60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Public Housing Reform Act: Changes to Admission and Occupancy Requirements, 45954-45955 [2018-19706]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 11, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45954-45955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19706]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7006-N-09]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Public Housing 
Reform Act: Changes to Admission and Occupancy Requirements

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: HUD is seeking approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment 
from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. 
The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

DATES: Comments Due Date: November 13, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to

[[Page 45955]]

the proposal by name and/or OMB Control Number and should be sent to: 
Colette Pollard, Reports Management Officer, QDAM, Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 4176, 
Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone 202-402-3400 (this is not a toll-
free number) or email at [email protected] for a copy of the 
proposed forms or other available information. Persons with hearing or 
speech impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the 
toll-free Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arlette Mussington, Office of Policy, 
Programs and Legislative Initiatives, PIH, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW (L'Enfant Plaza, Room 2206), 
Washington, DC 20410; telephone 202-402-4109 (this is not a toll-free 
number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this 
number via TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 
(800) 877-8339. Copies of available documents submitted to OMB may be 
obtained from Ms. Mussington.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that HUD is 
seeking approval from OMB for the information collection described in 
Section A.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Public Housing Reform Act: Changes 
to Admission and Occupancy Requirements.
    OMB Approval Number: 2577-0230.
    Type of Request: Revision of currently approved collection.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use:
    This collection of information implements changes to the admission 
and occupancy requirements for the public housing program made by the 
Quality Housing and Work Responsibility (QHWRA) Act of 1998 (Title V of 
the FY 1999 HUD appropriations Act, Pub. L. 105-276, 112 Stat. 2518, 
approved October 21, 1998), and the Housing Opportunity Through 
Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA), section 103, which amends the United 
States Housing Act of 1937. Both QHWRA and HOTMA made comprehensive 
changes to HUD's public housing program. These changes include defining 
an `over-income family' as one having an annual income 120 percent 
above the median income for the area for two consecutive years and 
includes new mandatory annual reporting requirements on the number of 
over-income families residing in public housing and the total number of 
families on the public housing waiting lists at the end of each 
reporting year.
    The purpose of the admission and occupancy policy requirement is to 
ensure that public housing agencies have written documentation of their 
respective admission and occupancy policies for both the public and the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Public housing 
authorities must have on hand and available for inspection, policies 
related to admission and occupancy, to respond to inquiries from 
tenants, legal-aid services, HUD, and other interested parties 
informally or through the Freedom of Information Act of policies 
relating to eligibility for admission and continued occupancy, local 
preferences, income limitations, and rent determination. HOTMA now 
requires PHAs to make a one-time update to their Admission and 
Occupancy policy to apply local over-income limits, and annually report 
on the number of over-income families living in their public housing 
units as well as the number of families on the public housing waiting 
list.
    Revisions are made to this collection to reflect adjustments in 
calculations based on the total number of current, active public 
housing agencies (PHAs) to date. The number of active public housing 
agencies has changed from 3,946 to 2,897 since the last approved 
information collection which inadvertently also included voucher only 
PHAs. In general, the number of PHAs can fluctuate due to many factors, 
including but not limited to the merging of two or more PHAs or the 
termination of the public housing programs due to the Rental Assistance 
Demonstration.
    Respondents (i.e., affected public): State, Local or Tribal 
Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,897.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 2,897.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Hours per Response: 24.
    Total Estimated Burdens: 69,528.

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.

C. Authority

    Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35.

    Dated: August 27, 2018.
Merrie Nichols-Dixon,
Director, Office of Policy, Program and Legislative Initiatives.
[FR Doc. 2018-19706 Filed 9-10-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4210-67-P