[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 57 (Monday, March 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11117-11121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05676]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-6146-N-04]
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records; Inventory Management
System, Also Known as the Public and Indian Housing Information Center
AGENCY: Office of Public and Indian Housing, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of a modified system of records.
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SUMMARY: The Inventory Management System, also known as the Public and
Indian Housing Information Center (IMS/PIC) serves as a national
repository of information related to Public Housing Authorities (PHAs),
HUD-assisted families, HUD-assisted properties, and other HUD programs
for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of HUD
rental housing assistance programs. In accordance with the Privacy Act
of 1974, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of
Public and Indian Housing (PIH) proposes to modify the system of
records titled, Inventory Management System (IMS), also known as Public
and Indian Housing Information Center (PIC), HUD/PIH.01. This system of
records allows the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office
of Public and Indian Housing to collect and maintain records on
individuals and organizations administering, participating in, or
potentially affected by, housing assistance programs administered by
HUD. This proposed modification of the IMS/PIC system would allow the
system to contain additional categories of records and types of
individuals. Specifically, IMS/PIC will store information about
applicants for disaster recovery assistance from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), provided pursuant to a computer matching
agreement. Storing these records will enable HUD to aid individuals
affected by natural disasters and prevent improper payments.
DATES: Comments are due on April 24, 2019. Unless comments are received
that warrant a revision, this modification will become effective on
April 24, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and
title, by one of the following methods:
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions provided on that site to submit comments electronically.
Fax: 202-619-8365.
Email: [email protected].
Mail: John Bravacos, Senior Agency Official for Privacy, Privacy
Office, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC
20410.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions please contact:
The Privacy Office, 451 Seventh Street SW, Room 10139, Washington, DC
20410, telephone number 202-708-3054. Individuals who are hearing- and
speech-impaired may access this number via TTY by calling the Federal
Relay Service at 800-877-8339 (this is a toll-free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The existing system known as the Inventory
Management System/Public and Indian Housing Information Center (IMS/
PIC), HUD/PIH.01, is being updated to include additional categories of
records and individuals and to permit the storage of information shared
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This update also
reorganizes the routine uses, eliminates some routine uses that are
already identified in HUD's Routine Use Inventory Notice and allows
disclosure to state, local, and tribal governments to ensure effective
and non-duplicative delivery of disaster recovery aid.
System Name and Number:
Inventory Management System, Also Known as Public and Indian
Housing Information Center (IMS/PIC), HUD/PIH.01.
Security Classification:
Unclassified.
System Location:
The files are maintained at the following locations: U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street SW,
Washington, DC 20410; and IMS/PIC servers are located in Charleston,
WV; and are accessed through the internet. The servers are maintained
by HUD Information Technology Services (HITS) contractor, and HUD's
information technology partners: Perspecta. 15052 Conference Center
Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151.
System Manager(s):
Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH), Donald J. Lavoy, Deputy
Assistant Secretary, Real Estate Assessment
[[Page 11118]]
Center, 550 12th Street SW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20410. 202-475-
7949.
Authority for Maintenance of the System:
The U.S. Housing Act of 1937, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 1437; Title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1962 (42 U.S.C. 2000d); The Fair Housing Act
(42 U.S.C. 3601-3619); The Housing Community Development Act of 1981,
Public Law 97-35, 85 stat., 348,408; and The Housing and Community
Development Act of 1987, 42 U.S.C. 3543.
