Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996: Request for Information, 57489-57490 [2014-22897]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 186 (Thursday, September 25, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 57489-57490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22897]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

24 CFR Chapter IX

[Docket No. FR-5650-N-08]


Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 
1996: Request for Information

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

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: On June 12, 2013, HUD published a Federal Register document 
that established the Native American Housing and Self-Determination 
Formula Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, 2013 (Committee). The purpose 
of the Committee is to develop

[[Page 57490]]

regulatory changes to the funding formula for the Indian Housing Block 
Grant (IHBG) program authorized by the Native American Housing 
Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996. As part of its charter, 
the Committee is reviewing whether the current data source for the 
needs variables, which is the U.S. Decennial Census, should be updated 
or revised. HUD and the Committee are considering all relevant data 
sources, including the American Community Survey (ACS), and how each 
data source might be used or modified, to serve as the source of the 
data upon which the needs variables of the IHBG formula would be based. 
This Request for Information requests interested members of the public 
to provide information regarding alternate data sources, including ACS, 
which might serve as the basis upon which the needs variables of the 
IHBG formula could be based.

DATES: Comment Due Date: October 27, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit information 
responsive to this document to the Regulations Division, Office of 
General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th 
Street SW., Room 10276, Washington, DC 20410-0500. Communications must 
refer to the above docket number and title. There are two methods for 
submitting public comments. All submissions must refer to the above 
docket number and title.
    1. Electronic Submission of Comments. Interested persons may submit 
comments electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
www.regulations.gov. HUD strongly encourages commenters to submit 
comments electronically. Electronic submission of comments allows the 
commenter maximum time to prepare and submit a comment, ensures timely 
receipt by HUD, and enables HUD to make them immediately available to 
the public. Comments submitted electronically through the 
www.regulations.gov Web site can be viewed by other commenters and 
interested members of the public. Commenters should follow the 
instructions provided on that site to submit information 
electronically.
    2. Submission of Comments by Mail. Comments may be submitted by 
mail to the Regulations Division, Office of General Counsel, Department 
of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 10276, 
Washington, DC 20410-0500.

    Note:  To receive consideration, comments must be submitted 
through one of the two methods specified above. Again, all 
submissions must refer to the docket number and title of this 
notice.

    No Facsimile Comments. Facsimile (fax) comments are not acceptable.
    Public Inspection of Public Comments. All properly submitted 
communications submitted to HUD will be available for public inspection 
and copying between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays at the above address. 
Due to security measures at the HUD Headquarters building, an advance 
appointment to review the public comments must be scheduled by calling 
the Regulations Division at 202-708-3055 (this is not a toll-free 
number). Individuals with speech or hearing impairments may access this 
number via TTY by calling the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339. 
Copies of all communications submitted are available for inspection and 
downloading at www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rodger Boyd, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Native American Programs, Room 4126, Office of Public and 
Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20410, telephone number: 202-401-7914 (this 
is not a toll-free number). Hearing- or speech-impaired individuals may 
access this number via TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay 
Service at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 12, 2013 (78 FR 35178), HUD 
published a Federal Register document that established the Native 
American Housing and Self-Determination Formula Negotiated Rulemaking 
Committee, 2013 (Committee). The purpose of the Committee is to develop 
regulatory changes to the funding formula for the Indian Housing Block 
Grant (IHBG) program authorized by the Native American Housing 
Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996.
    In carrying out its charter, the Committee is reviewing the need to 
update the data source upon which the needs variables will be 
determined. Currently, 24 CFR 1000.330 provides that the need variables 
are based on data from the U.S. Decennial Census. After the 2000 
Census, the U.S. Census Bureau discontinued using the long form portion 
of the Decennial Census and replaced it with the ACS. The ACS, unlike 
the U.S. Decennial Census, is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. 
Census Bureau that regularly samples household across the country to 
gather information. In considering various alternative data source 
options, the Committee considered basing the need variables on the ACS. 
Several Committee members expressed concerns regarding the use of ACS.
    The Committee agreed to establish a Study Group to identify and 
review all relevant data sources, including the ACS, and determine for 
each data source whether it might be used or modified to serve as the 
basis for the needs variables of the IHBG formula. This document seeks 
information from members of the public that could assist the Study 
Group by identifying and reviewing one or more existing data sources 
that might serve as the basis for the needs variables.
    The Committee requests a data source and method of introducing that 
data source that achieves an optimal balance of the following factors: 
Recognizes Tribal sovereignty; provides data that is relevant to 
eligible AIAN housing needs; and has a data collection methodology that 
is objective, equitable, transparent, consistent, capable of being 
applied to all existing formula areas, statistically reliable, and 
replicable both over time and diverse geographies. Data should be 
collected and submitted by proficient persons or organizations that 
have appropriate capacity and training and should be collected on a 
recurring basis at reasonable intervals or be capable of reliable 
statistical aging. Finally, the data source should not impose an undue 
administrative or financial burden upon Tribes, be cost-effective, and 
be capable of being fully evaluated by the Study Group within a one-
year timeframe.

    Dated: September 18, 2014.
Jemine A. Bryon,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 2014-22897 Filed 9-24-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P