Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment: Housing Counseling Outcome Evaluation, 5864 [E8-1699]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 21 (Thursday, January 31, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 5864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1699]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5193-N-03]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment: 
Housing Counseling Outcome Evaluation

AGENCY: Office of the Policy Development and Research, 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: March 31, 2008.

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: Reports Liaison Officer, Office 
of Policy Development & Research, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 7th Street, SW., Room 8226, Washington, DC 20410-5000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marina L. Myhre, (202) 708-3700, 
extension 5705 for copies of the proposed forms and other available 
documents. (This is not a toll-free number.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit 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 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 Outcome Evaluation.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: This 
request is for the clearance of survey instruments designed to provide 
statistically accurate information on the outcomes realized by clients 
of housing counseling agencies seeking assistance to either purchase a 
home (pre-purchase clients) or to resolve or prevent mortgage 
delinquency (post-purchase clients). Up to 60 housing counseling 
agencies will be recruited to voluntarily participate in the study. 
These agencies will be asked to seek the voluntary participation of all 
of their pre-purchase, post-purchase, and mortgage foreclosure 
mitigation and prevention clients over an eight-week period, with the 
goal of enrolling up to 1,000 pre-purchase clients; up to 1,000 post-
purchase clients; and up to 2,000 mortgage foreclosure mitigation and 
prevention clients. Participating clients will be asked to complete a 
baseline survey providing demographic and financial information on 
their household and their reasons for seeking counseling. The 
participating counseling agencies will be asked to provide information 
on the characteristics of all counseling services provided to 
participating clients over a six-month period. Counseling agencies will 
also be asked to provide information on all of their educators and 
counselors providing services to these clients, including basic 
demographics and information on their experience and training as 
educators and counselors. The purpose of these surveys is to gather 
information needed to both document the share of clients realizing 
different outcomes following counseling and to analyze how these 
outcomes vary with the characteristics of clients and the services they 
receive.
    OMB Approval Number: Pending.
    Agency form numbers: None.
    Members of Affected Public: Up to 60 housing Counseling Agencies 
and up to 4,000 counseling clients.
    Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response: The average time per client for 
counseling agencies to document the services provided over a six-month 
period is two hours. The average time for counseling agencies to 
complete the survey on educator and counselor characteristics is one-
quarter of an hour (with an expected average of eight counselors per 
agency). The average time for clients to complete the baseline survey 
instrument is one-half hour. Total burden hours are 8,120 for 
counseling agencies and 2,000 for counseling clients, or 10,120 total 
burden hours.
    Status of the proposed information collection: Pending OMB 
approval.

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

    Dated: January 24, 2008.
Darlene F. Williams,
Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.
[FR Doc. E8-1699 Filed 1-30-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P