantees shall deliver an Interim briefing on the early findings of the research at the midpoint of the performance period. A final briefing shall take place at least one month prior to the delivery of the final report. Feedback from the briefing shall be incorporated into the final report.

6. Draft Final Report - Grantees will also be required to submit a draft final report that summarizes the entire work, achievements, and findings conducted under the award. The report format and style requirements are provided at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/About/style-guide-for-reports.pdf. HUD will have 4 weeks to review the draft final report and return comments to the grantee.

7. Final Report – Grantees shall submit a final report that adequately addresses HUD comments. The final report shall be delivered prior to the end of the period of performance.

[1] Access the Offsite Roadmap report here:

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/Offsite-Construction-for-Housing-Research- Roadmap.html

[2] These questions build upon foundational work PD&R has done, including through our report on Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing: Federal, State, Local, and Tribal Opportunities, as well as relevant issues of Evidence Matters and Cityscape.

3. Changes from Previous NOFO

This is a new NOFO.

4. Definitions

a. Standard Definitions

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) means taking meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination to overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity based on protected characteristics. Specifically, affirmatively furthering fair housing means taking meaningful actions that, taken together, address significant disparities in housing needs and in access to opportunities, replacing segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns, transforming racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity, and fostering and maintaining compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/Offsite-Construction-for-Housing-Research-Roadmap.html https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/Offsite-Construction-for-Housing-Research-Roadmap.html https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/eliminating-regulatory-barriers-to-affordable-housing.html https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/eliminating-regulatory-barriers-to-affordable-housing.html https://www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/em/spring18/index.html https://www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/cityscpe/vol23num1/index.html

The duty to affirmatively further fair housing extends to all program participant’s activities and programs relating to housing and urban development.

Assistance Listing number refers to the unique number assigned to each Federal assistance program publicly available in the Assistance Listing, which is managed and administered by the General Services Administration. The Assistance Listing number was formerly known as the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number.

Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is a person authorized to legally bind your organization and submit applications via Grants.gov. The AOR is authorized by the E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) in the System for Award Management (see E-Biz POC definition).

An AOR may include an Expanded AOR and/or a Standard AOR.

Expanded Authorized Organization Representative is a user in Grants.gov who is authorized by the E-Biz POC to perform the functions of a Standard AOR, initiate and submit applications on behalf of your organization, and is allowed to modify organization-level settings and certifications in Grants.gov.

Standard Authorized Organization Representative is a user in Grants.gov who is authorized by the E-Biz POC to initiate and submit applications in Grants.gov. A Grants.gov user with the Standard AOR role can only submit applications when they are a Participant for that workspace.

Consolidated Plan is the document submitted to HUD that serves as the comprehensive housing affordability strategy, community development plan, and submission for funding under any of the Community Planning and Development formula grant programs (e.g., CDBG, ESG, HOME, and HOPWA). This Plan is prepared in accordance with the process described in 24 CFR part 91.

This plan is completed by engaging in a participatory process to assess their affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven, place-based investment decisions with funding from formula grant programs. (See 24 CFR part 91 for HUD’s requirements regarding the Consolidated Plan and related Action Plan).

Contract means, for the purpose of Federal financial assistance, a legal instrument by which a recipient or subrecipient purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a federal award. For additional information on contractor and subrecipient determinations, see 2 CFR 200.331.

Contractor means an entity that receives a contract as defined above and in 2 CFR 200.1.

Cooperative agreement has the same meaning defined at 2 CFR 200.1.

Deficiency, with respect to the making of an application for funding, is information missing or omitted within a submitted application. Examples of deficiencies include missing documents, missing or incomplete information on a form, or some other type of unsatisfied information requirement. Depending on specific criteria, a deficiency may be either Curable or Non-Curable.

A Curable Deficiency is missing or incomplete application information that may be corrected by the applicant with timely action. To be curable, the deficiency must:

Not be a threshold requirement, except for documentation of applicant eligibility;

Not influence how an applicant is ranked or scored versus other applicants; and Be remedied within the time frame specified in the notice of deficiency.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-91 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-91 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR031321e29ac5bbd/section-200.331 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200

A Non-Curable Deficiency is missing or incomplete application information that cannot be corrected by an applicant after the submission deadline. A non-curable deficiency is a deficiency that is a threshold requirement, or a deficiency that, if corrected, would change an applicant’s score or rank versus other applicants. If an application includes a non-curable deficiency, the application may receive an ineligible determination, or the non-curable deficiency may otherwise adversely affect the application’s score and final funding determination.

