[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 21 (Wednesday, January 31, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4506-4507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01812]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7006-N-01]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Evaluation of 
Public Housing Program Activities

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian 
Housing, PIH, 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: April 2, 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: 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: Arlette Mussington, Office of Policy, 
Programs and Legislative Initiatives, PIH, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW (L'Enfant Plaza, Room 2206), 
Washington, DC 20410; telephone 202-402-4109, (this is not a toll-free 
number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this 
number via TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 
(800) 877-8339. Copies of available documents submitted to OMB may be 
obtained from Ms. Mussington.

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: Evaluation of Public Housing 
Program Activities.

[[Page 4507]]

    OMB Approval Number: Pending OMB Approval.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Form Number: Not applicable (online questionnaire).
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: In 
December of 2016, HUD finalized a rule requiring each and every public 
housing agency (PHA) to implement a Smoke-Free policy by July 30, 2018 
(effective date). The Smoke-Free public housing rule is codified under 
24 CFR parts 965.651, 965.653, 965.655, and 966.4. PHAs are required to 
have amended all resident leases by the effective date, at which point 
the policy must be enforced in full. Smoking of ``lit tobacco 
products'' such as cigarettes and hookahs is banned indoors and in 
outdoor areas within 25 feet of buildings. PHAs have the option of 
modifying the policy to expand the scope to e-cigarettes and/or 
additional areas on the property (e.g., playgrounds). PHAs may also opt 
to provide designated smoking areas (DSAs) outside the 25-foot boundary 
to provide shelter for smokers who reside in their public housing 
units. Residents who smoke are not required to quit, but if they wish 
to do so, then cessation services may be provided to them. HUD may 
issue other policies in the future that pertain to health or otherwise 
affect public housing agency operations. The survey will gather data on 
policies and programs pertaining to public housing operations. The 
information will be collected via online survey such as Qualtrics or 
SurveyMonkey, and will consist of approximately 40 questions, including 
Likert-type survey items and free response boxes. The submissions will 
be accessed by the Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) in to 
evaluate the overall implementation effectiveness and identify areas 
that are experiencing difficulty in their implementation of policies. 
PIH may develop additional resources and/or target local resources that 
may be able to assist in their efforts.
    Respondents (i.e. affected public): PHA leadership and staff.

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                                             Number of     Frequency of    Responses per    Burden hour    Annual burden    Hourly cost
         Information collection             respondents      response          annum       per response        hours       per response     Annual cost
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Completing online questionnaire.........             870               1               1             .50             435          $30.47      $13,254.45
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    Total...............................             870               1               1             .50             435           30.47       13,254.45
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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 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.

    Date: January 12, 2018.
Merrie Nichols-Dixon,
Director, Office of Policy, Programs and Legislative Initiatives.
[FR Doc. 2018-01812 Filed 1-30-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P