Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Program-Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Inflation Factors for Public Housing Agency (PHA) Renewal Funding, 22296-22297 [2016-08780]

Download as PDF 22296 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 73 / Friday, April 15, 2016 / Notices CONTESTING RECORDS PROCEDURES: The Department’s rules for contesting contents of records and appealing initial denials appear in 24 CFR part 16, Procedures for Inquiries. Additional assistance may be obtained by contacting Frieda B. Edwards, Acting Chief Privacy Officer, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 10139, Washington, DC 20410, or the HUD Departmental Privacy Appeals Officers, Office of General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 10110 Washington DC 20410. RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES: The records maintained by the system are provided directly by the homeowners, by completion of the Uniform Residential Loan Application (form HUD–92900–A). Information is also collected by the mortgagees (lenders), who collect the personal information from the homeowner and enters the information into the HUD Single Family Computerized Home Underwriting Management System (CHUMS). After the case is endorsed, CHUMS sends case data to SFIS, which is maintained in SFIS until the case is terminated (non-claim, claim, or other type of cancellation). Once the case is non-claim terminated, termination data is sent to the DSRS. EXEMPTIONS FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE ACT: None. [FR Doc. 2016–08774 Filed 4–14–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4210–67–P DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR–5939–N–01] Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Program—Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Inflation Factors for Public Housing Agency (PHA) Renewal Funding Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, HUD. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:27 Apr 14, 2016 Jkt 238001 I. Background Tables showing Renewal Funding Inflation Factors will be available electronically from the HUD data information page at: https:// www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/rfif/ FY2016/FY2016_RFIF_FMR_AREA_ REPORT.pdf. Division L, Title II, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 requires that the HUD Secretary, for the calendar year 2016 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 FY 2016 inflation factors and describes the methodology for calculating them. II. Methodology The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 requires that HUD apply ‘‘an inflation factor as established by the Secretary, by notice published in the Federal Register’’ to adjust FY 2016 renewal funding for the Tenant-based Rental Assistance Program or Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program of each PHA. HUD began using Renewal Funding Inflation Factors in FY 2012. These Renewal Funding SUMMARY: Inflation Factors incorporate economic indices to measure the expected change in per unit costs (PUC) for the HCV program. The methodology for FY 2016 is modified from what was used in FY 2015. DATES: Effective date: April 15, 2016. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miguel A. Fontanez, Director, Housing Voucher Financial Division, Office of Public Housing and Voucher Programs, Office of Public and Indian Housing, telephone number 202–402–4212; or Peter B. Kahn, Director, Economic and Market Analysis Division, Office of Policy Development and Research, telephone number 202–402–2409, 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: The Department has focused on measuring the change in average per unit cost (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 three 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), the Consumer PO 00000 Frm 00089 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 Calendar Year (CY) 2015 to CY 2016 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 2016 Budget. The inflation factor for an individual geographic area is based on the annualized change in the area’s Fair Market Rent (FMR) between FY 2014 and FY 2016. 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 2015 to 2016, and also such that no area has a factor less than one. 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. The CY 2016 PHA HCV allocation uses 0.8 percent as the annual change in PUC. This figure was calculated by using VMS data through December of 2015 and actual performance of economic indices through December of 2015. III. The Use of Inflation Factors The inflation factors have been developed to account for relative differences in the changes of local rents so that HCV funds can be allocated among PHAs. In response to comments provided to HUD as requested in the 2015 Renewal Funding Inflation Factor notice, HUD has used the annualized change in FMRs measured between FY 2014 and FY 2016 in the apportionment of the national inflation rate to account for both the current change in rents but also the changes in rents experienced last year when the predicted inflation rate was negative. HUD anticipates that in 2017, the national inflation rate will be based on a new model of Per Unit Cost HUD is developing in response to comments that is based on independent forecasts of gross rents and tenant incomes without relying on historical values of Per Unit Cost, and will apportion this change based on the change in individual areas FMRs between FY 2016 and FY 2017. IV. Geographic Areas and Area Definitions Inflation factors based on renewal funding and area FMR changes are E:\FR\FM\15APN1.SGM 15APN1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 73 / Friday, April 15, 2016 / Notices produced for all FMR areas. The tables showing the Renewal Funding Inflation Factors available electronically from the HUD data information page list the inflation factors for each FMR area and are created on a state by state basis. The inflation factors use the same OMB metropolitan area definitions, as revised by HUD, that are used in the FY 2016 FMRs. 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/portal/ datasets/rfif/FY2016/FY2016_RFIF_ FMR_AREA_REPORT.pdf. The Area Definitions Table lists areas in alphabetical order by state, and the counties associated with each area. In the six New England states, the listings are for counties or parts of counties as defined by towns or cities. V. 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 8, 2016. Katherine M. O’Regan, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Development and Research. [FR Doc. 2016–08780 Filed 4–14–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4210–67–P DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR–5909–N–29] 30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Certified Housing Counselor Registration Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: HUD has submitted the proposed information collection requirement described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The purpose of this notice is to allow for an additional 30 days of public comment. DATES: Comments Due Date: May 16, 2016. ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this proposal. Comments should refer to asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:27 Apr 14, 2016 Jkt 238001 the proposal by name and/or OMB Control Number and should be sent to: HUD Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503; fax: 202–395–5806. Email: OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colette Pollard, Reports Management Officer, QMAC, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20410; email Colette Pollard at Colette.Pollard@ hud.gov or telephone 202–402–3400. This is not a toll-free number. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–8339. Copies of available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from Ms. Pollard. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that HUD is seeking approval from OMB for the information collection described in Section A. The Federal Register notice that solicited public comment on the information collection for a period of 60 days was published on October 9, 2015 at 80 FR 61224. A. Overview of Information Collection Title of Information Collection: Certified Housing Counselor Registration. OMB Approval Number: 2502—New. Type of Request: New collection. Form Number: None. Description of the need for the information and proposed use: Pursuant to Section 1445 of the Dodd-Frank Act, all individuals providing homeownership or rental housing counseling related to HUD programs must be HUD-certified housing counselors. To become certified, a housing counselor must pass a written examination. HUD established a Housing Counselor Certification Exam and training program, as mandated by Subtitle D of title XIV of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Pub. L. 111–203, 124 Stat. 1376 (July 21, 2010)) (Dodd-Frank Act), and created a Web site for individuals to register for the examination and training. To track individuals using the training, successful passage of the examination, and eligibility for certification, the Web site has a registration requirement. Registration through HUD’s certification contractor’s Web site for the on-line training will require name, city, state, telephone number, email address, occupation, if employer is a HUD- PO 00000 Frm 00090 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 22297 participating housing counseling agency, and a HUD’s Housing Counseling System number. Registration for the practice and certification examinations through this system will require, in addition to the information for general registration, a full mailing address, social security number, language(s) spoken by the counselor when providing counseling servicing, and optional demographic data (race, ethnicity, gender). Collection of social security numbers is required for linking the individual’s information to HUD’s FHA Connection system, so HUD can verify applicants are employed by participating agencies. HUD estimates the collection of this information to average five minutes for each individual that registers for the on-line training, practice examination, and certification examination. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1,700 hours per year. Respondents: Individuals. Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,700. Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 3,567. Frequency of Response: Once. Average Hours per Response: 15 minutes (.25). Total Estimated Burdens: 892 hours. B. Solicitation of Public Comment This notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and affected parties concerning the collection of information described in Section A on the following: (1) 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) The accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Ways to 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. HUD encourages interested parties to submit comment in response to these questions. Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35. E:\FR\FM\15APN1.SGM 15APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 73 (Friday, April 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22296-22297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08780]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5939-N-01]


Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Program--Fiscal Year (FY) 
2016 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 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 requires that HUD 
apply ``an inflation factor as established by the Secretary, by notice 
published in the Federal Register'' to adjust FY 2016 renewal funding 
for the Tenant-based Rental Assistance Program or Housing Choice 
Voucher (HCV) Program of each PHA. HUD began using Renewal Funding 
Inflation Factors in FY 2012. These Renewal Funding Inflation Factors 
incorporate economic indices to measure the expected change in per unit 
costs (PUC) for the HCV program. The methodology for FY 2016 is 
modified from what was used in FY 2015.

DATES: Effective date: April 15, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miguel A. Fontanez, Director, Housing 
Voucher Financial Division, Office of Public Housing and Voucher 
Programs, Office of Public and Indian Housing, telephone number 202-
402-4212; or Peter B. Kahn, Director, Economic and Market Analysis 
Division, Office of Policy Development and Research, telephone number 
202-402-2409, 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.gov/portal/datasets/rfif/FY2016/FY2016_RFIF_FMR_AREA_REPORT.pdf.
    Division L, Title II, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 
requires that the HUD Secretary, for the calendar year 2016 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 FY 2016 inflation factors and 
describes the methodology for calculating them.

II. Methodology

    The Department has focused on measuring the change in average per 
unit cost (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 three 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), 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 Calendar Year (CY) 2015 to CY 2016 
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 2016 
Budget. The inflation factor for an individual geographic area is based 
on the annualized change in the area's Fair Market Rent (FMR) between 
FY 2014 and FY 2016. 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 2015 to 2016, 
and also such that no area has a factor less than one. 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. The CY 2016 PHA HCV allocation uses 0.8 percent as 
the annual change in PUC. This figure was calculated by using VMS data 
through December of 2015 and actual performance of economic indices 
through December of 2015.

III. The Use of Inflation Factors

    The inflation factors have been developed to account for relative 
differences in the changes of local rents so that HCV funds can be 
allocated among PHAs. In response to comments provided to HUD as 
requested in the 2015 Renewal Funding Inflation Factor notice, HUD has 
used the annualized change in FMRs measured between FY 2014 and FY 2016 
in the apportionment of the national inflation rate to account for both 
the current change in rents but also the changes in rents experienced 
last year when the predicted inflation rate was negative. HUD 
anticipates that in 2017, the national inflation rate will be based on 
a new model of Per Unit Cost HUD is developing in response to comments 
that is based on independent forecasts of gross rents and tenant 
incomes without relying on historical values of Per Unit Cost, and will 
apportion this change based on the change in individual areas FMRs 
between FY 2016 and FY 2017.

IV. Geographic Areas and Area Definitions

    Inflation factors based on renewal funding and area FMR changes are

[[Page 22297]]

produced for all FMR areas. The tables showing the Renewal Funding 
Inflation Factors available electronically from the HUD data 
information page list the inflation factors for each FMR area and are 
created on a state by state basis. The inflation factors use the same 
OMB metropolitan area definitions, as revised by HUD, that are used in 
the FY 2016 FMRs. 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/portal/datasets/rfif/FY2016/FY2016_RFIF_FMR_AREA_REPORT.pdf. The Area Definitions Table 
lists areas in alphabetical order by state, and the counties associated 
with each area. In the six New England states, the listings are for 
counties or parts of counties as defined by towns or cities.

V. 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 8, 2016.
Katherine M. O'Regan,
Assistant Secretary for Policy, Development and Research.
[FR Doc. 2016-08780 Filed 4-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4210-67-P
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