[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 14 (Monday, January 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6908-6910]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-01454]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7041-N-02]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Phase 1 
Evaluation of the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for 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.

[[Page 6909]]

The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

DATES: Comments Due Date: March 26, 2021.

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 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; 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.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: Phase 1 Evaluation of the Housing 
Choice Voucher (HCV) Mobility Demonstration.
    OMB Approval Number: Pending.
    Type of Request: New.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), at the U.S. 
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is proposing the 
collection of information for Phase 1 Evaluation of the Housing Choice 
Voucher (HCV) Mobility Demonstration. Under contract with HUD PD&R, Abt 
Associates Inc. and its subcontractors the Urban Institute, MEF 
Associates, Social Policy Research Associates, and Sage Consulting are 
conducting Phase 1 of a planned two-phase Evaluation of the HCV 
Mobility Demonstration. The Demonstration is a multi-site, randomized-
controlled trial of the effect of housing mobility-related services on 
the share of HCV holders with children that move to lower poverty 
areas.
    This Demonstration will allow participating public housing agencies 
(PHAs) throughout the country to implement housing mobility programs by 
offering mobility-related services to increase the number of voucher 
families with children living in opportunity areas. Participating PHAs 
will work together in their regions to adopt administrative policies 
that further enable housing mobility, increase landlord participation, 
and reduce barriers for families to move across PHA jurisdictions 
through portability. Eligible families that consent to participate in 
the Demonstration are randomly assigned to either receive mobility-
related services or to not receive services.
    Through the Demonstration, HUD will implement, test, and evaluate 
whether housing mobility programs expand access to opportunity 
neighborhoods. The Demonstration will roll out in two phases over a 
period of approximately six years. The Phase 1 Evaluation has a five-
year period of performance and will evaluate the effectiveness of a 
comprehensive set of mobility-related services at no more than 10 
sites. For voucher holders, outcomes of the mobility-related services 
are hypothesized to be increases in the number of families who move to 
lower poverty areas. The Phase 1 evaluation will also document the 
implementation of the Demonstration and analyze the cost-effectiveness 
of mobility-related services.
    Data collection efforts include the families that are part of the 
treatment and control groups, as well as PHA and mobility-related 
services staff, and landlords of properties participating in the HCV 
program. Data will be gathered through a variety of methods including 
informational interviews and discussions, direct observation, and 
analysis of administrative records.
    Respondents: Public housing agency administrators/staff/contractors 
managing or implementing the mobility-related services, families 
enrolled in the HCV Mobility Demonstration, and owners of properties 
that accept Housing Choice Vouchers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: This data collection will affect 
no more than 12,400 respondents: 12,000 families participating in the 
HCV Mobility Demonstration (study participants) will complete a 
baseline survey, 200 study participants will complete follow up 
interviews, 100 public housing agency/housing mobility services 
provider staff will complete interviews, 20 public housing agency/
housing mobility services provider staff will participate in cost study 
data collection activities, and 80 landlords that accept Housing Choice 
Vouchers will complete interviews.
    Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time per response is 
1.5-3 hours, depending on the data collection instrument and 
respondent.
    Frequency of Response: The frequency of response is 1 survey 
completion or 1 interview.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: The total annual burden of 
this information collection is 24,760 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: The total annual cost for this 
information collection is $201,821.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: The data collection is conducted under Title 12, 
United States Code, Section 1701z and Section 3507 of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, 44, U.S.C., 35, as amended.

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                                                       Number of    Frequency    Responses     Burden hour    Annual burden    Hourly cost
               Information collection                 respondents  of response   per annum    per response        hours       per response       Cost
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Study Participant Enrollment and Baseline Survey....       12,000            1            1               2          24,000       \1\ $7.39     $177,360
Study Participant Follow Up Interviews..............          200            1            1             1.5             300            7.39        2,217
PHA Staff/Mobility Services Provider Interviews.....          100            1            1               3             300       \2\ 52.94       15,882
Cost Study Data Collection Activities with PHA staff           20            1            1               2              40       \3\ 52.94        2,118
Landlord Interview..................................           80            1            1             1.5             120       \4\ 35.37        4,244
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    Total...........................................       12,400  ...........  ...........  ..............         24, 760  ..............      201,821
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[[Page 6910]]

B. Solicitation of Public Comment
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    \1\ Households participating in the HCV Demonstration will range 
widely in employment position and earnings. We have estimated the 
hourly wage based on the annual average household income for HCV 
holders as of 2019 (based on 2010 Census data) accessed January 8, 
2021 at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/picture/about.html.
    \2\ The estimated cost burden for PHA and mobility services 
provider staff participating in interviews is based on the average 
compensation for all local and state government employees as of 
September 2020 ($52.94), accessed online January 8, 2021 at: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf.
    \3\ The estimate cost burden of Cost Study Data collection by 
PHA staff is based on the average compensation for all local and 
state government employees as of September 2020 ($52.94), accessed 
online January 8, 2021 at: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf.
    \4\ Estimated cost burden for property owners is based on 
average hourly and weekly earnings of all employees on private 
nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted. U.S. 
Bureau of Labor Statistics. November 2020(P) for all professional 
and business services ($35.37). https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t19.htm.
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    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.

C. Authority

    Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35.
    The General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and 
Research, Todd Richardson, having reviewed and approved this document, 
is delegating the authority to electronically sign this document to 
submitter, Nacheshia Foxx, who is the Federal Register Liaison for HUD, 
for purposes of publication in the Federal Register.

Nacheshia Foxx,
Federal Liaison for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
[FR Doc. 2021-01454 Filed 1-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P