[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 105 (Friday, June 2, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25611-25612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11396]



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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5997-N-25]


30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Small Area Fair 
Market Rent Demonstration Evaluation

AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: HUD 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: July 3, 2017.

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: Anna P. Guido, Reports Management 
Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20410; email Anna P. Guido at 
[email protected] or telephone 202-402-5535. 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. Guido.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that HUD is 
seeking approval from OMB for 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 
September 21, 2016 at 81 FR 64929.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Small Area Fair Market Rent 
Demonstration Evaluation.
    OMB Approval Number: Pending.
    Type of Request: 2528--New.
    Form Number: No forms.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: HUD 
generally publishes a single FMR for each metropolitan area and 
provides public housing agencies with discretion to vary local voucher 
payment standards between 90 and 110 percent of the Fair Market Rent 
(FMR) (unless HUD approves an exception). The SAFMR demonstration is 
testing the alternative approach of setting FMRs at the ZIP Code level. 
The core hypothesis is that this will significantly expand the ability 
of Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) holders to access housing in 
neighborhoods with high-quality schools, low crime rates, and other 
indicators of opportunity, as well as integrated neighborhoods in 
furtherance of HUD's goal of affirmatively furthering fair housing.
    HUD is evaluating the SAFMR demonstration and an important 
consideration in this evaluation is how voucher holders and landlords 
perceive the shift from traditional area-wide FMRs to SAFMRs. HUD will 
look into whether both existing and new voucher holders understood how 
the change to using SAFMRs affected their housing options and whether 
it led movers to search in new neighborhoods or affected the rate of 
moving of existing voucher holders. Similarly, HUD wants to know 
whether landlords were aware of the change in the HCV program and 
whether this affected their willingness to rent to voucher holders and 
the level at which they set rents. In order to address these 
perceptions, 70 tenants and 35 landlords will be interviewed in the 
areas served by the five PHAs that are in the SAFMR demonstration: 
Housing Authority of Cook County (IL); Housing Authority of the City of 
Long Beach (CA); Chattanooga (TN) Housing Authority; Town of Mamaroneck 
(NY) Housing Authority; Housing Authority of the City of Laredo (TX); 
and two PHAs from the Dallas metropolitan area--Dallas Housing 
Authority (TX), and the Plano Housing Authority (TX). To build rapport 
during recruitment, by acknowledging the value of their time, an 
incentive payment of $20 for tenants and $40 for landlords will be 
made.

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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 using 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: May 25, 2017.
Anna P. Guido,
Department Reports Management Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-11396 Filed 6-1-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P