81 FR 26759 - Notice of Demonstration To Test Proposed New Method of Assessing the Physical Conditions of Voucher-Assisted Housing

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 86 (May 4, 2016)

Page Range		26759-26763
FR Document		2016-10460

Through this document, HUD solicits comment on a demonstration designed to test a new method of assessing the physical condition of housing assisted by HUD vouchers (voucher-assisted housing). In the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the act appropriating funds for HUD in Fiscal Year (FY 2016), Congress directed HUD to implement a single inspection protocol for public housing and voucher units. This demonstration would commence the process for implementing a single inspection protocol.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 86 (Wednesday, May 4, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 4, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26759-26763]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-10460]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

24 CFR Part 982

[Docket No. FR-5928-N-01]

Notice of Demonstration To Test Proposed New Method of Assessing
the Physical Conditions of Voucher-Assisted Housing

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian
Housing, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Through this document, HUD solicits comment on a demonstration
designed to test a new method of assessing the physical condition of
housing assisted by HUD vouchers (voucher-assisted housing). In the
Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the act appropriating funds
for HUD in Fiscal Year (FY 2016), Congress directed HUD to implement a
single inspection protocol for public housing and voucher units. This
demonstration would commence the process for implementing a single
inspection protocol.

DATES: Comments Due Date: July 5, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments to the
Office of the General Counsel, Regulations Division, Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 10276,
Washington, DC 20410-0500. Communications should refer to the above
docket number and title and should contain the information specified in
the ``Request for Comments'' section. There are two methods for
submitting public comments.
1. Submission of Comments by Mail. Comments may be submitted by
mail to the Regulations Division, Office of General Counsel, Department
of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 10276,
Washington, DC 20410-0500. Due to security measures at all federal
agencies, however, submission of comments by mail often results in
delayed delivery. To ensure timely receipt of comments, HUD recommends
that comments submitted by mail be submitted at least two weeks in
advance of the public comment deadline.
2. Electronic Submission of Comments. Interested persons may submit
comments electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
http://www.regulations.gov. HUD strongly encourages commenters to
submit comments electronically. Electronic submission of comments
allows the commenter maximum time to prepare and submit a comment,
ensures timely receipt by HUD, and enables HUD to make comments
immediately available to the public. Comments submitted electronically
through the http://www.regulations.gov Web site can be viewed by other
commenters and interested members of the public. Commenters should
follow instructions provided on that site to submit comments
electronically.

Note: To receive consideration as public comments, comments
must be submitted using one of the two methods specified above.
Again, all submissions must refer to the docket number and title of
the notice.

No Facsimile Comments. Facsimile (fax) comments are not acceptable.
Public Inspection of Comments. All comments and communications
submitted to HUD will be available, for public inspection and copying
between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays at the above address. Due to
security measures at the HUD Headquarters building, an advance
appointment to review the public comments must be scheduled by calling
the Regulations Division at (202) 708-3055 (this is not a toll-free
number). Copies of all comments submitted are available for inspection
and downloading at http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel R. Williams, Real Estate
Assessment Center, Office of Public and Indian Housing, Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 550 12th Street SW., Suite 100,
Washington DC 20410-4000; telephone number 202-475-8586 (this is not a
toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may
contact this number via TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay
Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Structure of the Notice

The following four sections discuss the background through the
solicitation of comments. Section II below provides background
information on oversight of the Housing Choice Voucher inspection
program and explains the origins of the Uniform Physical Condition
Standards for Vouchers (UPCS-V), an alternative approach for ensuring
safe, habitable voucher-assisted housing. In Section III, the notice
explains the three main areas that will be evaluated during the
demonstration, which are: The objective condition standards including a
list of life threatening and emergency items that must be addressed,
the revised information technology (IT) processes, and the new
oversight approach. Also in Section III, HUD discusses the general
public housing agency (PHA) participation criteria it will use to
select a representative mix of volunteer PHAs. In Section IV, HUD
describes the process by which HUD will assess the results of the
demonstration. In the last section of this notice, Section V, HUD

[[Page 26760]]

solicits public comment generally as well as on several questions of
specific interest.

