[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 82 (Friday, April 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25206-25207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-6450]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5044-N-08]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment; 
Public Housing Operating Fund--Stop Loss and Appeals

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian 
Housing, 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: Comments Due Date: June 27, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name/or OMB 
Control

[[Page 25207]]

number and should be sent to: Aneita Waites, Reports Liaison Officer, 
Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
451 7th Street, SW., Room 4116, Washington, DC 20410-5000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Aneita Waites, (202) 708-0713, 
extension 4114, for copies of the proposed forms and other available 
documents. (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 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 Housing Operating Fund--Stop Loss and 
Appeals.
    OMB Control Number: Pending.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: PHAs 
that will experience a reduction in subsidy will have their subsidy 
reduction phased in over a five-year period. PHAs that elect to stop 
the phase in of the decrease in their subsidy are required to 
demonstrate to HUD a successful conversion to asset management, as 
provided in the operating fund final rule. A PHA with a reduction in 
subsidy may make this demonstration to HUD in order to ``stop its 
losses'' during any one of the five years over which HUD phases in the 
reduction. Under the operating fund final rule, PHAs that elect to file 
an appeal of their subsidy amounts are required to meet the appeal 
requirements set forth in subpart G of the operating fund final rule. 
The final rule establishes five grounds for appeals in 24 CFR 990.245 
and they are the: (a) Streamlined appeal; (b) appeal of formula income 
for economic hardship; (c) appeal for specific local conditions; (d) 
appeal for changing market conditions; and (e) appeal to substitute 
actual project cost data. To stop the phase-in of the reduction in the 
amount of subsidy a PHA receives under the new operating fund formula, 
PHAs submit a ``stop loss'' package to HUD demonstrating conversion to 
asset management. To appeal the amount of subsidy on any one of the 
permitted bases of appeal, PHAs submit an appeal request to HUD.
    Agency form number, if applicable: N/A.
    Members of affected public: Public housing agencies.
    Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents: The estimated 
number of respondents is 805 PHAs that submit one request for stop loss 
and 1,255 PHAs that submit an appeal of the amount of operating 
subsidy, for a total 2,060 PHAs that submit annually. The average 
number for each PHA response varies by size of the PHA, with a total 
reporting burden of 36,025 hours: An average of 20.37 hours per 
respondent for stop loss; and an average of 11.71 hours per respondent 
for appeals.
    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: April 24, 2006.
Bessy Kong,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Program and Legislative 
Initiatives.
[FR Doc. E6-6450 Filed 4-27-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P