[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 176 (Thursday, September 11, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54283-54284]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21634]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5753-N-06]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Continuum of 
Care Homeless Assistance Grant Application--Continuum of Care 
Registration

AGENCY: Office of Community Planning and Development, 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: November 10, 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: Colette Pollard, Reports 
Management Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
451 7th Street, SW., Room 4176, Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone 
202-402-3400 (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: Diane Schmutzler, Special Needs 
Assistance Programs (SNAPS). Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20410; email Diane 
Schmutzler at and [email protected] or telephone 202-402-4385. 
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. Schmutzler.

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: Continuum of Care Homeless 
Assistance Grant Application--Continuum of Care Registration.
    OMB Approval Number: 2506-0182.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Form Number: Not Applicable.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
regulatory authority to collect this information is contained in 24 CFR 
part 579, and the HEARTH Act. The CoC Homeless Assistance Application 
Registration (OMB 2506-0182) is the first part of the information 
collection process to be used in HUD's annual competitive homeless 
assistance program, the CoC Program, authorized by the HEARTH Act. It 
is separate from the annual CoC Homeless Assistance Consolidated 
Application, which contains the CoC Application and the Project 
Applications that are covered under the approved PRA package 2506-0112. 
This separation is necessary due in to the fact that the CoC 
Registration occurs several months before collection of the CoC 
Homeless Assistance Consolidated Application and that the information 
collected during CoC Registration does not frequently change.
    The annual CoC Registration comprises the first phase of the 
combined CoC Homeless Assistance information collection form. During 
this phase, HUD collects the contact information of the collaborative 
applicant for the CoC, and the HMIS Lead Agency as well as the 
geographic areas served by the CoC applicant.

[[Page 54284]]

Additionally, CoCs approve their preliminary pro-rata need and affirm 
their annual renewal demand, and HUD collects information regarding the 
CoC's board structure and the capacity of the CoC to carry out the 
various activities outlined in the program regulations. The 
registration information is necessary to assist in the selection of 
project proposals submitted to HUD (by State and local governments, 
public housing authorities, and nonprofit organizations) for the 
awarded funds during the annual CoC competition because it provides 
vital information about the CoC applicants.
    All collaborative applicants are required to register their CoCs in 
the e-snaps electronic grants management system prior to the opening of 
the CoC Homeless Assistance competition. The registration requirements 
include a basic description of the CoC's lead organization, contact 
information, and geographic area. The information to be collected by 
HUD will be used to determine eligibility for CoC Homeless Assistance 
and establish grant amounts. To determine the total amount a CoC may 
request for renewal funding, collaborative applicants will list their 
Continuum's programs on a Grant Inventory Worksheet (GIW) that will 
allow HUD to accurately assess individual project applications during 
the CoC Application process. The information from the GIW is essential 
for operation of the CoC competition. For the CoC, the GIW allows each 
CoC to see all the project grants side-by-side that will be eligible 
for competition in the annual competition. This then allows them to 
determine, in communication with HUD, the total amount of funding (the 
annual renewal demand or ARD) that their CoC has available in a given 
competition year, which then allows them to make informed planning 
decisions about which project grants they want to prioritize, reduce or 
eliminate in the actual CoC Homeless Assistance Program Application. In 
turn, the program details in the GIW allow HUD to conduct an accurate 
assessment of renewal project applications and to determine in the 
aggregate what the total renewal demand for all CoCs will likely be. 
HUD can then determine how much of the annual appropriation will be 
available for new projects (once all the funding for renewals is 
covered), or in years of budget shortages, how much CoCs will be 
advised to cut from their total funding to meet the amount of funds 
available.
    The optional board requirement questions in the registration forms 
are an important part of the registration process. To meet the 
performance goals established by statute, CoCs will need to 
significantly increase their capacity for strategy, planning, 
monitoring, and evaluation. In addition, the HEARTH Act and the 24 CFR 
part 578 allow for the development of United Funding Agencies (UFAs), a 
significant change to the structure of the CoC and the relationship 
between HUD and grantees. For the CoCs that seek UFA status, they must 
demonstrate that they have the operational capacity and a high 
functioning CoC Board that can serve as the sole manager of their 
projects, in order to qualify. With UFA established by statute and 
regulation, HUD needs as much information as possible regarding the 
baseline operational readiness of CoCs, and the few CoCs that may apply 
as a UFA will need to provide more information during the Registration 
process. As recently as the FY2013 competition, only 16 CoCs applied 
for UFA status, three were conditionally approved, and ultimately only 
two met the high standards of management and organizational capacity 
needed to serve this function. Providing all CoCs with the option of 
reporting their Board status will allow HUD to prepare for UFA 
applications and estimate how our program resources will need to be 
allocated over the next few years of program implementation.
    Respondents (i.e. affected public): States, local governments, 
private nonprofit organizations, public housing authorities, and 
community mental health associations that are public nonprofit 
organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 410 Respondents.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 410 responses per year.
    Frequency of Response: Once a year.
    Average Hours per Response: Two to three hours per response (two 
for most applicants and three for UFA applicants).
    Total Estimated Burdens: 840 hours.

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: September 3, 2014.
Clifford Taffet,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development.
[FR Doc. 2014-21634 Filed 9-10-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P