[Federal Register: December 9, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 236)]
[Notices]
[Page 68648-68649]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09de03-101]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-4874-N-01]
Public Housing Operating Fund; Notice of Availability of
Information and Request for Comments
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian
Housing, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Through this notice, HUD invites public housing agencies
(PHAs), public housing residents, and other interested members of the
public to HUD's Web site that provides information about the Public
Housing Operating Fund Formula. The Operating Fund Formula determines
the allocation of operating subsidies to PHAs. The Operating Fund
Formula currently in
[[Page 68649]]
effect was established by a March 29, 2001, interim rule, which
followed a July 10, 2000, proposed rule developed through negotiated
rulemaking procedures. The Web site continues the discussion of
possible changes to the Operating Fund Formula, initiated during the
development of and continuing through the recent release of a study of
the cost of operating public housing conducted by the Harvard
University Graduate School of Design. HUD's Web site presents issues
for consideration and solicits comments from the public on the
substance and form of a revised Operating Fund Formula.
DATES: Comment Due Date: Comments on the information posted on HUD's
Web site will be accepted until January 30, 2004. HUD will update and
revise this information on a periodic basis to reflect the availability
of data and the public comments received to date. Accordingly,
interested parties should visit HUD's Web site periodically during the
comment period, and are invited to submit new or revised comments based
on the updated information.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding
the information posted on HUD's Web site, http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/divisions/ffmd/formulacomments.cfm.
Comments must be submitted to:
Opfund_Formula_Comments@hud.gov or Chris Kubacki, Public Housing Financial Management Division, Office of Public and Indian Housing--
Real Estate Assessment Center, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 1250 Maryland Ave., SW., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20024-
5000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Kubacki, Public Housing
Financial Management Division, Office of Public and Indian Housing--
Real Estate Assessment Center, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 1250 Maryland Ave., SW., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20024-
5000; telephone (202) 708-4932 (this is not a toll-free number).
Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number via
TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at 1-
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 9 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437g) establishes an Operating Fund for the purpose of making
assistance available to PHAs for the operation and management of public
housing. Section 9 also requires that the amount of the assistance to
be made available to a PHA from that fund be determined using a formula
developed through negotiated rulemaking procedures as provided in
subchapter III of chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code, commonly
referred to as the Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1990.
Negotiated rulemaking for an Operating Fund Formula was initiated
in March 1999, and consisted of 25 members representing PHAs, tenant
organizations, community-based organizations, and the three national
organizations representing PHAs--The Public Housing Authorities
Directors Association (PHADA), the Council of Large Public Housing
Authorities (CLPHA), and the National Association of Housing
Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). The negotiated rulemaking committee
concluded with a proposed rule, published on July 10, 2000 (65 FR
42488), which was followed by an interim rule published on March 29,
2001 (66 FR 17276). The March 29, 2001, interim rule established the
Operating Fund Formula that is currently in effect.
In accordance with Congressional direction, HUD contracted with the
Harvard University Graduate School of Design (Harvard GSD) to conduct a
study on the costs incurred in operating well-run public housing. The
Harvard GSD performed extensive research on the question of what the
expense level of managing public housing should be. HUD invited the
members of the negotiated rulemaking committee to be active
participants in Harvard GSD's research for and development of the Cost
Study. The Harvard GSD also conducted several public meetings to allow
for an exchange of views with the public housing industry, beyond those
industry members who were part of the Operating Fund Formula negotiated
rulemaking committee. The Cost Study was completed and officially
released in July 2003, and the release of the Cost Study has prompted
further discussion about changes to, and the future of, the Operating
Fund Formula. A copy of the Cost Study and related documents may be
downloaded from the Harvard GSD Web site (http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/research/research_centers/phocs/index.html
).
II. This Notice
HUD believes that a reinitiation of the dialogue with the industry
and the public on changes to the Operating Fund Formula that commenced
with the development of the Cost Study and continued through its
release, would be beneficial to the Department and the industry in
focusing on changes that should be considered to the Operating Fund
Formula. HUD is therefore making available on its Web site information
and issues related to possible changes to the Operating Fund Formula
(see HUD Web site at http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/divisions/ffmd/formulacomments.cfm
).
HUD is specifically seeking comments on the information posted on
its Web site. Interested parties may submit comments on this
information either electronically or by mail to the addresses listed in
the ADDRESSES section above. Comments on the information posted on
HUD's Web site will be accepted until January 30, 2004.
It is HUD's goal in posting this information to initiate an ongoing
dialogue with interested members of the public. Accordingly, HUD will
update and revise the information posted on its Web site on a periodic
basis to reflect the availability of data and the public comments
received to date. Interested parties should visit HUD's Web site
periodically during the comment period, and are invited to submit new
or revised comments based on the updated information. As part of this
ongoing dialogue with the public, public housing residents, PHAs, and
other interested parties on issues concerning possible changes to the
Operating Fund Formula, HUD may also sponsor one or more meetings to
further discuss changes to the Operating Fund Formula.
Dated: December 2, 2003.
Michael M. Liu,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 03-30507 Filed 12-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-33-P