[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77890-77891]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21793]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-7082-N-09]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: CDBG Urban 
County Qualification/New York Towns Qualification/Requalification 
Process, Notice; OMB Control No.: 2506-0170

AGENCY: Office of Community Planning and Development, 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 25, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection can be sent 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: Colette Pollard, Reports Management Officer, REE, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 
8210, Washington, DC 20410-5000; telephone (202) 402-3400 (this is not 
a toll-free number) or email at [email protected] for a copy of 
the proposed forms or other available information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gloria Coates, Senior Community 
Planning and Development Specialist, Entitlement Communities Division, 
Office of Block Grant Assistance, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 7282, Washington, DC 20410-5000; 
email at [email protected] or telephone (202) 402-2184. 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. Coates.

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: CDBG Urban County Qualification/
New York Towns Qualification/Requalification Process.
    OMB Approval Number: 2506-0170.
    Type of Request: Extension.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Description of the need for the information and proposed use: The 
Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended (the Act), at 
sections 102(a)(6) and 102(e) requires that any county seeking 
qualification as an urban county notify each unit of general local 
government within the county that such unit may elect to have its 
population excluded from that of the urban county. Section 102(d) of 
the Act specifies that the period of qualification will be three years. 
Based on these statutory provisions, counties seeking qualification or 
requalification as urban counties under the CDBG program must provide 
information to HUD every three years identifying the units of general 
local governments (UGLGs) within the county participating as a part of 
the county for purposes of receiving CDBG funds. The population of 
UGLGs for each eligible urban county is used in HUD's allocation of 
CDBG funds for all entitlement and State CDBG grantees.
    New York Towns may qualify as metropolitan cities if they are able 
to secure the participation of all of the villages located within their 
boundaries. Any New York Town that is located in an urban county may 
choose to leave that urban county when that county is requalifying. A 
New York Town will be required to notify the urban county in advance of 
its decision to decline participation in the urban county's CDBG 
program and complete the metropolitan city qualification process.
    Respondents: Urban counties that are eligible as entitlement 
grantees of the CDBG program.
    Estimation Number of Respondents: There are currently 195 qualified 
urban counties participating in the CDBG program that must requalify 
every three years.
    Estimation Number of Responses: The proposed frequency of the 
response to the collection is on an annual basis.
    Frequency of Response: On average, two new counties qualify each 
year. The burden on new counties is greater than for existing counties 
that requalify. The Department estimates new grantees use, on average, 
120 hours to review instructions, contact communities in the county, 
prepare and review agreements, obtain legal opinions, have agreements 
executed at the local and county level, and prepare and transmit copies 
of required documents to HUD. The Department estimates that counties 
that are requalifying use, on average, 67 hours to complete these 
actions. The time savings on requalification is primarily a result of a 
grantee's ability

[[Page 77891]]

to use agreements with no specified end date. Use of such ``renewable'' 
agreements enables the grantee to merely notify affected participating 
UGLGs in writing that their agreement will automatically be renewed 
unless the UGLG terminates the agreement in writing, rather than 
executing a new agreement every three years.

Average of 2 new urban counties qualify per year 2 x 120 hrs = 240 hrs.
195 grantees requalify on triennial basis; average annual number of 
respondents = 65 65 x 67 hrs. = 4,355 hrs.
Total combined burden hours: 4,595 hours

    This total number of combined burden hours can be expected to 
increase annually by 1,200 hours, given the average of two new urban 
counties becoming eligible entitlement grantees each year.

B. Solicitation of Public 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 comment in response to 
these questions.

C. Authority

    Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
chapter 35.

Marion M. McFadden,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development.
[FR Doc. 2024-21793 Filed 9-23-24; 8:45 am]
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