Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; Housing Counseling Program-Biennial Agency Performance Review, 50974 [E7-17488]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 50974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17488]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5121-N-29]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; 
Housing Counseling Program--Biennial Agency Performance Review

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing 
Commissioner, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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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: November 5, 2007.

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: Lillian L. Deitzer, Reports 
Management Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 
7th Street, SW., L'Enfant Plaza Building, Room 8003, Washington, DC 
20410 or Lillian--L._deitzer@hud.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margaret Burns, Director, Office of 
Single Family Program Development, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20410, telephone (202) 
708-2121 (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: Housing Counseling Program--Biennial Agency 
Performance Review.
    OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2502-NEW.
    The information collection is essential to the Department's mission 
to expand homeownership opportunities and improve access to affordable 
housing. The Housing Counseling Program supports the delivery of a wide 
variety of housing counseling services to homebuyers, homeowners, low- 
to moderate-income renters, and the homeless. Counselors provide 
guidance and advice to help families and individuals improve their 
housing conditions and meet the responsibilities of tenancy and 
homeownership. Counselors also help borrowers avoid predatory lending 
practices, such as inflated appraisals, unreasonably high interest 
rates, unaffordable repayment terms, and other conditions that can 
result in a loss of equity, increased debt, default, and foreclosure. 
Housing Counseling Agencies are viewed as significant partners in 
helping HUD expand opportunities for individuals to receive adequate, 
professional housing counseling services.
    In order to maintain their status as a HUD-approved agency, housing 
counseling agencies must remain in compliance with program policies and 
regulations. HUD determines during the course of perform reviews if an 
agency has remained in compliance with the program regulations. 
Findings from performance reviews are used to approve or disapprove the 
status of housing counseling agencies to participate in the program. 
The form HUD-9910, is the performance review checklist used by HUD 
employees to the biennial reviews. The information collected during the 
review is used to assist HUD in evaluating the managerial and financial 
capacity of organizations to sustain operations sufficient to implement 
HUD approved housing counseling programs. If agencies are found to be 
non-compliant HUD may revoke an agency's approval status and prohibit 
their participation in the Housing Counseling Program.
    Agency form numbers, if applicable: HUD-9910.
    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 number of respondents are 
estimated to be 583 generating approximately 583 annual responses; the 
frequency of response is biennially, the estimated time needed to 
respond is 2.5 hours; and the total estimated annual burden hours are 
1,457.
    Status of the proposed information collection: This is a new 
information collection request. Portions of this request were formerly 
approved under OMB Control Number 2502-0261.

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

    Dated: August 24, 2007.
Frank L. Davis,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing-Deputy Federal Housing 
Commissioner.
 [FR Doc. E7-17488 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P