Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Program-Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Inflation Factors for Public Housing Agency (PHA) Renewal Funding, 24215-24216 [2012-9692]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 78 / Monday, April 23, 2012 / Notices
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: Continuum of Care
Homeless Assistance—Technical
Submission.
Description of the need for the
information and proposed use:
Information to be used to obtain more
detailed technical information not
contained in the original Continuum of
Care Homeless Assistance Grant
Application.
Agency form number: HUD–40090–
3a.
Members of affected public:
Applicants that are successful in the
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Grant competition.
Estimation of the total number of
hours needed to prepare the information
collection including number of
respondents, frequency of response, and
hours of response: 500 responses, per
annum (500 x 1 form), nine hours to
prepare HUD–20090–3a, 4,500 hours
total reporting.
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as amended.
Dated: April 17, 2012.
´
Yolanda Chavez,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2012–9690 Filed 4–20–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–5618–N–01]
Section 8 Housing Assistance
Payments Program—Fiscal Year (FY)
2012 Inflation Factors for Public
Housing Agency (PHA) Renewal
Funding
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Policy Development and
Research, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The FY 2012 HUD
Appropriations Act requires that HUD
apply ‘‘an inflation factor as established
by the Secretary, by notice published in
the Federal Register’’ to adjust FY 2012
renewal funding for the tenant-based
rental assistance voucher program or
housing choice voucher (HCV) program
of each PHA. For FY 2011 and FY 2010,
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:11 Apr 20, 2012
Jkt 226001
renewal funding was based on annual
adjustment factors (AAFs) and HUD
published separate Renewal Funding
AAFs for this purpose. The Renewal
Funding AAFs, based only on Consumer
Price Index (CPI) data for rents and
utilities, have been replaced by inflation
factors that incorporate additional
economic indices to measure the
expected change in the per unit cost
(PUC) for the HCV program.
DATES: Effective Date: April 23, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael S. Dennis, Director, Housing
Voucher Programs, Office of Public
Housing and Voucher Programs, Office
of Public and Indian Housing, telephone
number 202–708–1380; or Geoffrey
Newton, Economist, Economic and
Market Analysis Division, Office of
Policy Development and Research,
telephone number 202–402–6058, for
technical information regarding the
development of the schedules for
specific areas or the methods used for
calculating the inflation factors,
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 451 7th Street SW.,
Washington, DC 20410. Hearing- or
speech-impaired persons may contact
the Federal Relay Service at 800–877–
8339 (TTY). (Other than the ‘‘800’’ TTY
number, the above-listed telephone
numbers are not toll free.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Tables showing Renewal Funding
Inflation Factors will be available
electronically from the HUD data
information page at: https://
www.huduser.org/huduser/datasets/rfif/
FY2012/FY2012_IF_Table.pdf.
In prior years, the Department of
Housing and Urban Development has
been using Renewal Funding AAFs
based on Consumer Price Index data
published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics on ‘‘rent of primary residence’’
and ‘‘fuels and utilities’’ as the inflation
factor to calculate the renewal funding
for each PHA. During this period, HUD
has undertaken several projects to better
understand the drivers of the annual
change in housing subsidy costs for the
tenant-based voucher program. The
Consolidated and Further Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2012 (Title II, of
Division C, Public Law 112–55,
approved November 18, 2011) provides
that the HUD Secretary shall, for the
calendar year 2012 funding cycle,
provide renewal funding for each public
housing agency (PHA) based on
validated voucher management system
(VMS) leasing and cost data for the prior
calendar year and by applying an
inflation factor as established by the
PO 00000
Frm 00052
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
24215
Secretary, by notice published in the
Federal Register. This Notice provides
the inflation factors (that were
announced to PHAs on March, 1, 2012)
and describes the methodology for
calculating them.
II. Methodology
The Department has focused on
measuring the change in average PUC as
captured in HUD’s administrative data
in VMS. In order to predict the likely
path of PUC over time, HUD has
implemented a model that uses several
economic indices that capture key
components of the economic climate
and assist in explaining the changes in
PUC. These economic components are
the seasonally-adjusted unemployment
rate (lagged twelve months) and the
Consumer Price Index from the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, and the ‘‘wages and
salaries’’ component of personal income
from the National Income and Product
Accounts from the Bureau of Economic
Analysis. This model subsequently
forecasts the expected annual change in
average PUC from FY 2011 to FY 2012
for the voucher program on a national
basis by incorporating comparable
economic variables from the
Administration’s economic
assumptions. For reference, these
economic assumptions are described in
the FY 2012 Mid-Session Review.
