[Federal Register: April 6, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 65)]
[Notices]               
[Page 16744-16745]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06ap99-88]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4442-N-09]

 
Notice Of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and 
Research, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described 
below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for

[[Page 16745]]

review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is 
soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

DATES: Comments are due June 7, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to: Reports Liaison Officer, Office 
of Policy Development & Research, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451-7th Street, SW, Room 8226, Washington, DC 20410-6000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurent V. Hodes or Robert W. Gray, 
Office of Policy Development and Research, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, 451 7th St., SW, Room 8154, Washington, DC 20410-
6000, telephone 202-708-5537 extension 5736 or 5732. (This is not a 
toll-free number.) A copy of the proposed forms and other available 
documents to be submitted to OMB may be obtained from Mr. Hodes or Mr. 
Gray.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed 
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended).
    This notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and 
affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information to: 
(1) Evaluate 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) 
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Minimize the 
burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, 
including through use of appropriate automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    This Notice also lists the following information:
    Title of Proposal: Reinstatement, ``Customer-Survey of Households 
Living in Federally Assisted Units,'' OMB Control Number: 2528-0170, 
Expired 04/30/98.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use:
    HUD recently developed and tested a cost-effective mail survey 
instrument for assessing resident satisfaction with, and rating of, 
housing units assisted through HUD programs. This survey, which elicits 
renters' ratings of their housing, provided high response rates and 
high levels of agreement with independent condition ratings by 
professional inspectors. HUD plans to implement this survey as an 
ongoing tool to assess customer ratings of housing assisted through the 
Section 8 Certificate and Voucher programs. For limited evaluative or 
comparative purposes, HUD may also use this survey to assess resident 
ratings of other Federal housing assistance programs.
    This survey will provide feedback to help local housing agencies 
improve their Section 8 programs, and will help HUD to focus its 
monitoring and technical assistance resources where program performance 
most needs improvement. It will also provide HUD's policy, budget, and 
program managers with improved measures for tracking national housing 
conditions over time.
    Members of the affected public: Households receiving assistance 
from the Section 8 Certificate or Voucher Programs.
    Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response: Information will be collected by an 
annual mail survey of 267,000 of the 1.4 million households who are 
assisted through the Section 8 Certificate and Voucher programs. The 
survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete for an annual 
total of 66,750 hours of respondent burden. Because the survey will be 
administered to a sample of households, and because of turnover in the 
Section 8 programs, most households will not be asked to complete the 
survey two years in a row.
    Status of the proposed information collection: The original 
information collection was suspended at the termination of HUD's pilot 
testing. This proposed reinstatement is pending submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance.

    Authority: Sec. 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

    Dated: March 29, 1999.
Lawrence L. Thompson,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.
[FR Doc. 99-8399 Filed 4-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-62-M