II. Background

HUD's Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program serves approximately 2.2
million households nationwide. The HCV program is administered by PHAs
at the State and local levels and allows participants the opportunity
to rent from private landlords in the neighborhood of their choosing.
The goal of the HCV program is to enable access to decent, safe and
sanitary affordable housing for low-income families. In the 1970's HUD
established housing quality standards (HQS) in accordance with the U.S.
Housing Act of 1937 (1937 Act) (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.). Section
8(o)(8)(B) of the 1937 Act (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(8)(B)), directs HUD to
establish standards for safe and habitable housing. These standards are
codified in HUD regulations at 24 CFR 982.401. PHAs use these standards
to determine if housing meets the minimum criteria necessary for the
safety and habitability of occupants assisted under the program.
The HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released several
audit reports and evaluations that identified weakness in the HCV
inspection program.\1\ These OIG reports and other factors led to the
report of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Report 113-045, that
accompanied the Senate bill for HUD's 2014 appropriations, and directed
HUD to ``. . . move to a consistent inspection standard across housing
assistance programs, as well as [for] oversight of Section 8 units.''
\2\ In response to this directive, HUD conducted a quality assurance
review of HCV units using its current HQS inspection model.\3\ The
results of these inspections showed that the current HQS protocol
lacked objective, well-defined deficiency descriptions, was unable to
capture granular unit conditions, and relied on a paper inspection
form. In addition, there was an absence of modern health standards such
as carbon monoxide detectors and sprinkler systems, and an absence of a
universal list of life threatening or emergency deficiencies. HUD
determined that these factors resulted in inconsistent application of
HQS standards, and there was potential for inconsistent housing
outcomes and exposure of families to health and safety hazards.
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\1\ See e.g., HUD OIG Reports: 2008-AT-003; 2012-BO-1005.
\2\ See page 100 of https://www.thefederalregister.org/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-113srpt45/pdf/CRPT-113srpt45.pdf.
\3\ See http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/reac/oed.
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At the conclusion of the quality control review, HUD accelerated
the search for a replacement to the Housing Quality Standards, leading
to the eventual development of UPCS-V. In the Joint Explanatory
Statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016,
Public Law 114-113, approved December 18, 2015, Congress directed HUD
to implement a single inspection protocol for public housing and
voucher units.\4\ This demonstration would commence the process for
implementing a single inspection protocol by soliciting PHAs to
voluntarily move to the single inspection protocol, conduct field
testing, and participate in oversight and monitoring activities related
to the new standard. In addition to improving outcomes for families and
aligning program standards, this demonstration will provide valuable
feedback to HUD about how to efficiently and effectively implement
UPCS-V at all PHAs. Congress has provided HUD with funding to improve
its oversight of the HCV inspection program and to move the inspection
standard for the HCV program to one that is consistent with other
affordable housing programs and that incorporates modern health and
safety practices.\5\
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\4\ See page 41 of Division L of the FY2016 Joint Explanatory
Statement. See https://rules.house.gov/bill/114/hr-2029-sa.
\5\ See Title II of Division K of the FY2015 Joint Explanatory
Statement. See https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2014/12/11/house-section/article/H9307-1.
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III. The Demonstration

A. Overview

In response to Congressional direction and HUD's own goal to
improve the effectiveness of the inspection of public and assisted
housing while minimizing burdens, HUD is developing a new inspection
and oversight approach called UPCS-V. UPCS-V incorporates housing
health and safety constructs, concepts from the Uniform Physical
Condition Standard (UPCS), codified in HUD regulations at 24 CFR 5.703,
and HQS, codified at 24 CFR 982.401. The new UPCS-V will include
deficiency definitions and decision criteria, and tailored standards
and protocols to better meet HCV program needs. The UPCS protocol is
currently recognized by industry stakeholders as the benchmark for
government-assisted and affordable housing inspections. This
Demonstration is the first step in implementing an aligned inspection
protocol for public housing/multi-family housing and voucher programs,
and will test the UPCS-V inspection model's ability to assess the
physical condition of assisted housing, improve service delivery,
enhance oversight and risk management capabilities, and better identify
health and safety hazards in the home.

B. The New Inspection Model and Demonstration Protocols

Under this Demonstration, HUD will test, for up to three years,
with up to 250 PHAs, the UPCS-V model as a new method of assessing the
physical condition of voucher-assisted housing.
In addition to hands-on training and technical assistance that will
be provided by HUD to participating PHAs, some additional benefits of
participating in the Demonstration include the opportunity to provide
input to HUD on further refining the UPCS-V standards and processes,
and the ability to evaluate, test, and refine internal PHA systems and
processes.
There are three components to the Demonstration, each of which may
run concurrently:
Evaluation of Revised Inspection Model (UPCS-V)
Data Standardization and Information Exchange
Oversight and Performance Improvement
Component 1: Evaluation of the Revised Inspection Model (UPCS-V)
For the past 17 years, HUD has used the UPCS protocol when
conducting over 310,000 physical inspections of public housing (PH) and
subsidized multifamily housing (MFH) developments, solidifying UPCS as
the industry standard for government-assisted and affordable housing
inspections. HUD leveraged its experience with UPCS and developed a
product tailored to the objectives of the HCV program. The scope of the
inspection, the procedural guidelines, and the individual deficiencies
have been modified to emphasize those areas that present the highest
risk of harm to the family living in the HCV assisted unit.
UPCS-V seeks to utilize well-defined and objective deficiency
descriptions that can be used consistently within and across PHAs. The
following table summarizes some of the high-level similarities and
differences between UPCS-V and HQS.

