Rule2024-12559
Single Family Housing Section 504 Home Repair Loans and Grants in Presidentially Declared Disaster Areas Pilot Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 7, 2024
Effective
June 7, 2024
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentRural Housing Service
Abstract
The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is providing notification that due to funding constraints it is rescinding one of the waivers being tested under the Section 504 Home Repair Loans and Grants in a Presidentially Declared Disaster Areas (PDDAs) pilot program, as published in the Federal Register on July 18, 2023.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 111 (Friday, June 7, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 111 (Friday, June 7, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 48499-48500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12559]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
7 CFR Part 3550
[Docket No. RHS-23-SFH-0017]
Single Family Housing Section 504 Home Repair Loans and Grants in
Presidentially Declared Disaster Areas Pilot Program
AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notification; update and recission.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural
Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), is providing notification that due to funding constraints it is
rescinding one of the waivers being tested under the Section 504 Home
Repair Loans and Grants in a Presidentially Declared Disaster Areas
(PDDAs) pilot program, as published in the Federal Register on July 18,
2023.
DATES: This recission is effective June 7, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony Williams, Management and
Program Analyst, Special Programs, Single Family Housing Direct Loan
Division, Rural Development, 1400 Independence Ave., Washington, DC
20250, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3958574d5156574055174e5055555058544a794c4a5d58175e564f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7d1c13091512130411530a141111141c100e3d080e191c531a120b">[email protected]</span></a>; Phone: (202) 720-9649.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
New Section 504 Pilot Regulatory Waivers Update
On July 18, 2023, the RHS published the Single Family Housing
Section 504 Home Repair Loan and Grants in Presidentially Declared
Disaster Areas Pilot Program notice in the Federal
[[Page 48500]]
Register (88 FR 45809). The purpose of the notice was to waive four
regulatory requirements for the Section 504 Home Repair Loans and
Grants in a Presidentially Declared Disaster Areas (PDDAs) pilot
program. The Agency's intention was to evaluate the existing
regulations and remove regulatory barriers to assist eligible
applicants in PDDAs to improve the program usage for very low-income
homeowners that are seeking to repair their damaged homes that are in
PDDAs. The Agency also published a correction notice dated September 6,
2023 (88 FR 60883). In the September 6, 2023, notice, the Agency stated
that the pilot was subject to the availability of funds.
As stated in the original notice and the correction notice, the
Agency has continued to monitor the effectiveness of the pilot and the
availability of funds. The Agency has now determined that there are not
sufficient funds available for this program to keep all the waivers
under the pilot in place. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024
reduced the program level for Section 504 grants to $25,000,000 (in
comparison to $32,000,000 in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023)
and rescinded $28,000,000 of the unobligated balances that carried over
from prior year appropriations. With the lower program level and no
available carryover funds, the waiver to the age requirement is no
longer supportable and is rescinded. With the rescission of this one
waiver, all applicants for the Section 504 Home Repair Grant Program
must be 62 years of age or older at the time of application, according
to 7 CFR 3550.103(b). Complete applications received prior to the date
of this notice can be processed with the age requirement waiver.
The remaining regulatory waivers established for the Section 504
PDDAs pilot program will remain in place and are anticipated to
continue until July 18, 2025. This pilot remains subject to the
availability of funds.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible participants in the Section 504 program must abide by the
statutory requirements as set forth in 7 CFR part 3550. Eligible PDDAs
(individual and public assistance) can be found on the FEMA website at:
<a href="https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations">https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations</a>.
Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights laws and USDA civil rights
regulations and policies, the USDA, its mission areas, agencies, staff
offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering
USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender
expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status,
family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing
deadlines vary by program or incident. Program information may be made
available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities
who require alternative means of communication to obtain program
information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign
Language) should contact the responsible Mission Area, agency, staff
office; or the 711 Federal Relay Service. To file a program
discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD-3027,
USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained
online at <a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf">https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf</a>, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by
writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the
complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a written
description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail
to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights about the nature and
date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form
or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20250-9410; or
(2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
(3) Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f78785989085969ad99e9983969c92b782849396d9909881"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7404061b130615195a1d1a00151f1134010710155a131b02">[email protected]</span></a>.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Joaquin Altoro,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-12559 Filed 6-6-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on June 7, 2024.
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