[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 249 (Thursday, December 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68048-68049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32768]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4120-N-03]


Assessment of the Reasonable Revitalization Potential of Certain 
Public Housing Required by Law; Amendment to Timeframes

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On September 26, 1996, the Department published a notice which 
implements section 202 of the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and 
Appropriations Act of 1996. Section 202 requires PHAs to identify 
certain distressed public housing developments that will be required to 
be replaced with tenant-based assistance if they cannot be revitalized 
by any reasonable means. In that eventuality, households in occupancy 
would be offered tenant-based or project-based assistance and would be 
relocated--if sufficient housing will not be maintained, rehabilitated, 
or replaced on the current site--to other decent, safe, sanitary, and 
affordable housing which is, to the maximum extent practicable, housing 
of their choice. This notice amends the timeframes that the Department 
set in the September 26, 1996 notice for accomplishing the standards 
necessary for compliance with section 202. The timeframes are being 
amended because comments on the September 26, 1996 notice were due by 
November 25, 1996, and the Department wishes to (1) adequately respond 
to all comments and (2) give PHAs sufficient time to comply with the 
Section 202 requirements, including any revisions. PHAs should position 
themselves to respond in a timely manner by beginning to collect the 
necessary data. The same data is likely to be required in order to 
comply with Section 202, regardless of any possible changes to the 
notice. Except for the amendments to the timeframes made by this 
notice, all of the requirements of the September 26, 1996 notice 
continue to be in effect.

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 26, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rod Solomon, Senior Director for 
Policy and Legislation, Public and Indian Housing, Room 4116, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20410, telephone (202) 708-0713. For hearing or speech 
impaired persons, this number may be accessed via TTY by contacting the 
Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: General Requirement and Scope

    Section 202 of the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and 
Appropriations Act of 1996 (Pub.L. 104-134, 110 STAT. 1321-279, 42 
U.S.C. 1437l note) (``OCRA'') requires PHAs to identify certain 
distressed public housing developments that will be required to be 
addressed. Households in occupancy would be offered tenant-based or 
project-based assistance (that can include other public housing units) 
and would be relocated--if sufficient housing will not be maintained, 
rehabilitated, or replaced on the current site--to other decent, safe, 
sanitary, and affordable housing which is, to the maximum extent 
practicable, housing of their choice. After residents are relocated, 
the distressed developments (or affected buildings) for which no 
reasonable means of revitalization exists will be removed from the 
public housing inventory.
    On September 26, 1996, at 61 FR 50632, the Department published a 
notice to implement section 202 of OCRA. The notice established the 
standards for conducting the assessments and the conversion plan. It 
also set forth certain timeframes for meeting those standards. This 
notice amends the timeframes set in that notice in order to be 
equitable to all of the housing authorities that will be assessed. The 
following new deadlines for submissions to HUD field offices, 
therefore, are scheduled:

Accomplish Standards A to C by January 31, 1997
    (was December 29, 1996)
Accomplish Standard D by March 31, 1997
    (was December 29, 1996)
Accomplish Standard E by June 30, 1997
    (was February 27, 1997)
Submit conversion plan by September 26, 1997
    (was August 26, 1997)

    fFor clarification of the provision in the September 26, 1996 
notice regarding the PHAs' requirement to develop their plans in 
consultation with affected public housing residents, PHAs should

[[Page 68049]]

provide, as an initial step, copies of their submissions for Standards 
A to C to the appropriate tenant councils and resident groups before or 
immediately after these submissions are provided to HUD.

    Dated: December 19, 1996.
Michael B. Janis,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 96-32768 Filed 12-20-96; 12:32 pm]
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