[[Page 26761]]

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Item HQS UPCS-V
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Provides standardized list of ............... X
deficiencies and measurable criteria.
Defined standardized list of Life ............... X
Threatening and Emergency items......
Up-to-date health and safety standards ............... X
Designed as a unit-based inspection X X
standard for federally assisted units
Inspection standard aligned with other ............... X
federally assisted programs..........
Pass/Fail results for all deficiencies X X
PHA ability to adopt HUD-approved X X
variances............................
Uniform inspector training and ............... X
registration.........................
Includes guidance through the use of ............... X
decision trees that lead to more
consistent observations..............
Captures level of severity for line ............... X
item deficiencies....................
Unit and room acceptability criteria.. X X
Standardized criteria for PHA ............... X
submission of electronic inspection
data to HUD..........................
Customized unit condition index to ............... X
provide value added analytics of
inspection data to PHAs and
stakeholders.........................
Photo requirements for fail ............... X
deficiencies.........................
Allow PHAs the use photo and document ............... X
evidence to ensure all fail
deficiencies have been mitigated.....
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like UPCS, HUD anticipates that the new inspection model will
enable a PHA inspector to more consistently identify and accurately
describe those items that pose a risk to tenant health and safety in
the home. The new inspection model developed by HUD has updated
standards and a well-defined list of itemized deficiencies enabling
inspectors to make more accurate and objective decisions on a
consistent basis. The new inspection model differs from the current HQS
inspection model in that it incorporates standards based on UPCS and
uses a classification system that collects a more detailed level of
data resulting in a better representation of the condition of the unit.
The new inspection protocol will capture levels of severity for
line item deficiencies on an escalating scale of severity (L1, L2, L3).
The classifications of minor (L1), major (L2) or significant (L3) would
be used to determine the level of severity for each deficiency and to
develop a unit condition index score. When considered in conjunction
with a Pass/Fail determination, the unit condition index score would
give residents, owners, PHAs, and HUD better insight into the overall
condition of the unit. In addition to capturing a level of severity for
all deficiencies, HUD will create a minimum, standardized list of life
threatening items that PHAs participating in the demonstration must
treat as ``24 Hour'' deficiencies.
When an inspector finds Life Threatening or Emergency (LTE)
deficiencies during an inspection, the inspector is to provide a list
of such deficiencies to the responsible party--either tenant or owner--
for repair within 24 hours. A specific set of deficiencies that must be
addressed within 24 hours is not currently defined in HQS. UPCS-V will
provide a list of LTE categories to use when inspecting HCV units
during the Demonstration. PHAs will be responsible for additional items
to this list.

General Categories of Life Threatening and Emergency Items
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life threatening
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ballot] Natural or Liquid Petroleum (LP) gas leak or fumes
[ballot] Electrical problems which could result in shock or fire
[ballot] Inoperable/missing smoke or carbon monoxide detector
[ballot] Gas/Oil Fired Water Heater/HVAC with missing or misaligned
chimney
[ballot] Fire extinguishers expired or missing
[ballot] Building lacks an alternate means of exit in case of fire/
blocked egress
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emergency
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ballot] Missing entry door
[ballot] The HVAC system fails to meet established criteria for
emergency heating or cooling with consideration for ambient temperature
range and ventilation
[ballot] Absence of at least one functioning sink and toilet in unit
[ballot] No working refrigerator
[ballot] No working stove/oven or other method of heating/preparing food
[ballot] Waterlogged/damaged ceilings, floor or walls in imminent danger
of potential collapse
[ballot] Major plumbing leaks or flooding
[ballot] Utilities not in service (e.g., electricity, gas (LP/natural),
water or oil)
[ballot] No running hot water
[ballot] Structural integrity condition where the building, or a
component of the building, is in imminent danger of potential collapse
------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the inclusion of a level of severity classification and a
standardized list of life threatening items, the inspection report will
be able to provide a more detailed description of the unit.
As part of the Demonstration, HUD will conduct extensive field
tests of the standards and protocol with a representative sample of HCV
units to verify that the UPCS-V model consistently, accurately, and
objectively evaluates housing conditions. The feasibility of
implementing the protocol will also be evaluated to identify potential
barriers that would prevent PHAs from successfully implementing UPCS-V.
After HUD's initial round of testing has been completed, PHAs
participating in this component of the

