80 FR 23565 - 30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Family Self Sufficiency Program Demonstration

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 81 (April 28, 2015)

HUD has submitted the proposed information collection requirement described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The purpose of this notice is to allow for an additional 30 days of public comment.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 28, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23565-23566]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09769]



[[Page 23565]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5831-N-22]


30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Family Self 
Sufficiency Program Demonstration

AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: HUD has submitted the proposed information collection 
requirement described below to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for an additional 30 days of public 
comment.

DATES: Comments Due Date: May 28, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to: HUD Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 
20503; fax: 202-395-5806. Email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colette Pollard, Reports Management 
Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20410; email at Colette [email protected] or 
telephone 202-402-3400. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may 
access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay 
Service at (800) 877-8339. This is not a toll-free number. Copies of 
available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from Ms. Pollard.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that HUD has 
submitted to OMB a request for approval of the information collection 
described in Section A.
    The Federal Register notice that solicited public comment on the 
information collection for a period of 60 days was published on 
December 29, 2014 at 79 FR 78100.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Family Self-Sufficiency Program 
Demonstration.
    OMB Approval Number: 2528-0296.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Form Numbers: N/A.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
Department will submit the proposed information collection to OMB for 
review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35, as amended). This notice is soliciting comments from 
members of the public and affected agencies concerning the proposed 
collection of information to: (1) Evaluate whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including if the information will have 
practical utility; (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate 
of the burden of proposed collection of information; (3) Enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(4) 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.
    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.
    This 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 outcomes 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 referenced in this notice focuses on program 
participation and data will be collected for FSS program participants 
only.
    Respondents: 18 PHAs (approximately 1 staff per PHA) 1,785 Study 
Participants.
    Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response:

[[Page 23566]]



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                                                                            Average burden/
     Information collection            Number of       Number responses      response (in     Total burden hours
                                      respondents       per respondent          hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Management Information System     18 PHAs...........  3.5 responses       .83 hours (assume   3,809 burden (18
 (MIS).                                                (assumes annual     50 minutes/year).   PHAs * 73 program
                                                       entry 2015, 2016,                       participants\1\ *
                                                       2017, and part of                       3.5 responses *
                                                       2018).                                  .83 hours).
Tracking Survey.................  1,785 Study         2 responses (semi-  .17 hours (assume   607 burden (18
                                   Participants.       annual follow-      20 minutes/year).   PHAs * 1,785
                                                       ups).                                   program
                                                                                               participants * 2
                                                                                               responses * .17
                                                                                               hours).
                                                                                             -------------------
    Total.......................  ..................  ..................  ..................  4,416 hours
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\1\ Total sample = 2,609, of which 1,306 is in the FSS group and 1,303 are in the Control group (excluding
  withdrawn or ineligible participants). There is an average of 73 FSS group members per PHA (1306 FSS group
  members/18 PHAs).

    Estimated Number of Reponses: See table.
    Frequency of Response: See table.
    Average Hours per Response: See table.
    Total Estimated Burden Hours: 4,416 Burden Hours.

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.

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

    Dated: April 21, 2015.
Colette Pollard,
Department Reports Management Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-09769 Filed 4-27-15; 8:45 am]
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