(a) Cost comparison.

(1) If a grant recipient proposes to purchase, construct, or renovate a facility, it must submit a detailed cost estimate of the proposed activity, compare the costs associated with the proposed activity to other available alternatives in the service area, and provide any additional information the responsible HHS official requests. The grant recipient must demonstrate that the proposed activity will result in savings when compared to the costs that would be incurred to acquire the use of an alternative facility to carry out program.

(2) In addition to requirements in paragraph (1) of this section, the grant recipient must:

(i) Identify who owns the property;

(ii) List all costs related to the purchase, construction, or renovation;

(iii) Identify costs over the structure’s useful life, which is at least 20 years for a facility that the grant recipient purchased or constructed and at least 15 years for a modular unit the grant recipient renovated, and deferred costs, including mortgage payments, as costs with associated due dates; and,

(iv) Demonstrate how the proposed purchase, construction, or major renovation is consistent with program management and fiscal goals, community needs, enrollment and program options and how the proposed facility will support the grant recipient as it provides quality services to children and families.

(b) Continue purchase or refinance. To use funds to continue purchase on a facility or to refinance an existing indebtedness, the grant recipient must compare the costs of continued purchase against the cost of purchasing a comparable facility in the service area over the remaining years of the facility’s useful life. The grant recipient must demonstrate that the proposed activity will result in savings when compared to the cost that would be incurred to acquire the use of an alternative facility to carry out the program.

(c) Multi-purpose use. If the grant recipient intends to use a facility to operate a Head Start program and for another purpose, it must disclose what percentage of the facility will be used for non-Head Start activities, along with costs associated with those activities, in accordance with applicable cost principles.