1559-NEW_SS_HFFI Application

Supporting Statement

Community Development Financial Institutions Program Application

Healthy Food Financing Initiative Questionnaire

A. Justification

1. Circumstances necessitating collection of information

Pursuant to the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 (the Act), as amended (12 USC 4701 et seq.), the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Program, Financial Assistance (FA) and Technical Assistance Programs provide financial and technical assistance to selected applicants, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), in order to enhance their ability to make loans and investments and provide services for the benefit of designated investment areas and targeted populations. The attached questionnaire will be used by CDFI Program applicants to apply for additional funding under the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), a new initiative in the CDFI Fund’s FY 2011 proposed Appropriations. The information collected will be used to select awardees, based on a merit-based selection process. The requested information is required by the CDFI Program Regulations (12 CFR Part 1805) and the respective Notice of Funds Availability.

2. Method of collection and use of data

The CDFI Fund will collect data once for the FY 2011 funding round by means of a supplemental questionnaire to the CDFI Program annual application. Only Applicants who have indicated on their FY 2011 FA applications, which will be submitted on November 19^th that they would also like to apply for HFFI funding, will receive the supplemental questionnaire. The supplemental questionnaire uses a Word template, which will allow the Applicant greater ease for submitting the required information. The CDFI Fund will use the data collected to select eligible applicants that are the most highly qualified and to determine the applicable award amounts.

3. Use of Information Technology

Only an electronic questionnaire will be accepted through the Applicant’s myCDFIFund account, which the CDFI Fund administers.

4. Efforts to identify duplication

The CDFI Fund requests information from applicants which is likely to be readily available and in a convenient form.

5. Impact on small entities

This application is not expected to have significant impact on small entities.

6. Consequences of less frequent collection and obstacles to burden reduction

The CDFI Fund cannot meet its statutory requirement to make funding decisions based on data received from applicants without this questionnaire. Elements specified in the proposed HFFI appropriations, the CDFI Program Act and the CDFI Program Regulations limit the extent to which the burden can be reduced.

7. Circumstances requiring special information collection

The CDFI Fund requires Applicants to submit information on their Target Market through the Community Investment Mapping System (CIMS). This system allows the Applicant to enter decennial census data into CIMS, which helps determine if the communities they serve or intend to serve are qualified census tracts under the CDFI Program. This effort was in place with prior applications and does not change with this application.

Applicants will be required to identify USDA designated food deserts which will be provided on a dedicated website by USDA prior to their application submission.

8. Solicitation of comments on information collection

No comments have been solicited from the public regarding the supplemental questionnaire at this time. CDFI is submitting this request as an emergency request for clearance and will solicit public comment once OMB approval is granted.

9. Provision of payment to respondents

No payments or gifts will be made to respondents.

10. Assurance of confidentiality

The CDFI Fund is subject to all applicable Federal regulations with respect to confidentiality of information supplied in the questionnaire. The CDFI Fund provides assurances of confidentiality to applicants.

11. Justification of sensitive questions.

No questions of a sensitive nature are asked in the questionnaire.

12. Estimate of the hour burden of information collection.

The estimated hours of burden to complete the questionnaire is estimated at 30 hours for a total of 900 hours requested.

No. Respondents	No. Responses Per Respondent	Total Annual responses	Time per response	Total Burden
30	1	30	30	900

13. Estimate of total annual cost burden to respondents

It is not expected that this information collection will have a cost burden to respondents other than the hour burden described in item number 12. No purchases of equipment or services will need to be made by respondents for the sole purpose of completing the application.

14. Estimate of annualized cost to the Government

The primary costs to the Government are the review of the questionnaire.

15. Any program changes or adjustments

This is a new information collection request.

16. Plans for information tabulation and publication

The information collected through this questionnaire will not be published.

17. Reasons for not displaying expiration date of OMB approval

The CDFI Fund intends to display the expiration date of the OMB approval on the questionnaire form.

18. Explanation of exceptions to certification statement

There are no exceptions to the certification statement.

Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

Not applicable.

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