[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 164 (Friday, August 25, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40592-40594]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18103]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5997-N-44]


30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Evaluation of 
the Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Program, Phase II

AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 30 days of public comment.

DATES: Comments Due Date: September 25, 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: OIRA [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna P. Guido, Reports Management 
Officer, QMAC, 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.

[[Page 40593]]

This is not a toll-free number. Person 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 April 
21, 2017 at 82 FR 18768.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Evaluation of the Section 811 
Project Rental Assistance Program, Phase II.
    OMB Approval Number: 2528-0309.
    Type of Request: (i.e., new, revision or extension of currently 
approved collection): Substantial revision of currently approved 
collection.
    Form Number: None.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use: The 
Office of Policy Development and Research, at the U.S. Department of 
Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is proposing a revision of 
currently approved data collection activity as part of the evaluation 
of the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 
(Section 811) Project Rental Assistance (PRA) Program. The Section 811 
supportive housing model provides people with disabilities affordable 
housing and access to appropriate, voluntary supportive services. The 
traditional Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC) 
program awarded interest-free capital advances and contracts for 
project-based rental assistance to nonprofit organizations to develop 
supportive housing. The Section 811 PRA program is a new approach to 
supportive housing that provides project-based rental assistance to 
state housing agencies for the development of supportive housing for 
extremely low-income persons with disabilities. Housing agencies must 
have an interagency partnership agreement with the state health and 
human service agency and the state Medicaid provider to provide 
services and supports directly to residents living in units funded with 
Section 811 PRA.
    This evaluation is the second phase of a two-phase evaluation. 
Phase I evaluated the early implementation of the Section 811 PRA 
Program in the 12 states that were awarded the first round of PRA 
grants. The OMB Approval Number for Phase I is 2528-0309. HUD is now 
undertaking the second phase of the Section 811 PRA evaluation. The 
second phase will continue to evaluate the implementation of the 
Section 811 PRA Program, but will also assess the program's 
effectiveness and its impact on residents and will be limited to six 
states. The evaluation of the Section 811 PRA Program, including the 
assessment of its effectiveness compared to the traditional Section 811 
PRAC Program, is mandated by the Frank Melville Supportive Housing 
Investment Act of 2010. This Federal Register Notice provides the 
opportunity to comment on the revision of the approved information 
collection activity for the second phase of the Section 811 PRA 
evaluation.
    Data collection for the second phase of the evaluation of the 
Section 811 PRA Program includes in-person surveys with residents 
assisted by the Section 811 PRA and PRAC programs and in-person 
interviews with staff from PRA program participating agencies (property 
owners or managers of properties where Section 811 PRA residents live, 
manager-level staff at organizations that provide supportive services 
to PRA residents, and manager-level staff at Public Housing Authorities 
that committed housing subsidies for the PRA program). The purpose of 
the interviews is to assess the implementation experience of the 
Section 811 Project Rental Assistance program and the program's impact 
on residents. Participation in the resident survey is voluntary for PRA 
and PRAC residents.
    Respondents (i.e., Affected Public): Residents assisted with HUD's 
Section 811 program, Section 811 property managers, supportive service 
providers, and Public Housing Authorities.
    Total Estimated Burdens: Researchers will administer resident 
surveys for an average of 45 minutes with an additional 30 minutes 
needed to schedule the call and conduct prescreening questions with the 
respondent. The total burden for the 480 Section 811 residents is 480 
hours. The average burden of interviews for property managers and 
service providers is one hour, with an additional half-hour to schedule 
the call and compile information needed to complete the interview. The 
average burden for Public Housing Authorities is 30 minutes with an 
additional 30 minutes needed to schedule the call and compile 
information for the interview. The total burden hours for property 
owners is 36 hours, the total burden hours for service providers is 72 
hours, and the total burden hours for Public Housing Authorities is 12 
hours. The total respondent burden for these data collection activities 
is 600 hours.

                                                Estimated Hour and Cost Burden of Information Collection
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Number of     Frequency of    Responses per    Burden hour    Annual burden    Hourly cost
         Information collection             respondents      response          annum       per response        hours       per response     Annual cost
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Property Owner/Managers.................              24               1              24            1.50              36          $27.42         $987.12
Service Providers.......................              48               1              48            1.50              72           46.41        3,341.52
PHA Staff/Managers......................              12               1              12            1.00              12           43.29          519.48
Section 811 PRA/PRAC Residents..........             480               1             480            1.00             480            9.29        4,459.20
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...............................             564  ..............  ..............  ..............             600  ..............        9,307.32
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Based on the assumptions and table below we calculate the total 
annual cost burden for this information collection to be $9,307.32. For 
staff of participating agencies, we estimated their cost per response 
using the most recent (May 2016) Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
Occupational Employment Statistics median hourly wage for selected 
occupations classified by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 
codes. To estimate hourly wage rates for property owners and managers 
of properties where Section 811 residents live, we used the occupation 
code Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers (11-
9140), with a median hourly wage of $27.42. For

[[Page 40594]]

managers of service providers of Section 811 residents, we used Medical 
and Health Services Managers (11-9110), with a median hourly wage of 
$46.41. For Public Housing Authority managers, we used the 
Administrative Services Manager (11-3010), with a median hourly wage of 
$43.29.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Occupation SOC   Median hourly
                  Respondent                            Occupation title               code          wage rate
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 811 Property Manager..................  Property, Real Estate, and               11-9140          $27.42
                                                 Community Association Managers.
Service Provider Manager......................  Medical and Health Services              11-9110           46.41
                                                 Managers.
Public Housing Authority Manager..............  Administrative Services Manager.         11-3010           43.29
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics (May 2015), https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm.

    Section 811 PRA and PRAC households participating in the Section 
811 evaluation will range in employment position and earnings, but 
national data indicate the population has very low incomes. According 
to 2016 HUD Picture of Subsidized Households Data (https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/assthsg.html), the average per person 
household income for Section 811 PRAC residents in the six states where 
the study is being conducted was $9,307.32, but only six percent of 
PRAC residents report wages as a major source of household income 
(current data on PRA participants is not yet available). We estimated 
the hourly wage burden for Section 811 residents, at $9.29, the average 
expected prevailing minimum wage in the six states where the evaluation 
is being conducted [California--$10.50; Delaware--$8.25; Louisiana--
$7.25 (federal minimum wage); Maryland--$8.75; Minnesota--$9.50; 
Washington--$11.00]. We assumed an unweighted average as the survey 
sample will comprise of approximately 80 residents from each of the six 
states. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 
Minimum Wage Laws in the States--January 2017, https://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm).

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: July 26, 2017.
Anna P. Guido,
Department Reports Management Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-18103 Filed 8-24-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4210-67-P