[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 25, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 25CFR256.14]

[Page 710-712]
 
                            TITLE 25--INDIANS
 
     CHAPTER I--BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
 
PART 256--HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 256.14  What are the steps that must be taken to process my application for the Housing Improvement Program?

    (a) The servicing housing office must review your application for 
completeness. If your application is incomplete, the office will notify 
you, in writing, what is needed to complete your application and the 
date it must be submitted. If you do not complete your application by 
the deadline date, you will not be eligible for assistance in that 
program year.
    (b) The servicing housing office will use your completed application 
to determine if you are eligible for the Housing Improvement Program.
    (1) If you are found ineligible for the Housing Improvement Program 
or otherwise do not qualify for the program,

[[Page 711]]

the servicing housing office will advise you in writing within 45 days 
of receipt of your completed application.
    (2) If you are found eligible for the Housing Improvement Program, 
the servicing housing office will assess your application for need, 
according to the factors and numeric values shown in the following 
table.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Ranking factor and
     Factor           definition               Ranking description                    Point descriptors
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        1          Annual Household      Income/125% FPIG--(% of 125% of            Points--(Maximum=40)
                         income                       FPIG)
                   Must include       0-25................................  40.
                   income of all      26-50...............................  30.
                   persons counted    51-75...............................  20.
                   in Factors 2, 3,   76-100..............................  10.
                   4.                 101-125.............................  0.
                   Income includes
                   earned income,
                   royalties, and
                   one-time income..
        2            Aged Persons                 Years of Age                             Points
                   For the benefit    Less than 55........................  0.
                   of persons age 55  55 and older........................   1 point per year of age over 54.
                   or older, and
                   Must be living in
                   the dwelling..
        3              Disabled       % of Disability--(A%+B%/2)..........          Points--(Maximum=20)
                       Individual
                   Any one (1)        100%................................  20.
                   disabled person    or..................................  10.
                   living in the      less than 100%......................
                   dwelling.
                  (The percentage of
                   disability must
                   be based on the
                   average (mean) of
                   the percentage of
                   disabilities
                   identified from
                   two sources (A+B)
                   of statements of
                   conditions which
                   may include a
                   physician's
                   certification,
                   Social Security
                   or Veterans
                   Affairs
                   determination, or
                   similar
                   determination)..
        4         Dependent Children       Dependent Child--(Number of               Points--(Maximum=5)
                                                    Children)
                   Must be under the  1...................................  0.
                   age of 18 or such  2...................................  1.
                   other age          3...................................  2.
                   established for    4...................................  3.
                   purposes of        5...................................  4.
                   parental support   6 or more...........................  5.
                   by tribal or
                   state law (if
                   any).
                  ' Must live in the
                   dwelling and not
                   be married.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*FPIG means Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.

    (c) The servicing housing office will develop a list of the 
applications considered and/or received for the Housing Improvement 
Program for the current program year. The list will include, at a 
minimum, sufficient information to determine:
    (1) The current program year;
    (2) The number of applications considered and/or received;
    (3) The eligible applicants, ranked in order of need, from highest 
to lowest, based on the total numeric value assigned according to the 
factors shown in table B. (In the case of a tie, the family with the 
lower income will be listed first);
    (4) The estimated allowable costs of the improvements, repairs or 
replacement projects for the eligible applicants and the ``Priority 
List,'' identifying which applicants will be served based on the amount 
of available funding, starting with the most needy applicant and 
continuing until the amount of available funding is depleted; and
    (5) The applicants not ranked, with an explanation (such as reason 
for ineligibility or reason for incomplete application).
    (d) Your servicing housing office will inform you in writing within 
45 days of completion of the listing whether funding is available to 
provide Housing Improvement Program services to you in that program 
year.
    (1) If funding is available, you will be provided appropriate 
information concerning the availability of Housing Improvement Program 
services.
    (2) If funding is not available, you will be advised, in writing, 
and provided appropriate information concerning submission for the next 
available program year. At the option of

[[Page 712]]

your servicing housing office and when extenuating circumstances exist, 
your application can be carried forward, for one year, into the next 
program year. You will be advised that you must provide written 
confirmation that the information in your application is still accurate 
and that you must provide current income documentation for that 
application to be considered in the next program year.
    (e) Your servicing housing office will prepare an annual report 
identifying construction work undertaken during the fiscal year and 
related construction expenditures. The annual report is due to the 
servicing area office on the fifteenth day after the end of the fiscal 
year. The report, at a minimum, will contain:
    (1) Number of Eligible Applicants;
    (2) Number of Applicants Provided Service;
    (3) Names of Applicants Provided Service;
    (4) For Each Applicant Provided Service:
    (i) Date of Construction Start;
    (ii) Date of Construction Completion, if applicable;
    (iii) Cost;
    (iv) HIP Category.