Department of Housing and Urban Development August 19, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with section 102(a)(4)(C) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, this announcement notifies the public of funding decisions made by the Department in a competition for funding under the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Assisted Living Conversion Program (ALCP). This announcement contains the names of the grantees and the amounts of the awards made available by HUD.

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 standards for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, to determine initial renewal rents for some expiring project-based Section 8 contracts, to determine initial rents for housing assistance payment contracts in the Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy program, and to serve as rent ceilings in the HOME program. Today's notice provides proposed FY 2012 FMRs for all areas that reflect the estimated 40th and 50th percentile rent levels trended to April 1, 2012. The FY 2012 FMRs are re- benchmarked using five-year, 2005-2009 data collected by the American Community Survey (ACS). These data are updated using one-year ACS data in areas where statistically valid one-year ACS data is available. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rent and utility indexes are used to further update the data from 2009 to the end of 2010. 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). The proposed FY 2012 FMR areas are based on current Office of Management and Budget (OMB) metropolitan area definitions and include HUD modifications that were first used in the determination of FY 2006 FMR areas. Changes to the OMB metropolitan area definitions through December 2009 are incorporated. The bedroom ratios developed using 2000 Census data continue to be used and state minimums, calculated each year from the estimated FMRs, continue to be applied. This notice also includes HUD's responses to comments received on the March 9, 2011, (76 FR 12985), Federal Register notice (``Trend Notice'') seeking public comment regarding the manner in which HUD calculates a trend factor, the time period the trend factor is applied in the FMR estimation process and related issues. HUD received four applications to participate in the Small Area FMR demonstration program. These applications are being reviewed and information on the demonstration program will be made available in a notice published at a later date. Finally, in an effort to serve HUD's external clients who use HUD's estimates of Area Median Family Income (MFI) and their associated Income Limits (IL), HUD is requesting comments on a proposal to establish a certain date for publishing these parameters.