2012-5772. Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment: Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Application Forms

AGENCY:

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

ACTION:

Notice.

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.

The Rental Assistance Demonstration allows Public Housing and Moderate Rehabilitation (Mod Rehab) properties to convert to long-term Section 8 rental assistance contracts; and Rent Supplement, Rental Assistance Payment and Mod Rehab properties upon contract expiration or termination, to convert tenant protection vouchers (TPVs) to project-based vouchers (PBVs). Participation in the initiative will be voluntary; the attached applications will be used to determine eligibility for Public Housing and Mod Rehab owners only.

DATES:

Comment Due Date: May 8, 2012.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this proposed information collection. Comments should refer to the proposal by name/or OMB Control number and should be sent to: Colette Pollard, Departmental Reports Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 4160, Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone [phone] (this is not a toll-free number) or email Ms. Pollard at [e-mail]. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at [phone]. (Other than the HUD USER information line and TTY numbers, telephone numbers are not toll-free.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Arlette Mussington, Office of Policy, Programs and Legislative Initiatives, PIH, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., (L'Enfant Plaza, Room 2206), Washington, DC 20410; telephone [phone], (this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number via TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at [phone].

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 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: Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Application Forms.

OMB Control Number: 2577-New.

Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The Rental Assistance Demonstration allows Public Housing and Moderate Rehabilitation (Mod Rehab) properties to convert to long-term Section 8 rental assistance contracts; and Rent Supplement (Rent Supp), Rental Assistance Payment (RAP), and Mod Rehab properties, upon contract expiration or termination, to convert tenant protection vouchers (TPVs) to project-based vouchers (PBVs). Participation in the initiative will be voluntary. Public Housing Agencies and Mod Rehab owners interested in participating in the Demonstration are required to submit applications to HUD. HUD intends through the conversion process, to assure the physical and financial sustainability of properties and enable owners to leverage private financing to address immediate and long-term capital needs, improve operations, and implement energy efficiency improvements. The RAD applications are Excel based and will be pre-populated with data the Department collects and maintains for each housing agency. Information collected by the applications will allow the Department to determine which applicants meet the eligibility requirements and have the capacity to successfully meet RAD's mission delineated in PIH Notice PIH-2012-18: Rental Assistance Demonstration—Partial Implementation and Request for Comments.

To review draft versions of the applications please visit the RAD Web site: www.hud.gov/​rad/​.

Under the Applications section follow the links provided:

Obtain Draft Application for PHAs: http://portal.hud.gov/​hudportal/​documents/​huddoc?​id=​RAD_​App_​PH.xlsx.

Obtain Draft Application for Owners of Mod Rehab properties: http://portal.hud.gov/​hudportal/​documents/​huddoc?​id=​RAD_​APP_​Mod_​Rehab.xlsx.

Agency form number(s), if applicable: HUD-5260 RAD Application; HUD-5261 RAD Mod Rehab Application.

Members of affected public: State, Local or Tribal Government.

Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the information collection including respondents: The estimated number of respondents is 8,855 annually with one response per respondent. The average number for each response is 2 hours, for a total burden of 17,710.

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: March 5, 2012.

Merrie Nichols-Dixon,

Deputy Director, Office of Policy, Program and Legislative Initiatives.