261—25.7 (15) Application review criteria. IDED shall evaluate applications and make funding decisions based on general activity criteria, need, impact, feasibility, and activity administration based upon the specific type of activity. The activity criteria shall be a part of the application. A workshop will be held at least 60 days prior to the application deadline to provide information, materials, and technical assistance to potential applicants.
	 25.7(1) As applicable, the review criteria for home ownership assistance applications shall include the following:
	  a.   	 General criteria.
	  1. 	 Activity objectives.
	  2. 	 Total number of units.
	  3. 	 Activities and cost estimates.
	  4. 	 If new construction, availability of necessary infrastructure and utilities.
	  5. 	 Form(s) of assistance.
	  6. 	 Type(s) of assistance (e.g., mortgage buy-down, down payment, closing costs, rehabilitation, and combinations thereof).
	  7. 	 Median purchase price for single-family housing in the community.
	  8. 	 Initial purchase price or after rehabilitation value per assisted unit limitation.
	  9. 	 Mortgage lender participation documentation and the current underwriting standards.
	  10. 	 Methodology to determine maximum amount of conventional financing affordable to buyer.
	  11. 	 Selection criteria for participants and their access to the proposed activity.
	  12. 	 Methodology to ensure that the property will be the buyer’s principal residence throughout the period of affordability.
	  13. 	 Assurance of compliance with HUD lead-safe housing regulations as applicable.
	  14. 	 Compliance with Iowa’s Minimum Housing Rehabilitation Standards (November 1999) and, as applicable, local standards, codes, and ordinances.
	  15. 	 Activity time line.
	  b.   	 Need, impact and feasibility criteria.
	  1. 	 Number and percentage of low- and moderate-income persons in the applicant community.
	  2. 	 Evidence and documentation of need for the activity.
	  3. 	 Percentage of need to be met through the activity.
	  4. 	 Reasons mortgage applications have been denied by local lenders.
	  5. 	 Housing costs, housing supply, condition of available housing, and vacancy rates.
	  6. 	 If acquisition for new construction, documentation of need for new units.
	  7. 	 Recent or current housing improvement activities.
	  8. 	 Description of current and ongoing comprehensive community development efforts.
	  9. 	 Publicity promoting the proposed activity and identification of local partners.
	  10. 	 Number of potential participants and the method by which they were identified.
	  11. 	 New businesses or industrial growth in the past five years.
	  12. 	 Local involvement and financial support.
	  c.   	 Administrative criteria.
	  1. 	 Plan for activity administration.
	  2. 	 Previous activity administrative experience.
	  3. 	 Budget for general administration.
	  4. 	 Recapture or resale provisions, terms, and enforcement procedures.
	  5. 	 Prior funding received and performance targets completed.
	 25.7(2) As applicable, the review criteria for owner-occupied housing rehabilitation applications shall include the following:
	  a.   	 General criteria.
	  1. 	 Activity objectives.
	  2. 	 Area of benefit and reason for selection.
	  3. 	 Condition of infrastructure in the activity area served.
	  4. 	 Form of assistance to homeowners.
	  5. 	 Selection criteria for participants.
	  6. 	 Method to determine that the property is the homeowner’s principal residence.
	  7. 	 Compliance with Iowa’s Minimum Housing Rehabilitation Standards (November 1999).
	  8. 	 Assurance of compliance with HUD lead-safe housing regulations.
	  9. 	 Plans for properties infeasible to rehabilitate.
	  10. 	 Activity time line.
	  b.   	 Need, impact and feasibility criteria.
	  1. 	 Evidence of need for the activity.
	  2. 	 Percentage of need to be met through the activity.
	  3. 	 Number and percentage of low- and moderate-income persons in the community.
	  4. 	 Housing costs, housing supply, condition of housing, vacancy rate of owner-occupied units in the activity area served.
	  5. 	 Other recent or current housing improvement activities in the activity area served or community served.
	  6. 	 Ongoing comprehensive community development efforts in the activity area served.
	  7. 	 New businesses or industries in the past five years in the community.
	  8. 	 Local involvement and financial support.
	  c.   	 Administrative criteria.