[[Page 26762]]

Demonstration will conduct a portion, depending on the PHA's
capabilities, of up to 100 percent of their required HCV physical
inspections using UPCS-V in place of HQS. This component will continue
throughout the up to three-year duration of the Demonstration until HUD
has sufficient information to evaluate the success of PHAs using UPCS-V
and assurance that the new method is achieving consistent results.
Component 2: Data Standardization and Information Exchange of UPCS-V
Inspections
UPCS-V is designed as an electronic inspection model. This
component of the Demonstration will test the transition from a paper-
based to an electronic inspection approach. Initially, the UPCS-V
inspections will be performed electronically using HUD-provided
software, and all inspections will include photos of the most severe
deficiencies. For PHAs with their own IT systems, including PHA-
produced or provided inspection software, HUD also will test the
feasibility of different methods of transferring physical inspection
information between PHA and HUD systems.
PHAs participating in this component will be required to document
and submit to HUD all UPCS-V inspections electronically. HUD
anticipates that it will then review, analyze, and where appropriate,
transform the inspection data into value-added information, such as a
scoring report, healthy homes report, and relative risk reports, for
electronic transmission back to the PHA for its use.
PHAs participating in this component of the Demonstration and that
use non-HUD provided software will be required to have and maintain the
information technology resources and support necessary to interface
with HUD's systems using industry standard file transfer protocols such
as Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and Representational State
Transfer (REST) standards. Some data exchange may be via transfer of
flat files.
Component 3: Oversight and Performance Improvement
In this component of the Demonstration, HUD seeks to ensure PHAs
are consistently identifying substandard housing, remedying such cases
appropriately and in a timely manner, and accurately reporting HCV
unit-based inspection outcomes to HUD. Selected PHAs will be required
to participate in quality assurance and internal controls reviews,
technical assistance, and training activities. As part of the
Demonstration, HUD will analyze PHAs' capacity, competencies,
inspection processes and systems that are in place to effectively
manage and evaluate HCV units as decent, safe, and sanitary. Further,
HUD will test the capacity of the UPCS-V model to identify properties
that are at risk of falling into non-compliance before the next
regularly scheduled biennial inspection.
To develop an inspector performance baseline, HUD seeks to
determine the acceptable variation between inspectors. HUD will conduct
quality assurance inspections on HCV units to ensure inspector
adherence to UPCS-V inspection standards and provide technical
assistance where needed. HUD also will test both PHA and its own
management controls to provide reasonable assurance that the process
for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the HCV unit-based
inspection program will meet the requirements prescribed by UPCS-V.

