[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 155 (Monday, August 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55066-55067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17502]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-6381-N-02]


Improving Access to Public Benefit Programs; Request for Comment: 
Extension of Public Comment Period

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development and Research, Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, HUD.

ACTION: Request for comments; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On July 13, 2023, the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development published in the Federal Register a document titled 
``Improving Access to Public Benefit Programs; Request for Comment.'' 
The request for comment seeks comments from the public regarding the 
burden faced when applying for or maintaining eligibility for HUD's 
housing programs. HUD recognizes that these administrative hurdles and 
paperwork burdens disproportionately fall on the most vulnerable 
populations and prevent individuals and entities from accessing 
benefits for which they are legally eligible. The request for comment 
provided for a 30-day comment period, which would have ended on August 
14, 2023. HUD has determined that a 30-day extension of the comment 
period, until September 13, 2023, is appropriate to allow interested 
persons additional time to provide responses. Public comment submitted 
in response to the request for comment will assist HUD in better 
understanding, identifying, and reducing HUD's public program 
administrative burden and ultimately further its mission to pursue 
transformative housing and community-building policies and programs.

DATES: The comment period for the request for comment published on July 
13, 2023, at 88 FR 44813, is extended to September 13, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments responsive 
to the request for comment. There are three methods for submitting 
public comments. All submissions must refer to the above docket number 
and title.
    1. Electronic Submission of Comments. Comments may be submitted 
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
www.regulations.gov. HUD strongly encourages commenters to submit 
comments electronically through www.regulations.gov. Electronic 
submission of comments allows the commenter maximum time to prepare and 
submit a comment, ensures timely receipt by HUD, and enables HUD to 
make comments immediately available to the public. Comments submitted 
electronically through www.regulations.gov can be viewed by other 
commenters and interested members of the public. Commenters should 
follow the instructions provided on that website to submit comments 
electronically.
    2. Submission of Comments by Mail. Comments may be submitted by 
mail to the Regulations Division, Office of General Counsel, Department 
of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 10276, 
Washington, DC 20410-0500.
    3. Submission of Comments by Electronic Mail. Comments may be 
submitted by electronic mail to the Regulations Division, Office of 
General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development at 
[email protected].

    Note: To receive consideration as a public comment, comments 
must be submitted through one of the three methods specified above.

    Public Inspection of Public Comments. Copies of all comments 
submitted will be available for inspection and downloading at 
www.regulations.gov. HUD will also make all properly submitted comments 
and communications available for public inspection and copying during 
regular business hours at the above address. Due to security measures 
at the HUD Headquarters building, you must schedule an appointment in 
advance to review the public comments by calling the Regulations 
Division at 202-708-3055 (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 all comments submitted 
are available for inspection and downloading at www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Richardson, General Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy Development and Research, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 
8100, Washington, DC 20410, telephone 202-402-5706 (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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Applying for and maintaining eligibility for 
public benefits and services, including housing programs, often 
requires completing and submitting a variety of forms. HUD and its 
housing partners that administer its programs use the information 
collected by these forms to determine whether applicants are eligible 
or if current recipients continue to be eligible. These forms and other 
methods of information collections may create burdens that 
disproportionately fall on the most vulnerable populations and prevent 
individuals and entities from accessing services for which they are 
legally eligible. These burdens include the expenditure of time, 
effort, or financial resources to generate, maintain, or provide 
information to HUD or its housing partners.
    HUD's overarching goal is to pursue transformative housing and 
community-building policy and programs. To accomplish this goal and 
continue its efforts to reduce administrative burden, improve the 
customer experience for individuals seeking and receiving HUD services, 
and actively solicit input of program beneficiaries, on July 13, 2023, 
HUD published in the Federal Register

[[Page 55067]]

a document titled ``Improving Access to Public Benefit Programs; 
Request for Comment.'' The request for comment solicits public comment 
to better understand, identify, and reduce the public program 
administrative burdens imposed through HUD's forms and other 
information collections related to HUD programs that are experienced by 
members of the public who are entitled to benefits through one or more 
HUD public benefits programs.
    While the request for comment originally provided for a 30-day 
comment period, HUD has determined that extending the public comment 
period by an additional 30 days will better allow the public to submit 
comments that will assist HUD in better understanding, identifying, and 
reducing HUD's public program administrative burden and ultimately 
further its mission to pursue transformative housing and community-
building policies and programs. Therefore, HUD is extending the due 
date for public comment until September 13, 2023.

Aaron Santa Anna,
Associate General Counsel for Legislation and Regulations.
[FR Doc. 2023-17502 Filed 8-10-23; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P