[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74631-74632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31633]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4815-N-104]


Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB: 
Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidy Determinations

AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described 
below has been 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.
    HUD is requesting approval to conduct a study to update its 
estimates 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.

DATES: Comments Due Date: January 23, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and OMB 
approval number (2528-0203) and should be sent to: Lauren Wittenberg, 
OMB Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, New 
Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503; Fax number (202) 395-
6974; E-mail [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Eddins, Reports Management 
Officer, AYO, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh 
Street, Southwest, Washington, DC 20410; e-mail [email protected]; 
telephone (202) 708-2374. This is not a toll-free number. Copies of the 
proposed forms and other available documents submitted to OMB may be 
obtained from Mr. Eddins.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department has submitted the proposal 
for the collection of information, as described below, to OMB for 
review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 
35). The notice lists the following information: (1) The title of the 
information collection proposal; (2) the office of the agency to 
collect the information; (3) the OMB approval number, if applicable; 
(4) the description of the need for the information and its proposed 
use; (5) the agency form number, if applicable; (6) what members of the 
public will be affected by the proposal; (7) how frequently information 
submissions will be required; (8) an estimate of the total number of 
hours needed to prepare the information submission including number of 
respondents, frequency of response, and hours of response; (9) whether 
the proposal is new, an extension, reinstatement, or revision of an 
information collection requirement; and (10) the name and telephone 
number of an agency official familiar with the proposal and of the OMB 
Desk Officer for the Department.
    This notice also lists the following information:
    Title of Proposal: Quality Control for Rental Assistance Subsidy 
Determinations.
    OMB Approval Number: 2528-0203.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Its Proposed Use: 
The Department is conducting, under contract, a study to update its 
estimates 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

[[Page 74632]]

subsidies. The Quality Control 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 program 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 500[bs]58/50059 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 this data was 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 verification. Legislation passed in 2002 requires that the 
Department report on the error measurements annually. A 2003 study is 
being completed, and this proposed data collection approval is for the 
next three studies.
    Respondents: Recipients of Public Housing and Section 8 Housing 
Assistance subsidies.
    Reporting Burden: The Department will survey approximately 550 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 3,000 program participants to obtain information on 
household composition, expenses, and income. the time required for 
these interviews will vary, but is estimated to require an average of 
about 50 minutes per interview.
    The time estimates provided are based on the 2000 QC survey. This 
survey will again make use of Computer Assisted Interviewing (CAI) 
questionnaires 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.
    Total Estimated Burden Hours: 2,742.
    Status: Reinstatement, without change, of previously approved 
collection for which approval has expired.

    Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. 35, as amended.

    Dated: December 17, 2003.
Wayne Eddins,
Departmental Reports Management Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-31633 Filed 12-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-72-P