2012-22902. Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Housing Counseling Program

AGENCY:

Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The proposed information collection requirement described below has been 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.

Nonprofit 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 assist eligible homeowners to avoid foreclosures; The 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 allow HUD to evaluate grantees' performance. This collection of information includes renewal of various HUD forms, including the HUD-9900 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.

DATES:

Comments Due Date: October 17, 2012.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB approval Number (2502-0261) and should be sent to: HUD Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503; fax: [phone]. Email: [e-mail] fax: [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Colette Pollard., Reports Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20410; email Colette Pollard at [e-mail]. or telephone [phone]. This is not a toll-free number. Copies of available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from Ms. Pollard.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This notice informs the public that the Department of Housing and Urban Development has submitted to OMB a request for approval of the Information collection described below. This notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and affecting 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: Housing Counseling Program.

OMB Approval Number: 2502-0261.

Form Numbers: SF-424, SF-424Supp, SF-424CB, SF-LLL, HUD-27300, HUD-2880,

HUD-2990, HUD-2991, HUD-2994, HUD-96010, HUD-9902 .

Description of the Need for the Information and Its Proposed Use

Nonprofit 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 assist eligible homeowners to avoid foreclosures; The 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 allow HUD to evaluate grantees' performance. This collection of information includes renewal of various HUD forms, including the HUD-9900 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.

	Number of respondents	Annual responses	×	Hours per response	Burden hours
Reporting Burden	12,402	3.305		0.907	37,213

Total Estimated Burden Hours: 37,213.

Status: Extension without change of currently approved collection.

Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 35, as amended.

Dated: September 12, 2012.

Colette Pollard,

Department Reports Management Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.