Department of Housing and Urban Development 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 requirements 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. Eligible public housing agencies (PHAs) in areas most heavily impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will submit a Notice of Intent and Section 901 Fungibility Plan to inform HUD they will exercise funding flexibility and describe how program funds will be used. PHAs will submit quarterly and annual reports on funds utilization.

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 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 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 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 Department is conducting this study under contract with MDRC and its subcontractors (Branch Associates and M. Davis and Company, Inc.). The project is an evaluation of the Family Self-Sufficiency Program operated at Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) across the U.S. The study will use random assignment methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. FSS has operated since 1992 and serves voucher holders and residents of public housing. The FSS model is essentially case management plus an escrow account. FSS case managers create a plan with families to achieve goals and connect with services that will enhance their employment opportunities. Families accrue money in their escrow accounts as they increase their earnings. To date, HUD has funded two other studies of the FSS program, but neither can tell us how well families would have done in the absence of the program. A random assignment model is needed because participant self-selection into FSS limits the ability to know whether program features rather than the characteristics of the participating families caused tenant income gains. Random assignment will limit the extent to which selection bias is driving observed results. The demonstration will document the progress of a group of FSS participants from initial enrollment to program completion (or exit). The intent is to gain a deeper understanding of the program and illustrate strategies that assist participants to obtain greater economic independence. While the main objective of FSS is stable, suitable employment, there are many interim outcome of interest, which include: Getting a first job; getting a higher paying job; self-employment/small business ownership; no longer needing benefits provided under one or more welfare programs; obtaining additional education, whether in the form of a high school diploma, higher education degree, or vocational training; buying a home; buying a car; setting up savings accounts; or accomplishing similar goals that lead to economic independence. Data collection will include the families that are part of the treatment and control groups, as well as PHA staff. Data will be gathered through a variety of methods including surveys, informational interviews, direct observation, and analysis of administrative records.

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 information collected through HUD's Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) (Sec. 92.502) is used by HUD Field Offices, HUD Headquarters and HOME Program Participating Jurisdictions (PJs). The information on program funds committed and disbursed is used by HUD to track PJ performance and to determine compliance with the statutory 24-month commitment deadline and the regulatory 5-year expenditure deadline (Sec. 92.500(d)). The project-specific property, tenant, owner and financial data is used to compile annual reports to Congress required at Section 284(b) of the Act, as well as to make program management decisions about how well program participants are achieving the statutory objectives of the HOME Program. Program management reports are generated by IDIS to provide data on the status of program participants' commitment and disbursement of HOME funds. These reports are provided to HUD staff as well as to HOME PJs. Management reports required in conjunction with the Annual Performance Report (Sec. 92.509) are used by HUD Field Offices to assess the effectiveness of locally designed programs in meeting specific statutory requirements and by Headquarters in preparing the Annual Report to Congress. Specifically, these reports permit HUD to determine compliance with the requirement that PJs provide a 25% match for HOME funds expended during the Federal fiscal year (Section 220 of the Act) and that program income be used for HOME eligible activities (Section 219 of the Act), as well as the Women and Minority Business Enterprise requirements (Sec. 92.351(b)). Financial, project, tenant and owner documentation is used to determine compliance with HOME Program cost limits (Section 212(e) of the Act), eligible activities (Sec. 92.205), and eligible costs (Sec. 92.206), as well as to determine whether program participants are lenders on their overall program performance. The information collected is used to determine insurance eligibility and claim eligibility.

This rule revises the regulations governing FHA's Section 242 Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program (Section 242 program) for the purpose of codifying, in regulation, FHA's implementation of its authority to refinance existing loans of hospitals without FHA-insured mortgages, without conditioning the exercise of such authority on the expenditure of funds for construction or renovation. Hospitals with FHA's Section 242 mortgage insurance may refinance existing debt under section 223(a)(7) of the National Housing Act, and such refinancing under section 223(a)(7) is not conditioned upon the hospital undertaking new construction or renovation. When credit availability contracted considerably in 2008, FHA, in 2009, commenced the exercise of its authority to refinance the capital debt of hospitals without section 242 mortgage insurance. FHA exercised this authority through notices issued on July 1, 2009, and February 22, 2010. FHA initiated rulemaking to make this refinancing authority a permanent part of the Section 242 regulatory program through a January 29, 2010, proposed rule, which solicited comment on HUD's implementation of this refinancing authority to date. This final rule provides for codification in regulation of HUD's refinancing of existing debt and acquisitions for non-FHA insured loans of hospitals without conditioning such refinancing and acquisition on new construction or renovation. This rule makes certain changes to the regulations proposed January 2010 in response to public comments submitted on the proposed rule and further consideration of issues by HUD.

