[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 83 (Friday, April 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24041-24042]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10457]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5484-N-15]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; HUD 
Housing Counseling Program--Agency Performance Review

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for 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 28, 2011.

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: Reports Liaison Officer, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20410, Room 9120 or the number for the Federal 
Information Relay Service (1-800-877-8339).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Program Contact, Ruth Rom[aacute]n, 
Director, Program Support Division, Office of Single Family Housing, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW., Room 
B-133, Plaza 2206, Washington, DC 20410, telephone (202) 402-2209 (this 
is not a toll free number) for copies of the proposed forms and other 
available information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department is submitting 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 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 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: HUD Housing Counseling Program--Agency 
Performance Review.
    OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2502-0574.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
Single Family Program Support Division is responsible for 
administration of the Department's Housing Counseling Program, 
authorized by Section 106 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 
1968 (12 U.S.C. 1701w and 1701x). The Housing Counseling Program 
supports the delivery of a wide variety of housing counseling services 
to homebuyers, homeowners, low- to moderate-income renters, and the 
homeless. The primary objectives of the program are to expand 
homeownership opportunities, preserve homeownership, and improve access 
to affordable housing. These services are provided by non-profit and 
government organizations. Their counselors provide guidance and advice 
to help families and individuals improve their housing conditions and 
meet the responsibilities of tenancy and homeownership. Counselors also 
help borrowers avoid predatory lending practices, such as inflated 
appraisals, unreasonably high interest rates, unaffordable repayment 
terms, and other conditions that can result in a loss of equity, 
increased debt, default, and foreclosure.
    To participate in HUD's Housing Counseling program, a housing 
counseling agency must be approved by HUD (2502-0261), designated as a 
sub grantee or affiliate of a HUD-approved intermediary or multi-state 
organization, or be a state housing finance agency or affiliate or sub 
grantee of a state housing finance agency. Participation in the program 
entails meeting various requirements relating to experience and 
capacity, including nonprofit status, a minimum of one year of housing 
counseling experience in the target community, and sufficient resources 
to implement a housing counseling plan. In order to maintain approval 
to participate, housing counseling agencies must remain in compliance 
with program policies and regulations. Participating organizations are 
required to submit to HUD Quarterly 9902 progress reports (2502-0261) 
to report on the demographics, education, and outcomes of clients 
served.
    HUD periodically conducts performance reviews of participating 
agencies to ensure that agencies are in compliance with the program 
policy and regulations governing the program. Housing Counseling 
Program requirements are set forth in 24 CFR 214, Housing Counseling 
Program, Revision-5 of Housing Counseling Program Handbook 7610.1, 
mortgagee letters, and grant agreements (if applicable). Findings from 
performance reviews are used to renew or disapprove the status of 
housing counseling agencies to participate in the program. The 
information is also used to assist HUD in evaluating the managerial and 
financial capacity of organizations to sustain operations sufficient to 
implement HUD approved housing counseling programs. The collection of 
information assists HUD to reduce its own risk from fraudulent 
activities or supporting inefficient or ineffective housing counseling 
programs. Since HUD publishes a web list of HUD approved Housing 
Counseling Agencies and maintains a toll free housing counseling 
hotline, performance reviews help HUD ensure that individuals seeking 
assistance from these participating agencies can have confidence in the 
quality of services that they will receive. Additionally, performance 
review findings are used as past performance indicators in the grant 
application review scoring process. Performance reviews also give HUD 
the opportunity to provide technical assistance to participating 
housing counseling agencies.
    HUD employees use Agency Performance Review, Form HUD 9910 to 
perform and document on-site, desk,

[[Page 24042]]

and remote monitoring reviews of agencies participating in the Housing 
Counseling Program. HUD staff uses the information collected on this 
performance review checklist to assess the management and financial 
capability of participating housing counseling agencies to carry out 
their missions relative to the HUD Housing Counseling Program. The 
information also assists HUD staff to detect any conflicts of interest 
or activities that may not be permissible. Additionally, this 
information helps HUD staff to assess whether participating 
organizations are meeting basic programmatic and grant administrative 
requirements and maintaining staff with the appropriate experience.
    Most of the information required under this information collection 
is maintained by the affected organizations in the normal course of 
business with HUD and HUD ascribes no burden hours to recordkeeping. 
The requirements for recordkeeping and what information HUD expects to 
view when its staff conducts a performance review are set forth in the 
Housing Counseling Program Handbook 7610.1 Rev-5, Chapter 3. The 
information cited in the handbook is a tool for the participating 
organizations to use so that they can be prepared for HUD reviews.
    HUD is seeking approval for the Agency Performance Review, Form 
HUD-9910. The form has been substantially revised to meet new program 
requirements, improve the quality and scope of the performance reviews 
conducted to better monitor the financial and administrative controls 
that agencies should have in place to effectively manage their 
programs, verify compliance with grant agreements, deter and discover 
conflicts of interest and to establish improved procedures to monitor 
the expenditure of HUD grant funds.
    Agency form numbers, if applicable: HUD 9910.
    Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response: The number of burden hours is 12,977. 
The number of respondents is 1,366 and the number of responses is 
1,366. The frequency of response is periodic as determined by HUD, and 
the burden hour per response is 9.5.
    Status of the proposed information collection: Revision of a 
currently approved collection.

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

    Dated: April 26, 2011.
Ronald Y. Spraker,
Associate General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing.
[FR Doc. 2011-10457 Filed 4-28-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P