[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 114 (Friday, June 13, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 33903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-13805]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: Current Population Survey--Housing Vacancy Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0179.
    Form Number(s): HVS-600, BC-1428, CPS-263(L).
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden Hours: 4,318.
    Number of Respondents: 7,000.
    Average Hours per Response: 3 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau requests clearance for the 
collection of demographic information in the Housing Vacancy Survey 
(HVS) beginning in July 2014. The current clearance expires June 30, 
2014. The HVS has been conducted since 1956 and serves a broad array of 
data users.
    The U.S. Census Bureau collects the HVS data for a sample of vacant 
housing units identified in the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) 
sample. These data provide the only quarterly statistics on rental 
vacancy rates and home ownership rates for the United States, the four 
census regions, inside vs. outside metropolitan areas (MSAs), the 50 
States, the District of Columbia, and the 75 largest MSAs. Private and 
public sector organizations use these rates extensively to gauge and 
analyze the housing market.
    In addition, the rental vacancy rate is a component of the index of 
leading economic indicators published by the Department of Commerce. It 
is used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), National Association of Home 
Builders, Federal Reserve Board (FRB), OMB, Department of the Treasury, 
and the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
    Policy analysts, program managers, budget analysts, and 
Congressional staff use data obtained from the remaining questions that 
do not deal specifically with the vacancy rate to advise the executive 
and legislative branches of government with respect to number and 
characteristics of units available for occupancy and the suitability of 
housing initiatives
    The Census Bureau produces a press release, ``Census Bureau Reports 
on Residential Vacancies and Home Ownership,'' on a quarterly basis. In 
addition, we place the HVS data on the Internet for users to access. 
The Internet address for the HVS data is http://www.census.gov/housing/hvs. Several other government agencies use these data on a continuing 
basis. For example, the BEA uses the HVS data in calculating consumer 
expenditures for housing as a component of the gross domestic product; 
the HUD relies on the HVS data to measure the adequacy of the supply of 
rental and homeowner units and works with the White House in measuring 
homeownership for minorities. The National Association of Home 
Builders, the National Association of Realtors, the Federal National 
Mortgage Association, the FRB, the Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and 
the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations 
are among the many users in the private sector who routinely use the 
HVS data in making policy decisions relating to the housing market. In 
addition, investment firms use the HVS data to analyze market trends 
and for economic forecasting.
    The continuation of the HVS ensures the historical continuity of a 
data series that began in 1956. If eliminated, both public and private 
organizations would not have the data to evaluate housing markets with 
regard to housing vacancies, the level of home ownership, and housing 
inventory estimates by tenure and vacancy status.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Frequency: Monthly.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

    Legal Authority: Title 13, USC, Section 182, and Title 29, USC 
Section 1.

    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of 
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to www.OIRA [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: June 9, 2014.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-13805 Filed 6-12-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P