PART 12a-USE OF FEDERAL REAL PROPERTY TO ASSIST THE HOMELESS

Sec.

12a.1 Definitions.

12a.2 Applicability.

12a.3 Collecting the information. 12a.4 Suitability Determination.

12a.5 Real property reported excess to GSA. 12a.6 Suitability criteria.

12a.7 Determination of availability.

128.8 Public notice of determination. 12a.9 Application process.

12a.10 Action on approved applications. 12a.11 Unsuitable properties.

12a.12 No applications approved.

AUTHORITY: 42 U.S.C. 11411; 40 U.S.C. 484(k); 42 U.S.C. 3535(d).

SOURCE: 56 FR 23794, 23795, May 24, 1991, unless otherwise noted.

EFFECTIVE DATE NOTE: At 56 FR 23794, 23795, May 24, 1991, part 12a was added, effective May 24, 1991, except for §12a.3, which will not become effective until approved by the District Court for the District of Columbia, pending further proceedings. The agency will publish a document in the Federal Register at a later date announcing the effective date.

§ 12a.1 Definitions.

Applicant means any representative of the homeless which has submitted an application to the Department of Health and Human Services to obtain use of a particular suitable property to assist the homeless.

Checklist or property checklist means the form developed by HUD for use by landholding agencies to report the information to be used by HUD in making determinations of suitability.

Classification means a property's designation as unutilized, underutilized, excess, or surplus.

Day means one calendar day including weekends and holidays.

Eligible organization means a State, unit of local government or a private non-profit organization which provides assistance to the homeless, and which is authorized by its charter or by State law to enter into an agreement with the Federal government for use of real property for the purposes of this subpart. Representatives of the homeless interested in receiving a deed for a particular piece of surplus Federal property must be section 501(c)(3) tax exempt.

Excess property means any property under the control of any Federal executive agency that is not required for the agency's needs or the discharge of its responsibilities, as determined by the head of the agency pursuant to 40 U.S.C. 483.

GSA means the General Services Administration.

HHS means the Department of Health and Human Services.

Homeless means:

(1) An individual or family that lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and

(2) An individual or family that has a primary nighttime residence that is:

(i) A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill);

(ii) An institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or

for

(iii) A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation human beings. This term does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained under an Act of the Congress or a State law.

HUD means the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

ICH means the Interagency Council on the Homeless.

Landholding agency means a Federal department or agency with statutory authority to control real property.

Lease means an agreement between either the Department of Health and Human Services for surplus property, or landholding agencies in the case of non-excess properties or properties subject to the Base Closure and Realignment Act (Public Law 100-526; 10 U.S.C. 2687), and the applicant, giving rise to the relationship of lessor and lessee for the use of Federal real property for a term of at least one year under the conditions set forth in the lease document.

Non-profit organization means an organization no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any member, founder, contributor, or individual; that has a voluntary board; that has an accounting system or has

designated an entity that will maintain a functioning accounting system for the organization in accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures; and that practices nondiscrimination in the provision of assistance.

Permit means a license granted by a landholding agency to use unutilized or underutilized property for a specific amount of time under terms and conditions determined by the landholding agency.

Property means real property consisting of vacant land or buildings, or a portion thereof, that is excess, surplus, or designated as unutilized or underutilized in surveys by the heads of landholding agencies conducted pursuant to section 202(b)(2) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 483(b)(2).)

Regional Homeless Coordinator means a regional coordinator of the Interagency Council on the Homeless.

Representative of the Homeless means a State or local government agency, or private nonprofit organization which provides, or proposes to provide, services to the homeless.

Screen means the process by which GSA surveys Federal agencies, or State, local and non-profit entities, to determine if any such entity has an interest in using excess Federal property to carry out a particular agency mission or a specific public use.

State Homeless Coordinator means a state contact person designated by a state to receive and disseminate information and communications received from the Interagency Council on the Homeless in accordance with section 210(a) of the Stewart B. McKinney Act of 1987, as amended.

Suitable property means that HUD has determined that a particular property satisfies the criteria listed in §12a.6.

Surplus property means any excess real property not required by any Federal landholding agency for its needs or the discharge of its responsibilities, as determined by the Administrator of GSA.

Underutilized means an entire property or portion thereof, with or without improvements which is used only at irregular periods or intermittently by the accountable landholding agency

for current program purposes of that agency, or which is used for current program purposes that can be satisfied with only a portion of the property.

Unsuitable property means that HUD has determined that a particular property does not satisfy the criteria in §12a.6.

Unutilized property means an entire property or portion thereof, with or without improvements, not occupied for current program purposes for the accountable executive agency or occupied in caretaker status only.

§ 12a.2 Applicability.

(a) This part applies to Federal real property which has been designated by Federal landholding agencies as unutilized, underutilized, excess or surplus and is therefore subject to the provisions of title V of the McKinney Act (42 U.S.C. 11411).

(b) The following categories of properties are not subject to this subpart (regardless of whether they may be unutilized or underutilized).

