I. Authority; Purpose; Amounts Allocated; and Eligibility.

(1) Enable owners of federally assisted low-income housing projects to deal effectively with drug-related criminal activity in and around the project.

(2) Improve the physical structure and the surrounding environment to enhance security designed to discourage drug-related criminal activity.

(3) Develop programs and security measures designed to reduce the use of drugs in and around federally assisted low-income housing projects, including drug-abuse prevention, intervention, referral, and treatment programs.

(1) Physical improvements to enhance security. The improvement may include but are not limited to systems designed to limit building access to project residents, the installation of barriers, lighting systems, fences, bolts, locks; the landscaping or reconfiguration of common areas to discourage drug-related crime; and other physical improvements designed to enhance security and discourage drug-related activities. In particular, HUD is seeking plans that provide successful, proven, and cost-effective deterrents to drug-related crime that are designed to address the realities of federally assisted low-income housing environments. All physical improvements must also be accessible to persons with disabilities. For example, some types of locks or buzzer systems are not accessible to persons with limited strength, or mobility, or to persons who have hearing impairments and should not be utilized. Accessible alternatives should be utilities. All physical improvements must meet the accessibility requirements of 24 CFR part 8, Nondiscrimination Based on Handicap in Federally Assisted Programs and Activities of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

(2) Programs to Reduce the Use of Drugs. Programs to reduce the use of drugs in and around the project, including drug-abuse prevention, intervention, referral, and treatment programs are eligible for funding under this program. The program should facilitate drug prevention, intervention, and treatment efforts, to include outreach to community resources and youth activities, and facilitate bringing these resources onto the premises, or provide resident referrals to treatment programs or transportation to out-patient treatment programs away from the premises. Funding is permitted for reasonable, necessary, and justified leasing of vehicles for resident youth and adult education and training activities directly related to "Programs to reduce the use of drugs" under this section. Alcohol-related activities and programs are not eligible for funding under this Multifamily Housing Drug Elimination Grant Program section of the SuperNOFA.

(3) Drug Prevention. Drug prevention programs that will be considered for funding under this Multifamily Housing Drug Elimination Grant Program section of the SuperNOFA must provide a comprehensive drug prevention approach for residents that will address the individual resident and his or her relationship to family, peers, and the community. Prevention programs must include activities designed to identify and change the factors present in federally assisted low-income housing that lead to drug-related problems, and thereby lower the risk of drug usage. Many components of a comprehensive approach, such as refusal and restraint skills training programs or drug-related family counseling, may already be available in the community of the applicant's housing projects, and the applicant must act to bring those available program components onto the premises. Activities that should be included in these programs are:

(a) Drug Education Opportunities for Residents. The causes and effects of illegal drug usage must be discussed in a formal setting to provide both young people and adults the working knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions to confront the potential and immediate dangers of illegal drugs. Grantees may contract (in accordance with 24 CFR Part 85.36) with drug education professionals to provide training or workshops. The drug education professional contracted to provide these services shall be required to base their services upon the program plan of the grantee. These educational opportunities may be a part of resident meetings, youth activities, or other gatherings of residents.

(b) Family and Other Support Services. Drug prevention programs must demonstrate that they will provide directly or otherwise make available services designed to distribute drug education information, to foster effective parenting skills, and to provide referrals for treatment and other available support services in the project or the community for federally-assisted low-income housing families.

(c) Youth Services. Drug prevention programs must demonstrate that they have included groups composed of young people as a part of their prevention programs. These groups must be coordinated by adults with the active participation of youth to organize youth leadership, sports, recreational, cultural and other activities involving housing youth. The dissemination of drug education information, the development of peer leadership skills and other drug prevention activities must be a component of youth services.

(4) Economic/Educational Opportunities for Resident Youth. Drug prevention programs should demonstrate a capacity to provide residents the opportunity for referral to established higher education or vocational institutions with the goal of developing or building on the resident's skills to pursue educational, vocational, and economic goals. The program must also demonstrate the ability to provide residents the opportunity to interact with private sector businesses in their immediate community for the same desired goals.

