Department of Housing and Urban Development January 14, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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. The American Housing Survey (AHS) provides a periodic measure of the size and composition of the country's housing inventory. Title 12, United States Code, Sections 1701Z-1, 1701Z- 2(g), and 1710Z-10a mandate the collection of this information. Like the previous surveys, the 2011 AHS collects data on subjects such as the amount and types of changes in the inventory, the physical condition of the inventory, the characteristics of the occupants, housing costs, the persons eligible for and beneficiaries of assisted housing, and the number and characteristics of vacancies. The 2011 AHS will collect additional data on potential health and safety hazards in the home and modifications made to assist occupants living with disabilities. Selected neighborhood and journey to work questions will not be collected in the 2011 survey and the mortgage questions will be redesigned. There is no AHS-Metropolitan Sample in the 2011 survey. But, a supplemental sample of housing units will be selected for 30 metropolitan areas. The supplemental sample will be combined with existing sample in these areas in order to produce metropolitan estimates using the National data. Policy analysts, program managers, budget analysts, and Congressional staff use AHS data to advise executive and legislative branches about housing conditions and the suitability of public policy initiatives. Academic researchers and private organizations also use AHS data in efforts of specific interest and concern to their respective communities. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) needs the AHS data for two important uses. 1. With the data, policy analysts can monitor the interaction among housing needs, demand and supply, as well as changes in housing conditions and costs, to aid in the development of housing policies and the design of housing programs appropriate for different target groups, such as first-time home buyers and the elderly. 2. With the data, HUD can evaluate, monitor, and design HUD programs to improve efficiency and effectiveness.