C. Selection Criteria and General Participation Requirements

General Participation Requirements
To participate in this Demonstration, a PHA must administer a
housing choice voucher program. PHAs participating in any aspect of the
Demonstration will be required to participate in focus groups,
conference calls, and training sessions on policies and procedures. HUD
will train each participating PHA's inspectors, administrators, and
quality control staff on the new inspection protocol, including how to
use the inspection software. The PHAs will be responsible for
scheduling inspections with all the participants, assigning inspectors,
and conducting inspections. The PHA must conduct at least 10
inspections per week, and the geographic spread of those inspections
should be such that 90 percent of inspections are accessible within a
30 mile (or 1 hour) driving range.
If selected, the PHA must participate in the Demonstration
throughout the duration of the testing period for at least one (1)
calendar year with the possibility of an extension, as determined by
HUD, for a maximum total of three (3) years. PHAs that participate will
also need to provide an internet connected, internet operating system
(iOS) or Android based electronic handheld device (smart phone or
tablet) for each PHA staff inspector participating with capability to
download the required HUD-provided inspection software.
Selection Criteria
All PHAs must meet, at minimum, the general participation
requirements described above. The strategic objectives for the
Demonstration are for HUD to identify a diverse set of participants
that will be representative of the different types of PHAs, properties
and tenants found nationwide. HUD will use the following criteria to
consider PHAs that have expressed an interest in participating in the
Demonstration to ensure that participants represent the universe of
PHAs that run HCV programs.
Participants will be selected based on the characteristics of the
organization (PHA) and the type of properties and tenants it
administers:
1. Characteristics of the PHA:
Is the PHA a local or state agency?
What percentage of HQS inspections are conducted annually?
Biennially?
What percentage of the HCV housing stock is urban and what
percentage is rural?
What percentage of the PHAs inspections are HCV
inspections?
What is the number of monthly HCV inspections conducted?
2. Characteristics of the Properties & Tenants:
What is the number of HCV voucher holders?
What is the average rent amount?
What is the percentage of PHA's HCV program that is
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH), Family Unification Program
(FUP), and Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) participants?
What is the average HCV family size?
What type of housing is leased by HCV participants (single
family, apartment, condo, high-rise, row house, duplex, townhouse,
etc.)?
What is the average age of the housing stock?
What is the HCV tenant mix (by age, disability, elderly,
family type, children, income level/hap amount)?
The criteria are designed to capture the variation in PHAs and
market characteristics that could affect the implementation of UPCS-V.
Depending on the applications for participation received and the
characteristics of the PHAs applying, the criteria may be adjusted to
more accurately represent the diversity of PHAs. Not all 250
participants may be selected in the first round of testing.
Accordingly, as the Demonstration proceeds, HUD may expand the number
of participating PHAs, revise the selection criteria, or both, to
reflect HUD's experience in implementing the Demonstration.

[[Page 26763]]

IV. Evaluating the Demonstration

The Demonstration will provide HUD insight into the UPCS-V model,
including its ability to expand HUD's oversight and risk management
capabilities through a reliable, repeatable inspection process that
better identifies health and safety risks to families, before
implementing such a program nationwide. The Demonstration is
anticipated to begin 60 days following the date of publication of this
notice, with PHAs being added on a rolling basis until a representative
sample has been reached. At the conclusion of the demonstration, HUD
will assess its success and determine whether to implement UPCS-V on a
permanent basis throughout the country.
In the evaluation of the Demonstration, HUD will assess such
factors as whether the use of the new UPCS-V protocol produces (1) more
consistent and accurate results, (2) data standardization and a
reliable method for information exchange, and (3) increased oversight
and administration of the HCV Program. The demonstration also will
review the feasibility of a PHA to implement the UPCS-V protocol, a
factor HUD considers necessary for an accurate evaluation of the
Demonstration's success.

V. Solicitation of Public Comment

In accordance with section 470 of the Housing and Urban-Rural
Recovery Act of 1983 (42 U.S.C. 3542), HUD is seeking comment on the
Demonstration. Section 470 provides that HUD may not begin a
demonstration program not expressly authorized by statute until a
description of the demonstration program is published in the Federal
Register and a 60-day period expires following the date of publication,
during which time HUD solicits public comment and considers the
comments submitted. HUD has established a public comment period of 60
days. The public comment period provided allows HUD the opportunity to
consider those comments during the 60-day period, and be in a position
to commence implementation of the demonstration following the
conclusion of the 60-day period.
While HUD solicits comment on all aspects of the Demonstration, HUD
specifically solicits comment on the following:
1. HUD is considering selecting for participation only PHAs that do
not utilize contract inspectors. Are there any instances where an
exception to this criterion might be useful?
2. Will utilizing commercial, off-the-shelf hardware, such as
internet connected tablets or smartphones, reduce the barriers to
participation for PHAs as opposed to having PHAs use more specific
devices such as those required for other HUD UPCS inspections?
3. Are there other PHA characteristics that HUD should consider in
selecting PHAs to participate in the demonstration?
4. Are there other revisions outside of the UPCS criteria that HUD
should consider when moving toward a single inspection protocol?
HUD requests that PHAs interested in participating in the
Demonstration notify HUD by the public comment deadline for this
Demonstration notice by emailing HUD at [email protected], and providing
the PHA name, PHA address, contact name, contact phone number, and
email address.

Dated: April 28, 2016.
Lourdes Castro Ram[iacute]rez,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 2016-10460 Filed 5-3-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 4, 2016 / Proposed Rules 26759

WHOLE BLOOD AND BLOOD COMPONENTS STORAGE TEMPERATURES AND DATING PERIODS—Continued
A B C

Product Storage temperature Dating period

Cryoprecipitated AHF

Cryoprecipitated AHF ......................................... ¥18 °C or colder ............................................. 1 year from date of collection of source blood
or from date of collection of oldest source
blood in pre-storage pool.

