HAR §15-311-31. Applications for program funds

(a) At the start of each fiscal year, the corporation shall commence with an outreach program, advertising the availability of moneys from the revolving fund. Such outreach shall include, but shall not necessarily be limited to: (1) A direct mailing to all known interested parties notifying the parties of funding availability; 311-12 §15-311-31 (2) Publishing a notice of funding availability in a newspaper of general circulation, as well as in each of the major local newspapers; (3) Issuing press releases to major media; and (4) Any other means deemed appropriate by the corporation. (b) Applicants desiring to utilize revolving fund moneys shall submit to the corporation an application containing such information, accompanied by the application fee, and filed in such manner as required in the procedural manual. (c) Staff shall verify that all applications are complete. Additionally, all required exhibits to the application must be attached. If either one of these conditions, or both, are not met, staff will inform the applicant in writing that the application is not complete. Applicant will be given ten working days to remedy any problems or deficiencies in the application. If after the ten day period, the problem or the deficiency remains unresolved, staff shall send the applicant a letter informing the applicant that the application for program funds will not be processed for action in that funding round. The letter shall state the reasons why the application will not be processed. Staff shall evaluate, score, and rank projects only if applicants submit complete applications. (d) Staff shall verify that the project described in the application meets the affordability requirements and the eligible uses requirements as stipulated in section 201H-202, HRS. If staff determines that the affordability requirements or the eligible uses are not met, staff shall send a letter to the applicant informing the applicant that the application for program funds will not be processed in that funding round. The letter shall state staff's reasons why the application will not be processed. Staff will evaluate, score, and rank projects only if the proposed project meets the affordability and the eligible use requirements. 311-13 §15-311-31 (e) During the project evaluation process, the corporation may make additional requests or inquiries of the applicant. Even if the application is technically complete, the corporation reserves the right to contact and to request additional information of the applicant. The applicant has the option to respond or not to respond tJANht~zit-bluests. [Eff 4/23/10; am and comp ] (Auth: HRS §§201H-4, 201H-202) (Imp: HRS §201H-202) §15-311-32 Evaluation of requests for program funds; criteria point system. (a) The corporation will review and evaluate each complete application for program funds, and shall take into consideration factors such as compliance with the purposes and intent of chapter 201H, HRS, and other relevant factors. (b) In evaluating the requests for program funding, the corporation shall provide a preference to projects meeting the following criteria which are listed in descending order of priority: (1) Projects which serve the original target group; (2) Projects which provide at least five per cent of the total number of units for persons and families at or below thirty per cent of the median family income; (3) Projects which provide the maximum number of units for families with incomes at or below eighty per cent of the median family income; (4) Projects which are committed to serving the target group over a longer period of time; (5) Projects which increase the integration of income levels of the immediate community area; (6) Projects which meet the geographic needs of the target group of the proposed rental housing project, such as proximity to employment centers and services; and 311-14 §15-311-32 (7) Projects being developed by applicants with a favorable past performance in developing, owning, managing, or maintaining affordable rental housing; provided that the corporation may include other criteria as it deems necessary to carry out the purposes of the revolving fund. If the corporation, after applying the process described in this section, finds a nonprofit project equally ranked with a for- profit or government project, the corporation shall give preference to the nonprofit project in allotting revolving fund moneys. (c) In evaluating the requests for program funds, the corporation shall also provide a preference to projects producing units in at least one of the following categories: (1) Multifamily units; (2) Attached single-family homes; ( 3) Apartments; (4) Townhouses; (5) Housing units above commercial or industrial space; (6) Single room occupancy units; (7) Accessory apartment units; (8) Employee housing; (9) United State Department of Housing and Urban Development mixed finance development of public housing units; and (10) Other types of units meeting the criteria for eligibility set forth in subsection (b). (d) In addition to the program preferences referenced in this section, the corporation shall evaluate projects in the following primary areas: (1) Qualifications of applicant and development team; (2) Site evaluation and land use characteristics; (3) Environmental assessment; environmental impact statement; 311-15 §15-311-32 (4) Zoning, subdivision, and permitting requirements; (5) Financial, operational, and regulatory compliance evaluation; (6) Project design; (7) Tenant displacement and relocation considerations; (8) Energy conservation and efficiency considerations; (9) Target population and market conditions; and (10) Overall competitive position, merit, and feasibility of the project. (e) The corporation shall utilize the criteria point system attached hereto as Exhibit "A" to rate each application that has met the minimum criteria set forth in section 15-311-31. A minimum of 125 points out of 250 total points must be scored in order to be considered for further review by the corporation. [Eff 4/23/10; am and comp JAN 1 5 2022 ] (Auth: HRS §201H-202) (Imp: HRS §201H-204)