Purpose(s) of the System:
IMS/PIC serves as a national repository of information related to
Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), Tribally Designated Housing Entities
(TDHE), HUD-assisted families, HUD-assisted properties, and other HUD
programs, for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the
effectiveness of PIH rental housing assistance programs. IMS/PIC allows
PHAs, TDHEs, and their-hired management agents to electronically submit
information to HUD that is related to the administration of HUD's PIH
programs. It collects data for PIH operations, including data submitted
via the internet from HUD's field offices, and accurately tracks
activities and processes. IMS/PIC also helps to increase sharing of
information throughout PIH and HUD, which improves staff awareness of
activities related to the administration of HUD-subsidized housing
programs. IMS/PIC is a flexible, scalable, internet-based integrated
system, which enables PHA and TDHE users, and HUD personnel to access a
common database via their web browser. IMS/PIC aids HUD and entities
that administer HUD's assisted housing programs in: (a) Increasing the
effective distribution of rental assistance to individuals that meet
the requirements of federal rental assistance programs; (b) detecting
abuses in assisted housing programs; (c) taking administrative or legal
actions to resolve past and current abuses of assisted housing
programs; (d) monitoring compliance with HUD program requirements; (e)
deterring abuses by verifying the employment and income of tenants at
the time of annual and interim reexaminations of family income and
composition via the PIH Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system;
(f) evaluating program effectiveness; (g) improving PHA and TDHE IMS/
PIC reporting rates; (h) forecasting budgets; (i) controlling funds;
(j) updating tenant information; and (k) updating building and unit
data.
Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:
Families residing in a HUD-assisted property and/or receiving
rental housing assistance via programs administered by the Department
of Housing and Urban Development; Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and
their hired management agents; Tribally Designated Housing Entities
(TDHE) and their hired management agents; and individuals who have
received or applied for housing-related disaster assistance from the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Categories of Records in the System:
Records consist of the following information as reported to HUD by
PHAs, TDHEs, and their hired management agents, and other governmental
agencies:
1. Agency information: Agency name, HUD-assigned code, HUD program
type family participates in; project number, building number, building
entrance number, and unit number (applicable to only the Public Housing
program).
2. Agency point of contact information for individuals that work
for, and access IMS/PIC and oversee the agency's administration (i.e.,
Mayors, board members, managers, directors, etc.: Individual's name,
agency's physical address, agency's mailing address, agency's telephone
numbers, and email addresses for point of contacts).
3. Action information: Type of action (new admission, annual
reexamination, interim reexamination, portability move-in, portability
move-out, end of participation, other change of unit, FSS/WTW addendum
only, annual reexamination searching (Section 8 program only), issuance
of voucher (Section 8 program only), expiration of voucher (Section 8
program only), flat rent annual updated (Public Housing program only),
annual HQS inspection (Section 8 program only), historical adjustment,
and void); effective date of action, indication of correction of
previous submitted information, type of correction, date family was
admitted into a PIH rental assistance program, projected effective date
of next reexamination of family income and/or composition, projected
date of next flat rent annual updated (applicable only to the Public
Housing program), indication of whether or not the family is or has
participated in the Family Self-sufficiency (FSS) program within the
last year, identification of special Section 8 program (applicable only
to the Section 8 program), identification of other special HUD rental
program(s) the family is participating in, and ``PHA Use Only'' fields
which are used by PHAs for general administrative purposes or other
uses as prescribed by HUD.
4. Family composition (which includes the following personally
identifiable information) as reported by the family and verified by
PHAs, TDHEs, and their -hired management agents: Last name, first name,
middle initial, date of birth, age on effective date of action, sex,
relationship to head of household, citizenship status, disability
status, race, ethnicity, social security number, alien registration
number, compliance with community service or self-sufficiency
requirement for public housing tenants, total number of household
members, family subsidy status under the noncitizens rule, eligibility
effective date, and former head of household's social security number.
5. Geographical and unit information:
a. Background at admission information as reported by the family:
Date family entered the waiting list, zip code before admission,
whether or not the family was homeless at time of admission, whether or
not the family qualifies for admission over the very low-income limit,
whether or not the family is continuously assisted under the 1937
Housing Act, whether or not there is a HUD-approved income targeting
disregard.
b. Subsidized Unit information: Unit number and street address,
city, state and zip code in which the subsidized unit is located, city,
state and zip code in which the subsidized unit is located, whether or
not the family's mailing address is the same address of the unit to be
occupied by the family, family's mailing address (unit number and
street address, city, state, and zip code) if different from the
address of the subsidized unit, number of bedrooms, whether or not the
unit is an accessible unit (applicable to the Public Housing program
only), whether or not the family has requested accessibility features
(applicable to the Public Housing program only), whether or not the
family has received the requested accessibility features (applicable to
the Public Housing program only), date the unit last passed Housing
Quality Standards (HQS) inspection (applicable to the Section 8 program
only, except Homeownership and Project-Based Vouchers programs), date
of last annual HQS inspection (applicable to the Section 8 program
only, except Homeownership and Project-Based Vouchers programs), year
the unit was built (applicable to the Section 8 program only), and the
structure type of the unit (applicable to the Section 8 program only).
