2014-20962. 30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) Appeals; PHAS Unaudited Financial Statement Submission Extensions; Assisted and Insured Housing Property Inspection Technical Reviews and Database ...

AGENCY:

Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

HUD has submitted the proposed information collection requirement described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The purpose of this notice is to allow for an additional 30 days of public comment.

DATES:

Comments Due Date: October 3, 2014.

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: HUD Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503; fax: [phone]. Email: [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Colette Pollard, Reports Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20410; email at [e-mail] or telephone [phone]. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at [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 HUD has submitted to OMB a request for approval of the information collection described in Section A.

The Federal Register notice that solicited public comment on the information collection for a period of 60 days was published on June 24, 2014 (79 FR 35767).

A. Overview of Information Collection

Title of Information Collection: Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) Appeals; Public Housing and Multifamily Housing Technical Reviews and Database Adjustments; Assisted and Insured Housing property inspection Technical Reviews and Database Adjustments.

OMB Approval Number: 2577-0257.

Type of Request: Revision of currently approved collection.

Form Number: None.

Description of the need for the information and proposed use: Pursuant to § 6(j)(2)(A)(iii) of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, HUD established procedures in the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) rule for a public housing agencies (PHAs) to appeal a troubled assessment designation (§ 902.69). The PHAS rule in §§ 902.24 and 902.68 also provides that under certain circumstances PHAs may submit a request for a database adjustment and technical review, respectively, of physical condition inspection results.

Pursuant to the Office of Housing Physical Condition of Multifamily Properties regulation at § 200.857(d) and (e), multifamily property owners also have the right, under certain circumstances, to submit a request for a database adjustment and technical review, respectively, of physical condition inspection results.

Appeals when granted change assessment scores and designations, and database adjustments and technical reviews when granted change property scores, all of which result is more accurate assessments.

Section 902.60 of the PHAS rule also provides that, in extenuating circumstances, PHAs may request an extension of time to submit required unaudited financial information. When granted, an extension of time postpones the imposition of sanctions for a late submission.

Respondents (i.e. affected public): Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and Multifamily Housing property owners (MF POs).

Estimated Number of Respondents: 34,000.

Estimated Number of Responses: 1,430.

Frequency of Response: once for each PHA to submit a PHAS appeal; once for each PHA or MF PO to request a technical review or database adjustment; and once for each PHA to request an extension of time to submit unaudited financial information.

Average Hours per Response: average of five hours per PHAS appeal; average of eight hours for each request for a technical review or database adjustment; average of ten minutes for a request for an extension of time to submit unaudited financial information.

B. Solicitation of Public Comment

This notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and affected parties concerning the collection of information described in Section A on the following:

(1) 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) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information;

(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Ways to 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.

HUD encourages interested parties to submit comment in response to these questions.

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

Dated: August 27, 2014.

Colette Pollard,

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