[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 101 (Tuesday, May 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28725-28726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13731]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4238-N-02]


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described 
below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for emergency review and approval, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the 
subject proposal.

DATES: The due date for comments is: June 3, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments must be received within seven (7) days from the 
date of this Notice. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and 
should be sent to: Joseph F. Lackey, Jr., HUD Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 
20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kay F. Weaver, Reports Management Officer, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, 451, Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410, 
telephone (202) 708-0050. This is not a toll-free number. Copies of 
available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from Ms. Weaver.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice informs the public that the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has submitted to OMB, 
for emergency processing, a proposed Notice of Fund Availability (NOFA) 
for the Homeownership Zone Program. HUD seeks to implement this by May 
30, 1997.
    Under the Homeownership Zone Program, HUD will provide 
approximately $20 million to promote large scale development of 
distressed areas. This program promotes homeownership as a foundation 
for physical, social and economic revitalization of impoverished 
neighborhoods. The eligible expenses for program funds are land 
acquisition, site preparation, housing construction, housing 
rehabilitation, direct assistance to homebuyers, homeownership 
counseling, homebuyer education, relocation project marketing, and 
project related soft costs as defined under 24 CFR 92.206(d) of (HUD's 
Home regulations). Also, up to five percent of Homeownership Zone grant 
funds can be used for administrative costs as defined under 24 92.207 
(of HUD's HOME regulations). Eligible applicants are any units of 
general local government as defined in Title I, Section 102(a)(1) of 
the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.
    The information collection is essential so that HUD Staff may 
determine the eligibility, qualifications and capability of applicants 
to carry our Homeownership Zone activities. HUD will review the 
information provided by the applicants against the selection criteria 
contained in the NOFA in order to rate and rank the applications and 
select the best and most qualified individual applications for funding. 
The selection criteria are: (1) Quality of Homeownership Zone; (2) 
Distress; (3) Financial Soundness; (4) Leveraging of Nonfederal 
Resources; (5) Capacity to Successfully Carry Out the Plan; and (6) 
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Practices.
    The Department has submitted the proposal for the collection of 
information, as described below, to OMB for review, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35):
    (1) Title of the information collection proposal: NOFA: 
Homeownership Zone Program.
    (2) Summary of the collection of information: Each applicant for 
Homeownership Zone funds would be required to submit current 
information, as listed below:
    a. Form S.F. 424--Application for Federal Assistance;
    b. Certification--Concerning Use of Federal Funds for Lobbying;
    c. An Executive Summary of the proposal;
    d. Narratives for each of the selection criteria;
    e. A map of the Homeownership Zone.
    (3) Description of the need for the information and its proposed 
use: The information collection is essential so that HUD staff may 
determine the eligibility, qualifications and capability of applicants 
to carry out Homeownership Zone activities. HUD will review the 
information provided by the applicants against the selection criteria 
contained in the NOFA in order to rate and rank the applications and 
select the best and most qualified individual applications for funding.
    (4) Description of the likely respondents, including the estimated 
number of likely respondents, and proposed frequency of response to the 
collection of information: Eligible

[[Page 28726]]

applicants are units of general local government. The estimated number 
of respondents is 70. The proposed frequency of the response to the 
collection of information is one-time. The application need only be 
submitted once.
    (5) Estimate of the total reporting and record keeping burden that 
will result from the collection of information:
    Reporting Burden:
    Number of Respondents: 70.
    Total Burden Hours (@100 hours per response): 7000.
    Total Estimated Burden Hours: 7000.

    Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

    Dated: May 19, 1997.
David S. Cristy,
Director, IRM Policy and Management Division.
[FR Doc. 97-13731 Filed 5-23-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-29-M