[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34685-34686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-13944]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4910-N-15]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment; 
Homeownership Voucher Program Survey

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

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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: Comments Due Date: July 6, 2004.

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: Sherry Fobear-McCown, Reports 
Liaison Officer, Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW., Room 4116, Washington, DC 
20410-5000. Comments may also be provided to Gerald J. Benoit, Division 
Director, Office of Housing Voucher Programs, Public and Indian 
Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development,

[[Page 34686]]

451 7th Street, SW., Room 4210, Washington, DC 20410-5000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gerald J. Benoit, (202) 708-0477 (this 
is not a toll-free number). Fax number (202) 401-7974.

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). The Housing 
Choice Voucher (HCV) Program is a major program of the Federal 
government for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the 
disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private 
market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or 
individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including 
single-family homes, townhouses and apartments.
    Under section 8(y) of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as 
amended, a public housing agency may provide tenant-based assistance to 
an eligible family that purchases a dwelling unit the family will 
occupy. In implementation of this statute, a PHA may choose to 
administer a homeownership voucher program and provide homeownership 
assistance payments to eligible home buyers using funds available by 
HUD to the PHA under the housing choice voucher program. Homeownership 
assistance payments are made available by the PHA to assist 
participants in paying mortgage and other homeownership expenses.
    Collection of accurate information regarding private home purchases 
under this program is vital to PIH's ability to measure the program 
usage and effectiveness, promote and further the purposes of the 
program, as well as to provide information to the public and to 
Congress regarding program implementation. The purpose of this survey 
is to contact public housing agencies to collect information regarding 
the number of homeownership closings, problems in reporting 
homeownership closings under PIH reporting systems, and to obtain 
information needed to plan the application of resources to further 
promote and expand the program.
    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 whether 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; e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.
    This notice also lists the following information:
    Title of Proposal: Public and Indian Housing, Homeownership Voucher 
Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 2577-XXXX.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use: The 
Homeownership Voucher survey will give PIH the ability to measure the 
usage of this program and to determine the extent to which technical 
assistance and/or training is needed for program implementation.
    Agency Form Numbers, if Applicable: None.
    Members of Affected Public: State or local governments, housing 
agencies.
    Estimation of the Total Number of Hours Needed to Prepare the 
Information Collection Including Number of Respondents, Frequency of 
Response, and Hours of Response: Homeownership Voucher Program Survey, 
with a one-time response estimated to take 6 minutes per survey, for a 
total reporting burden of 245 hours, based on 2450 survey responses.
    Status of the Proposed Information Collection: New collection.

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

    Dated: June 16, 2004.
Michael M. Liu,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 04-13944 Filed 6-21-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-33-P