[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 57 (Friday, March 23, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12806-12808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05946]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7007-N-03]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Pre-Purchase 
Homeownership Counseling Demonstration and Impact Evaluation

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development and Research, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (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: May 22, 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: Anna P. Guido, Reports Management 
Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th 
Street

[[Page 12807]]

SW, Room 4176, Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone (202) 402-5534 
(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: Anna P. Guido, Reports Management 
Officer, QDAM, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th 
Street SW, Washington, DC 20410-5000; 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 proposed collection of information 
described in Section A.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Impact Evaluation of the Pre-
Purchase Housing Counseling Demonstration.
    OMB Approval Number: 2528-0293.
    Type of Request: Revision.
    Form Number: None.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use: The 
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is conducting a 
national study on the effectiveness of pre-purchase homeownership 
counseling services. This request covers four data collection 
activities: (1) Administering a final follow-up survey to study 
participants; (2) extending OMB approval #2528-0293 so that the study 
can continue to collect updated tracking information from study 
participants; and (3) extending OMB approval #2528-0293 so that the 
study can continue to collect consent from the co-borrowers of study 
participants; and (4) extending OMB approval #2528-0293 so that the 
study can continue to collect loan origination and servicing data from 
lenders. The final follow-up survey will be administered to study 
participants approximately 48 months after they completed the baseline 
survey. The final survey will provide a comparison of study 
participants' characteristics from the baseline survey and allow the 
study to better understand, document, and explain the impacts of first-
time homebuyer education and counseling. As part of OMB approval #2528-
0293, the study collects updated study participant contact information 
to locate study participants for the final follow-up survey. 
Maintaining contact with study participants over time is critical to 
minimizing attrition and ensuring high response rates to the follow-up 
surveys. Additionally, the collection of consent from study 
participants' co-borrowers is necessary to allow the study to collect 
data related to the characteristics and performance of study 
participants' mortgage loans. Lastly, as part of OMB approval #2528-
0293, the study collects study participants' loan origination and 
service tracking data from the study's three participating lenders.
    Respondents (i.e. affected public): Up to 5,854 study participants; 
approximately 1,000 co-borrowers; and, staff at 3 lenders.
    The average time per study participant (up to 5,854 study 
participants) to complete the final follow-up survey is 30 minutes. The 
study mails study participant tracking letters twice per year. The 
average time for study participants' review of the letters and return 
of the tracking form is 5 minutes. The collection of co-borrower 
consent involves including the co-borrower consent form in the study's 
regular tracking letters, along with a request for the co-borrower to 
review, sign, and return the written consent form. For co-borrowers who 
do not return the written form, the study will collect consent verbally 
at the time of the interim survey. The study estimates that 
approximately 1,000 study participants will have co-borrowers. The co-
borrowers' review of the co-borrower consent information and completion 
of the consent process is estimated to require approximately 5 minutes 
per co-borrower. The average time for lenders to prepare study 
participants' loan origination and performance data for the study team 
is 60 minutes. The study team will ask for this data semi-annually from 
each lender during the next 3 years from each lender. The total burden 
for the study is 3,992 hours: 3,903 hours for study participants, 83 
hours for co-borrowers, and 6 hours for lenders.

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                                                                                                         Burden
                                                                Number of    Frequency    Responses    hours per      Annual       Hourly
                    Information collection                     respondents  of response   per annum     response      burden      cost per   Annual cost
                                                                                                         (mins)       hours       response
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Final Follow-up Survey.......................................        5,854            1        5,854           30        2,927     * $27.70      $81,078
Tracking Letter..............................................        5,854            2       11,708            5          976      * 27.70       27,045
Co-borrower Consent Form.....................................        1,000            1        1,000            5           83      * 27.70        2,310
Loan origination and performance data: Lenders...............            3            2            6           60            6         * 35          210
    Total....................................................       12,711  ...........  ...........  ...........        3,992  ...........      110,643
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* The average income that our study participants received in the last 12 months is $57,811. This estimate of average income is based on responses to the
  Short-Term Follow-Up Survey and was weighted to represent the full study sample using sample weights that adjust for follow-up survey nonresponse.
  Thus, the hourly rate for our study participants is estimated at $27.70 (using the U.S. Office of Personnel's national standard of 2,087 hours per
  year for a full-time employee).

B. Solicitation of Public Comment

    This notice solicits 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 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.


[[Page 12808]]


    Dated: March 12, 2018.
Todd M. Richardson,
Acting General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and 
Research.
[FR Doc. 2018-05946 Filed 3-22-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P