[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5235-5236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1276]


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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 Housing Preservation Grant Program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by April 3, 2006 to be 
assured of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, applicants 
may contact Bonnie Edwards-Jackson, Senior Loan Specialist, Multi-
Family Housing Processing Division, Rural Housing Service, United 
States Department of Agriculture, Stop 0781, 1400 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20250-0781, telephone (202) 690-0759 (voice) (this 
is not a toll free number) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD-Federal Information 
Relay Service) or via e-mail at, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Housing Preservation Grants.
    OMB Number: 0575-0115.
    Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 2006.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: The primary purpose of the Housing Preservation Grant 
Program is to repair and 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 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. 1480(j).
    Section 533(d) describes 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 .83 hours per response.
    Respondents: A public body or a public or private nonprofit 
corporation.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,423.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 5.8.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 11,678 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Tracy 
Givelekian, Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch at 202-692-
0039.

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 proposed collection of 
information including the validity of the

[[Page 5236]]

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 Tracy 
Givelekian, 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: January 20, 2006.
Russell T. Davis,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. E6-1276 Filed 1-31-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P