[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71384-71385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19706]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7090-N-07]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: 2023 American 
Housing Survey; OMB Control No.: 2528-0117

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: November 4, 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.regulations.gov. 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: 2025 American Housing Survey.
    OMB Approval Number: 2528-0017.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
purpose of the American Housing Survey (AHS) is to supply the public 
with detailed and timely information about housing quality, housing 
costs, and neighborhood assets, in support of effective housing policy, 
programs, and markets. Title 12, United States Code, Sections 1701Z-1, 
1701Z-2(g), and 1710Z-10a mandates the collection of this information.
    Increasing field costs and declining response rates have led HUD to 
adopt a continuous data collection model as opposed to the periodic 5-
month data collection every other year. HUD believes continuous data 
collection will be more effective, primarily because: (1) it eliminates 
the expensive, time-consuming Regional Office AHS ramp-up costs every 
two years, and (2) it puts in place a more experienced AHS workforce 
with a constant workload. An added benefit is that we will be able to 
increase the frequency of national and metro AHS estimates, allowing 
for more current estimates and better

[[Page 71385]]

comparability to other data sources which collect annual data (surveys 
such as the American Community Survey and key estimates such as 
homeownership/vacancy rates).
    The survey will continue to be longitudinal, interviewing the same 
housing unit every two years. The sample will be divided into 12 
cohorts where each cohort has a 2-month data collection period. Data 
collection will begin May 2025.
    In addition to the ``core'' data, HUD plans to collect supplemental 
data on climate adaptation and mitigation, arts and culture, 
accessibility, doubling up, and accessory dwelling units. Additionally 
wording variations related to sexual orientation and gender will be 
tested in support of the American Community Survey Content Test.
    The 2025 survey will begin a new longitudinal sample consisting of 
approximately 175,000 housing units. The sample is designed to provide 
estimates twenty metropolitan areas and at least seventeen states. An 
oversample of HUD-assisted housing units is included in the sample 
design. For the first survey cycle (2025-26) a bridge sample will be 
fielded. The bridge sample will be drawn from housing units that were 
successfully interviewed in 2023.
    The bridge sample serves as an evaluation tool. If something 
unforeseen were to happen with the 2025 sample, the estimates from the 
bridge sample can measure what the 2025 estimates would have looked 
like if we had not redesigned the AHS sample. The bridge sample size 
will be 8,500. Approximately seven percent of all interviews will be 
reinterviewed for the purpose of interviewer quality control (an 
estimated total of 12,845 housing units).
    To help reduce respondent burden on households in the longitudinal 
sample, the 2025 AHS will make use of dependent interviewing 
techniques, which will decrease the number of questions asked. Policy 
analysts, program managers, budget analysts, and Congressional staff 
use AHS data to advise executive and legislative branches about housing 
conditions and the suitability of public policy initiatives. Academic 
researchers and private organizations also use AHS data in efforts of 
specific interest and concern to their respective communities.
    The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) needs the AHS 
data for the following two reasons:
    1. With the data, policy analysts can monitor the interaction among 
housing needs, demand and supply, as well as changes in housing 
conditions and costs, to aid in the development of housing policies and 
the design of housing programs appropriate for different target groups, 
such as first-time home buyers and the elderly.
    2. With the data, HUD can evaluate, monitor, and design HUD 
programs to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
    Members of affected public: Households.
    Estimated number of respondents: 187,845.
    Estimated time per response: 29.64 minutes.
    Frequency of response: One time every two years.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 46,416.91.
    Estimated total annual cost: The only cost to respondents is that 
of their time. The total estimated cost is $1,072,694.79.
    Respondent's obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal authority: The collection of information is conducted under 
title 12, United States Code, section 1701z and section 3507 of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. ch. 35, as amended.

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                                                                                                   Burden hour     Annual    Hourly cost
               Information collection                    Number of     Frequency    Responses per      per         burden        per        Annual cost
                                                        respondents   of response       annum        response      hours       response
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Occupied Interviews.................................      119,000.00         1.00       59,500.00          .75    44,625.00       $23.11   $1,031,283.75
Vacant Interviews...................................       17,500.00         1.00        8,750.00          .08       700.00        23.11       16,177.00
Non-interviews......................................       33,250.00         1.00       16,625.00          .00          .00        23.11            0.00
Ineligible..........................................        5,250.00         1.00        2,625.00          .00          .00        23.11            0.00
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    Subtotal........................................      175,000.00         1.00       87,500.00          .00          .00        23.11            0.00
Reinterviews........................................       12,845.00         1.00        6,423.00          .17     1,091.91        23.11       25,234.04
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    Total...........................................      187,845.00  ...........       93,923.00  ...........    46,416.91  ...........    1,072,694.79
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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. 2024-19706 Filed 8-30-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P