[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 241 (Monday, December 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 77044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31523]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service


Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved 
Information Collection

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service (RHS), USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments requested.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Rural Housing Service's (RHS) intention to request 
an extension for a currently approved information collection in support 
of the program for the Housing Preservation Grant Program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by February 11, 2003 to 
be assured of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Fox, Senior Loan Specialist, 
Multi-Family Housing Processing Division, RHS, United States Department 
of Agriculture, Stop 0781, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 
20250-0782, Telephone (202) 720-1624.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: RHS/Housing Preservation Grant Program.
    OMB Number: 0575-0115.
    Expiration Date of Approval: April 30, 2003.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: The primary purpose of the Housing Preservation Grant 
Program is to repair or rehabilitate individual housing, rental 
properties, or co-ops owned or occupied by very low- and low-income 
rural persons. Grantees will provide eligible homeowners, owners of 
rental properties and owners of co-ops with financial assistance 
through loans, grants, interest reduction payments or other comparable 
financial assistance for necessary repairs and rehabilitation of 
dwellings to bring them up to code or minimum property standards. Where 
repair and rehabilitation assistance is not economically feasible or 
practical the replacement of existing, individual owner occupied 
housing is available.
    These grants were established by Public Law 98-181, the Housing 
Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983, which amended the Housing Act of 1979 
(Pub. L. 93-383) by adding section 533, 42 U.S.C. S 2490(m), Housing 
Preservation Grants (HPG). In addition, the Secretary of Agriculture 
has authority to prescribe rules and regulations to implement HPG and 
other programs under 42 U.S.C. S 1480(j).
    Section 533(d) is prescriptive about the information applicants are 
to submit to RHS as part of their application and in the assessments 
and criteria RHS is to use in selecting grantees. An applicant is to 
submit a ``statement of activity'' describing its proposed program, 
including the specific activities it will undertake, and its schedule. 
RHS is required in turn to evaluate proposals on a set of prescribed 
criteria, for which the applicant will also have to provide 
information, such as: (1) Very low- and low-income persons proposed to 
be served by the repair and rehabilitation activities; (2) 
participation by other public and private organizations to leverage 
funds and lower the cost to the HPG program; (3) the area to be served 
in terms of population and need: (4) cost data to assure greatest 
degree of assistance at lowest cost; (5) administrative capacity of the 
applicant to carry out the program. The information collected will be 
the minimum required by law and by necessity for RHS to assure that it 
funds responsible grantees proposing feasible projects in areas of 
greatest need. Most data are taken from a localized area, although some 
are derived from census reports of city, county and Federal governments 
showing population and housing characteristics.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .96 hours per response.
    Respondents: A public body or a public or private nonprofit 
corporation.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,850.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 6.5.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 11,614 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Jean 
Mosley, Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch at (202 692-0041).

Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
RHS, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) 
the accuracy of RHS's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection 
of information including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden 
of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology. Comments may be sent to Jean Mosley, Regulations and 
Paperwork Management Branch, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural 
Development, STOP 0742, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 
20250. All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in 
the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of 
public record.

    Dated: December 4, 2002.
Arthur A. Garcia,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 02-31523 Filed 12-13-02; 8:45 am]
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