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

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.

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 is required to collect debt owed to the agency. As part of the collection process, demand for repayment is made on the debtor(s). In response, debtors opt to ignore the debt, pay the debt or dispute the debt. Disputes and offers to repay the debt result in information collections. Borrowers who wish to pay less than the full amount due must submit a Personal Financial Statement and Settlement Offer. HUD uses the information to analyze debtors' financial positions and then approve settlements and repayment agreements. Borrowers who wish to dispute must provide information to support their position.

This notice announces changes in the interest rates to be paid on debentures issued with respect to a loan or mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration under the provisions of the National Housing Act (the Act). The interest rate for debentures issued under section 221(g)(4) of the Act during the 6-month period beginning January 1, 2013, is 1\3/8\ percent. The interest rate for debentures issued under any other provision of the Act is the rate in effect on the date that the commitment to insure the loan or mortgage was issued, or the date that the loan or mortgage was endorsed (or initially endorsed if there are two or more endorsements) for insurance, whichever rate is higher. The interest rate for debentures issued under these other provisions with respect to a loan or mortgage committed or endorsed during the 6-month period beginning January 1, 2013, is 2\1/2\ percent. However, as a result of an amendment to section 224 of the Act, if an insurance claim relating to a mortgage insured under sections 203 or 234 of the Act and endorsed for insurance after January 23, 2004, is paid in cash, the debenture interest rate for purposes of calculating a claim shall be the monthly average yield, for the month in which the default on the mortgage occurred, on United States Treasury Securities adjusted to a constant maturity of 10 years.

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 Department accepts requests from local governments or interested nonprofit organizations to designate specified geographic areas as revitalization areas. A request must describe the nominated area in terms of census block groups.

This final rule amends the roof truss testing procedures in the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards by adopting certain recommendations made by the Manufactured Home Consensus Committee (MHCC), as modified by HUD. Pursuant to the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974, HUD published a recommendation submitted by MHCC to revise the existing roof truss testing procedures in 2003. In response to public comments, HUD returned the proposal to MHCC for further evaluation. After further consideration, MHCC submitted to HUD an amended version of its original proposal on roof truss testing. HUD was in agreement with the majority of MHCC's revised recommendations on roof truss testing which were published as a proposed rule on June 16, 2010. Many of MHCC's recommendations are included in this final rule. HUD identifies MHCC's proposals that were not accepted, or that were modified in light of public comments received or upon further evaluation, and provides its reasons for not accepting or for modifying these proposed revisions.

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. Collection of this information will result in a better determination of reporting how Primary Inspection Agencies and manufacturers request certification labels, track payment, track production, refund monies, and report missing or damaged labels to the Department or its monitoring contractor.

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 use to assist the homeless.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposes to establish a new record system to add to its inventory of systems of records subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended. The proposed new system of record is the Pre-Purchase Homeownership Counseling Demonstration and Impact Evaluation Random Assignment and Service Tracking (RAST) System. This system will be used by HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) and its contractors to conduct a random assignment and impact evaluation study of the impact that different types of pre-purchase counseling have on mortgage preparedness, homeowner outcomes, and loan performance for prospective low-to-moderate income, first-time homebuyers. Refer to the ``Purpose'' section to obtain detailed information about the purpose of this study.

On July 15, 2010, HUD published a Federal Register notice establishing the process by which eligible purchasers under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) are provided a preference to acquire real-estate owned (REO) properties of FHA under the temporary Federal Housing Administration (FHA) First Look Sales Method. Under the First Look Sales Method, eligible NSP purchasers have the opportunity to purchase REO properties at a discount of 10 percent below their appraised value, less the cost of any applicable listing and sales commission. This notice announces an increase in the discount to 15 percent for properties that do not meet the applicable minimum property standards to be eligible for FHA mortgage insurance. Additionally, HUD has taken the opportunity afforded by this notice to clarify that the First Look Sales Method will be in effect until the conclusion of the NSP.

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 information is being collected by telephone and on-site interviews to assess program design, implementation, inputs and outcomes at the local level. This is the second wave of interviews for the same study and has the same structure.

The Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Act of 2010, signed into law in January 2011, authorizes HUD to provide Senior Preservation Rental Assistance Contracts (SPRACs) with 20-year terms to prevent displacement of elderly residents of certain projects assisted under HUD's Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program in the case of refinancing or recapitalization and to further preserve and maintain affordability of Section 202 Direct Loan projects. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, $16 million was made available for SPRAC funding. This notice advises of HUD's intent to award SPRACs through the proposed application process described in this notice. HUD is soliciting comments on the proposed process for awarding SPRACs and the associated criteria for establishing eligibility to apply for a SPRAC.