[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 103 (Thursday, May 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 29102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14007]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: Bureau of the Census.
    Title: Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and Completions.
    Form Number(s): SOC-QI/SF.1, SOC-QI/MF.1.
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0110.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 8,238 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 22,800.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and 
Completions, also known as the Survey of Construction (SOC), is 
conducted by the Bureau of the Census to collect information on 
construction characteristics from a sample of home builders, real 
estate agents, and new home owners.
    The data gathered are used to publish estimates of the number of 
new residential housing units started, under construction and 
completed, and the number of new houses sold and for sale. Statistics 
from the SOC are used by Government agencies and private companies to 
monitor and evaluate this sector of the economy. For example, the Board 
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System uses the data from this 
survey to evaluate the effect of interest rates in this area of the 
economy. The Bureau of Economic Analysis uses the data in developing 
the gross domestic product. The private sector uses the information for 
estimating the demand for building material and the many products used 
in new housing and to schedule production, distribution, and sales 
efforts. The financial community uses the data to estimate demand for 
short-term (construction loans) and long-term (mortgages) borrowing.
    The survey is conducted by mailing out a facsimile questionnaire to 
respondents. A Census Bureau interviewer calls the respondent a few 
days later to transcribe the information onto another form. Beginning 
in July 1997 this transcription will be done using a Computer Assisted 
Telephone Interview (CATI). This was previously done using a paper 
form. The Census Bureau has been experimenting with an automated survey 
collection instrument and has been using CATI on a test basis in the 
SOC since 1985. The change will be transparent to respondents except 
that the interviewer will be able to perform interactive editing of the 
respondents answers during the interview.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, Individuals or 
households.
    Frequency: Monthly.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 USC, Section 182.
    OMB Desk Officer: Jerry Coffey, (202) 395-7314.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, DOC Forms Clearance Officer, 
(202) 482-3272, Department of Commerce, room 5327, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Jerry Coffey, OMB Desk Officer, room 10201, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: May 21, 1997.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and 
Organization.
[FR Doc. 97-14007 Filed 5-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P