The inflation factor for an individual
geographic area is based on the change
in the area’s Fair Market Rent (FMR)
between FY 2011 and FY 2012. These
changes in FMR are then scaled such
that the voucher-weighted average of all
individual area inflation factors is equal
to the expected annual change in
national PUC from FY 2011 to FY 2012,
and also such that no area has a negative
factor. HUD subsequently applies these
calculated individual area inflation
factors to eligible renewal funding for
each PHA based on VMS leasing and
cost data for the prior calendar year. For
the CY 2012 PHA HCV allocation that
was announced on March, 1, 2012, HUD
used 1.71 percent as the annual change
in PUC. When calculated using more
recent VMS data through December of
2011 and actual performance of
economic indices through the December
of 2011, HUD expects this annual
change in PUC to be lower.
III. The Use of Inflation Factors
The inflation factors have been
developed to account for relative
differences in the PUC of vouchers so
that HCV funds can be allocated among
PHAs. HUD will continue to update the
current model with available data in
order to assess the expected annual
change in PUC and intends to update
E:\FR\FM\23APN1.SGM
23APN1
24216
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 78 / Monday, April 23, 2012 / Notices
Funding inflation factors listed next
‘‘Hawaii,’’ in Appendix A which is
based on the CPI survey for the
Honolulu metropolitan area. The Pacific
Islands use the West Region Renewal
Funding inflation factor.
IV. Geographic Areas
Inflation factors based on PUC
forecasts are produced for all Class A
CPI cities (CPI cities with a population
of 1.5 million or more) and for the four
Census Regions. They are applied to
core-based statistical areas (CBSAs), as
defined by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB), according to how
much of the CBSA is covered by the CPI
city-survey. If more than 75 percent of
the CBSA is covered by the CPI citysurvey, the inflation factor that is based
on that CPI survey is applied to the
whole CBSA and to any HUD-defined
metropolitan area, called ‘‘HUD Metro
FMR Area’’ (HMFA), within that CBSA.
If the CBSA is not covered by a CPI citysurvey, the CBSA uses the relevant
regional CPI factor. Almost all nonmetropolitan counties use regional CPI
factors. For areas assigned the Census
Region CPI factor, both metropolitan
and non-metropolitan areas receive the
same factor.
The tables showing the Renewal
Funding Inflation Factors available
electronically from the HUD data
information page list the inflation
factors for the four Census Regions first,
followed by an alphabetical listing of
each metropolitan area, beginning with
Akron, OH, MSA. The inflation factors
use the same OMB metropolitan area
definitions, as revised by HUD, that are
used in the FY 2012 FMRs.
rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
the methodology for future funding
estimates. HUD is also continuing to
review and refine the methodology,
especially for area differences in the
factors, which will be described in
future inflation factor notices.
VI. Environmental Impact
V. Area Definitions
To make certain that they are
referencing the correct inflation factors,
PHAs should refer to the Area
Definitions Table on the following Web
page: https://www.huduser.org/huduser/
datasets/rfif/FY2012/
FY2012_AreaDef.pdf. The Area
Definitions Table lists areas in
alphabetical order by state, and the
associated Census Region is shown next
to each state name. If the area where a
unit is located is not separately listed,
the inflation factor for the Census
Region that includes that area is used.
In the six New England states, the
listings are for counties or parts of
counties as defined by towns or cities.
Any location in these states that are not
specifically listed should use the
Northeast Census Region inflation
factor.
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands use
the South Region inflation factors. All
areas in Hawaii use the Renewal
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:11 Apr 20, 2012
Jkt 226001
This Notice involves a statutorily
required establishment of a rate or cost
determination which does not constitute
a development decision affecting the
physical condition of specific project
areas or building sites. Accordingly,
under 24 CFR 50.19(c)(6), this Notice is
categorically excluded from
environmental review under the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321).
Dated: April 13, 2012.
Raphael W. Bostic,
Assistant Secretary for Policy Development
and Research.
[FR Doc. 2012–9692 Filed 4–20–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R1–ES–2012–N090;
FXES11130100000F5–123–FF01E00000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Recovery Permit
Application
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, invite the public to
comment on the following application
for a recovery permit to conduct
enhancement of survival activities with
an endangered species. The Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act),
prohibits certain activities with
endangered species unless a Federal
permit allows such activity. The Act
also requires that we invite public
comment before issuing such permits.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please
send your written comments by May 23,
2012.
