[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70447-70448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-29707]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4737-N-09]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment: 
Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidy Determinations

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development and Research, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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

DATES: Comment Due Date: January 21, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to: Reports Liaison Officer, Office 
of Policy Development and Research, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 8226, Washington, DC 20410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Riley, 202-708-9426, extension 
5861. (This is not a toll-free number.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed 
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended).
    This Notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and 
affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information to: 
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including if the information will have practical utility; (2) Evaluate 
the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the burden 
of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
through the use of appropriate automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology that will reduce respondent burden 
(e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses).
    This Notice also provides the following information:
    Title of Proposal: Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidy 
Determinations
    Description of the Need for Information and Proposed Use: The 
Department is conducting under contract a study to update its estimate 
of the extent and type of errors associated with income, rent, and 
subsidy determinations for the 4.4 million households covered by Public 
Housing and Section 8 housing subsidies. The QC process involves 
selecting a nationally representative sample of assisted households to 
measure the extent and types of errors in rent and income 
determinations, which in turn cause subsidy errors. On-site tenant 
interviews, file reviews, third-party income verifications, and income 
matching with other Federal data are conducted. The data obtained are 
used to identify the most serious problems and their associated costs. 
HUD programs offices are then responsible for designing and 
implementing corrective actions. In addition to providing current 
estimates of error, results will be compared with those from the 2000 
study. These comparisons will indicate whether corrective actions 
initiated since the 2000 study have been effective and if changes in 
priorities are needed.
    The first QC study found that about one-half of the errors measured 
using on-site tenant interviews and file reviews could not be detected 
with the 50058/50059 form data collected by the Department, which is 
why HUD and other agencies with means-tested programs have determined 
that on-site reviews and interviews are an essential complement to 
remote monitoring measures. The 2000 study showed that the calculation 
errors detectable with 50058/50059 data had further decreased, probably 
because these data

[[Page 70448]]

were increasingly subject to automated computational checks.
    This study will provide current information on the quality of 
tenant interviewing (e.g., whether they are they being asked about all 
sources of income) and the reliability of eligibility determinations 
and income verifications. It is anticipated successive studies will be 
done on a one or two year cycle. Legislation that has been approved by 
the House and the Senate (H.R. 4878) may required annual updates.
    Members of the Affected Pubic: Recipients of Public Housing and 
Section 8 housing assistance subsidies.
    Estimation of the Total Number of Hours Needed With Those Surveyed 
to Conduct the Information Collection, Including Number of Respondents, 
Frequency of Response, and Hours of Response: The researchers will 
survey approximately 400 PHA/program sponsor staff about 
(re)certification procedures, training, interview procedures, and 
problems encountered in conducting (re)certifications. Although more 
than one staff member may need to be contacted to obtain answers to all 
questions, the questionnaire will be administered once at each 
participating project and the interviews are expected to take less than 
35 minutes. Researchers will survey approximately 2,400 program 
participants to obtain information on household composition, expenses, 
and income. The time required for these interviews will vary, but is 
estimated to required an average of about 50 minutes per interview.
    The time estimated provided are based on the 2000 QC survey. This 
survey will again make use of Computer Assisted Interviewing (CAI) 
questionnaire and equipment, which are being used in part because they 
are known to reduce interview times. This software also provides for 
consistency checks and ensures that all needed data have been 
collected, thereby reducing the need for follow-up contacts.
    Status of the Proposed information Collection: Pending OMB 
approval.

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

    Dated: November 13, 2002.
Harold L. Bunce,
Deputy Assistant, Secretary for Economic Affairs.
[FR Doc. 02-29707 Filed 11-21-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-62-M