81 FR 64929 - 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Small Area Fair Market Rent Demonstration Evaluation

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 183 (September 21, 2016)

HUD is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 21, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64929-64930]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-22722]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5915-N-10]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Small Area Fair 
Market Rent Demonstration Evaluation

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development and Research, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: HUD is seeking approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment 
from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. 
The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

DATES: Comments Due Date: November 21, 2016.

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: Anna P. Guido, Reports Management 
Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th 
Street SW., Room 4176, Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone (202) 402-
5534 (this is not a toll-free number) or email at [email protected] 
for a copy of the proposed forms or other available information. 
Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number 
through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at (800) 
877-8339.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna P. Guido, Reports Management 
Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20410; email Anna P. Guido at 
[email protected] or telephone (202) 402-5535. This is not a toll-
free number. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this 
number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at 
(800) 877-8339.
    Copies of available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from 
Ms. Guido.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that HUD is 
seeking approval from OMB for the information collection described in 
Section A.
    Copies of available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from 
Ms. Guido.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that HUD is 
seeking approval from OMB for the information collection described in 
Section A.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Small Area Fair Market Rent 
Demonstration Evaluation.
    OMB Approval Number: N/A.
    Type of Request: New.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: HUD 
generally publishes a single FMR for each metropolitan area and 
provides public housing agencies with discretion to vary local voucher 
payment standards between 90 and 110 percent of the Fair Market Rent 
(FMR) (unless HUD approves an exception). The SAFMR demonstration is 
testing the alternative approach of setting FMRs at the ZIP Code level. 
The core hypothesis is that this will significantly expand the ability 
of Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) holders to access housing in 
neighborhoods with high-quality schools, low crime rates, and other 
indicators of opportunity, as well as integrated neighborhoods in 
furtherance of HUD's goal of affirmatively furthering fair housing.
    HUD is evaluating the SAFMR demonstration and an important 
consideration in this evaluation is how voucher holders and landlords 
perceive the shift from traditional area-wide FMRs to SAFMRs. HUD will 
look into whether both existing and new voucher holders understood how 
the change to using SAFMRs affected their housing options and whether 
it led movers to search in new neighborhoods or affected the rate of 
moving of existing voucher holders. Similarly, HUD wants to know 
whether landlords were aware of the change in the HCV program and 
whether this affected their willingness to rent to voucher holders and 
the level at which they set rents. In order to address these 
perceptions, 70 tenants and 35 landlords will be interviewed in the 
areas served by the five PHAs that are in the SAFMR demonstration: 
Housing Authority of Cook County (IL); Housing Authority of the City of 
Long Beach (CA); Chattanooga (TN) Housing Authority; Town of Mamaroneck 
(NY) Housing Authority; Housing Authority of the City of Laredo (TX); 
and two PHAs from the Dallas metropolitan area--Dallas Housing 
Authority (TX), and the Plano Housing Authority (TX). To build rapport 
during recruitment, by acknowledging the value of their time, an 
incentive payment of $20 for tenants and $40 for landlords will be 
made.

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                                             Number of     Frequency of    Responses per    Burden hour    Annual burden     Cost per
         Information collection             respondents      response          annum       per response        hours         response       Annual cost
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Tenants.................................              70               1               1             0.5              35             $20          $1,400
Landlords...............................              35               1               1               1              35              40           1,400
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    Total...............................             105  ..............  ..............  ..............              70  ..............           2,800
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B. 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.


[[Page 64930]]


    Dated: September 8, 2016.
Katherine M. O'Regan,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy Development and Research.
[FR Doc. 2016-22722 Filed 9-20-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4210-67-P