[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 26, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4097-4098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-1424]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5382-N-01]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment: 
Tracking the Use of CDBG Homeowner and Small Landlord Disaster 
Assistance Grants

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development and Research, 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: Comment Due Date: March 29, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Interest persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and should 
be sent to: Reports Liaison Officer, Office of Policy Development and 
Research, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, 
SW., Room 8226, Washington, DC 20410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl A. Levine, PhD, Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, 457 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20410; telephone (202) 402-3928 (this is not a toll-free number). 
Copies of the proposed data collection and other available documents 
may be obtained from Dr. Levine.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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, such as permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Title of Proposal: Tracking the Use of Homeowner and Small Landlord 
Disaster Assistance Grants.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: In 
August, September, and October 2005, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and 
Wilma caused massive devastation in the Gulf region. As of February 
2006, FEMA estimated that more than 300,000 homes suffered major or 
severe damage from the storm. In response to the widespread destruction 
caused by these three storms, Congress appropriated $19.7 billion in 
supplemental Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program funds for 
Gulf Coast disaster recovery. Created in 1974, CDBG is one of the 
oldest programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development (HUD), providing funding to States, cities, and counties 
nationwide to support neighborhood revitalization, housing 
rehabilitation, and economic development activities. The purpose of 
this study is to evaluate the role that supplemental CDBG disaster 
recovery funding has played in housing recovery in the three States 
most affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita (Louisiana, Mississippi, 
and Texas) and to identify the most important factors affecting 
property owners' willingness and ability to rebuild or repair their 
storm-damaged properties. The results of the study will help HUD use 
current allocations of CDBG funds to make better progress on Katrina 
and Rita rebuilding efforts during FY 2011. The study findings also 
will help the Federal government respond more effectively to future 
disasters.
    Members of affected public: Members of the following groups 
selected by

[[Page 4098]]

random sampling: homeowners and small landlords from a sample of 230 
blocks selected from among the 15,399 blocks that FEMA estimates have 
been significantly affected by the 2005 hurricanes in Louisiana, 
Mississippi, and Texas.
    Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection, including the number of respondents, frequency 
of response, and hours of response: The researchers will survey a 
random sample of homeowners and small landlords; 984 participants will 
be surveyed in all; the surveys are expected to last 45 minutes. This 
constitutes a total burden hour estimate of 44,280 burden hours.
    Status of the proposed information collection: Pending OMB 
approval.

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

    Dated: January 7, 2010.
Raphael W. Bostic,
Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.
[FR Doc. 2010-1424 Filed 1-25-10; 8:45 am]
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