[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 56 (Monday, March 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13894-13895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-7523]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4120-N-04]


Assessment of the Reasonable Revitalization Potential of Certain 
Public Housing Required By Law; Further 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.
    On December 26, 1996, at 61 FR 68048, the Department issued a 
notice which amended the timeframes that the Department set in the 
September 26, 1996 notice for accomplishing the standards necessary for 
compliance with section 202. This notice makes a further amendment to 
the timeframes by extending the March 31, 1997 deadline for 
accomplishing Standard D until June 30, 1997.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 24, 1997.

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: Section 202 of the Omnibus Consolidated 
Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-134, 110 Stat. 
1321-

[[Page 13895]]

279, 42 U.S.C. 1437l note) (``OCRA'') requires PHAs to identify certain 
distressed public housing developments that will be required to be 
assessed. 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. The 
timeframes set in that notice were amended by publication of a notice 
in the Federal Register on December 26, 1996, at 61 FR 68048, in order 
to be equitable to all of the housing authorities to be assessed. This 
notice further amends the timeframes by extending the March 31, 1997 
deadline for accomplishing Standard D until June 30, 1997. Based on 
further analysis and the public comments received on the September 26, 
1996 notice, an interim rule will be issued in the near future which 
will further address Standard D, as well as respond to the public 
comments received.

    Dated: March 20, 1997.
Kevin Emanuel Marchman,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 97-7523 Filed 3-20-97; 2:22 pm]
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