2010-12705. Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment; Training Evaluation Form

AGENCY:

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, 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.

DATES:

Comments Due Date: July 26, 2010 .

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name/or OMB Control number and should be sent to: Leroy McKinney, Jr., Departmental Reports Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW., Room 4178, Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone [phone], (this is not a toll-free number) or e-mail Mr. McKinney 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:

Dacia Rogers, Office of Policy, Programs and Legislative Initiatives, PIH, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW., Room 4116, Washington, DC 20410; telephone [phone], (this is not a toll-free number).

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 the 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: Training Evaluation Form.

OMB Control Number: 2577—Pending.

Description of the need for the information and proposed use: On September 19, 2005 (70 FR 54983), HUD published a final rule amending the regulations of the Public Housing Operating Fund Program at 24 CFR part 990, which was developed through negotiated rulemaking. Part 990 provides a new formula for distributing operating subsidy to public housing agencies (PHAs) and establishes requirements for PHAs to convert to asset management.

Subpart H of the part 990 regulations (§§ 990.255 to 990.290) establishes the requirements regarding asset management. Under § 990.260(a), PHAs that own and operate 250 or more dwelling rental units must operate using an asset management model consistent with the subpart H regulations. However, for calendar year 2008, that regulation is superseded by § 225 of Title II of Division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, Public Law 110-161 (approved December 26, 2007). Under that law, PHAs that own or operate 400 or fewer units may elect to transition to asset management, but they are not required to do so.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, Public Law 110-161, also provided “ * * * $5,940,000 for competitive grants and contracts to third parties for the provision of technical assistance to public housing agencies related to the transition and implementation of asset-based management in public housing.” The contract now in effect will provide for web-based training, on-site seminars and on-site technical assistance to assist PHAs in implementing asset management. The Training Evaluation Form will be used by the Office of Public and Indian Housing to determine how the training and technical assistance can be improved to meet PHA needs.

Agency form number, if applicable: Pending.

Members of affected public: Public housing agencies.

Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the information collection including number of respondents: The estimated number of respondents is 29,288 annually with one response per respondent. The average number for each response is .033 hours, for a total reporting burden of 966 hours.

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: May 20, 2010.

Merrie Nichols-Dixon,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Programs, and Legislative Initiatives.