[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 61 (Thursday, March 28, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21537-21538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06655]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7090-N-03]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Relocation 
Options Study, OMB Control No.: 2528-NEW

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development and Research, 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: May 28, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection can be submitted 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 regarding this 
proposal by name and/or OMB Control Number and can be sent to: Anna 
Guido, Reports Management Officer, REE, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 8210, Washington, DC 20410-5000 or 
email at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Guido, Reports Management 
Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street 
SW, Washington, DC 20410; email [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: Relocation Options Study.
    OMB Approval Number: 2528-NEW.
    Type of Request: New data collection.
    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 the Relocation Options study.
    Increasing threats of natural hazards due to climate change may 
necessitate the movement of households or entire communities to 
mitigate risk to people and properties. This research will conduct 
analysis of the efficacy of buyouts, relocation, and resettlement in 
mitigating hazard risk exposure; assess the potential adverse outcomes, 
inequities, and opportunity of such programs; and determine the needed 
capacity and coordination of Federal, state, and local levels to enable 
successful buyout, relocation, and resettlement initiatives. The goal 
of this research is to improve equity in how disaster recovery and 
mitigation funds are used for households that participate

[[Page 21538]]

in buyout programs in communities that have received Community 
Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grants or Community 
Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) grants. Results from this 
research shall be interpretable to inform a framework for a pilot 
program and evaluation structure to inform the ongoing federal approach 
to hazard-related relocation. Currently, a ``buyout'' for CDBG-DR and 
CDBG-MIT grants means the acquisition of a property located in a 
floodway, floodplain, or other grantee-designated high-risk area, that 
is intended to reduce risk from future hazards.
    This Federal Register Notice provides an opportunity to comment on 
the information collection for this study titled Relocation Options. 
The information collection is designed to support the Relocation 
Options study to better understand outcomes of households and 
communities that have participated in homeowner buyout programs using 
CDBG-DR or CDBG-MIT funds. This work will include a qualitative 
component and generate principles for equitable and responsible 
buyouts, relocation, and resettlement strategies. The study includes 
interviews of CDBG-DR grantees and program administrators, other 
relevant community stakeholders, and homeowners that have gone through 
a CDBG-DR or CDBG-MIT funded buyout process.
    Respondents: CDBG-DR grantee representatives and administrators; 
other relevant community stakeholders, and homeowners living in CDBG-DR 
grantee jurisdictions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Information may be collected from 
approximately a total of 27 key informants. This includes: (1) 27 
qualitative interviews with grantees, CDBG-DR or CDBG-MIT program 
administrators, other relevant stakeholders, and homeowners that 
participated in a CDBG-DR or CDBG-MIT buyout program.
    Estimated Time per Response: Interviews are expected to take one 
hour each. The total estimated time is 27 hours.
    Frequency of Response: One time for each interview.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $4,058.20 for all individual document/
information solicited for related research activities covered under 
approval for researchers conducting primary interview data collection 
and research participants.
    The Table below provides the estimated burden hours for interviews. 
These estimates assume the maximum targeted number of study 
participants and are calculated as the time needed to complete 
individual surveys and interviews or to participate in focus groups. 
The table breaks out time to complete informed consent and time 
participating in the study by key informant group (Government 
Stakeholders, Community Stakeholders, and Program Participants).
    Calculating the annual total cost burden to respondents, the 
project team utilized Occupational Employment Statistics from the U.S. 
Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify the median 
hourly wages (as classified by Standard Occupational Classification, 
SOC, codes) for October 2023 for interview participants.

                                                                   Annual Burden Table
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                                                                                                   Burden hour     Annual    Hourly cost
                  Information collection                     Number of    Frequency    Responses       per         burden        per        Annual cost
                                                            respondents  of response   per annum     response      hours       response
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Interviews with government stakeholders...................           27            1            1            1           27       $59.90       $1,617.30
Interviews with community stakeholders....................           27            1            1            1           27        43.93        1,186.11
Interviews with program participants......................           15            1            1            1           15        43.93          658.95
                                                           ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interview Total...........................................           69  ...........  ...........  ...........           69  ...........        3,462.36
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Informed consent to participate in the study--Government             27            1            1         0.17         4.59        59.90          112.02
 Stakeholders.............................................
Informed consent to participate in the study--Community              27            1            1         0.17         4.59        49.93          229.18
 Stakeholders.............................................
Informed consent to participate in the study--Program                15            1            1         0.17         2.55        49.93          127.32
 Participants.............................................
                                                           ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Informed Consent Total................................           69  ...........  ...........  ...........        11.73  ...........          595.84
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        Grand Total.......................................           69  ...........  ...........  ...........        80.73  ...........        4,058.20
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    Respondent's Obligation: Participation is voluntary.

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 comments 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. 2024-06655 Filed 3-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P