Department of Housing and Urban Development September 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Section 8(c)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (USHA) requires the Secretary to publish FMRs periodically, but not less than annually, adjusted to be effective on October 1 of each year. The primary uses of FMRs are to determine payment standard amounts for the Housing Choice Voucher program, to determine initial renewal rents for some expiring project-based Section 8 contracts, to determine initial rents for housing assistance payment (HAP) contracts in the Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy program (Mod Rehab), and to serve as a rent ceiling in the HOME rental assistance program. Today's notice provides final FY2009 FMRs for all areas that reflect the estimated 40th and 50th percentile rent levels trended to April 1, 2009. The FY2009 FMRs are based on 2000 Census data updated with more current survey data. For FY2009, FY2008 FMRs are updated using 2006 American Community Survey (ACS) data, and more recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) rent and utility indexes. HUD continues to use ACS data in different ways according to how many two-bedroom standard-quality and recent-mover sample cases are available in the FMR area or its Core- Based Statistical Area (CBSA). Revised 2006 FMRs based on Census and ACS data have been updated with CPI data through the end of 2007 and then trended to April 2009, the mid-point of FY2009.

This notice announces the mortgage insurance premiums (MIPs) for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) multifamily mortgage insurance programs that have commitments to be issued or reissued in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009. The FY2009 MIPs are the same as in FY2008. This annual notice includes for the first time two additional MIPs for the hospital mortgage insurance programs: (1) Supplemental loans for hospitals; and (2) refinancing for existing FHA-insured hospitals. These are not new MIPs and the amounts charged for them will be the same as in previous years. In addition to announcing MIPs for FY2009, this notice announces that credit subsidy obligations are required for firm commitments issued or reissued for FHA's three positive credit subsidy programs: (1) Section 221(d)(3) New Construction/Substantial Rehabilitation for Nonprofit/Cooperatives; (2) Section 241(a) Supplemental Loans for apartments only; and (3) Section 223(d) Operating Loss Loans. These obligations are not new for FY2009.

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.

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.

This Notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for possible use to assist the homeless.

This Notice announces a debenture recall of certain Federal Housing Administration (FHA) debentures, in accordance with authority provided in the National Housing Act.

This proposed rule would amend HUD's regulations governing manufactured homes that are to be the security for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Title I loans and Title II insured mortgages. The proposed rule would permit, as eligible for FHA insurance, mortgages on manufactured homes to be installed in accordance with the Model Installation Standards, which were the subject of notice and rulemaking that resulted in a final rule published on October 19, 2007. Acceptance of mortgages on these manufactured homes for FHA insurance will provide for greater flexibility of design, thereby permitting additional options for affordable housing. This proposed rule would apply to all newly installed manufactured homes that are to be security for Title I and Title II loans and any manufactured home that has been previously set up and erected at another location and that is to be security for a Title I loan. An existing manufactured home that secures a Title I loan and that has been installed or erected on a homesite in compliance with the manufacturer's requirements for anchoring, support, stability, and maintenance would be exempt from compliance with this proposed rule, unless it is relocated from the site of its original installation after the effective date of this proposed rule.

This Notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for possible use to assist the homeless.

The proposed information collection requirement described below has been 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. HUD staff, Mortgagees, and Contract Administrators complete the form HUD-9834 during on-site reviews. The information gathered from the form is used to evaluate the quality of management, determine causes of problems, and devise corrective actions to safeguard the Department's financial interest and ensure that tenants are provided with decent, safe, and sanitary housing.

This proposed rule would amend HUD's regulations for the Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program by prohibiting Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages from using ICDBG funds to facilitate the relocation of for-profit businesses from one labor market area to another, if the relocation is likely to result in significant job loss. The proposed rule would prohibit Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages from using ICDBG funds for ``job pirating'' activities that are likely to result in significant job loss. ``Job pirating,'' in this context, refers to the use of ICDBG funds to lure or attract a business and its jobs from one community to another. To prevent the rule from having an effect in situations where the relocation of a business causes an insignificant loss of jobs, the proposed rule would provide that a loss of 25 or fewer jobs from an area, as a result of an ICDBG-funded economic development project, would not constitute a significant loss of jobs.

This proposed rule would amend HUD's regulations implementing the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act of 1986 (PFCRA), which were codified in 1996 and were amended in 2003 to include inflation adjustments. The purpose of this proposed rule is to more closely conform the PFCRA regulations with the PFCRA statutory language, to incorporate additional definitions into the PFCRA regulations, and to add an additional item to the list of factors the Secretary shall consider in determining the amount of penalties and assessments to be imposed.

HUD will submit the proposal for collection of information described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department will request this previously approved information collection be extended, and is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

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.

Consistent with the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, signed into law on July 30, 2008, this notice announces a one-year moratorium, commencing October 1, 2008, on premium pricing in accordance with FHA's risk-based premium structure. This structure was set for most Title II single family mortgage insurance programs by a May 13, 2008, notice, which provided for implementation commencing on July 14, 2008. This notice provides directions for FHA-approved mortgagees to ensure their compliance with the moratorium that commences October 1, 2008.