(5) Intervention. The aim of intervention is to identify federally-assisted low-income housing resident drug users and assist them in modifying their behavior and in obtaining early treatment, if necessary. The applicant must establish a program with the goal of preventing drug problems from continuing once detected.

(6) Drug Treatment. Treatment funded under this program shall be in or around the premises of the project. Funds awarded under this program shall be targeted towards the development and implementation of new drug referral treatment services and/or aftercare, or the improvement of, or expansion of such program services for residents. Each proposed drug treatment program should address the following goals:

(a) Increase resident accessibility to drug treatment services;

(b) Decrease criminal activity in and around the project by reducing illicit drug use among residents;

(c) Provide services designed for youth and/or maternal drug abusers, e.g., prenatal/postpartum care, specialized counseling in women's issues; parenting classes, or other drug treatment supportive services. Approaches that have proven effective with similar populations will be considered for funding. Programs should meet the following criteria:
(i) Applicants may provide the service of formal referral arrangements to other treatment programs not in or around the project when the resident is able to obtain treatment costs from sources other than this program. Applicants may also provide transportation for residents to out-patient treatment and/or support programs.

(ii) Provide family/collateral counseling.

(iii) Provide linkages to educational/vocational counseling.

(iv) Provide coordination of services to appropriate local drug agencies, HIV-related service agencies, and mental health and public health programs.

(7) Working Partnerships. Applicants must demonstrate a working partnership with the Single State Agency or State license provider or authority with drug program coordination responsibilities to coordinate, develop and implement the drug treatment proposal. In particular, applicants must review and determine with the Single State Agency or State license provider or authority with drug program coordination responsibilities whether: A) the drug treatment provider(s) has provided drug treatment services to similar populations, identified in the application, for two prior years; and B) the drug treatment proposal is consistent with the State treatment plan and the treatment service meets all State licensing requirements.

(8) Resident Councils. Providing funding to resident councils to develop security and drug abuse programs.

(1) Any activity or improvement that is normally funded from project operating revenues for routine maintenance or repairs, or those activities or improvements that may be funded through reasonable and affordable rent increases;

(2) The acquisition of real property or physical improvements that involve the demolition of any units in the project or displacement of tenants;

(3) Costs incurred prior to the effective date of the grant agreement, including, but not limited to, consultant fees for surveys related to the application or its preparation;

(4) Reimbursement of local law enforcement agencies for additional security and protective services;

(5) The employment of one or more individuals to investigate drug-related crime on or about the real property comprising any federally-assisted low-income project and/or to provide evidence relating to such crime in any administrative or judicial proceeding;

(6) The provision of training, communications equipment and other related equipment for use by voluntary tenant patrols acting in cooperation with local law enforcement officials;

(7) Treatment of residents at any in-patient medical treatment programs or facilities;

(8) Detoxification procedures, short term or long term, designed to reduce or eliminate the presence of toxic substances in the body tissues of a patient;

(9) Maintenance drug programs. [Maintenance drugs are medications that are prescribed regularly for a long period of supportive therapy (e.g., methadone maintenance), rather than for immediate control of a disorder.]

II. Program Requirements.

III. Application Selection Process.

Rating Factor 1: Capacity of the Applicant and Relevant Organizational Experience (20 Points).

(a) For PHAs (and TDHEs that had previously applied as IHAs), HUD will consider such measurement tools as PHMAP, uniform crime index, physical inspections, agency monitoring of records, Line of Credit Control System Reports (LOCCS), audits and such other relevant information available to HUD on the capacity of the owner or manager to undertake the grant.

(b) For owners of multifamily housing, HUD will consider the most recent Management Review (including Rural Development Management Review), HQS review, State Agency review and such other relevant information available to HUD on the capacity of the owner or manager to undertake the grant.

