[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 27, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10460-10461]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3632]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-5194-N-06]
Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request Study
of Rents and Rent Flexibility
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian
Housing, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection.
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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described
below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department
is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.
DATES: Comments Due Date: April 28, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name/or OMB
Control number and should be sent to: Lillian L. Deitzer, Departmental
Reports Management Officer, ODAM, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 451 7th Street, SW., Room 4178, Washington, DC 20410-5000;
telephone 202-402-8048, (this is not a toll-free number) or e-mail Ms.
Deitzer at: Lillian.I.Deitzer@hud.gov for a copy of the proposed
interview guide, phone survey instrument, or other available
information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Schulhof, Office of Policy,
Programs and Legislative Initiatives, PIH, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW., Room 4116, Washington, DC
20410; telephone 202-708-0713, (this is not a toll-free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended). This Notice
is soliciting comments from members of the public and affected agencies
concerning the proposed collection of information to: (1) Evaluate
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether
the information will have practical utility; (2) evaluate the accuracy
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information; (3) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4) minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who are to respond, including
through the use of appropriate automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology; e.g., permitting electronic submission
of responses.
This Notice also lists the following information:
Title of Proposal: Study of Rents and Rent Flexibility.
OMB Control Number: 2577-pending.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use: The
Department is conducting, under contract with Abt Associates and its
partners, Applied Real Estate Analysis Inc. (AREA) and the Urban
Institute, an exploration into alternative rent structures to the
current income-based system used in the Public Housing and Housing
Choice Voucher programs. These two programs serve over 3 million low-
income and extremely low-income families. They are programs that have
steadily increased in complexity and costs. Because these programs
shape who is assisted (and who is not), what they pay, what they earn,
and how long they stay, it is important to understand three important
elements of program administration. Those components are eligibility
preferences based on extremely low-income standards, tenant
contributions based primarily on 30 percent of adjusted reported
incomes, and (in the voucher program) the payment standard that caps
the gross rent and helps determine how much of the gross rent is the
tenant's responsibility and how much is the Housing Authority's. This
study will review possible reforms and alternative rent structures to
the current income-based approach for calculating rental subsidies in
these two programs.
Through a combination of on-site and phone interviews the
contractors will research the current components of income used for
determining eligibility and income-based tenant rents, alternative
subsidy structures, possible effects of reform regarding level of
subsidy, availability of possible additional subsidies to needy, but
unassisted populations. The data collected through the interviews will
describe the current system and key issues including, administration,
tenant income/data collection accuracy and if the current distribution
of assistance is equitable. Interviews will also yield important
information regarding thoughts on proposed alternative systems and how
they may be advantageous or detrimental to the success of the PHA. In
summary, the data collected via interviews will be used in determining
the impacts of alternative rent structures if implemented in the public
housing and housing choice voucher program in comparison with the
current income-based system.
Agency form number, if applicable: Not applicable.
Members of affected public: Staff from Public Housing Authorities
included in the sample and waiting list and recent admission households
into either the Public Housing or Housing Choice Voucher program.
Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the
information collection including number of
[[Page 10461]]
respondents: The study contains four pieces where data collection will
occur. First, the researchers will administer twenty five on-site
interviews over two day periods, conducting an average of six
interviews at each site visit with Executive Directors, public housing
directors, Housing Choice Voucher directors, staff that determine
eligibility and tenant rents, and two local housing market experts.
Each interview performed is expected to last up to one hour. An
additional 180 phone surveys will be conducted with a nationally
representative sample of PHA staff across the country. Each phone
survey is expected to last 60 minutes. Interviews with PHA staff will
provide information on their waiting lists, experience with the current
system, experience with rent flexibility and related efforts, and views
on alternative rent structures. Additionally, up to 1,500 interviews
with eligible participants on the waiting list and/or those recently
admitted into the program will be completed. These interviews are
expected to last approximately three-quarters of an hour and will
provide insight into how they are or would be affected by the current
system and the proposed alternatives. Lastly, up to 470 follow-up
interviews with PHA staff and households may be completed with each
interview lasting from three-quarters of an hour to one hour each.
Total respondents inclusive of all data collection processes are 2,300
and the total reporting burden is 1,863 hours.
Status of the proposed information collection: New collection.
Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.
Dated: February 21, 2008.
Bessy Kong,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Programs, and Legislative
Initiatives.
[FR Doc. E8-3632 Filed 2-26-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P