2012-26227. Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment; Public Housing Operating Subsidy-Appeals

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The revised 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.

To stop the phase-in of the reduction in the amount of subsidy a PHA receives under the new operating fund formula, PHAs submit a “stop-loss” package to HUD demonstrating conversion to asset management. To appeal the amount of subsidy on any one of the permitted bases of appeal, PHAs submit an appeal request to HUD.

DATES:

Comments Due Date: December 24, 2012.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this revised information collection. Comments should refer to the revised information collection 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 revised 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 revised collection of information to: (1) Evaluate whether the revised 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 revised 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: Public Housing Operating Subsidy—Appeals.

OMB Control Number: 2577-0246.

Description of the need for the information and proposed use: Under the operating fund final rule, PHAs that elect to file an appeal of their subsidy amounts are required to meet the appeal requirements set forth in subpart G of the operating fund final rule. The final rule establishes five grounds for appeals in 24 CFR § 990.245 and they are the: (a) Streamlined appeal; (b) appeal of formula income for economic hardship; (c) appeal for specific local conditions; (d) appeal for changing market conditions; and (e) appeal to substitute actual project cost data. To appeal the amount of subsidy on any one of the permitted bases of appeal, PHAs submit an appeal request to HUD.

Agency form number, if applicable: N/A.

Members of affected public: PHAs, state or local government.

Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the information collection including number of respondents: The estimated number of respondents is an annual average of 322 PHAs that submit an appeal of the amount of operating subsidy, for a total of 322 PHAs that submit annually. The average number for each PHA response varies by size of the PHA, with a total reporting burden of 5,168 hours; and an average of 12.6 hours per respondent for appeals.

Status of the proposed information collection: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

Dated: October 18, 2012.

Merrie Nichols-Dixon,

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