[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 2, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 35828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-17466]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4120-N-05]


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.
    A March 24, 1997 notice, at 62 FR 13894, made a further amendment 
to the timeframes by extending the March 31, 1997 deadline for 
accomplishing Standard D until June 30, 1997.
    This notice makes further amendments to the timeframes.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 2, 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. 
1321-279, 42 U.S.C. 14371 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. On 
March 24, 1997, the Department issued another notice, at 62 FR 13894, 
which further amended the timeframes by extending the March 31, 1997 
deadline for accomplishing Standard D until June 30, 1997.
    This notice makes a further amendment to the timeframes. Based on 
further analysis and the public comments received on the September 26, 
1996 notice, the Department will issue an interim rule which will 
modify substantially Standard D, as well as respond to the public 
comments received on the September 26, 1996 notice.
    PHAs that have already prepared analyses and developed plans in 
accordance with the September 26, 1996 notice are invited to submit 
them, if they have not done so already.
    The new deadlines for submissions to HUD field offices are as 
follows:
    Accomplish Standards A to C by January 31, 1997 (was December 29, 
1996).
    Accomplish Standard D and E thirty (30) days after the effective 
date of the interim rule (was June 30, 1997).
    Submit conversion plan ninety (90) days after accomplishing 
Standards D and E (was September 26, 1997).

    Dated: June 27, 1997.
Kevin Emanuel Marchman,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 97-17466 Filed 6-30-97; 12:13 pm]
BILLING CODE 4210-33-P