[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 63 (Monday, April 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19661-19663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06756]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7075-N-02; OMB Control No. 2528-NEW]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Evaluation of 
Public Housing Agencies (PHA) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic 
Security (CARES) Act Waivers: PHA Interviews Data Collection

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development and Research, Department of 
Housing and Urban Development (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: June 2, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection can be sent within 60 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 60-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Interested 
persons are also invited to submit comments

[[Page 19662]]

regarding this proposal by name and/or OMB Control Number and can be 
sent to: Anna Guido, Reports Management Officer, Department of Housing 
and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 8210, Washington, DC 
20410-5000; telephone 202-402-5535 (this is not a toll-free number) or 
email Anna Guido at [email protected] for a copy of the proposed 
forms or other available information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Guido, Reports Management 
Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street 
SW, Washington, DC 20410; email Anna Guido at [email protected], 
telephone 202-402-5535 (this is not a toll-free number). HUD welcomes 
and is prepared to receive calls from individuals who are deaf or hard 
of hearing, as well as individuals with speech or communication 
disabilities. To learn more about how to make an accessible telephone 
call, please visit https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs. 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: Evaluation of Public Housing 
Agencies (PHA) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) 
Act Waivers: PHA Staff Interviews Data Collection.
    OMB Approval Number: 2528-Pending.
    Type of Request: New data collection.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
purpose of this proposed information collection is to conduct semi-
structured interviews with PHA staff and stakeholders to understand why 
and how PHAs utilized waivers offered by the CARES Act, and how these 
waivers impacted PHA operations and assisted households.
    In early 2020, Congress passed and the President signed the CARES 
Act. The landmark statute was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and 
contained many provisions related to mitigating its worst effects. 
Included were provisions that gave the U.S. Department of Housing and 
Urban Development (HUD) statutory and regulatory waiver authority to 
help programs adapt and operate in the changing circumstances and to 
encourage the continuity of critical PHA operations in order to support 
PHA residents and tenants.
    The Evaluation of Public Housing Agencies Coronavirus Aid, Relief, 
and Economic Security Act (CARES) Waivers is a mixed-method and multi-
phase study to understand how PHAs implemented the CARES Act waivers 
and the utility of these waivers on general operations and assisted 
households. The insights from this study will also help inform future 
policy and program implications related to the waivers offered by the 
CARES Act.
    2M will conduct semi-structured interviews with PHA stakeholders 
from a purposive sample of 50 PHAs. This includes interviews with three 
interview respondent groups (PHA leadership, PHA operations staff, and 
members of Resident Advisory Boards) from 45 PHAs that adopted waivers 
offered by the CARES Act (a total of 135 interviews with 135 
respondents), and one group interview with PHA leadership and 
operations staff from five PHAs that did not adopt any waivers offered 
by the CARES Act (a total of 5 interviews with 10 respondents). 
Collectively, 2M plans to conduct a total of 140 interviews across 145 
respondents. This data collection effort is expected to last five 
months.
    This Federal Register Notice provides an opportunity to comment on 
the data collection instruments and associated materials to be 
administered to PHA staff and stakeholders.
    Respondents:
    At PHAs that adopted a waiver: PHA leadership, PHA operations staff 
(such as outreach staff or other relevant staff with knowledge about 
the impact of the CARES Act waivers), and members of Resident Advisory 
Boards.
    At PHAs that did not adopt a waiver: PHA leadership and PHA 
operations staff.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 145 respondents.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Average Hours per Response: Completion of each semi-structured 
interview is expected to last an average of 1 hour.
    Total Estimated Burden Hours: 145.0 hours.
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    \1\ To estimate the hourly cost per respondent, the research 
team used the average hourly compensation (wages and benefits) for 
private workers in Service-Providing Industry according to Table 4 
on page 8 in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Employer Costs for 
Employee Compensation Survey from September 2022 (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf). The hourly cost for PHA 
leadership was assumed to be those who are in Management, business, 
and financial occupations. The hourly cost for PHA staff was assumed 
to be those in Office and administrative support occupations. The 
hourly cost for members of Resident Advisory Boards was assumed to 
be those in Professional and related occupations.
    \2\ The average hourly cost per response for the combined 
interviews of PHA Leadership and Staff was calculated as the average 
for the hourly rate for PHA Leadership ($77.58) and PHA Staff 
($29.89) [($77.58+$29.89)/2].

                                                               Annualized Burden Table \1\
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                                                                                                         Burden       Annual       Hourly
                    Information collection                      Number of    Frequency    Responses     hour per      burden      cost per       Cost
                                                               respondents  of response   per annum     response      hours       response
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                                                               PHAs that Adopted a Waiver
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Interview of PHA Leadership..................................           45            1            1          1.0         45.0       $77.58    $3,491.10
Interview of PHA Operations Staff............................           45            1            1          1.0         45.0        29.89     1,345.05
Interview of Members of Resident Advisory Board..............           45            1            1          1.0         45.0        59.78     2,690.10
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                                                            PHAs that Did Not Adopt a Waiver
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Interview of PHA Leadership and Staff (combined).............           10            1            1          1.0         10.0    53.74 \2\       537.40
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    Total....................................................          145  ...........  ...........  ...........        145.0  ...........     8,063.65
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[[Page 19663]]

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.

C. Authority

    Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
3507.

Todd M. Richardson,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.
[FR Doc. 2023-06756 Filed 3-31-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P