80 FR 38200 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 127 (July 2, 2015)

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is seeking public comments concerning the information collection known as ``Advances to Housing Associates,'' which has been assigned control number 2590-0001 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). FHFA intends to submit the information collection to OMB for review and approval of a three-year extension of the control number, which is due to expire on September 30, 2015.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 127 (Thursday, July 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 38200]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-16267]



[[Page 38200]]

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FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

[No. 2015-N-05]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Federal Housing Finance Agency.

ACTION: 60-Day Notice of submission of information collection for 
approval from the Office of Management and Budget.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is seeking 
public comments concerning the information collection known as 
``Advances to Housing Associates,'' which has been assigned control 
number 2590-0001 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). FHFA 
intends to submit the information collection to OMB for review and 
approval of a three-year extension of the control number, which is due 
to expire on September 30, 2015.

DATES: Interested persons may submit comments on or before August 31, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to FHFA, identified by ``Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request: `Advances to Housing Associates, (No. 
2015-N-05)''' by any of the following methods:
     Agency Web site: www.fhfa.gov/open-for-comment-or-input.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. If you submit your 
comment to the Federal eRulemaking Portal, please also send it by email 
to FHFA at [email protected] to ensure timely receipt by the agency.
     Mail/Hand Delivery: Federal Housing Finance Agency, Eighth 
Floor, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20024, ATTENTION: 
Proposed Collection; Comment Request: ``Advances to Housing Associates, 
(No. 2015-N-05)''.
    We will post all public comments we receive without change, 
including any personal information you provide, such as your name and 
address, email address, and telephone number, on the FHFA Web site at 
http://www.fhfa.gov. In addition, copies of all comments received will 
be available for examination by the public on business days between the 
hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, 
Eighth Floor, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20024. To make an 
appointment to inspect comments, please call the Office of General 
Counsel at (202) 649-3804.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan F. Curtis, Financial Analyst, 
by email at [email protected], by telephone at (202) 649-3321, 
or Eric M. Raudenbush, Assistant General Counsel, 
[email protected], (202) 649-3084, (these are not toll-free 
numbers), Federal Housing Finance Agency, 400 Seventh Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20024. The Telecommunications Device for the Hearing 
Impaired is (800) 877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Need for and Use of the Information Collection

    Section 10b of the Federal Home Loan Bank Act (Bank Act) 
establishes the requirements for making Federal Home Loan Bank (Bank) 
advances to nonmember mortgagees, which are referred to as ``Housing 
Associates'' in FHFA's regulations.\1\ Section 10b also establishes the 
eligibility requirements an applicant must meet in order to be 
certified as a Housing Associate.
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    \1\ See 12 U.S.C. 1430b; 12 CFR 1264.3.
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    Part 1264 of FHFA's regulations implements the statutory 
eligibility requirements and establishes uniform review criteria the 
Banks must use in evaluating applications from entities that wish to be 
certified as a Housing Associate. Specifically, Sec.  1264.4 implements 
the statutory eligibility requirements and provides guidance to an 
applicant on how it may satisfy those requirements.\2\ Section 1264.5 
authorizes the Banks to approve or deny all applications for 
certification as a Housing Associate, subject to the statutory and 
regulatory requirements.\3\ It also permits an applicant that has been 
denied certification by a Bank to appeal that decision to FHFA.
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    \2\ See 12 CFR 1264.4.
    \3\ See 12 CFR 1264.5.
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    In part 1266 of FHFA's regulations, subpart B governs Bank advances 
to Housing Associates that have been approved under part 1264. Section 
1266.17 establishes the terms and conditions under which a Bank may 
make advances to Housing Associates.\4\ Specifically, Sec.  1266.17(e) 
imposes a continuing obligation on each certified Housing Associate to 
provide information necessary for the Bank to determine if it remains 
in compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, as 
set forth in part 1264.
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    \4\ See 12 CFR 1266.17.
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    The OMB control number for the information collection, which 
expires on September 30, 2015, is 2590-0001. The likely respondents 
include entities applying to be certified as a Housing Associate and 
current Housing Associates.

B. Burden Estimates

    FHFA estimates the total annualized hour burden imposed upon 
respondents by this information collection to be 324 hours (28 hours 
for applicants + 296 hours for current Housing Associates), based on 
the following calculations:

I. Applicants

    FHFA estimates that the total annual average number of entities 
applying to be certified as a Housing Associate over the next three 
years will be 2, with one response per applicant. The estimate for the 
average hours per application is 14 hours. Therefore, the estimate for 
the total annual hour burden for all applicants is 28 hours (2 
applicants x 1 response per applicant x 14 hours).

II. Current Housing Associates

    FHFA estimates that the total annual average number of existing 
Housing Associates over the next three years will be 74, with one 
response per Housing Associate required to comply with the regulatory 
reporting requirements. The estimate for the average hours per response 
is 4 hours. Therefore, the estimate for the total annual hour burden 
for current Housing Associates is 296 hours (74 certified Housing 
Associates x 1 response per associate x 4 hours).

C. Comment Request

    FHFA requests written comments on the following: (1) Whether the 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
FHFA functions, including whether the information has practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of FHFA's estimates of the burdens of the 
collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information collected; and (4) ways to minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

    Dated: June 25, 2015.
Kevin Winkler,
Chief Information Officer, Federal Housing Finance Agency.
[FR Doc. 2015-16267 Filed 7-1-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8070-01-P