[[Page 11119]]
6. Family assets information, as reported by the family and
verified by PHAs, TDHEs, and their hired management agents, which
includes the type of asset, cash value of the asset, anticipated annual
income derived from the asset, passbook rate, imputed asset income, and
final asset income.
7. Family income information, as reported by the family and
verified by PHAs, TDHEs, and their hired management agents, which
includes the income source, Income calculations, annual income derived
from the income source, income exclusion amount in accordance with HUD
program requirements and annual income amount after deducting allowable
income exclusion for each household member of the family, total
household annual income, amounts of permissible deductions and other
deductions to annual income in accordance with HUD program
requirements, and amount of family adjusted annual income.
8. Total tenant payment (TTP), minimum rent amount, most recent TTP
amount, and tenant rent calculation information in accordance with HUD
requirements for the specific PIH rental assistance program the family
is currently participating in.
9. Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) and Welfare-to-Work (WTW) program
information: Type of self-sufficiency program the family is
participating in, FSS report category, FSS effective date, PHA code of
PHA administering FSS contract, WTW report category, WTW effective date
of action, PHA code of PHA that issued the WTW voucher, PHA code of PHA
counting the family as enrolled in its WTW voucher program if different
than the PHA Code of PHA that issued the WTW voucher; and general
information pertaining to the employment status of the head of
household, date current employment began, type of employment benefits
head of household receives from employer, number of years of school
completed by the head of household, type of other federal assistance
received by the family, number of children receiving childcare
services, and optional information related to the type of family
services the family needs, whether or not the need was met during
participation in the FSS or WTW program, and the name of the service
provider; FSS contract, account and exit information; and WTW voucher
provider; FSS contract, account and exit information; and WTW voucher
program information.
10. PHA and TDHE IMS/PIC system user's information: Name, telephone
number, fax number, email address, mailing address, agency website
address.
11. Disaster assistance information: Records from the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), shared with HUD pursuant to an
approved computer matching agreement, to enable effective delivery of
aid in the wake of a disaster. Includes information about applicants
for FEMA assistance, including name, social security number, address,
type and amount of disaster damage, type and amount of assistance
provided by FEMA.
Record Source Categories:
IMS/PIC receives data from HUD staff; HUD contractors; PHAs, TDHEs,
and their hired management agents; the Social Security Administration;
the Department of Veteran Affairs; the Federal Emergency Management
Agency; and other federal, state and local agencies. The IMS/PIC data
reported by PHAs, TDHEs, and their hired management agents is
electronically transmitted to IMS/PIC using agency owned software or
via HUD's Family Reporting Software (FRS).
Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories
of Users and Purposes of Such Uses:
In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C.
552a(b) of the Privacy Act, all or a portion of the records or
information contained in this system may be disclosed outside HUD as a
routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows:
1. To the National Archives and Records Administration, Office of
Government Information Services (OGIS), to the extent necessary to
fulfill its responsibilities in 5 U.S.C. 552(h), to review
administrative agency policies, procedures and compliance with the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and to facilitate OGIS' offering of
mediation services to resolve disputes between persons making FOIA
requests and administrative agencies.
2. To the HUD Geocoding Service Center (GSC) to obtain geographic
information for records in the system.
3. To individuals under contract to HUD or under contract to
another agency with funds provided by HUD: For the preparation of
studies and statistical reports directly related to the management of
HUD's rental assistance programs, to support quality control for tenant
eligibility efforts requiring a random sampling of tenant files to
determine the extent of administrative errors in making rent
calculations, eligibility determinations, etc., and for processing
reexaminations (individuals provided information under this routine use
are subject to Privacy Act requirements and limitation on disclosures
as are applicable to HUD officials and employees).