E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) is an organization applicant who is responsible for the administration and management of grant activities for his or her organization. The E-Biz POC is likely to be an organization's chief financial officer or authorizing official. The E-Biz POC authorizes representatives of their organization to apply on behalf of the organization (see Authorized Organization Representative definition). There can only be one E-Biz POC per unique entity identifier (see definition of Unique Entity Identifier below).

Eligibility requirements are mandatory requirements for an application to be eligible for funding.

Environmental Justice means investing in environmental improvements, remedying past environmental inequities, and otherwise developing, implementing, and enforcing laws and policies in a manner that advances environmental equity and provides meaningful involvement for people and communities that have been environmentally underserved or overburdened, such as Black and Brown communities, indigenous groups, and individuals with disabilities. This definition does not alter the requirements under HUD’s regulations at 24 CFR 58.5(j) and 24 CFR 50.4(l) implementing Executive Order 12898. E.O. 12898 requires a consideration of how federally assisted projects may have disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on minority and/or low-income populations. For additional information on environmental review compliance, refer to:

https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/environment_energy/regulations.

Equity has the meaning given to that term in Section 2(a) of Executive Order 13985 and means the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

Federal Award, has the meaning, depending on the context, in either paragraphs (1) or (2) of this definition:

(1)

(a) The Federal financial assistance that a recipient receives directly from a Federal awarding agency or a subrecipient receives indirectly from a pass-through entity, as described in 2 CFR 200.101; or

(b) The cost-reimbursement contract under the Federal Acquisition Regulations that a non- Federal entity receives directly from a federal awarding agency or indirectly from a pass- through entity, as described in 2 CFR 200.101.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-58/subpart-A/section-58.5 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-50/subpart-A/section-50.4 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-50/subpart-A/section-50.4 https://www.archives.gov/files/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12898.pdf https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/environment_energy/regulations https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government

(2) The instrument setting forth the terms and conditions. The instrument is the grant agreement, cooperative agreement, other agreement for assistance covered in paragraph (2) of the definitions of Federal financial assistance in 2 CFR 200.1, and this NOFO, or the cost-reimbursement contract awarded under the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

(3) Federal award does not include other contracts that a Federal agency uses to buy goods or services from a contractor or a contract to operate Federal Government owned, contractor operated facilities (GOCOs).

(4) See also definitions of Federal financial assistance, grant agreement, and cooperative agreement in 2 CFR 200.1.

Federal Financial Assistance has the same meaning defined at 2 CFR 200.1.

Grants.gov is the website serving as the Federal government’s central portal for searching and applying for Federal financial assistance throughout the Federal government. Registration on Grants.gov is required for submission of applications to prospective agencies unless otherwise specified in this NOFO.

Green and Resilient Building Standard means an industry-recognized standard incorporating both:

(1) Certification under (i) Enterprise Green Communities, (ii) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) (New Construction, Homes, Midrise, Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance, or Neighborhood Development), (iii) International Code Council (ICC)-700 National Green Building Standard Green+ Resilience; or the (iv) Living Building Challenge, or (v) a regional standard such as Earth Advantage New Homes; or any other equivalent comprehensive green building program acceptable to HUD; and

(2) Minimum energy efficiency requirements, such as those defined in (i) ENERGY STAR (Certified Homes or Multifamily High-Rise), (ii) DOE Zero Energy Ready Home; (iii) regional or local certifications such as EarthCraft House, EarthCraft Multifamily; Greenpoint Rated New Home, Greenpoint Rated Existing Home (Whole House or Whole Building label); (iv) Passive House Institute Passive Building or EnerPHit certification from the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS), International Passive House Association.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are any historically Black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary of Education to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation. A list of accredited HBCUs can be found at the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) are

(1) a part B institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1601);

(2) a Hispanic-serving institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1101a(5));

(3) a Tribal College or University (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059c);

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title20/pdf/USCODE-2020-title20-chap28-subchapIII-partB-sec1061.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title20/pdf/USCODE-2020-title20-chap28-subchapV-partA-sec1101a.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2015-title20/pdf/USCODE-2015-title20-chap28-subchapIII-partA-sec1059c.pdf

(4) an Alaska Native-serving institution or a Native Hawaiian-serving institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059d(b));

(5) a Predominantly Black Institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059e);

(6) an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059g); or

(7) a Native American-serving nontribal institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059f).

Non-Federal Entity (NFE) means a state, local government, Indian tribe, Institution of Higher Education (IHE), or non-profit organization that carries out a federal award as a recipient or subrecipient.

Primary Point of Contact (PPOC) is the person who may be contacted with questions about the application submitted by the AOR. The PPOC is listed in item 8F on the SF-424.

