[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 80 (Tuesday, April 27, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 22550-22552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10462]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

24 CFR Part 903

[Docket No. FR-4420-N-02]
RIN 2577-AB89


Public Housing Agency Plans and Section 8 Certificate and Voucher 
Merger Announcement of Public Forums; Solicitation of Additional Public 
Comment on Relationship of PHA Plans to Consolidated Plan

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

ACTION: Interim rule; Public forum.

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SUMMARY: This document announces the dates and locations of the public 
forums to be held on HUD's Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan interim 
rule that was published on February 18, 1999, and on HUD's Section 8 
certificate and voucher merger interim rule (Section 8 merger) that 
will be published in the next several weeks. The statute authorizing 
these two rules requires that before HUD issues final rules on these 
subjects, HUD will convene at least two public forums for each rule, 
and specifically seek recommendations from certain organizations and 
individuals, as specified in the statute. This notice also identifies 
these organizations and individuals and solicits their recommendations.

DATES: The first public forum will address only the PHA Plan rule and 
will be held on May 4, 1999. The second public forum will address both 
the PHA Plan rule and the Section 8 merger rule and will be held on May 
19, 1999. The third public forum, which also will address both the PHA 
Plan rule and the Section 8 merger rule, will be held on June 28, 1999. 
An additional public forum that will address only the Section 8 merger 
rule will be scheduled for a date after June 28, 1999, and this date 
will be announced separately. The exact times of the forums are 
provided in the Supplementary Information section of this notice.

ADDRESSES: The first public forum will be held at the Strom Auditorium, 
Lower Plaza, Richard B. Russell Federal Building, 75 Spring Street, SW, 
Atlanta, Georgia.
    The second public forum will be held at Creighton University, Criss 
Building (east side of campus), Room 452, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, 
Nebraska.
    The third public forum will be held in Syracuse, New York. The 
exact location for the third public forum has not yet been determined.
    The location for the public forum to be held in Syracuse, New York, 
and the location for the additional public forum for the Section 8 
merger rule will be announced in a separate notice. (Again, please see 
Supplementary Information for times of the meetings.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: As additional information regarding 
these public forums becomes available (specifically, information about 
the locations of the third and any subsequent forums), this information 
will be posted on the QHWRA page of HUD's website (www.hud.gov/pih/
legis/titlev.html). Information also may be obtained by contacting your 
local HUD office, or by contacting the Office of Policy, Program and 
Legislative Initiatives, in the Office of Public and Indian Housing, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, 
Room 4116, Washington, DC

[[Page 22551]]

20410; telephone (202) 708-0713 (this is not a toll-free number). 
Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access that number via 
TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

PHA Plan Interim Rule

    Section 511 of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 
1998 (Pub. L. 105-276, 112 Stat. 2461, approved October 21, 1998) (the 
1998 Act) added a new section 5A to the United States Housing Act of 
1937 (USHA) (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.). This new section provides for 
public housing agencies (PHAs) to develop and submit to HUD two plans--
a five-year plan and an annual plan on their goals and objectives and 
current PHA operations. Section 511 also required HUD to publish, 
within 120 days of enactment of the statute, an interim rule 
implementing the requirements of the PHA plans and the submission 
process. HUD published its interim rule on February 18, 1999 (64 FR 
8170). The rule provides for a 60-day public comment period which 
closed on April 19, 1999.
    Section 511 also requires that before HUD issues its final rule, 
HUD will seek recommendations on implementation of the PHA plans from 
organizations representing:
    (1) State or local public housing agencies;
    (2) Residents, including resident management corporations;
    (3) Other appropriate parties.
    Section 511 also requires HUD to convene not less than two public 
forums at which the person or organization making recommendations may 
express their views concerning the proposed disposition of their 
recommendations.
    Through its February 18, 1999 interim rule, HUD specifically sought 
rulemaking recommendations from these three categories of organizations 
(see 64 FR 8170, middle column), and again seeks their recommendations 
through this notice.