4. To PHAs, TDHEs, and their hired management agents, and auditors
of HUD rental housing assistance programs: To verify the accuracy and
completeness of tenant data used in determining eligibility and
continued eligibility and the amount of housing assistance received;
5. To PHAs, TDHEs, and their hired management agents of HUD rental
housing assistance programs: To identify and resolve discrepancies in
tenant data.
6. To researchers affiliated with academic institutions, with not-
for-profit organizations, or with federal, state or local governments,
or to policy researchers: Without personally identifiable information:
For the performance of research and statistical activities on housing
and community development issues (individuals provided information
under this routine use are subject to Privacy Act requirements and
limitation on disclosures as are applicable to HUD officials and
employees);
7. To HUD contractors, independent public auditors and accountants,
PHAs, and TDHEs: For the purpose of conducting oversight and monitoring
of program operations to determine compliance with applicable laws and
regulations, and financial reporting requirements (individuals provided
information under this routine use are subject to Privacy Act
requirements and limitation on disclosures as are applicable to HUD
officials and employees);
8. To the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for statistical
analysis to advance the goals of the nation's federal strategic plan to
prevent and end homelessness through the collection, analysis, and
reporting of quality and timely data on veterans homelessness to assist
VA with the establishment and/or verification of the following:
Reducing homelessness among our nation's veterans; identify and
understand the needs of homeless veterans and to develop programs and
services to address those needs; effective administration of the HUD
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program by HUD and VA
business partners; HUD-VASH program monitoring and evaluation; and the
production of aggregate statistical data without any personal
identifiers, which will not be used to make decisions concerning the
rights, benefits, or
[[Page 11120]]
privileges of specific individuals, or providers of services with
respect to assistance provided under the HUD-VASH program;
9. To the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), under an
approved computer matching agreement, or data sharing agreement
pursuant to a Presidential Executive Order (E.O.) mandate and in
accordance with the Federal Privacy Act and Computer Matching and
Privacy Protection Act: To identify and recover overpayments (improper
payments) of rental assistance, determine compliance with program
requirements by program administrators and participants of HUD rental
housing assistance programs, deter future abuses in rental housing
assistance programs, reduce administrative costs associated with manual
program evaluation and monitoring efforts, and ensure that only
eligible participants receive rental assistance in the correct amount;
10. To the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under an
approved computer matching agreement, or data sharing agreement
pursuant to a Presidential E.O. mandate in accordance with the Federal
Privacy Act and Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act: To
identify existing families which participate in a HUD rental assistance
program and are currently receiving housing assistance;
11. To state, local and tribal governments receiving HUD disaster
recovery grants, and to PHAs: To ensure effective delivery of disaster
recovery aid, to prevent duplication of benefits between HUD and other
federal agencies, and to address unmet needs of disaster victims.
12. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when (1) HUD
suspects or has confirmed that there has been a breach of the system of
records; (2) HUD has determined that as a result of the suspected or
confirmed breach there is a risk of harm to individuals, HUD (including
its information systems, programs, and operations), the Federal
Government, or national security; and (3) the disclosure made to such
agencies, entities, and persons is reasonably necessary to assist in
connection with HUD's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed
breach or to prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm.
13. To another Federal agency or Federal entity, when HUD
determines that information from this system of records is reasonably
necessary to assist the recipient agency or entity in (1) responding to
a suspected or confirmed breach or (2) preventing, minimizing, or
remedying the risk of harm to individuals, the recipient agency or
entity (including its information systems, programs, and operations),
the Federal Government, or national security, resultingfrom a suspected
or confirmed breach.