(1) Machinery and equipment.

(2) Government-owned, contractoroperated machinery, equipment, land, and other facilities reported excess for sale only to the using contractor and subject to a continuing military requirement.

(3) Properties subject to special legislation directing a particular action. (4) Properties subject to a Court Order.

(5) Property not subject to survey requirements of Executive Order 12512 (April 29, 1985).

(6) Mineral rights interests. (7) Air Space interests.

(8) Indian Reservation land subject to section 202(a)(2) of the Federal Property and Administrative Service Act of 1949, as amended.

(9) Property interests subject to reversion.

(10) Easements.

(11) Property purchased in whole or in part with Federal funds if title to the property is not held by a Federal landholding agency as defined in this Part.

§ 12a.3 Collecting the information.

(a) Canvass of landholding agencies. On a quarterly basis, HUD will canvass

landholding agencies to collect information about property described as unutilized, underutilized, excess, or surplus, in surveys conducted by the agencies under section 202 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act (40 U.S.C. 483), Executive Order 12512, and 41 CFR part 101-47.800. Each canvass will collect information on properties not previously reported and about property reported previously the status or classification of which has changed or for which any of the information reported on the property checklist has changed.

(1) HUD will request descriptive information on properties sufficient to make a reasonable determination, under the criteria described below, of the suitability of a property for use as a facility to assist the homeless.

(2) HUD will direct landholding agencies to respond to requests for information within 25 days of receipt of such requests.

(b) Agency Annual Report. By December 31 of each year, each landholding agency must notify HUD regarding the current availability status and classification of each property controlled by the agency that:

(1) Was included in a list of suitable properties published that year by HUD, and

(2) Remains available for application for use to assist the homeless, or has become available for application during that year.

(c) GSA Inventory. HUD will collect information, in the same manner as described in paragraph (a) of this section, from GSA regarding property that is in GSA's current inventory of excess or surplus property.

(d) Change in Status. If the information provided on the property checklist changes subsequent to HUD's determination of suitability, and the property remains unutilized, underutilized, excess or surplus, the landholding agency shall submit a revised property checklist in response to the next quarterly canvass. HUD will make a new determination of suitability and, if it. differs from the previous determination, republish the property information in the FEDERAL REGISTER. For example, property determined unsuitable - for national security concerns may no

longer be subject to security restrictions, or property determined suitable may subsequently be found to be contaminated.

§ 12a.4 Suitability determination.

(a) Suitability determination. Within 30 days after the receipt of information from landholding agencies regarding properties which were reported pursuant to the canvass described in §12a.3(a), HUD will determine, under criteria set forth in §12a.6, which properties are suitable for use as facilities to assist the homeless and report its determination to the landholding agency. Properties that are under lease, contract, license, or agreement by which a Federal agency retains a real property interest or which are scheduled to become unutilized or underutilized will be reviewed for suitability no earlier than six months prior to the expected date when the property will become unutilized underutilized, except that properties subject to the Base Closure and Realignment Act may be reviewed up to eighteen months prior to the expected date when the property will become unutilized or underutilized.

or

(b) Scope of suitability. HUD will determine the suitability of a property for use as a facility to assist the homeless without regard to any particular

use.

(c) Environmental information. HUD will evaluate the environmental information contained in property checklists forwarded to HUD by the landholding agencies solely for the purpose of determining suitability of properties under the criteria in § 12a.6.

(d) Written record of suitability determination. HUD will assign an identification number to each property reviewed for suitability. HUD will maintain a written public record of the following:

(1) The suitability determination for a particular piece of property, and the reasons for that determination; and

(2) The landholding agency's response to the determination pursuant to the requirements of § 12a.7(a).

(e) Property determined unsuitable. Property that is reviewed by HUD under this section and that is determined unsuitable for use to assist the homeless may not be made available

for any other purpose for 20 days after publication in the FEDERAL REGISTER of a Notice of unsuitability to allow for review of the determination at the request of a representative of the homeless.

appealing

(f) Procedures for unsuitability determinations. (1) To request review of a determination of unsuitability, a representative of the homeless must contact HUD within 20 days of publication of notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER that a property is unsuitable. Requests may be submitted to HUD in writing or by calling 1-800927-7588 (Toll Free). Written requests must be received no later than 20 days after notice of unsuitability is published in the FEDERAL REGISTER.

(2) Requests for review of a determination of unsuitability may be made only by representatives of the homeless, as defined in § 12a.1.

(3) The request for review must specify the grounds on which it is based, i.e., that HUD has improperly applied the criteria or that HUD has relied on incorrect or incomplete information in making the determination (e.g., that property is in a floodplain but not in a floodway).

(4) Upon receipt of a request to review a determination of unsuitability, HUD will notify the landholding agency that such a request has been made, request that the agency respond with any information pertinent to the review, and advise the agency that it should refrain from initiating disposal procedures until HUD has completed reconsideration regarding

its

unsuitability.

(i) HUD will act on all requests for review within 30 days of receipt of the landholding agency's response and will notify the representative of the homeless and the landholding agency in writing of its decision.

