[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 146 (Tuesday, August 1, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50167-50168]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16283]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7070-N-44]


30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: PRO Housing 
Competition Application Collection; OMB Control No.: 2506-New

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development and Research, Chief Data Officer, 
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 an additional 30 days of 
public comment.

DATES: Comments Due Date: August 31, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Interested 
persons are also invited to submit comments regarding this proposal and 
comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB Control Number 
and should be sent to: Colette Pollard, Clearance Officer, REE, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 
8210, Washington, DC 20410-5000; email 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colette Pollard, Reports Management 
Officer, REE, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 7th Street 
SW, Room 8210, Washington, DC 20410; email at [email protected] 
or telephone 202-402-3400. 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. Pollard.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice informs the public that HUD is 
seeking approval from OMB for the information collection described in 
Section A.
    The Federal Register notice that solicited public comment on the 
information collection for a period of 60 days was published on May 22, 
2023 at 88 FR 32782.

A. Overview of Information Collection

    Title of Information Collection: PRO Housing Competition 
Application Collection.
    OMB Approval Number: 2506-New.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: HUD 
is issuing this NOFO under the authority of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328, enacted December 29, 2022) 
(Appropriations Act) for the identification and removal of barriers to 
affordable housing production and preservation. The most successful 
proposals in this competition will demonstrate not only how applicants 
identify and remove affordable housing barriers within their 
jurisdiction(s), but also demonstrate: (1) progress and a commitment to 
overcoming local barriers to facilitate the increase in affordable 
housing production and preservation; and (2) an acute demand for 
housing affordable to households with incomes below 100 percent of the 
area median income. HUD encourages applicants to also consider how 
their proposed activities will address issues related to affordable 
housing production and preservation, such as advancing equity, locating 
affordable housing near transit and other services, and developing and 
preserving affordable housing in accordance with input from community 
members and other stakeholders.
    Respondents: State and local governments, Metropolitan Planning 
Organizations and Multijurisdictional Entities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 100.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Hours per Response: 11.
    Total Estimated Burdens: 1100.
    The estimated burden for this NOFO application collection includes 
HUD's Standardized Grant Application forms which have been reviewed and 
approved by OMB under control number: 2501-0017. Additionally, as 
stated above, OMB has reviewed and approved the post award activity for 
CDBG activities under control numbers: 2506-0077, 0085, 0117, and 0165. 
The burden hours and requirements under the above-mentioned approved 
collections have not been altered in any way. Applicants are asked to 
provide narrative responses detailing their proposed activities using 
PRO Housing funding. Applicants are also required to affirmatively 
acknowledge the statutorily required certification, located in Appendix 
D of the NOFO. HUD is collecting certifications from all applicants, 
and there is a specific certification form depending on each applicant 
type: local governments, state governments, metropolitan planning 
organizations and multijurisdictional entities. Each applicant is only 
required to complete one certification form. The certification form 
collects information related to a variety of laws, including CDBG 
requirements and cross-cutting requirements. The applicant will be 
expected to review and sign the form.
    If an applicant is proposing a partnership with one or more 
entities as part of their application submission, the applicant must 
provide documentation of that partnership in the form of partner 
letters from each partner and a partnership agreement. The burden hours 
include submission of documentation of partnership, if required. 
Optional partnership templates are included in the application package, 
which applicants may choose to use to satisfy these requirements.
    The burden hours associated with the above-mentioned forms have 
been included in the burden hours list below.

[[Page 50168]]



                                                            Table 1--Estimated Public Burden
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                                             Number of     Frequency of    Responses per    Burden hour    Annual burden    Hourly cost
         Information collection             respondents      response          annum       per response        hours      per response *    Annual cost
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NOFO Application........................             100               1             100              10            1000          $38.92         $38,920
NOFO Certifications.....................             100               1             100               1             100           38.92           3,892
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    Total...............................             100               1             100              11            1100           38.92          42,812
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* Given that the nature of the applicants is unknown at this time, HUD estimates the cost per response to average around OPMs supplied GS-13 base pay
  level (locality pay not included). While NOFO applicants may vary in experience, pay, and possibly industry, HUD believes that the average range of
  pay across the respondents will fall closely within the GS-13 pay range.

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;
    (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; and
    (5) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    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.

Colette Pollard,
Department Reports Management Officer, Office of Policy Development and 
Chief Data Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-16283 Filed 7-31-23; 8:45 am]
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