Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Emergency Comment Request; Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) Incremental Rent Transition Study

AGENCY:

Office of Policy Development and Research.

ACTION:

Notice of proposed information collection.

SUMMARY:

The proposed information collection requirement described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for emergency review and approval, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

DATES:

Comments Due Date: December 29, 2008.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this proposal. Comments must be received within fourteen (14) days from the date of this Notice. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and should be sent to: HUD Desk Officer, Office of Management and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lillian Deitzer, Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, QDAM Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20410; e-mail Lillian_Deitzer@hud.gov , telephone (202) 402-8048. This is not a toll-free number. Copies of documentation submitted to OMB may be obtained from Ms. Deitzer.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This Notice informs the public that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has submitted to OMB, for emergency processing, a proposed information collection requirement as described below. This Notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and affecting 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 the 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: Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) Incremental Rent Transition Study.

Description of Information Collection: This document provides notice that this emergency request is necessary at this time because it is an essential part of an important study of the incremental rent transition (IRT) aspect of DHAP. This study will compare families transitioning from stepped-up rents (i.e., Phase I families) and $0 rent (i.e., Phase II/Phase III families) to market rate or assisted housing and measure their outcomes over time. This Information Collection would enable the Department to answer the question of how do you transition people most effectively from rental assistance to market rate housing after a disaster. Additionally, since DHAP differs from the regular Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, this study will enable HUD to see if DHAP vouchers and their differential rents are having a different effect on housing, employment, education, health, and other outcomes after DHAP ends February 28, 2009.

OMB Control Number: 2528-Pending.

Agency Form Numbers: None.

Members of Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal Government.

Estimation of the total numbers of hours needed to prepare the information collection including number of respondents, frequency of responses, and hours of response: The estimated total number of burden hours needed to prepare the information collection is 3,000; the number of respondents is 3000; the frequency of response is once.

Status: This is a request for a new collection.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended.