[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 45, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 45CFR12a.4]

[Page 58-59]
 
                        TITLE 45--PUBLIC WELFARE
 
                           AND HUMAN SERVICES
 
PART 12a--USE OF FEDERAL REAL PROPERTY TO ASSIST THE HOMELESS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 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 Sec. 12a.3(a), HUD will 
determine, under criteria set forth in Sec. 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 or 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.
    (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 Sec. 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 Sec. 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

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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.
    (f) Procedures for appealing 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 1-800-927-7588 (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 Sec. 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 its reconsideration regarding 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 Sec. 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.