2011-32815. Notice of Submission for Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection to OMB; Comment Request Applications for Housing Assistance Payments and Special Claims Processing

AGENCY:

Office of Program Systems Management.

ACTION:

Notice extension of a currently approved information collection.

SUMMARY:

The information collection requirement described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of the currently approved collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

DATES:

Comments Due Date: February 21, 2012.

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: Reports Liaison Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20410, Room 9120 or the number for the Federal Information Relay Service (1-[phone]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Program Contact, Director, Office of Multi-Family Program Development, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20410, telephone [phone] (this is not a toll free number) for copies of the proposed forms and other available information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This Notice informs the public that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has submitted to OMB for processing, an extension of a currently approved collection for submission of Applications for Housing Assistance Payments and Special Claims Processing.

This Notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and affected agencies concerning the extension of the approved collection of information to: (1) Evaluate whether the collection remains necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information has practical utility; (2) Evaluate accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 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 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: Applications for Housing Assistance Payments and Special Claims Processing.

Description of Information Collection: This is an extension of a currently approved collection for submitting Applications for Housing Assistance Payments for Section 8, Rent Supplement, Rental Assistance Payment (RAP), Section 202 Project Assistance Contracts (PACs) and Section 811 and 202 Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRACS) program units. Special Claims for damages, unpaid rent loss, and vacancy claims are available for the Section 8, Section 202 PACs, and Section 811 and Section 202 PRACS programs.

Each HUD program has an assistance payments contract. These contracts indicate that HUD will make monthly assistance payments to Project Owners/Management Agents on behalf of the eligible households who reside in the assisted units. Project Owners are required to sign a certification on the Housing Owner's Certifications and Application for Housing Assistance form which states: (1) Each tenant's eligibility and assistance payments was computed in accord with HUD's regulations administrative procedures and the Contract, and are payable under the Contract; (2) The units for which assistance is being billed are decent, safe, sanitary, and occupied or available for occupancy; (3) No amount included on the bill has been previously billed or paid; (4) All facts and data on which the payment request is based are true and accurate; and (5) That no payments have been paid or will be paid from the tenant or any public or private source for units beyond that authorized by the assistance contract, or lease, unless permitted by HUD.

This extended information collection provides a standard for Project Owners/Management Agents to report Adjustments to Schedule of Tenant Assistance Payments Due, Miscellaneous Accounting Request for Schedule of Tenant Assistance Due and Approved Special Claims for Schedule of Tenant Assistance Payments Due utilizing data already available in their software applications.

OMB Control Number: 2502-0182.

Agency Form Numbers: HUD-52670, HUD-52670-A Part 1, HUD-52670-A Part 2, HUD-52670-A Part 3, HUD-52670-A Part 4, HUD-52670-A Part 5, and HUD-52671-A/B/C/D.

Members of Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions.

Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the information collection (2502-0182) including number of respondents, frequency of responses, and hours of response: An estimation of the annual total number of hours needed to prepare the information collection is 301,951, number of respondents is 21,787, frequency response is 12 per annum, and the total hours per respondent is 6.65.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

Dated: December 16, 2011.

Ronald Y. Spraker,

Acting General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing.