[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 235 (Friday, December 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58012-58013]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26522]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5997-N-77]


30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Family Self-
Sufficiency Program Demonstration

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: January 8, 2018.

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 July 
14, 2017 at 82 FR 32571.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Family Self-Sufficiency 
Demonstration.
    OMB Approval Number: 2528-0296.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Form Number: No forms.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
Department is conducting this study under contract with MDRC and its 
subcontractor (M. Davis and Company, Inc.) and consultants. The project 
is an evaluation of the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program operated 
at Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) across the U.S. The study will use 
random assignment methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. 
FSS has operated since 1992 and serves voucher holders and residents of 
public housing. The FSS model is essentially case management plus an 
escrow account. FSS case managers create a plan with families to 
achieve goals and connect with services that will enhance their 
employment opportunities. Families accrue money in their escrow 
accounts as they increase their earnings.
    To date, HUD has funded two other studies of the FSS program, but 
neither can tell us how well families would have done in the absence of 
the program. A random assignment model is needed because participant 
self-selection into FSS limits the ability to know whether program 
features rather than the characteristics of the participating families 
caused tenant income gains. Random assignment will limit the extent to 
which selection bias is driving observed results.
    The demonstration underway will document the progress of a group of 
FSS participants from initial enrollment to program completion (or 
exit). The intent is to gain a deeper understanding of the program and 
illustrate strategies that assist participants to obtain greater 
economic independence. While the main objective of FSS is stable, 
suitable employment, there are many interim outcomes of interest, which 
include: Getting a first job; getting a higher paying job; self-
employment/small business ownership; no longer needing benefits 
provided under one or more welfare programs; obtaining additional 
education, whether in the form of a high school diploma, higher 
education degree, or vocational training; buying a home; buying a car; 
setting up savings accounts; or accomplishing similar goals that lead 
to economic independence.
    Data for this evaluation are being gathered through a variety of 
methods

[[Page 58013]]

including informational interviews and discussions, direct observation, 
and focus groups. The work covered under this information request is 
for interviews with PHA staff, partners, and study participants 
receiving FSS services.
    Respondents: For the annual web-based partnership survey and weekly 
time text survey, 100 respondents from the grantee and key project 
partner at 7 demonstration sites.
    For the monthly web-based time survey, 35 supervisory staff.
    Respondents:

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PHA and Partner Staff......................................           90
Individuals receiving subsidized housing and enrolled in              90
 the FSS program (treatment group).........................
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                                                                         Table 1
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Information collection                                           Number of    Frequency    Responses  Burden hour       Annual  Hourly cost  Annual cost
                                                               respondents  of response    per annum          per       burden          per
                                                                                                         response        hours     response
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study Participant Interviews and/or Focus Groups.............        90.00         1.00        90.00         1.50       135.00     \1\ 7.25       978.75
PHA Staff Interviews (on-site)...............................        27.00         1.00        27.00         1.50        40.50    \2\ 25.92     1,049.76
PHA Staff Interviews (telephone).............................        18.00         1.00        18.00         1.50        27.00    \2\ 25.92       699.84
Cost Study Data Collection Activities with PHA staff.........        18.00         1.00        18.00         2.00        36.00    \3\ 35.97     1,294.92
FSS Partner Staff Interviews.................................        27.00         1.00        27.00         1.50        40.50    \3\ 35.97     1,456.79
                                                              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total....................................................       180.00  ...........  ...........  ...........       279.00  ...........     5,480.06
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\1\[thinsp]Households participating in the Family Self-Sufficiency Demonstration will range widely in employment position and earnings. We have
  estimated the hourly wage at the expected prevailing minimum wage, which is $7.25 per hour. While we expect about 50 percent of the participants to be
  employed at the time of study entry (based on a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, wherein some 55 percent of non-elderly, non-
  disabled households receiving voucher assistance reported earned income in 2010. (http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=3634)), the calculation above
  assumes an up to amount if all participants were employed.
\2\[thinsp]For program staff participating in interviews, the $25.91 estimate uses the median hourly wages of selected occupations (classified by
  Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes) and was sourced from the Occupational Employment Statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor's
  Bureau of Labor Statistics. Potentially relevant occupations and their median hourly wages are:


------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Median
                  Occupation                      SOC code   hourly wage
                                                                 rate
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community and Social Service Specialist.......      21-1099       $20.73
Social/community Service Manager..............      11-9151        31.10
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Source: Occupational Employment Statistics, accessed online October 16,
  2017 at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm.
\3\ For program staff supporting data extraction activities and FSS
  Partner staff, the estimate uses the median hourly wages of selected
  relevant occupations in a manner similar to the above. A standard wage
  assumption of $35.97hr was created by averaging median hourly wage
  rates for these occupations:


------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Median
                  Occupation                      SOC code   hourly wage
                                                                 rate
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Database Administrator........................      15-1141       $40.84
Social/community Service Manager..............      11-9151        31.10
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Occupational Employment Statistics, accessed online October 16,
  2017 at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.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 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: November 17, 2017.
Anna P. Guido,
Department Reports Management Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-26522 Filed 12-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4210-67-P