(c) A description of established performance goals to define the results expected to be achieved by all major grant activities proposed in the grant application, and a description of the goals expressed in an objective, quantifiable, and measurable form. The goals must be outcome or result-oriented and not out-put related. Outcomes include accomplishments, results, impact and the ultimate effects of the program on the drug or crime problem in the target/project area.

(a) For PHAs the applicant's past experience will be evaluated in terms of their ability to attain demonstrated measurable progress in tracking drug related crime, enforcement of screening and lease procedures in implementation of the "One Strike and You're Out Initiative" (as applicable), the extent to which the applicant has formed a collaboration with Tribal, State and local law enforcement agencies and courts to gain access to criminal conviction records of applicants to determine their suitability for residence in public housing. Such data will be measured and evaluated based on the Public Housing Management Assessment Program at 24 CFR part 901.

(b) The applicant must identify their participation in HUD grant programs within the preceding three years and discuss the degree of the applicant's success in implementing and managing (program implementation, timely drawdown of funds, timely submission of required reports with satisfactory outcomes related to the plan and timetable, audit compliance, whether there are any unresolved findings from prior HUD reports (.e.g. performance or finance) reviews of audits undertaken by HUD, the Office of Inspector General, the General Accounting Office or independent public accountants.

Rating Factor 2: Need/Extent of the Problem (25 Points)

(a) Police records or other verifiable information from records on the types or sources of drug related crime in the targeted developments and surrounding area;

(b) The number of lease terminations or evictions for drug-related crime at the targeted developments; and

(c) The number of emergency room admissions for drug use or that result from drug-related crime. Such information may be obtained from police Departments and/or fire departments, emergency medical service agencies and hospitals. The number of police calls for service from housing authorities developments that include resident initiated calls, officer-initiated calls, domestic violence calls, drug distribution complaints, found drug paraphernalia, gang activity, graffiti that reflects drugs or gang-related activity, vandalism, drug arrests, and abandoned vehicles.

For PHAs, such data should include housing authority police records on the types and sources on drug related crime "in or around" developments as reflected in crime statistics or other supporting data from Federal, State, Tribal or local law enforcement agencies.

(a) Surveys of residents and staff in the targeted developments surveyed on drug-related crime or on-site reviews to determine drug/crime activity; and government or scholarly studies or other research in the past year that analyze drug-related crime activity in the targeted developments.

(b) Vandalism cost at the targeted developments, to include elevator vandalism (where appropriate) and other vandalism attributable to drug-related crime.

(c) Information from schools, health service providers, residents and Federal, State, local, and Tribal officials, and the verifiable opinions and observations of individuals having direct knowledge of drug-related crime and the nature and frequency of these problems in developments proposed for assistance. (These individuals may include Federal, State, Tribal, and local government law enforcement officials, resident or community leaders, school officials, community medical officials, substance abuse, treatment (dependency/remission) or counseling professionals, or other social service providers.)

(d) The school dropout rate and level of absenteeism for youth that the applicant can relate to drug-related crime. If crime or other statistics are not available at the development or precinct level the applicant must use other verifiable, reliable and objective data.

(e) To the extent that the applicant's community's Consolidated Plan identifies the level of the problem and the urgency in meeting the need, references to these documents should be included in the response. The Department will review more favorably those applicants who used these documents to identify need, when applicable.

Rating Factor 3: Soundness of Approach - (Quality of the Plan) (35 Points)

Rating Factor 4 -- Leveraging Resources (10 Points)

Evidence that comments and suggestions have been sought from residents to the proposed plan for this program and the degree to which residents will be involved in implementation.
Evidence of resident support for the proposed plan.

Rating Factor 5 -- Comprehensiveness and Coordination (10 Points)

(a) Other HUD-funded projects/activities outside the scope of those covered by the Consolidated Plan; and

(b) Other Federal, State, or locally funded activities, including those proposed or on-going in the community.

IV. Application Submission Requirements.

V. Corrections to Deficient Applications.

VI. Environmental Requirements.

Return to the 1998 Funds Available