ADDRESSES: Endangered Species
Program Manager, Ecological Services,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific
Regional Office, 911 NE 11th Avenue,
Portland, OR 97232–4181. Please refer
to the permit number for the application
when submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Colleen Henson, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, at the above address or by
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00053
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
telephone (503–231–2071) or fax (503–
231–6243).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
prohibits certain activities with
endangered and threatened species
unless a Federal permit allows such
activity. Along with our implementing
regulations in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR part 17, the
Act provides for certain permits, and
requires that we invite public comment
before issuing these permits.
A permit granted by us under section
10(a)(1)(A) of the Act authorizes the
permittee to conduct activities
(including take or interstate commerce)
with U.S. endangered or threatened
species for scientific purposes or to
enhance the propagation or survival of
the affected species. Our regulations
implementing section 10(a)(1)(A) for
these permits are found at 50 CFR 17.22
for endangered wildlife species, 50 CFR
17.32 for threatened wildlife species, 50
CFR 17.62 for endangered plant species,
and 50 CFR 17.72 for threatened plant
species.
Application Available for Review and
Comment
We invite local, State, and Federal
agencies, and the public to comment on
the following application. Please refer to
the appropriate permit number for the
application when submitting comments.
Documents and other information
submitted with this application are
available for review by request from the
Endangered Species Program Manager at
the address listed in the ADDRESSES
section of this notice, subject to the
requirements of the Privacy Act (5
U.S.C. 552a) and the Freedom of
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).
Permit Number: TE–210255.
Applicant: Ryan Sylvester, Montana
Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Libby,
Montana.
The permittee requests an amendment
to an existing scientific research permit
to take (tag, conduct adult and juvenile
telemetry, determine sex and maturity,
and possible use of egg mats and larval
sampling) the Kootenai River
population of the white sturgeon
(Acipenser transmontanus) in
conjunction with research in the State of
Montana, for the purpose of enhancing
the species’ survival. The original
permit was announced in a notice that
published in the Federal Register on
April 22, 2009 (74 FR 18396).
Public Availability of Comments
All comments and materials we
receive in response to this request will
E:\FR\FM\23APN1.SGM
23APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 78 (Monday, April 23, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24215-24216]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9692]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-5618-N-01]
Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Program--Fiscal Year (FY)
2012 Inflation Factors for Public Housing Agency (PHA) Renewal Funding
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and
Research, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FY 2012 HUD Appropriations Act requires that HUD apply
``an inflation factor as established by the Secretary, by notice
published in the Federal Register'' to adjust FY 2012 renewal funding
for the tenant-based rental assistance voucher program or housing
choice voucher (HCV) program of each PHA. For FY 2011 and FY 2010,
renewal funding was based on annual adjustment factors (AAFs) and HUD
published separate Renewal Funding AAFs for this purpose. The Renewal
Funding AAFs, based only on Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for rents
and utilities, have been replaced by inflation factors that incorporate
additional economic indices to measure the expected change in the per
unit cost (PUC) for the HCV program.
DATES: Effective Date: April 23, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael S. Dennis, Director, Housing
Voucher Programs, Office of Public Housing and Voucher Programs, Office
of Public and Indian Housing, telephone number 202-708-1380; or
Geoffrey Newton, Economist, Economic and Market Analysis Division,
Office of Policy Development and Research, telephone number 202-402-
6058, for technical information regarding the development of the
schedules for specific areas or the methods used for calculating the
inflation factors, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th
Street SW., Washington, DC 20410. Hearing- or speech-impaired persons
may contact the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 (TTY). (Other
than the ``800'' TTY number, the above-listed telephone numbers are not
toll free.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Tables showing Renewal Funding Inflation Factors will be available
electronically from the HUD data information page at: https://www.huduser.org/huduser/datasets/rfif/FY2012/FY2012_IF_Table.pdf.
In prior years, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has
been using Renewal Funding AAFs based on Consumer Price Index data
published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on ``rent of primary
residence'' and ``fuels and utilities'' as the inflation factor to
calculate the renewal funding for each PHA. During this period, HUD has
undertaken several projects to better understand the drivers of the
annual change in housing subsidy costs for the tenant-based voucher
program. The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act,
2012 (Title II, of Division C, Public Law 112-55, approved November 18,
2011) provides that the HUD Secretary shall, for the calendar year 2012
funding cycle, provide renewal funding for each public housing agency
(PHA) based on validated voucher management system (VMS) leasing and
cost data for the prior calendar year and by applying an inflation
factor as established by the Secretary, by notice published in the
Federal Register. This Notice provides the inflation factors (that were
announced to PHAs on March, 1, 2012) and describes the methodology for
calculating them.
