598.610—Resident benefit standards.
The project or activity described in an implementation plan submitted for HUD approval by an EZ to describe the planned use of HUD EZ Grant Funds must meet one of the following three standards of resident benefit for determining the amount of HUD EZ Grant Funds that may be used to fund a particular project or activity:
(a) Principal benefit standard—
(1) Benefits other than jobs.
If a majority (51 percent) of the direct beneficiaries of the project or activity described in the implementation plan reside within the EZ, the project or activity may be fully assisted with HUD EZ Grant Funds.
(2) Jobs benefit.
In any case where the direct benefits to be provided by a project or activity described in an implementation plan will be in the form of jobs, the project may be fully assisted with HUD EZ Grant Funds if at least 35 percent of the jobs are taken by, or made available to, EZ residents. A job satisfies this 35 percent requirement if the EZ resident is employed by the employer for at least 90 days during the year. For purposes of this 35 percent requirement, an employer may rely on a certification by the employee that provides to the employer the address of the employee's principal residence, and requires the employee to notify the employer of a change of the employee's principal residence.
(3) Presumed benefit.
Certain commercial revitalization activities that are located and undertaken in an EZ and that provide services to both EZ residents and non-residents (e.g., supermarkets, drug stores) will presume to meet the 51 percent principal benefit standard in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, provided that the EZ maintains written documentation that briefly describes the activity, its service area, and the rationale for presuming that the activity meets the 51 percent principal benefit standard.
(b) Proportional benefit standard.
If a project or activity described in an implementation plan cannot meet the principal benefit standard of paragraph (a) of this section, the percent of the cost of the project or activity that may be assisted with HUD EZ Grant Funds may not be greater than the percent of all persons benefiting directly from the project or activity who reside within the EZ.
(c) Exception criterion.
In any case where a proposed project or activity, including activities outside of the designated area, would not meet the standards of paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of this section, HUD EZ Grant Funds may be used where HUD determines that an implementation plan, accompanied by the facts that the EZ requests HUD to review and consider as justifying the exception, demonstrates substantial benefits to the EZ that would result from the project or other compelling reasons justifying the appropriateness of the implementation plan to the EZ's strategic plan. A request by an EZ for an exception under paragraph (c) of this section will receive a response by HUD no later than 60 days from the date of the EZ's request provided that the EZ's request with all relevant information is considered complete no later than 45 days from the date of the EZ's request.