Source Leukocytes

Source Leukocytes ............................................. Temperature appropriate for final product ....... In lieu of expiration date, the collection date
must appear on the label.
1 The abbreviation ‘‘do.’’ for ditto is used in the table to indicate that the previous line is being repeated.

Dated: April 27, 2016. Comments’’ section. There are two HUD Headquarters building, an advance
Leslie Kux, methods for submitting public appointment to review the public
Associate Commissioner for Policy. comments. comments must be scheduled by calling
[FR Doc. 2016–10386 Filed 5–3–16; 8:45 am] 1. Submission of Comments by Mail. the Regulations Division at (202) 708–
BILLING CODE 4164–01–P
Comments may be submitted by mail to 3055 (this is not a toll-free number).
the Regulations Division, Office of Copies of all comments submitted are
General Counsel, Department of available for inspection and
Housing and Urban Development, 451 downloading at http://
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 7th Street SW., Room 10276, www.regulations.gov.
URBAN DEVELOPMENT Washington, DC 20410–0500. Due to
security measures at all federal agencies, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
24 CFR Part 982 Daniel R. Williams, Real Estate
however, submission of comments by
[Docket No. FR–5928–N–01] mail often results in delayed delivery. Assessment Center, Office of Public and
To ensure timely receipt of comments, Indian Housing, Department of Housing
Notice of Demonstration To Test HUD recommends that comments and Urban Development, 550 12th
Proposed New Method of Assessing submitted by mail be submitted at least Street SW., Suite 100, Washington DC
the Physical Conditions of Voucher- two weeks in advance of the public 20410–4000; telephone number 202–
Assisted Housing comment deadline. 475–8586 (this is not a toll-free
2. Electronic Submission of number). Persons with hearing or
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant speech impairments may contact this
Comments. Interested persons may
Secretary for Public and Indian number via TTY by calling the toll-free
submit comments electronically through
Housing, HUD. Federal Relay Service at 800–877–8339.
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
ACTION: Notice. http://www.regulations.gov. HUD SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY: Through this document, HUD strongly encourages commenters to
submit comments electronically. I. Structure of the Notice
solicits comment on a demonstration
designed to test a new method of Electronic submission of comments The following four sections discuss
assessing the physical condition of allows the commenter maximum time to the background through the solicitation
housing assisted by HUD vouchers prepare and submit a comment, ensures of comments. Section II below provides
(voucher-assisted housing). In the Joint timely receipt by HUD, and enables background information on oversight of
Explanatory Statement accompanying HUD to make comments immediately the Housing Choice Voucher inspection
the act appropriating funds for HUD in available to the public. Comments program and explains the origins of the
Fiscal Year (FY 2016), Congress directed submitted electronically through the Uniform Physical Condition Standards
HUD to implement a single inspection http://www.regulations.gov Web site can for Vouchers (UPCS–V), an alternative
protocol for public housing and voucher be viewed by other commenters and approach for ensuring safe, habitable
units. This demonstration would interested members of the public. voucher-assisted housing. In Section III,
commence the process for implementing Commenters should follow instructions the notice explains the three main areas
a single inspection protocol. provided on that site to submit that will be evaluated during the
comments electronically. demonstration, which are: The objective
DATES: Comments Due Date: July 5,
Note: To receive consideration as public condition standards including a list of
2016. life threatening and emergency items
comments, comments must be submitted
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are using one of the two methods specified that must be addressed, the revised
invited to submit comments to the above. Again, all submissions must refer to information technology (IT) processes,
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS

Office of the General Counsel, the docket number and title of the notice. and the new oversight approach. Also in
Regulations Division, Department of No Facsimile Comments. Facsimile Section III, HUD discusses the general
Housing and Urban Development, 451 (fax) comments are not acceptable. public housing agency (PHA)
7th Street SW., Room 10276, Public Inspection of Comments. All participation criteria it will use to select
Washington, DC 20410–0500. comments and communications a representative mix of volunteer PHAs.
Communications should refer to the submitted to HUD will be available, for In Section IV, HUD describes the
above docket number and title and public inspection and copying between process by which HUD will assess the
should contain the information 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays at the above results of the demonstration. In the last
specified in the ‘‘Request for address. Due to security measures at the section of this notice, Section V, HUD

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Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Proposed Rules
Action		Notice.
Contact		Daniel R. Williams, Real Estate Assessment Center, Office of Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 550 12th Street SW., Suite 100, Washington DC 20410-4000; telephone number 202-475-8586 (this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may contact this number via TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.
FR Citation		81 FR 26759