II. Methodology
The Department has focused on measuring the change in average PUC
as captured in HUD's administrative data in VMS. In order to predict
the likely path of PUC over time, HUD has implemented a model that uses
several economic indices that capture key components of the economic
climate and assist in explaining the changes in PUC. These economic
components are the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate (lagged twelve
months) and the Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, and the ``wages and salaries'' component of personal income
from the National Income and Product Accounts from the Bureau of
Economic Analysis. This model subsequently forecasts the expected
annual change in average PUC from FY 2011 to FY 2012 for the voucher
program on a national basis by incorporating comparable economic
variables from the Administration's economic assumptions. For
reference, these economic assumptions are described in the FY 2012 Mid-
Session Review.
The inflation factor for an individual geographic area is based on
the change in the area's Fair Market Rent (FMR) between FY 2011 and FY
2012. These changes in FMR are then scaled such that the voucher-
weighted average of all individual area inflation factors is equal to
the expected annual change in national PUC from FY 2011 to FY 2012, and
also such that no area has a negative factor. HUD subsequently applies
these calculated individual area inflation factors to eligible renewal
funding for each PHA based on VMS leasing and cost data for the prior
calendar year. For the CY 2012 PHA HCV allocation that was announced on
March, 1, 2012, HUD used 1.71 percent as the annual change in PUC. When
calculated using more recent VMS data through December of 2011 and
actual performance of economic indices through the December of 2011,
HUD expects this annual change in PUC to be lower.
III. The Use of Inflation Factors
The inflation factors have been developed to account for relative
differences in the PUC of vouchers so that HCV funds can be allocated
among PHAs. HUD will continue to update the current model with
available data in order to assess the expected annual change in PUC and
intends to update
[[Page 24216]]
the methodology for future funding estimates. HUD is also continuing to
review and refine the methodology, especially for area differences in
the factors, which will be described in future inflation factor
notices.
IV. Geographic Areas
Inflation factors based on PUC forecasts are produced for all Class
A CPI cities (CPI cities with a population of 1.5 million or more) and
for the four Census Regions. They are applied to core-based statistical
areas (CBSAs), as defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB),
according to how much of the CBSA is covered by the CPI city-survey. If
more than 75 percent of the CBSA is covered by the CPI city-survey, the
inflation factor that is based on that CPI survey is applied to the
whole CBSA and to any HUD-defined metropolitan area, called ``HUD Metro
FMR Area'' (HMFA), within that CBSA. If the CBSA is not covered by a
CPI city-survey, the CBSA uses the relevant regional CPI factor. Almost
all non-metropolitan counties use regional CPI factors. For areas
assigned the Census Region CPI factor, both metropolitan and non-
metropolitan areas receive the same factor.
The tables showing the Renewal Funding Inflation Factors available
electronically from the HUD data information page list the inflation
factors for the four Census Regions first, followed by an alphabetical
listing of each metropolitan area, beginning with Akron, OH, MSA. The
inflation factors use the same OMB metropolitan area definitions, as
revised by HUD, that are used in the FY 2012 FMRs.
V. Area Definitions
To make certain that they are referencing the correct inflation
factors, PHAs should refer to the Area Definitions Table on the
following Web page: https://www.huduser.org/huduser/datasets/rfif/FY2012/FY2012_AreaDef.pdf. The Area Definitions Table lists areas in
alphabetical order by state, and the associated Census Region is shown
next to each state name. If the area where a unit is located is not
separately listed, the inflation factor for the Census Region that
includes that area is used. In the six New England states, the listings
are for counties or parts of counties as defined by towns or cities.
Any location in these states that are not specifically listed should
use the Northeast Census Region inflation factor.
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands use the South Region inflation
factors. All areas in Hawaii use the Renewal Funding inflation factors
listed next ``Hawaii,'' in Appendix A which is based on the CPI survey
for the Honolulu metropolitan area. The Pacific Islands use the West
Region Renewal Funding inflation factor.
VI. Environmental Impact
This Notice involves a statutorily required establishment of a rate
or cost determination which does not constitute a development decision
affecting the physical condition of specific project areas or building
sites. Accordingly, under 24 CFR 50.19(c)(6), this Notice is
categorically excluded from environmental review under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321).
Dated: April 13, 2012.
Raphael W. Bostic,
Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.
[FR Doc. 2012-9692 Filed 4-20-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P
