[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 31 (Thursday, February 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4069-4070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-02304]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

[No. 2019-N-2]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Federal Housing Finance Agency.

ACTION: 30-Day notice of submission of information collection for 
approval from Office of Management and Budget; request for 
reinstatement of an expired collection.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or the 
Agency) is seeking public comments concerning a previously approved 
information collection known as ``Advances to Housing Associates,'' 
which has been assigned control number 2590-0001 by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB). FHFA intends to submit the information 
collection to OMB for review and approval of a three-year renewal and 
reinstatement of the control number, which expired on December 31, 
2018.

DATES: Interested persons may submit comments on or before March 18, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer 
for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Washington, DC 20503, Fax: 
(202) 395-3047, Email: [email protected]. Please also submit 
comments to FHFA, identified by ``Proposed Collection; Comment Request: 
`Advances to Housing Associates, (No. 2019-N-2)' '' by any of the 
following methods:
     Agency Website: www.fhfa.gov/open-for-comment-or-input.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. If you submit your 
comment to the Federal eRulemaking Portal, please also send it by email 
to FHFA at [email protected] to ensure timely receipt by the agency.
     Mail/Hand Delivery: Federal Housing Finance Agency, Eighth 
Floor, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20219, ATTENTION: Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request: ``Advances to Housing Associates, (No. 
2019-N-2)''.
    We will post all public comments we receive without change, 
including any personal information you provide, such as your name and 
address, email address, and telephone number, on the FHFA website at 
http://www.fhfa.gov. In addition, copies of all comments received will 
be available for examination by the public through the electronic 
comment docket for this PRA Notice also located on the FHFA website.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan F. Curtis, Financial Analyst, 
[email protected], (202) 649-3321, or Eric M. Raudenbush, 
Associate General Counsel, [email protected], (202) 649-3084 
(these are not toll-free numbers); Federal Housing Finance Agency, 400 
Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20219. The Telecommunications Device 
for the Hearing Impaired is (800) 877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Need for and Use of the Information Collection

    Section 10b of the Federal Home Loan Bank Act (Bank Act) 
establishes the requirements for making Federal Home Loan Bank (Bank) 
advances (secured loans) to nonmember mortgagees, which are referred to 
as ``Housing Associates''

[[Page 4070]]

in FHFA's regulations.\1\ Section 10b also establishes the eligibility 
requirements an applicant must meet in order to be certified as a 
Housing Associate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See 12 U.S.C. 1430b; 12 CFR 1264.3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Part 1264 of FHFA's regulations implements the statutory 
eligibility requirements and establishes uniform review criteria the 
Banks must use in evaluating applications from entities that wish to be 
certified as a Housing Associate. Specifically, Sec.  1264.4 implements 
the statutory eligibility requirements and provides guidance to an 
applicant on how it may satisfy those requirements.\2\ Section 1264.5 
authorizes the Banks to approve or deny all applications for 
certification as a Housing Associate, subject to the statutory and 
regulatory requirements.\3\ Section 1264.6 permits an applicant that 
has been denied certification by a Bank to appeal that decision to 
FHFA.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ See 12 CFR 1264.4.
    \3\ See 12 CFR 1264.5.
    \4\ See 12 CFR 1264.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In part 1266 of FHFA's regulations, subpart B governs Bank advances 
to Housing Associates that have been approved under part 1264. Section 
1266.17 establishes the terms and conditions under which a Bank may 
make advances to Housing Associates.\5\ Specifically, Sec.  1266.17(e) 
imposes a continuing obligation on each certified Housing Associate to 
provide information necessary for the Bank to determine if it remains 
in compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, as 
set forth in part 1264.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ See 12 CFR 1266.17.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The OMB control number for the information collection, which 
expired on December 31, 2018, is 2590-0001. The likely respondents 
include entities applying to be certified as a Housing Associate and 
current Housing Associates.

B. Burden Estimates

    FHFA estimates the total annualized hour burden imposed upon 
respondents by this information collection to be 318 hours (14 hours 
for applicants + 304 hours for current Housing Associates), based on 
the following calculations:

I. Applicants

    FHFA estimates that the total annual average number of entities 
applying to be certified as a Housing Associate over the next three 
years will be one, with one response per applicant. The estimate for 
the average hours per application is 14 hours. Therefore, the estimate 
for the total annual hour burden for all applicants is 14 hours (1 
applicant x 1 response per applicant x 14 hours = 14 hours).

II. Current Housing Associates

    FHFA estimates that the total annual average number of existing 
Housing Associates over the next three years will be 76, with one 
response per Housing Associate required to comply with the regulatory 
reporting requirements. The estimate for the average hours per response 
is 4 hours. Therefore, the estimate for the total annual hour burden 
for current Housing Associates is 304 hours (76 certified Housing 
Associates x 1 response per associate x 4 hours = 304 hours).

C. Comments Request

    In accordance with the requirements of 5 CFR 1320.8(d), FHFA 
published an initial notice and request for public comments regarding 
this information collection in the Federal Register on October 17, 
2018.\6\ The 60-day comment period closed on December 17, 2018. FHFA 
received no comments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ See 83 FR 52451 (Oct. 17, 2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FHFA requests written comments on the following: (1) Whether the 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
FHFA functions, including whether the information has practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of FHFA's estimates of the burdens of the 
collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information collected; and (4) ways to minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

    Dated: February 7, 2019.
Kevin Winkler,
Chief Information Officer, Federal Housing Finance Agency.
[FR Doc. 2019-02304 Filed 2-13-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8070-01-P