02-17052. Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; Procedures for Appealing Section 8 Rent Adjustments

AGENCY:

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner, 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: September 9, 2002.

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: Wayne Eddins, Reports Management Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW, L'Enfant Plaza Building, Room 8003, Washington, DC 20410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Willie Spearmon, Director, Office of Housing Assistance and Grant Administration, 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:

The Department is submitting 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 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 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: Procedures for Appealing Section 8 Rent Adjustments.

OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2502-0446.

Description of the need for the information and proposed use: Title II of the National Housing Act requires that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulate rents for certain cooperative and subsidized rental projects. Under this legislation, HUD is charged with the responsibility of determining the method of rent adjustments and facilitating these adjustments. Because rent adjustments are considered benefits to project owners, HUD must also provide some means for owners to appeal the decisions made by the Department of Contract Administrator. This appeal process, and the information collection included as part of the process, play an important role in preventing costly litigation and ensuring the accuracy of the overall rent adjustment process.

Agency form numbers, if applicable: None.

Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the information collection including number of respondents, frequency of response, and hours of response: The estimated total number of hours needed to prepare the information collection is 2,500, the number of respondents is 1,250 generating 1,250 annual responses, the frequency of response is on occasion, and the number of hours per response average 2 hours.

Status of the proposed information collection: Reinstatement, without change, of a previously approved collection for which approval has expired.

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

Dated: June 28, 2002.

Sean G. Cassidy,

General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing-Deputy Federal Housing Commissioner.