(ii) If a property is determined suitable as a result of the review, HUD will request the landholding agency's determination of availability pursuant to $12a.7(a), upon receipt of which HUD will promptly publish the determination in the FEDERAL REGISTER. If the determination of unsuitability stands, HUD will inform the representative of the homeless of its decision.

§ 128.5 Real property reported excess to GSA.

(a) Each landholding agency must submit a report to GSA of properties it determines excess. Each landholding agency must also provide a copy of HUD's suitability determination, if any, including HUD's identification number for the property.

(b) If a landholding agency reports a property to GSA which has been reviewed by HUD for homeless assistance suitability and HUD determined the property suitable, GSA will screen the property pursuant to §12a.5(g) and will advise HUD of the availability of the property for use by the homeless as provided in §12a.5(e). In lieu of the above, GSA may submit a new checklist to HUD and follow the procedures in § 12a.5(c) through § 12a.5(g).

(c) If a landholding agency reports a property to GSA which has not been reviewed by HUD for homeless assistance suitability, GSA will complete a property checklist, based on information provided by the landholding agency, and will forward this checklist to HUD for a suitability determination. This checklist will reflect any change in classification, i.e., from unutilized or underutilized to excess.

(d) Within 30 days after GSA's submission, HUD will advise GSA of the suitability determination.

(e) When GSA receives a letter from HUD listing suitable excess properties in GSA's inventory, GSA will transmit to HUD within 45 days a response which includes the following for each identified property:

(1) A statement that there is no other compelling Federal need for the property, and therefore, the property will be determined surplus; or

(2) A statement that there is further and compelling Federal need for the property (including a full explanation of such need) and that, therefore, the property is not presently available for use to assist the homeless.

(f) When an excess property is determined suitable and available and notice is published in the FEDERAL REGISTER, GSA will concurrently notify HHS, HUD, State and local government units, known homeless assistance providers that have expressed interest in the particular property, and other or

ganizations, as appropriate, concerning suitable properties.

(g) Upon submission of a Report of Excess to GSA, GSA may screen the property for Federal use. In addition, GSA may screen State and local governmental units and eligible nonprofit organizations to determine interest in the property in accordance with current regulations. (See 41 CFR 10147.203-5, 101-47.204-1 and 101-47.303-2.)

(h) The landholding agency will retain custody and accountability and will protect and maintain any property which is reported excess to GSA as provided in 41 CFR 101-47.402.

§ 12a.6 Suitability criteria.

(a) All properties, buildings and land will be determined suitable unless a property's characteristics include one or more of the following conditions:

(1) National security concerns. A property located in an area to which the general public is denied access in the interest of national security (e.g., where a special pass or security clearance is a condition of entry to the property) will be determined unsuitable. Where alternative access can be provided for the public without compromising national security, the property will not be determined unsuitable on this basis.

(2) Property containing flammable or explosive materials. A property located within 2000 feet of an industrial, commercial or Federal facility handling flammable or explosive material (excluding underground storage) will be determined unsuitable. Above ground containers with a capacity of 100 gallons or less, or larger containers which provide the heating or power source for the property, and which meet local safety,

operation, and permitting standards, will not affect whether a particular property is determined suitable or unsuitable. Underground storage, gasoline stations and tank trucks are not included in this category and their presence will not be the basis of an unsuitability determination unless there is evidence of a threat to personal safety as provided in paragraph (a)(5) of this section.

(3) Runway clear zone and military airfield clear zone. A property located within an airport runway clear zone or

military airfield clear zone will be determined unsuitable.

(4) Floodway. A property located in the floodway of a 100 year floodplain will be determined unsuitable. If the floodway has been contained or corrected, or if only an incidental portion of the property not affecting the use of the remainder of the property is in the floodway, the property will not be determined unsuitable.

(5) Documented deficiencies. A property with a documented and extensive condition(s) that represents a clear threat to personal physical safety will be determined unsuitable. Such conditions may include, but are not limited to, contamination, structural damage or extensive deterioration, friable asbestos, PCB's, or natural hazardous substances such as radon, periodic flooding, sinkholes or earth slides.

(6) Inaccessible. A property that is inaccessible will be determined unsuitable. An inaccessible property is one that is not accessible by road (including property on small off-shore islands) or is land locked (e.g., can be reached only by crossing private property and there is no established right or means of entry).

§ 12a.7 Determination of availability.

(a) Within 45 days after receipt of a letter from HUD pursuant to §12a.4(a), each landholding agency must transmit to HUD a statement of one of the following:

(1) In the case of unutilized or underutilized property:

(i) An intention to declare the property excess,

(ii) An intention to make the property available for use to assist the homeless, or

(iii) The reasons why the property cannot be declared excess or made available for use to assist the homeless. The reasons given must be different than those listed as suitability criteria in § 12a.6.

(2) In the case of excess property which had previously been reported to GSA:

(i) A statement that there is no compelling Federal need for the property, and that, therefore, the property will be determined surplus; or