[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 225 (Tuesday, November 23, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65721-65722]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-30529]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-4497-N-03]
Notice Clarifying Manual Submissions and Extension Requests Under
the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS)
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian
Housing, and Office of the Director of the Real Estate Assessment
Center, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice provides additional information to public housing
agencies, and members of the public, regarding HUD's process for
approving a PHA's request for manual submission of a PHA's unaudited
year-end financial, management operations and/or resident service and
satisfaction information, and a PHA's request for an extension for the
submission of its unaudited year-end financial and/or management
operations information under the PHAS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Wanda
Funk, Real Estate Assessment Center, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 1280 Maryland Avenue, SW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20024-
2135; telephone Customer Service Center at 1-888-245-4860 (this is a
toll free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may
access that number via TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay
Service at 1-800-877-8339. This information is available from the Real
Estate Assessment Center (REAC) Internet Site at http://www.hud.gov/
reac.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Purpose of This Notice
The purpose of this notice is to provide additional information
about HUD's process for approving a PHA's request for the manual
submission of a PHA's unaudited year-end financial, management
operations and/or resident service and satisfaction information, as
well as a PHA's request for an extension for the submission of its
unaudited year-end financial and/or management operations information
under the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS). HUD published two
notices in the Federal Register on June 23, 1999, regarding the Public
Housing Assessment System, Management Operation Scoring Process, and
the Public Housing Assessment System, Resident Service and Satisfaction
Scoring Process (64 FR 33708 and 64 FR 33712, respectively). Both
notices addressed how a PHA may request approval for manual submission
of management operations and/or resident service and satisfaction
information (see 64 FR 33708 and 64 FR 33712). For the convenience of
PHAs, this notice repeats the information concerning the process for
requesting approval of manual submission of management operations and/
or resident service and satisfaction information.
In addition to the two notices referenced above, HUD's final rule
on Uniform Financial Reporting Standards for HUD Housing Programs,
published September 1, 1998 (63 FR 46582), provided in
Sec. 5.801(b)(2), that with respect to year-end financial information
required to be submitted electronically in accordance with the
requirements of Sec. 5.801, HUD would consider non-electronic
submission if HUD determined that the burden or cost of electronic
reporting is excessive. PHAs that would like to submit year-end
financial information manually may request manual submission in
accordance with the process provided for manual submission of
management operations and/or resident service and satisfaction
information.
In addition to requests for manual submission, HUD's final rule on
Uniform Financial Reporting Standards for HUD Housing Programs,
published September 1, 1998 (63 FR 46582), provided in the preamble to
the rule that HUD would consider extensions of submission due date for
all entities submitting their first financial reports. The preamble
provides that requests for extensions are to be directed to HUD's Real
Estate Assessment Center (REAC). The preamble, however, did not
describe the process for making such requests (see 63 FR 46588). This
notice, published today, provides a process for a PHA to request an
extension for the submission of its year-end financial information,
similar to that for which requests for manual submissions of
information are to be made.
2. Manual Submission of Unaudited Year-End Financial, Management
Operations and/or Resident Service and Satisfaction Information
Under the PHAS, a PHA is required to electronically submit its
unaudited year-end financial, management operations and/or resident
service and satisfaction information. If a PHA does not have this
capability in-house, the PHA should consider utilizing local resources,
such as the library or another local government entity that has
internet access. In the event local resources are not available, a PHA
may go to the nearest HUD Public Housing program office and assistance
will be given to the PHA to transmit its year-end financial, management
operations and/or resident service and satisfaction information.
As provided in the June 23, 1999, notices, REAC will consider
manual submission requests of unaudited year-end financial, management
operations and/or resident service and satisfaction information. A PHA
may request approval to submit its unaudited year-end financial,
management operations and/or resident service and satisfaction
information manually if the PHA can support the claim that the
electronic submission requirement poses an administrative and/or cost
burden.
As stated in the notice published on June 23, 1999 (64 FR 33708), a
PHA that seeks approval to manually submit its information to REAC on
unaudited year-end financial information, management operations and/or
resident service and satisfaction information must ensure that the REAC
receives its written
[[Page 65722]]
request for manual submission 60 calendar days prior to the submission
due date for each of these information components (unaudited year-end
financial information, management operations information, and resident
service and satisfaction information). A PHA must forward its manual
submission request in writing, to the Real Estate Assessment Center,
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1280 Maryland Avenue, SW,
Suite 800, Washington, DC 20024-2135, Attention: Manual Submission PHA
Finance Team.
For PHAs with a fiscal year-end date of September 30, 1999, REAC
will not require that manual submission requests must be submitted 60
calendar days prior to the submission due date for the information.
REAC requests, however, that these PHAs forward their manual submission
requests to the above-mentioned address as soon as possible, prior to
their submission due date. A PHA's written request for a manual
submission must include a justification as to why the electronic
submission of information will pose an administrative and/or cost
burden on the PHA.
The REAC will respond to the PHA's request and will forward its
determination in writing to the PHA. Approvals are for the PHA's
current reporting period only.
3. Extension Requests for the Submission of Year-End Financial and
Management Operations Information
HUD will consider extension requests for the electronic submission
of a PHA's unaudited financial and/or management operations
information. To receive an extension, a PHA must ensure that the REAC
receives the PHA's extension request (electronic or written) 15
calendar days before the submission due date of its unaudited year-end
financial and/or management operations information. REAC will only
consider requests for extensions relative to financial reporting if a
PHA can demonstrate that it is unable to meet the requirements
referenced in the Uniform Financial Reporting Standards for HUD Housing
Programs (24 CFR Part 5, Subpart H) as a result of unusual
circumstances beyond its control.
The extension request (electronic or written) must include a
justification as to why the PHA cannot submit the information by the
submission due date. The REAC will respond to the PHA's request and
will forward its determination (electronic or written) to the PHA.
An electronic extension request may be submitted by contacting the
REAC's Customer Service Center at http://www.hud.gov/reafin.html.
Dated: November 17, 1999.
Harold Lucas,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
Donald J. LaVoy,
Acting Director, Real Estate Assessment Center.
[FR Doc. 99-30529 Filed 11-22-99; 8:45 am]
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