[Federal Register: September 22, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 183)] [Rules and Regulations] [Page 50527-50528] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr22se98-22] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT 24 CFR Parts 401 and 402 [Docket No. FR-4298-N-02] RIN 2502-AH09 Notice of Public Meetings Multifamily Housing Mortgage and Housing Assistance Restructuring (Mark-to-Market) Program AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner, HUD. ACTION: Notice of public forums. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: On September 11, 1998 (63 FR 48925), the Department published in the Federal Register an interim rule implementing the Mark-to-Market Program. The Program was enacted by the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (MAHRA). The purpose of the program is to preserve low-income rental housing affordability while reducing the long-term costs of Federal rental assistance, including project-based assistance, and minimizing the adverse effect on the FHA insurance funds. The authorizing statute provides that before publishing the final rule HUD is to conduct at least three public forums at which organizations representing various groups identified in the statute may express views concerning HUD's proposed disposition of recommendations from those groups. This notice announces the time and places for these public forums. DATES: The public forums will be held on Thursday, October 1, 1998, from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. local time. ADDRESSES: The public forums will be held at the following three locations: Midland Hotel (Adams Room), 175 West Adams, Chicago, Illinois Holiday Inn Golden Gateway, 1500 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California The College of Insurance, 101 Murray Street, New York, New York. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leslie Breden, (202) 708-6423, ext. 5603. For hearing- and speech-impaired persons, this number may be accessed via TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 1- 800-877-8339. For registration information call 1-800-685-8470, the Multifamily Housing Clearinghouse, (fax) (301)-519-5161. (Except for the 800 numbers, these are not toll-free numbers.) Additional information is available on HUD's Internet web site, at http:// www.hud.gov/fha/mfh/pre/premenu.html. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: What Will Be Discussed at the Forums? Section 522(a)(3)(A) of MAHRA directed HUD to seek recommendations on implementing the participating administrative entity selection criteria (see section 513(b) of MAHRA and Sec. 401.201 of the interim rule) and on mandatory renewal of project-based assistance (see section 515(c)(1) of MAHRA and Sec. 401.420 of the interim rule). In accordance with section 513(a)(3)(A), HUD has received recommendations from at least the following organizations: State housing finance agencies and local housing agencies; other potential participating administering entities; tenants; owners and managers of eligible multifamily housing projects; States and units of general local government; and qualified mortgagees. The recommendations covered the scope of the interim rule. In accordance with section 522(a)(3)(B) of MAHRA, HUD is holding these public forums to provide participants with an opportunity to express their views on Sec. 401.201 and Sec. 401.420 of the interim rule. HUD will not be making any presentations at these forums. The purpose of these forums is for HUD to listen and record the comments of the forum participants for consideration in drafting the final rule. How Can I Register for a Forum? You can get registration information through HUD's portfolio reengineering [[Page 50528]] website at http:www.hud.gov/fha/pre/premenu.html. Those wishing to attend and to provide oral comments are asked to register in advance. To allow for the greatest participation at the forums, we will ask you to register for a specified time and to limit your comments to 5 minutes. Those who do not preregister will be accommodated and given an opportunity to comment after those who have preregistered, time and space permitting. Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1437f note and 3535(d). Dated: September 15, 1998. Ira Peppercorn, General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing. [FR Doc. 98-25269 Filed 9-21-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4210-27-P