Rural Housing Stability Assistance Program
The Department of Housing and Urban Development's mission is to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination. HUD fulfills this mission through high ethical standards, management and accountability, and by forming partnerships with community organizations.
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2012: No Current Data Available. Fiscal Year 2013: No Current Data Available. Fiscal Year 2014: No Current Data Available.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Grant assistance is available for rent, mortgage and utility assistance; relocation assistance; short-term emergency lodging; new construction of buildings to provide transitional or permanent housing; acquisition of real property to provide supportive services or transitional or permanent rental housing; rehabilitation of structures to provide supportive services or transitional or permanent rental housing; leasing; rental assistance; operating costs of transitional and permanent rental housing; rehabilitation and repairs to make premises habitable; supportive services; use of federal inventory property; capacity building activities that strengthen the capability of recipients to deliver housing and supportive services to eligible participants and to administer grants under this program; data collection costs; indirect costs in accordance with OMB Circulars A-87 or A-122 as applicable and administrative costs not to exceed 7.5 percent of the RHSP grant.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Counties, that meet the definition of a rural county (a county that has no part of it within an area designated as a standard metropolitan statistical area by OMB; a county that is within an area designated as a metropolitan statistical area or considered as part of a metropolitan statistical area and at least 75 percent of its population is located on U.S.
Census blocks classified as non-urban; a county that is located in a State that has population density of less than 30 persons per square mile [as reported in the most recent decennial census], and of which at least 1.25 percent of the total acreage of such State is under Federal jurisdiction, provided that no metropolitan city in such State is the sole beneficiary of the grant amounts awarded under this part.
A metropolitan city means a city that was classified as a metropolitan city under section 102(a) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C.
5302(a)) for the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year for which Emergency Solutions Grant program funds are made available.
"Recipient" includes the District of Columbia.) local units of government authorized by the county and private non-profit organizations authorized by the county.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Individuals and families who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or are in a worst housing situation. Worst housing situation is defined as housing that has serious health and safety defects and at least one major system that has failed or is failing.
Credentials/Documentation
The list of counties eligible to apply for RHSP will be published in the Notice of Funding Availability. Local units of government and private non-profit organizations applying on behalf of eligible counties, must provide a letter from the eligible county designating the entity is applying on their behalf. Private nonprofit status is documented by submitting either (1) a copy of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ruling providing tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code; or (2) documentation showing that the entity is a certified United Way agency; or (3) a certification from a licensed CPA that no part of the next earnings of the organization inures to the benefit of any member, founder, contributor, or individual; that the organization has a voluntary board; that the organization practices nondiscrimination in the provision of assistance; that the organization has a functioning accounting system. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Preapplication coordination is required.
An environmental impact assessment is required for this program.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application Procedures
This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. The requirements of 24 CFR Part 85 applies to this program. One application package prescribing the specific information that applicants must submit is available. The standard application forms as furnished by HUD must be used for this program. HUD will publish a list of counties eligible to apply for funds in a particular fiscal year. Every county government submitting an application must include either an abbreviated consolidated plan or consolidated plan that is consistent with the proposed program activities. Sections 491 (a) and 491 (m) of the Mc Kinney-Vento Act provide that funds awarded under this program are in lieu of grants awarded under subtitle C, which is the Continuum of Care (CoC) program, and that funds awarded to a county shall only be awarded under either the CoC program or the RHSP. This requirement is implemented by establishing that a county may apply for funds either under the CoC program or RHSP, but not both.
Award Procedures
HUD reviews applications, rates and ranks those meeting threshold requirements, and prepares a Grant Agreement for those applications selected.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.
Authorization
Title IV - Housing Assistance, Subtitle D - Rural Housing Stability Assistance Program of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act).
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Processing of applications will take place in HUD Field Offices and at HUD Headquarters, and selection of successful applicants will take place at HUD Headquarters. HUD will make its final selections and obligate funds as soon as the applications can be processed.
Appeals
The appeal process will be outlined in the Notice of Funding Availability.
Renewals
Not Applicable.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory Formula:
Matching Requirements: (Formula): Section 427(b)(2) of the McKinney-Vento Act establishes the PPRN formula which determines the needs of a geographic area. PPRN is the dollar expression of the relative need assigned to metropolitan cities, urban counties, and all other counties determined by HUD in accordance with HUD s regulations for the Continuum of Care program. The formula uses nationally available data, including the following factors as used in the CDBG formula and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) formula on poverty, housing overcrowding, population, age of housing, and growth lag. To determine a ruralcounty"ss PPRN, HUD will calculate the sum of the PPRN amount for the rural county as well as any metropolitan cities therein. The cumulative PPRN amount for the rural county will be the basis for determining the maximum award amount for which the county may apply.
Matching Requirements: There is a minimum of 25 percent cash or in-kind match on all eligible funding costs except leasing, data collection and administrative costs. For in-kind match, the government-wide grant requirements of HUD s regulations at 24 CFR 84.23 and CFR 85.24. The 25 percent match requirement is calculated on the total grant amount. Recipients have the responsibility to ensure that the funds that the recipient uses to satisfy HUD"s match requirements are not prohibited to be used for this purpose under any statute that may govern the matching funds.
MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants may be made available for a 3 year term. Method of awarding/releasing assistance will be established in the Notice of Funding Availability. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: by letter of credit.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Each recipient must keep any records and make any reports as specified by HUD within the timeframe required.
Cash reports are not applicable.
Progress reports are applicable.
Expenditure reports are applicable.
Performance monitoring is not applicable.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. The financial management systems used by governmental entities that are recipients under this program must provide for audits in accordance with 24 CFR 85. Private nonprofit entity recipients are subject to the audit requirements of 24 CFR 84. Both 24 CFR Part 84 and 85 stipulate that grant recipients and their subgrantees provide audits in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-133. HUD may perform further and additional audits as it finds necessary or appropriate.
Records
Each recipient must agree to participate in an evaluation of the program, and to keep any records and make any reports that HUD may require for the purpose of reporting to Congress on the cost of the program and the social, financial, and other advantages of supportive housing components as a means of assisting homeless persons.
Financial Information
Account Identification
86-0192-0-1-604.
Obigations
(Project Grants) FY 12 $0; FY 13 est $0; and FY 14 est $0
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
No Data Available.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
TBD published in the Federal Register. Other program information is available on the HUD Homelessness Resource Exchange at www.hudhre.info and www.hud.gov.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
See Regional Agency Offices.
Headquarters Office
Brian Fitzmaurice, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Communtiy Planning and Development, 451 7th Street, SW, Room 7262, Washington, District of Columbia 20410 Email: Brian.P.Fitzmaurice@hud.gov Phone: 202-708-4300 Fax: 202-401-0053
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Criteria for selecting applications for assistance are defined in a Notice of Funding Availability in the Federal Register.
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