[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 75 (Friday, April 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21940-21941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08631]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5756-N-11]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: HUD Housing 
Counseling Program--Application for Approval as a Housing Counseling 
Agency

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing 
Commissioner, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: HUD is seeking approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment 
from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. 
The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

DATES: Comments Due Date: June 17, 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: Lorraine Griscavage-Frisbee, 
Deputy Director, Office of Outreach and Capacity Building, Office of 
Housing Counseling, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 302 
Carson Street, 4th Floor, Las Vegas, NV 89101-5911; telephone (702) 
366-2160 (this is not a toll-free number) or email at 
[email protected] for a copy of the proposed forms or 
other available information. Persons with hearing or speech impairments 
may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal 
Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lorraine Griscavage-Frisbee, Deputy 
Director, Office of Outreach and Capacity Building, Office of Housing 
Counseling, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 302 East 
Carson Street, 4th Floor, Las Vegas, NV 89101-5911; 
[email protected] or telephone (702) 366-2160. This 
is not a toll-free number. Persons with hearing or speech impairments 
may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal 
Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Copies of available documents 
submitted to OMB may be obtained from Ms. Griscavage-Frisbee.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that HUD is 
seeking approval from OMB for the information collection described in 
Section A.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Application for Approval as a 
Housing Counseling Agency.
    OMB Approval Number: 2502-0573.
    Type of Request: Extension.
    Form Number: HUD-9900.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
Office of Housing Counseling 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. 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 objective of the 
program is to educate families and individuals in order to help them 
make smart decisions regarding improving their housing situation and 
meeting the responsibilities of tenancy and homeownership, including 
through budget and financial counseling. 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 possible foreclosure. Counselors may also provide reverse 
mortgage counseling to elderly homeowners who seek to convert equity in 
their homes to pay for home improvements, medical costs, living 
expenses or other expenses. Additionally, housing counselors may 
distribute and be a resource for

[[Page 21941]]

information concerning Fair Housing and Fair Lending. The Housing 
Counseling Program is instrumental to achievement of HUD's mission. The 
Program's far-reaching effects support numerous departmental programs, 
including Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single family housing 
programs.
    Approximately 2,364 HUD-participating agencies provide housing 
counseling services nation-wide currently. Of these, approximately 970 
have been directly approved by HUD. HUD maintains a list of these 
agencies so that individuals in need of assistance can easily access 
the nearest HUD-approved housing counseling agency via HUD's Web site, 
an automated 1-800 Hotline, or a smart phone application. HUD Form 
9900, Application for Approval as a Housing Counseling Agency, is 
necessary to make sure that people who contact a HUD approved agency 
can have confidence they will receive quality service and these 
agencies meet HUD requirements for approval.
    To participate in HUD's Housing Counseling Program, a housing 
counseling agency must first be approved by HUD. Approval 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. Eligible organizations include 
local housing counseling agencies, private or public organizations 
(including grassroots, faith-based and other community-based 
organizations) such as nonprofit, state, local or tribal government 
entities or public housing authorities that meet the Program criteria. 
HUD uses form HUD-9900 to evaluate whether applying organizations meet 
minimum requirements to participate in the Housing Counseling Program. 
The application for approval for HUD-9900 is found at http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hccprof13.cfm.
    HUD is seeking an extension for the Application for Approval as a 
Housing Counseling Agency, form HUD-9900. There have been no changes in 
program eligibility requirements. The form will be updated to reflect 
changes in Offices responsible for processing applications from the 
Single Family Program Support Division to the Office of Housing 
Counseling, and require electronic submission of applications through 
email in place of paper submissions. Based on the most recent 
information available (as of February 2014)
    Respondents (i.e. affected public): Not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 66.
    Estimated Number of Response: 66.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Average Hours per Response: 71.
    Total Estimated Burdens: 4686.

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. Chapter 35.

    Dated: April 9, 2014.
Laura M. Marin,
Associate General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing-Associate 
Deputy Federal Housing Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 2014-08631 Filed 4-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P