2015-30263. 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Housing Counseling Program

AGENCY:

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing—Federal Housing Commissioner, HUD.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

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: January 29, 2016.

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: Colette Pollard, 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:

Brian Siebenlist, Director, Office of Housing Counseling, Policy and Grants Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20410; email Brian Siebenlist at [e-mail] or call 202-402-5415. 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 Mr. Siebenlist.

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: Housing Counseling Program.

OMB Approval Number: 2502-0261.

Type of Request: Extension.

Form Numbers: SF-424, SF-424Suppl, SF-424CB, SF-LLL, HUD-27300, HUD-2880, HUD2990, HUD-2991, HUD-2994, JUD-96010, HUD-9902, HUD-9910.

Description of the need for the information and proposed use: Housing Counseling organizations submit information to HUD through Grants.gov when applying for grant funds to provide housing counseling assistance to eligible homebuyers to find and purchase affordable housing; Housing Counseling organizations also use grant funds to assist renters to avoid evictions; help the homeless find temporary or permanent shelter; report fair housing and discrimination. HUD uses the information collected to evaluate applicants competitively and then select qualified organizations to receive funding that supplement their housing counseling program. Post-award collection, such as quarterly reports, will all HUD to evaluate grantees' performance, This collection of information includes renewal of various HUD forms, including the HUD-9000 which is the Housing Counseling Approval Application, and form HUD-9902, Housing Counseling Agency Activity Report. Additionally, it covers the collection of client level activities, client financial leverage data, and agency profile information.

Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,873.

Estimated Number of Responses: 17,384.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Average Hours per Response: 15.

Total Estimated Burdens: 16,625.

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 through 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: November 18, 2015.

Janet M. Golrick,

Associate General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing—Associate Deputy Federal Housing Commissioner.