[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 11, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6839-6840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3004]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

24 CFR Parts 5, 92, and 908

[Docket No. FR-4998-N-03]
RIN 2501-AD16


Refinement of Income and Rent Determination Requirements in 
Public and Assisted Housing Programs: Proposed Delay of Effective Date

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of proposed delay of effective date.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the memorandum of January 20, 2009, from 
the assistant to the President and Chief

[[Page 6840]]

of Staff, entitled ``Regulatory Review,'' published in the Federal 
Register on January 26, 2009 (74 FR 4435), HUD is seeking public 
comment on a contemplated delay of 60 days in the effective date of the 
rule entitled ``Refinement of Income and Rent Determination 
Requirements in Public and Assisted Housing Programs'' published in the 
Federal Register on January 27, 2009 (74 FR 4832). This final rule 
revises HUD's public and assisted housing program regulations to 
implement the upfront income verification process for program 
participants and to require the use of HUD's Enterprise Income 
Verification (EIV) system by public housing agencies and owners and 
management agents. HUD is considering a temporary 60-day delay in the 
effective date to allow HUD officials the opportunity for further 
review and consideration of new regulations, consistent with the Chief 
of Staff memorandum of January 20, 2009.
    In addition, HUD takes this opportunity to address questions 
received subsequent to publication of the January 27, 2009, final rule 
pertaining to the provisions requiring the use of Social Security 
Numbers for determining program eligibility. HUD wishes to clarify that 
these requirements are not intended to apply to individuals, in mixed 
families, who do not contend eligible immigration status under HUD's 
noncitizens regulations, nor does it interfere with existing 
requirements relative to proration of assistance or screening for such 
families, or authorize their eviction or denial of admission on the 
basis of the new requirements pertaining to obtaining social security 
numbers.
    HUD solicits comments specifically on the contemplated delay in 
effective date, but also generally on the rule entitled ``Refinement of 
Income and Rent Determination Requirements in Public and Assisted 
Housing Programs.''

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 13, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments. There are 
two methods for submitting public comments. All submissions must refer 
to the above docket number and title.
    1. Submission of Comments by Mail. Comments may be submitted by 
mail to the Regulations Division, Office of General Counsel, Department 
of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 10276, 
Washington, DC 20410-0500.
    2. Electronic Submission of Comments. Interested persons may submit 
comments electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
www.regulations.gov. HUD strongly encourages commenters to submit 
comments electronically. Electronic submission of comments allows the 
commenter maximum time to prepare and submit a comment, ensures timely 
receipt by HUD, and enables HUD to make them immediately available to 
the public. Comments submitted electronically through the 
www.regulations.gov Web site can be viewed by other commenters and 
interested members of the public. Commenters should follow the 
instructions provided on that site to submit comments electronically.

    Note: To receive consideration as public comments, comments must 
be submitted through one of the two methods specified above. Again, 
all submissions must refer to the docket number and title of the 
rule.

    No Facsimile Comments. Facsimile (FAX) comments are not acceptable.
    Public Inspection of Public Comments. All properly submitted 
comments and communications submitted to HUD will be available for 
public inspection and copying between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays at the 
above address. Due to security measures at the HUD Headquarters 
building, an appointment to review the public comments must be 
scheduled in advance by calling the Regulations Division at 202-708-
3055 (this is not a toll-free number). Individuals with speech or 
hearing impairments may access this number via TTY by calling the 
Federal Information Relay Service at 800-877-8339. Copies of all 
comments submitted are available for inspection and downloading at 
www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For Office of Public and Indian 
Housing programs, contact Nicole Faison, Director of the Office of 
Public Housing Programs, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 4226, Washington, DC 20410, telephone 
number 202-708-0744. For Office of Housing Programs, contact Gail 
Williamson, Director of the Housing Assistance Policy Division, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., 
Room 6138, Washington, DC 20410, telephone number 202-402-2473. (These 
are not toll-free numbers.) Persons with hearing or speech impairments 
may access these numbers through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal 
Information Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

    Dated: February 6, 2009.
Paula O. Blunt,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
 [FR Doc. E9-3004 Filed 2-9-09; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P