	  1. 	 Plan for activity administration.
	  2. 	 Previous activity management experience.
	  3. 	 Budget for administration.
	  4. 	 List of prior CDBG or HOME funding.
	  5. 	 If application is for a continuation of a prior activity, list of performance targets completed.
	 25.7(3) As applicable, the review criteria for rental housing assistance applications shall include the following:
	  a.   	 General criteria.
	  1. 	 Activity objectives.
	  2. 	 Total number of units and number of assisted units.
	  3. 	 Activities and cost estimates.
	  4. 	 Eligibility criteria for renters of assisted units (income, age, disability, other).
	  5. 	 Rationale for activity location.
	  6. 	 Availability and condition of infrastructure; availability of utilities.
	  7. 	 Zoning compliance.
	  8. 	 Environmental issues.
	  9. 	 Potential tenant displacement including estimated Uniform Relocation Act (URA) costs.
	  10. 	 Accessibility.
	  11. 	 Assurance of compliance with HUD lead-safe housing regulations.
	  12. 	 Activity time line.
	  b.   	 Need, impact and feasibility criteria.
	  1. 	 Evidence of need for the activity.
	  2. 	 Percentage of need to be met through this activity.
	  3. 	 Number and percentage of low- and moderate-income persons in the community.
	  4. 	 Housing costs, housing supply, condition of available housing, rental vacancy rate in the community.
	  5. 	 If new construction, documentation of need for new construction.
	  6. 	 Other recent or current housing improvement activities in the activity area served or community served.
	  7. 	 Ongoing comprehensive community development efforts in the activity area served or community served.
	  8. 	 New businesses or industries in the past five years in the community.
	  9. 	 Local involvement and financial support.
	  10. 	 Opposition to the activity and plans to alleviate concerns.
	  11. 	 Financial contribution to the activity from other sources (including all underwriting criteria).
	  12. 	 Reason for “gap” in activity financing; justification for housing fund request amount.
	  c.   	 Administrative criteria.
	  1. 	 Plan for activity administration and property management.
	  2. 	 Previous administrative experience.
	  3. 	 Plan to ensure long-term affordability.
	  4. 	 Plan for annual certification of tenant eligibility and compliance with Section 8 Housing Quality Standards and any ongoing maintenance to ensure long-term lead-safe housing.
	  5. 	 Previous CDBG- or HOME-funded housing activities and current status.
	  6. 	 Applicant’s other rental housing activities and addresses.
	 25.7(4) As applicable, the review criteria for tenant-based rental assistance applications shall include the following:
	  a.   	 General criteria.
	  1. 	 Activity objectives.
	  2. 	 Rationale for amount of assistance per beneficiary.
	  3. 	 Selection criteria for participants.
	  4. 	 Form of assistance.
	  5. 	 Use of assistance (rental and security deposits, rent assistance).
	  6. 	 Length of time of assistance.
	  7. 	 Portability of rental assistance.
	  8. 	 Rent calculation.
	  b.   	 Need, impact and feasibility criteria.
	  1. 	 Number and percentage of low- and moderate-income persons in the applicant community.
	  2. 	 Percentage of income that potential beneficiaries currently pay for rent.
	  3. 	 Area rental housing costs by unit based on number of bedrooms.
	  4. 	 Availability of affordable rental housing.
	  5. 	 Public housing authority waiting list.
	  6. 	 Documentation of other indicators of need for tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA).
	  7. 	 Percentage of need to be met through this activity.
	  8. 	 Alternatives to the proposed activity that were considered.
	  9. 	 Coordination of this activity with other housing assistance.
	  10. 	 Other providers of TBRA in the community.
	  11. 	 Description of efforts to obtain additional funding from other sources for TBRA.
	  12. 	 Evidence of local involvement and financial support.
	  13. 	 Opposition to activity and method to address it.
	  14. 	 Economic indicators in community (unemployment rate, increase/decrease opportunity).
	  15. 	 Activity time line.
	  16. 	 Overall vacancy rate of rental units in the community.
	  c.   	 Administrative criteria.
	  1. 	 Plans for administering the activity.
	  2. 	 Description of previous administrative experience.
	  3. 	 Budget for administration.
	  4. 	 Plan for annual certification of tenant eligibility and compliance with Section 8 HQS.
	  5. 	 Prior CDBG or HOME housing grants.
	  6. 	 Prior activities funded and performance targets completed.
	 25.7(5) IDED staff may conduct site evaluations of proposed activities.