Policies and Practices for Storage of Records:
Records are stored manually and electronically in PHA office
automation equipment and paper files, respectively. Records are stored
on HUD computer servers for HUD and PHA staff to access via the
internet. HUD's information technology partners in the Office of the
Chief Information Officer maintain the disks and backups files of IMS/
PIC data. The servers are maintained by HUD Information Technology
Services (HITS) contractor, and HUD's information technology partners:
Perspecta. 15052 Conference Center Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151.
Policies and Practices for Storage of Records:
Records are stored manually and electronically in PHA office
automation equipment and paper files, respectively. Records are stored
on HUD computer servers for HUD and PHA staff to access via the
internet. HUD's information technology partners in the Office of the
Chief Information Officer maintain the disks and backups files of IMS/
PIC data.
Policies and Practices for Retrieval of Records:
Tenant records may be retrieved by computer search of indices by
the Head of Household's or household member's name, date of birth, and/
or SSN of an existing or form HUD program participant. PHA records may
be retrieved by PHA Code, User ID, and/or IMS/PIC user's last name.
Note: A user's search capability is limited to only those program
participants within the user's jurisdiction and assigned to his or her
User ID.
Policies and Practices for Retention and Disposal of Records:
Electronic records are maintained and destroyed in accordance with
requirements of the HUD Records Disposition Schedule, 2225-6. In
accordance with 24 CFR 908.101 and HUD record retention requirements at
24 CFR 85.42, PHAs are required to retain at least three years' worth
of IMS/PIC data either electronically or in paper form.
Administrative, Technical, and Physical Safeguards:
Records are maintained at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development in Washington, DC with limited access to those persons
whose official duties require the use of such records. Computer files
and printed listings are maintained in locked cabinets. User's access,
updates access, read-only access, and approval access based on the
user's role and security access level.
Record Access Procedures:
For information, assistance, or inquiry about records, contact John
Bravacos, Chief Privacy Officer, 451 Seventh Street SW, Room 10139,
Washington, DC 20410, telephone number (202) 402-6064. When seeking
records about yourself from this system of records or any other Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) system of records, your request must
conform with the Privacy Act regulations set forth in 24 CFR part 16.
You must first verify your identity, meaning that you must provide your
full name, address, and date and place of birth. You must sign your
request, and your signature must either be notarized or submitted under
28 U.S.C. 1746, a law that permits statements to be made under penalty
of perjury as a substitute for notarization.
If your request is seeking records pertaing to another living
individual, you must include a statement from that individual
certifying their agreement for you to access their records. Without the
above information, the HUD FOIA Office may not conduct an effective
search, and your request may be denied due to lack of specificity or
lack of compliance with regulations.
Contesting Record Procedures:
Since tenant information reported in IMS/PIC is submitted to HUD by
PHAs and TDHEs based on information collected directly from the
individual, tenants must contact the PHA or TDHE to request correction
of any tenant supplied information reported incorrectly by the agency.
HUD does not have the ability to modify agency reported data within
IMS/PIC. With respect to any HUD determination based on IMS/PIC data,
the procedures for appealing HUD's initial determination records are
outlined in 24 CFR part 16, Additional assistance may be obtained by
contacting John Bravacos, Chief Privacy Officer, 451 Seventh Street SW,
Room 10139, Washington, DC 20410, or the HUD Departmental Privacy
Appeals Officers, Office of General Counsel, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street SW, Washington DC 20410.
Notification Procedures:
Individuals seeking notification of and access to any record
contained in
[[Page 11121]]
this system of records, or seeking to contest its content, may submit a
request in writing to the Privacy Office at the address provided above
or to the component's FOIA Officer, whose contact information can be
found at http://www.hud.gov/foia under ``contact.'' If an individual
believes more than one component maintains Privacy Act records
concerning him or her, the individual may submit the request to the
Senior Agency Official for Privacy, HUD, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Room
10139, Washington, DC 20410.
Exemptions Promulgated for the System:
None.
History:
The most recent prior IMS/PIC SORN was published in the Federal
Register on April 13, 2012 at 77 FR 22337-22340.
Dated: March 18, 2019.
John Bravacos,
Senior Agency Official for Privacy.
[FR Doc. 2019-05676 Filed 3-22-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P