Related Information Technical Assistance About HSIAC HSIAC NOFA

What is the purpose of the HSIAC program?
To assist Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) expand their role and effectiveness in addressing community development needs in their localities, including neighborhood revitalization, housing, and economic development, principally for persons of low- and moderate-income, consistent with the purposes of Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) as amended.

Who is eligible for an HSIAC grant?
Only nonprofit HSIs that meet the definition of an HSI of higher education established in Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. In order to meet this definition, at least 25 percent of the full-time undergraduate students enrolled in an institution must be Hispanic. In addition, all applicants must be institutions of higher education granting 2- or 4-year degrees that are accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Institutions are not required to be on the list of eligible HSIs prepared by the U.S. Department of Education. However, an institution that is not on the list is required to provide a statement in the application that the institution meets the U.S. Department of Education's statutory definition of an HSI as cited above. If an applicant is one of several campuses of the same institution, the applicant may apply separately from the other campuses as long as the campus has a separate DUNS number, administrative structure and budget, and meets the enrollment requirements outlined above.

When is the application due date?
August 16, 2010. Applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov by 11:59:59 p.m. eastern time on the deadline date.

What is the funding amount for HSIAC?
Approximately $6.4 million has been made available for FY10.

What is the maximum amount an institution can request?
No more than $600,000 for a 3-year grant performance period.

How does HUD define "Previously Funded" HSIAC applicants?
HUD defines "Previously Funded" as any applicants that received funding in FY 2003 through FY 2009. If an applicant has received a grant prior to these years, they should respond to this factor as a "Previously Unfunded" applicant.

What are eligible activities?
Examples of activities that generally can be carried out with these funds, under one of the three national objectives, include, but are not limited to:

• Acquisition of real property.
• Clearance and demolition.
• Rehabilitation of residential structures, including lead-based paint hazard evaluation and reduction and making accessibility modifications in accordance with requirements of the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794) and the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.). Activities related to implementation of the aforementioned policy priorities are also eligible activities within the context of the program regulations. Applicants that propose rehabilitation and/or construction of a building on campus must sustain that facility for the purpose of the activities proposed in this grant for at least 5 years after the end of the grant performance period.
• Acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or installation of public facilities and improvements, such as water and sewer facilities and streets, and/or activities to achieve or further compliance with accessibility requirements, such as those under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.), the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.), and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C.§ 4151, et seq.; 24 CFR Parts 40 and 41).
• Relocation payments and other assistance for permanently and temporarily relocated individuals, families, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and farm operations where the assistance is: required under the provisions of 24 CFR 570.606(b) or (c); or determined by the grantee to be appropriate under the provisions of 24 CFR 570.606(d).
Direct homeownership assistance to low- and moderate-income persons, as provided in section 105(a) (25) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.
• Special economic development activities described at 24 CFR 570.203 and assistance to facilitate economic development by providing technical or financial assistance for the establishment, stabilization, and expansion of microenterprises, including minority enterprises.
• Assistance to community-based development organizations (CBDOs) to carry out a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) neighborhood revitalization, community economic development, or energy conservation project, in accordance with 24 CFR 570.204. This could include activities in support of a HUD-approved local entitlement grantee, CDBG Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy or HUD-approved State CDBG Community Revitalization Strategy.
• Public service activities such as general support activities that can help to stabilize a neighborhood and contribute to sustainable redevelopment of the area, including but not limited to such activities as those concerned with employment, crime prevention, childcare, healthcare services, drug abuse, education, fair housing counseling, energy conservation, homebuyer downpayment assistance, or recreational needs.
• Up to 20 percent of the grant may be used for payments of reasonable grant administrative costs related to planning and execution of the project (for example, preparation/submission of HUD reports). Detailed explanations of these costs are provided in OMB circular A-21 Cost Principals for Educational Institutions that can be accessed at the White House website at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index.html.
• Fair housing services designed to further the fair housing objectives of the Fair Housing Act by making all persons, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and/or disability aware of the range of housing opportunities available to them.