Racial Equity is the elimination of racial disparities, and is achieved when race can no longer predict opportunities, distribution of resources, or outcomes – particularly for Black and Brown persons, which includes Black, Latino, indigenous, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and other persons of color.

Recipient means an entity, usually but not limited to non-Federal entities, that receives a federal award directly from HUD. The term recipient does not include subrecipients or individuals that are beneficiaries of the award.

Resilience is a community’s ability to minimize damage and recover quickly from extreme events and changing conditions.

Small business is defined as a privately-owned corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship that has fewer employees and less annual revenue than regular-sized business. The definition of “small”—in terms of being able to apply for government support and qualify for preferential tax policy—varies by country and industry. The U.S. Small Business Administration defines a small business according to a set of standards based on specific industries. See 13 CFR Part 121.

Subaward means an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a beneficiary of a Federal program. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that the pass-through entity considers a contract.

Subrecipient means an entity, usually but not limited to non-Federal entities, that receives a subaward from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a federal award but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such award. A subrecipient may also be a recipient of other federal awards directly from a federal awarding agency.

System for Award Management (SAM) is the Federal Repository into which an entity must provide information required for the conduct of business as a recipient. Registration with SAM is required for submission of applications via Grants.gov. You can access the website at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/. There is no cost to use SAM.

Threshold Requirements are eligibility requirements that must be met for an application to be reviewed, rated, and ranked. Threshold requirements are not curable, except for documentation https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2015-title20/pdf/USCODE-2015-title20-chap28-subchapIII-partA-sec1059d.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title20/pdf/USCODE-2020-title20-chap28-subchapIII-partA-sec1059e.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title20/pdf/USCODE-2020-title20-chap28-subchapIII-partA-sec1059g.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title20/pdf/USCODE-2020-title20-chap28-subchapIII-partA-sec1059g.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title20/pdf/USCODE-2020-title20-chap28-subchapIII-partA-sec1059f.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-121?toc=1 https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ of applicant eligibility, which are listed in Section III.D., Threshold Eligibility Requirements.

Similarly, there are eligibility requirements under Section III.E., Statutory and Regulatory Requirements Affecting Eligibility.

Underserved Communities has the meaning given to that term in Section 2(b) of Executive Order 13985 and refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, as exemplified by the list in the definition of “equity” above.

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) means the identifier assigned by SAM to uniquely identify business entities. As of April 4, 2022, the Federal government has transitioned from the use of the DUNS Number to the use of UEI, as the primary means of entity identification for Federal awards government-wide.

b. Program Definitions.

Affordable Housing: Affordable housing is defined as any housing in which the occupant pays no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities. For the purpose of this NOFO this definition encompasses, but is not limited to, public-funded or federally subsidized housing.

Factory-built housing and components: This term refers to a range of residential building products that are produced in a factory at a location other than the location of final installation.

These products include, but are not limited to, manufactured housing, modules, panels, etc.

Homebuilding: The design and construction of housing. In this NOFO, we are primarily interested in homebuilding of single-family attached or detached homes and multifamily homes with three stories or less (homes of this type generally use similar design approaches, products, and trades).

Innovation: The introduction of something new that results in an improvement of function or performance. For the purposes of this announcement, homebuilding innovations can include new construction methods, materials, techniques, processes or products, that greatly increase the production and supply of quality and affordable housing. The terms "innovation" and "technology" are used interchangeably in this NOFO.

Low and Moderate Income means family or household annual income less than the Section 8 Low Income Limit, generally 80 percent of the area median income, as established by HUD.

Manufactured housing: Homes built entirely in the factory under the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards which are administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Modular (housing): Modular homes and/or industrialized buildings are constructed in factories and then transported to and assembled on-site. Sometimes called “box houses” because they are built complete with attached walls, floors, and ceilings and come already wired and ready for plumbing, modular homes tend to be the most affordable factory-built home. Modular structures fall under state and local level regulatory review.

Panelized Building Systems: The structural components of a home (e.g., walls, roofs and floors) are constructed in a factory and then transported to the planned site where it is assembled https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government or installed much like the conventional site-built or “stick-built” home. Panelized homes are subject to both state and federal building code requirements.

Quality Control Lapse: A quality control lapse is a failure to meet deadlines, or accomplish quality or quantity goals, because of a failure of communication, collaboration, coordination, or supervision among the human beings involved in the project.

Quality Control Plan: A quality control plan is a schedule or practice of meetings, reviews, or inspections to ensure that quality control lapses do not occur.

Regulatory Barriers: Generally defined as regulations and processes that guide housing development and (1) the costs of implementing or complying with the regulation or process exceed the social benefits; (2) complex, non-transparent development processes limit entry to the market; and (3) restrictive land use regulations near employment and services may limit labor mobility, harming households and the national economy.

