[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 95 (Wednesday, May 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42484-42486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10616]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7092-N-27]


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Office of Policy Development and Research, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of a new system of records.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as 
amended, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office 
of Policy Development & Research (PD&R), is issuing a public notice of 
its intent to establish a Privacy Act system of records titled, ``HUD 
User.'' HUD User is a publicly accessible website that provides free 
online access to a wide array of materials developed by PD&R, including 
housing reports, publications, datasets, databases, an e-magazine, 
listservs, e-books, Geographic Information System (GIS) Maps, and other 
valuable information related to housing and community development.

DATES: Comments will be accepted on or before June 14, 2024. This 
proposed action will be effective on the date following the end of the 
comment period unless comments are received which result in a contrary 
determination.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number or by 
one of the following methods:
    Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions provided on that site to submit comments electronically.
    Fax: 202-619-8365.
    Email: [email protected].
    Mail: Attention: Privacy Office; LaDonne White, Chief Privacy 
Officer; The Executive Secretariat; 451 Seventh

[[Page 42485]]

Street SW, Room 10139; Washington, DC 20410-0001.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number for this rulemaking. All comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov including any 
personal information provided.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received go to http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Privacy Office; LaDonne White, 451 
Seventh Street SW, Room 10139; Washington, DC 20410-0001; telephone 
number 202-708-3054 (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: HUD's Office of Policy Development and 
Research (PD&R) maintains the ``HUDuser.GOV'' system of records. HUD/
PD&R has contracted with Sage Computing, an external vendor, to operate 
and maintain the website (www.huduser.gov). The website is used as a 
platform for PD&R to support PD&R and HUD sponsored events, HUD 
Secretary's Awards, mailing lists, datasets and tools, the HUD User 
webstore, HUD User forums, and technical assistance (TA) surveys. The 
website stores information on event registrants; HUD Secretary's Award 
nominations; electronic and hardcopy mailing list members; webstore 
accounts; dataset and tool accounts, including mapping tools; HUD User 
forum accounts; and TA survey accounts. These functionalities require 
interested members of the public to sign up with information that, 
depending on the functionality, may include their name, email, phone 
number, mailing address, organization, title, and/or employer 
identification number.

SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
    HUD User, HUD/PD&R-12.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
    Unclassified.

 SYSTEM LOCATION:
    Records are maintained at Sage Computing, 11491 Sunset Hills Road, 
Suite 350, Reston, VA 20190.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
    Heidi Joseph, Director, Research Utilization Division, Office of 
Policy Development and Research (PD&R), 451 Seventh Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20410-0001, Email: [email protected].

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    Section 3(b) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act 
of 1965, 42 U.S.C. 3532(b); Section 502(g) of the Housing and Urban 
Development Act of 1970, 12 U.S.C. 1701z-2(g).

PURPOSES OF THE SYSTEM:
    HUD User is a publicly accessible website that provides free online 
access to an array of materials developed by PD&R, including housing 
reports, publications, datasets, databases, an e-magazine, listservs, 
e-books, GIS Maps, and other valuable information related to housing 
and community development. PD&R's primary mission is to support the 
Department's efforts to create cohesive, economically healthy 
communities, and HUD User is a critical mechanism by which PD&R shares 
housing and community development information with policymakers, 
researchers, practitioners, and the public.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Members of the General Public.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    Full name, email address, phone number, mailing address, 
organization, title, and employer identification number.

SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    Records are received from Individuals to access services available 
on www.huduser.gov.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    (1) To the National Archives and Records Administration, Office of 
Government Information Services (OGIS), to the extent necessary to 
fulfill its responsibilities in 5 U.S.C. 552(h), to review 
administrative agency policies, procedures and compliance with the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and to facilitate OGIS' offering of 
mediation services to resolve disputes between persons making FOIA 
requests and administrative agencies.
    (2) To a congressional office from the record of an individual, in 
response to an inquiry from the congressional office made at the 
request of that individual.
    (3) To contractors, grantees, experts, consultants and their 
agents, or others performing or working under a contract, service, 
grant, cooperative agreement, or other agreement with HUD, when 
necessary to accomplish an agency function related to a system of 
records. Disclosure requirements are limited to only those data 
elements considered relevant to accomplishing an agency function.
    (4) To contractors, experts and consultants with whom HUD has a 
contract, service agreement, or other assignment of the Department, 
when necessary to utilize relevant data for the purpose of testing new 
technology and systems designed to enhance program operations and 
performance.
    (5) To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when: (a) HUD 
suspects or has confirmed that there has been a breach of the system of 
records; (b) HUD has determined that as a result of the suspected or 
confirmed breach there is a risk of harm to individuals, HUD (including 
its information systems, programs, and operations), the Federal 
Government, or national security; and (c) The disclosure made to such 
agencies, entities, and persons is reasonably necessary to assist in 
connection with HUD's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed 
breach or to prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm.
    (6) To another Federal agency or Federal entity, when HUD 
determines that information from this system of records is reasonably 
necessary to assist the recipient agency or entity in (1) responding to 
suspected or confirmed breach, or (2) preventing, minimizing, or 
remedying the risk of harm to individuals, the recipient agency or 
entity (including its information systems, programs, and operations), 
the Federal Government, or national security, resulting from a 
suspected or confirmed breach.
    (7) To appropriate Federal, State, local, tribal, or other 
governmental agencies or multilateral governmental organizations 
responsible for investigating or prosecuting the violations of, or for 
enforcing or implementing, a statute, rule, regulation, order, or 
license, where HUD determines that the information would assist in the 
enforcement of civil or criminal laws and when such records, either 
alone or in conjunction with other information, indicate a violation or 
potential violation of law.
    (8) (a) To a court, magistrate, administrative tribunal, or 
arbitrator in the course of presenting evidence, including disclosures 
to opposing counsel or witnesses in the course of civil discovery, 
litigation, mediation, or settlement negotiations, or in

[[Page 42486]]

connection with criminal law proceedings; when HUD determines that use 
of such records is relevant and necessary to the litigation and when 
any of the following is a party to the litigation or have an interest 
in such litigation: (1) HUD, or any component thereof; or (2) any HUD 
employee in his or her official capacity; or (3) any HUD employee in 
his or her individual capacity where HUD has agreed to represent the 
employee; or (4) the United States, or any agency thereof, where HUD 
determines that litigation is likely to affect HUD or any of its 
components.
    (9) To any component of the Department of Justice or other Federal 
agency conducting litigation or in proceedings before any court, 
adjudicative, or administrative body, when HUD determines that the use 
of such records is relevant and necessary to the litigation and when 
any of the following is a party to the litigation or have an interest 
in such litigation: (1) HUD, or any component thereof; or (2) any HUD 
employee in his or her official capacity; or (3) any HUD employee in 
his or her individual capacity where the Department of Justice or 
agency conducting the litigation has agreed to represent the employee; 
or (4) the United States, or any agency thereof, where HUD determines 
that litigation is likely to affect HUD or any of its components.
    (10) To a consumer reporting agency, when trying to collect a claim 
owed on behalf of the Government, in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3711(e).

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
    Electronic.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
    Name, address, telephone number, or email address associated with 
an individual.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
    Temporary. Destroy 3 years after agreement, control measures, 
procedures, project, activity, or transaction is obsolete, completed, 
terminated or superseded.

ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
    All personal data will be maintained on a secure workstation or 
server protected by a firewall, and complex passwords that can only be 
accessed by the system administrators. Access rights to the data are 
granted to limited staff on a need-to-know basis, and the level of 
access provided to each person is based on the minimal level required 
that the individual needs to fulfill his role. All systems used to 
process or store data have Federal security controls applied to them; 
the data will be backed up regularly to safeguard against system 
failures or disasters; and unencrypted data will never be stored on a 
laptop or on a movable media such as CDs or USB flash drives.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    Individuals requesting records of themselves should address written 
inquiries to the Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th 
Street SW Washington, DC 20410-0001. For verification, individuals 
should provide their full name, current address, and telephone number. 
In addition, the requester must provide either a notarized statement or 
an unsworn declaration made under 24 CFR 16.4.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    The HUD rule for accessing, contesting, and appealing agency 
determinations by the individual concerned are published in 24 CFR part 
16.8 or may be obtained from the system manager.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
    Individuals requesting notification of records of themselves should 
address written inquiries to the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20410-0001. For 
verification purposes, individuals should provide their full name, 
office or organization where assigned, if applicable, and current 
address and telephone number. In addition, the requester must provide 
either a notarized statement or an unsworn declaration made under 24 
CFR 16.4.

EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
    None.

HISTORY:
    N/A.

LaDonne L. White,
Chief Privacy Officer, Office of Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-10616 Filed 5-14-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P