Section 8  Certificate and Voucher Merger Rule

    Section 545 of the 1998 Act amended section 8(o) of the USHA to 
provide for the merger of the Section 8 certificate and voucher 
programs. HUD's interim rule implementing the merger of these two 
sections will be issued within the next several weeks. In accordance 
with section 559 of the 1998 Act, HUD will also hold two public forums 
on this rule.
    Section 559 provides that the Secretary of HUD shall issue interim 
regulations as may be necessary to implement the amendments made by the 
1998 Act as these amendments relate to section 8(o) of the USHA. 
Section 559 also provides that before the publication of final 
regulations, in addition to public comment invited in connection with 
the publication of the interim rule, the Secretary shall seek 
recommendations on the implementation of sections 8(o)(6(B), 8(o)(7)(B) 
and 8(o)(10)(D) of the USHA and on the implementation of the renewals 
of expiring tenant-based assistance from organizations representing:
    (1) State or local public housing agencies;
    (2) Owners and managers of tenant-based housing assisted under 
section 8 of the USA;
    (3) Families receiving tenant-based assistance under section 8 of 
the USHA; and
    (4) Legal services organizations.
    Section 559 also requires HUD to hold not less than two public 
forums at which the individuals and organizations described above may 
express views concerning the proposed disposition of the 
recommendations.
    Through this notice, HUD specifically seeks recommendations on 
implementation from these categories of organizations and individuals.

Announcement of Public Forums

    First Public Forum--PHA Plan Rule Only. HUD will hold its first 
public forum on the PHA Plan interim rule on May 4, 1999, from 9:30 am 
to 1:00 pm at the Strom Auditorium, Lower Plaza, Richard B. Russell 
Federal Building, 75 Spring Street, SW, Atlanta, Georgia.
    Second Public Forum--PHA Plan Rule & Merger Rule. HUD will hold its 
second public forum on the PHA Plan interim rule on May 19, 1999, from 
1:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
    On this same date, May 19, 1999, HUD will hold its first public 
forum on the Section 8 Merger rule. The public forum for the merger 
rule will be held from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. (** Please note that the 
merger rule will be the first subject of discussion at this second 
public forum).
    Both public forums will be held at Creighton University, Criss 
Building (east side of campus), Room 452, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, 
Nebraska.
    Third Public Forum--PHA Plan Rule & Merger Rule. HUD will hold its 
third public forum on the PHA Plan interim rule on June 28, 1999, from 
9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
    On this same date, June 28, 1999, HUD will hold its second public 
forum on the Section 8 Merger rule. The public forum for the merger 
rule will be held from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
    Both public forums will be held in Syracuse, New York, at the same 
location. The exact location of the public forums in Syracuse has not 
yet been determined. HUD will announce the exact location in a separate 
notice.
    Fourth Public Forum--Merger Rule Only. As noted earlier in this 
notice, HUD will hold an additional public forum on the Merger rule for 
a date to be scheduled after June 28, 1999. The date of this public 
forum on the Merger rule will be announced separately.
    Discussions at Public Forums. So that the discussions at the public 
forums can be productive as intended by the statute, comments need to 
be submitted in as far in advance of the forum dates as possible. The 
address where comments may be submitted is provided later in this 
notice.

Solicitation of Additional Comment on Relationship of PHA Annual 
Plan to Consolidated Plan

    In the February 18, 1999 interim rule, HUD stated under the 
``Submission Guidance'' for the Housing Needs component of the PHA 
Annual Plan (64 FR 8173, right hand column) that PHAs may obtain 
information on housing needs from the Consolidated Plan for their 
jurisdiction if the Consolidated Plan accurately describes their 
housing needs. HUD is considering whether a PHA must obtain this 
information from the Consolidated Plan and provide any additional or 
supplementary information to the extent that the Consolidated Plan does 
not contain the required housing needs information. HUD is aware that 
the intent of the Congress was that reliance on the Consolidated Plan 
will ensure that the PHA's statement of housing needs is consistent 
with the needs described in the Consolidated Plan (the statute requires 
this consistency) and should reduce the administrative burden imposed 
on PHAs in providing its statement of housing needs. HUD welcomes any 
comment on this specific issue, and also on the treatment of any 
situation in which the Consolidated Plan needs or priorities do not 
match those the PHA would like to identify in its plan, either 
substantively or because the jurisdictions in question are not 
identical.

Where To Submit Comments for the Forums

    Comments on this issue, and recommendations from the three

[[Page 22552]]

categories of organizations may be submitted to the Regulations 
Division, Office of General Counsel, Room 10276, Department of Housing 
and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410. 
Communications should include the following reference: ``PHA Plan 
interim rule (FR-4420); Public Forum.''

Future Notices

    Again, HUD will issue additional notices to provide the public with 
the locations of the third and fourth public forums.

    Dated: April 21, 1999.
Harold Lucas,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 99-10462 Filed 4-26-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-33-P