Technology: The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. The terms "innovation" and "technology" are used interchangeably in this NOFO.

B. Authority

This program is authorized by Sections 501 and 502 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1970 (12 U.S.C. §1701z-1 and §1701z-2) and funding is provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103, approved March 15, 2022).

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funds

Funding of approximately $4,000,000 is available through this NOFO.

Additional funds may become available for award under this NOFO consistent with Section VI.A.2.e., Adjustments to Funding. Use of these funds is subject to statutory constraints. All awards are subject to the funding restrictions contained in this NOFO.

B. Number of Awards

HUD expects to make approximately 5 awards from the funds available under this NOFO.

C. Minimum/Maximum Award Information

Estimated Total Funding:

$4,000,000 Minimum Award Amount:

$150,000 Per Project Period

Maximum Award Amount:

$500,000 Per Project Period

D. Period of Performance

Estimated Project Start Date:

10/07/2023 Estimated Project End Date:

10/07/2025 Length of Project Periods:

24-month project period and budget period

Length of Periods Explanation of Other:

N/A

E. Type of Funding Instrument

Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Awards will be made as cooperative agreements. Anticipated substantial involvement by HUD staff for cooperative agreements may include, but will not be limited to:

1. Review and suggestion of amendments to the study design, including study objectives;

field sampling plan; data collection methods; sample handling and preparation; and sample and data analysis.

2. Review and provision of technical recommendations in response to quarterly progress reports (e.g., amendments to study design based on preliminary results).

3. Review and provision of technical recommendations on the journal article(s) and final study report.

Awardees are expected to make reasonable efforts to incorporate HUD suggestions and recommendations when provided.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

00 (State governments)

01 (County governments)

02 (City or township governments)

04 (Special district governments)

05 (Independent school districts)

06 (Public and State controlled institutions of higher education)

07 (Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized))

08 (Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities)

11 (Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments))

12 (Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education)

13 (Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education)

20 (Private institutions of higher education)

22 (For profit organizations other than small businesses)

23 (Small businesses)

Hispanic-serving Institution

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)

Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions

Additional Information on Eligibility Limits on Submissions by Principal Investigators

HUD does not restrict the number of proposals submitted by a research organization or institutions, but does restrict the number of proposals submitted by a single individual Principal Investigator. HUD will only accept and review up to one proposal from a single individual Principal Investigator, under this announcement.

Faith-based organizations

(1) Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at 24 CFR 5.109, and subject to the protections and requirements of 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., HUD will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization based on the organization's religious character, affiliation, or exercise.

(2) A faith-based organization that participates in this program will retain its independence and may continue to carry out its mission consistent with religious freedom and conscience protections in Federal law, including the Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses of the Constitution, 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., 42 U.S.C. 238n, 42 U.S.C. 18113, 42 U.S.C. 2000e-1(a) and 2000e-2(e), 42 U.S.C. 12113(d), and the Weldon Amendment, among others. Religious accommodations may also be sought under many of these religious freedom and conscience protection laws, particularly under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

(3) A faith-based organization may not use direct financial assistance from HUD to support or engage in any explicitly religious activities except where consistent with the Establishment Clause and any other applicable requirements. Such an organization also may not, in providing services funded by HUD, discriminate against a beneficiary or prospective program beneficiary on the basis of religion, religious belief, a refusal to hold a religious belief, or a refusal to attend or participate in a religious practice.

B. Ineligible Applicants

Individuals, foreign entities, federal entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-A/part-5#p-5.109

C. Cost Sharing or Matching

This Program does not require cost sharing or matching.

D. Threshold Eligibility Requirements

Applicants who fail to meet any of the following threshold eligibility requirements are deemed ineligible. Applications from ineligible applicants are not rated or ranked and will not receive HUD funding.

1. Resolution of Civil Rights Matters

Outstanding civil rights matters must be resolved before the application submission deadline.

Applicants with unresolved civil rights matters at the application deadline are deemed ineligible.

Applications from ineligible applicants are not rated or ranked and will not receive HUD funding.

a. An applicant is ineligible for funding if the applicant has any of the charges, cause determinations, lawsuits, or letters of findings referenced in subparagraphs (1) – (5) that are not resolved to HUD’s satisfaction before or on the application deadline date for this NOFO.

(1) Charges from HUD concerning a systemic violation of the Fair Housing Act or receipt of a cause determination from a substantially equivalent state or local fair housing agency concerning a systemic violation of a substantially equivalent state or local fair housing law proscribing discrimination because of race, color, religion,…