2017-22843. Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment: 2018 Rental Housing Finance Survey

AGENCY:

Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

DATES:

Comments Due Date: December 19, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB Control Number and should be sent to: Anna P. Guido, Reports Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 4176, Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone [phone] (this is not a toll-free number) or email at [e-mail] for a copy of the proposed forms or other available information. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Anna P. Guido, Reports Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20410; email Anna P. Guido at [e-mail] or telephone [phone] (this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at [phone]. Copies of available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from Ms. Guido.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This notice informs the public that HUD is seeking approval from OMB for the information collection described in Section A.

A. Overview of Information Collection

Title of Information Collection: 2018 Rental Housing Finance Survey.

OMB Approval Number: 2528-0276.

Type of Request: Revision of currently approved collection.

Agency Form Numbers: No agency forms will be used.

Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The Rental Housing Finance Survey (RHFS) provides a measure of financial, mortgage, and property characteristics of rental housing properties in the United States. RHFS focuses on mortgage financing of rental housing properties, with emphasis on new originations for purchase-money mortgages and refinancing, and the characteristics of these new originations.

The RHFS will collect data on property values of residential structures, characteristics of residential structures, rental status and rental value of units within the residential structures, commercial use of space within residential structures, property management status, ownership status, a detailed assessment of mortgage financing, and benefits received from Federal, state, local, and non-governmental programs.

Many of the questions are the same or similar to those found on the 1995 Property Owners and Managers Survey, the rental housing portion of the 2001 Residential Finance Survey, the 2012 Rental Housing Finance Survey, and the 2015 Rental Housing Finance Survey. This survey does not duplicate work done in other existent HUD surveys or studies that deal with rental units financing.

Policy analysts, program managers, budget analysts, and Congressional staff can use the survey's results to advise executive and legislative branches about the mortgage finance characteristics of the rental housing stock in the United States and the suitability of public policy initiatives. Academic researchers and private organizations will also be able to utilize the data to facilitate their research and projects.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) needs the RHFS data for the following two reasons:

1. This is the only source of information on the rental housing finance characteristics of rental properties.

2. HUD needs this information to gain a better understanding of the mortgage finance characteristics of the rental housing stock in the United States to evaluate, monitor, and design HUD programs.

Members of Affected Public: Owners and managers of rental properties.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,000.

Estimated Time per Response: 60 minutes.

Frequency of Response: One time.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 10,000.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: The only cost to respondents is that of their time. The total estimated cost is $6,000,000.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 9(a), and Title 12, U.S.C., Section 1701z-1 et seq.

B. Solicitation of Public Comment

This notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and affected parties concerning the collection of information described in Section A on the following:

(1) 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) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information;

(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. HUD encourages interested parties to submit comment in response to these questions.

Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

Dated: October 12, 2017.

Todd M. Richardson,

Acting General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.