[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 21 (Friday, January 31, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5444-5445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02030]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5752-N-09]


30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Section 8 
Renewal Policy Guide

AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: HUD has submitted the proposed information collection 
requirement described below to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for an additional 30 days of public 
comment.

DATES: Comments Due Date: March 3, 2014.

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: HUD Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 
20503; fax: 202-395-5806. Email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colette Pollard, Reports Management 
Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20410; email Colette Pollard at 
[email protected] or telephone 202-402-3400. Persons with hearing 
or speech impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the 
toll-free Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. This is not a toll-
free number. Copies of available documents submitted to OMB may be 
obtained from Ms. Pollard.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that HUD has 
submitted to OMB a request for approval of the information collection 
described in Section A. The Federal Register notice that solicited 
public comment on the information collection for a period of 60 days 
was published on July 30, 2013.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Section 8 Renewal Policy Guide.
    OMB Approval Number: 2502-0587.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Form Number:

Contract Renewal Request Form (HUD-9624)(decreased usage).
OCAF Rent Adjustment Worksheet (HUD-9625)(decreased usage).
Comparability Study Comparison Worksheet, (HUD-9626) (Auto OCAF 
Letters).
Section 515 and Section 221 (d) (3) BMIR Worksheet (HUD-9627) (Auto 
OCAF Letters).
Other New Construction and Sub-Rehab Worksheet (HUD-9628).
Appraiser Certification (HUD-9629).
Rent Comparability Grid (HUD-9630).
One Year Notification Owner Does Not Intend to Renew (HUD-9631).
One Year Notification Letter Owner Intends to Renew (HUD-9632).
Use Agreement (HUD-9633).
Addendum to Agreement to Enter Into.
Housing Assistance Payments Contract (HUD-9634).
Appendix 15-3 Project Capital Needs Assessments and Replacement.
Reserve Escrow (HUD-9635).

[[Page 5445]]

Projects Preparing a Budget-Based Rent Increase (HUD-9636).
Basic Renewal Contract--One Year Term (HUD-9637).
Basic Renewal Contract--Multi-Year Term (HUD-9638).
Renewal Contract for Mark-Up-To-Market Project (HUD-9639).
Housing Assistance Payments Preservation Renewal Contract (HUD-9640).
Interim (Full) Mark-To-Market Renewal Contract (HUD-9641).
Interim (Lite) Mark-To-Market Renewal Contract (HUD-9642).
Full Mark-To-Market Renewal Contract (HUD-9643).
Watch List Renewal Contract (HUD-9644).
Project Based Assistance Payments Amendment Contract Moderate 
Rehabilitation (HUD-9645).
Project Based Section Housing Assistance Payments Extension of Renewal 
Contract (HUD-9646).
Consent to Assignment of HAP Contract as Security for Financing (HUD-
9649).
Consent to Assignment of HAP Contract as Security for FNMA Financing 
(HUD-9651).
Request to Renew Using Non-Section 8 Units in the Section 8 Project as 
a Market Rent Ceiling (HUD-9652).
Request to Renew Using FMR's as Market Ceiling (HUD-9653).
Addendum to Renewal Contract (HUD-9654).
Rent Comparability Study (HUD-9655).
Rent Comparability Grid (HUD-9656).
Completing the Rent Comparability Grid (HUD-9657).
Required Contents for Rent Comparability Study (HUD-9658).
Project-Based Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments-During 
Rehabilitation (HUD-9913).
Project-Based Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments-Post Rehabilitation 
(HUD-9914).
Rider to Original Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Contract (HUD-
9915).
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
modifications of the Section 8 renewal policy and recent legislation 
are implemented to address the essential requirement to preserving low 
income rental housing affordability and availability. The Section 8 
Renewal Policy Guide will include recent legislation modifications for 
renewing of expiring Section 8 policy(ies) Guidebook, as authorized by 
the Code of Federal Regulations 24 CFR part 401 and 24 CFR part 402.
    The Multifamily Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 
(MAHRA) for fiscal year 1998 (public law 105-65, enacted on October 27, 
1997), required that expiring Section 8 project-based assistance 
contracts be renewed under MAHRA. Established in the MAHRA policies 
renewal of Section 8 project-based contracts rent are based on market 
rents instead of the Fair Market Rent (FMR) standard.
    MAHRA renewals submission should include a Rent Comparability Study 
(RCS). If the RCS indicated rents were at or below comparable market 
rents, the contract was renewed at current rents adjusted by Operating 
Cost Adjustment Factor (OCAF), unless the Owner submitted documentation 
justifying a budget-based rent increase or participation in Mark-Up-To-
Market. The case is that no renewal rents could exceed comparable 
market rents. If the RCS indicated rents were above comparable market 
rents, the contract was referred to the Office of Affordable Housing 
Preservation (OAHP) for debt restructuring and/or rent reduction.
    The Preserving Affordable Housing for Senior Citizens and Families 
Into the 21st Century Act of 1999 (public law 106-74, enacted on 
October 20, 1999), modified MAHRA.
    The Section 8 Renewal Policy Guide sets forth six renewal options 
from which a project owner may choose when renewing their expiring 
Section 8 contract: Option One--Mark-Up-To-Market, Option Two--Other 
Contract Renewal with Current Rents at or Below Comparable Market 
Rents, Option Three--Referral to the Office of Affordable Preservation 
(OAHP), Option Four- Renewal of Projects Exempted From OMHAR, Option 
Five--Renewal of Portfolio Reengineering Demonstration or Preservation 
Projects, and Option Six--Opt Outs.
    Owners should select one of six options which are applicable to 
their project and should submit contract renewal on an annual basis to 
renew contract.
    The Section 8 Renewal Guide sets forth six renewal options from 
which a project owner may choose when renewing their expiring Section 8 
contracts.

Option One (Mark -Up- To-Market).
Option Two (Other Contract Renewals with Current Rents at or Below 
Comparable Market Rents.
Option Three (Referral to the Office of Multifamily Housing Assistant 
Restructuring--OHAP).
Option Four (Renewal of Projects Exempted from OHAP).
Option Five (Renewal of Portfolio Reengineering Demonstration or 
Preservation Projects)
Option Six (Opt-Outs).

    Respondents (i.e. affected public): Business and Other for profit.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 25,439.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 25,439.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Average Hours per Response: 1 hours.
    Total Estimated Burdens: 24,680.

B. Solicitation of Public Comment

    This notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and 
affected parties concerning the collection of information described in 
Section A on the following:
    (1) 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) The accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (4) Ways to 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. HUD encourages interested parties to submit comment in 
response to these questions.

     Authority:  Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapters 35.

    Dated: January 23, 2014.
Colette Pollard,
Department Reports Management Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-02030 Filed 1-30-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P