[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 36047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14161]



Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 109 / Tuesday, June 6, 2000 / 
Notices

[[Page 36047]]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4497-N-07]
RIN 2577-AC08


Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) Notice of PHAS Transition 
Assistance for Certain PHAs

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian 
Housing, and Office of the Director of the Real Estate Assessment 
Center, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This document notifies public housing agencies (PHAs) with 
fiscal years ending March 31, 2000, and June 30, 2000, that they may 
conduct physical inspections of their units in accordance with HUD's 
Housing Quality Standards. Additionally, this notice advises that HUD 
extends advisory scores to PHAs with fiscal years ending March 31, 
2000. Therefore, PHAS scores will be issued for PHAs with fiscal years 
ending on and after June 30, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact the 
Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC), Attention: Wanda Funk, U.S. 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1280 Maryland Avenue, SW, 
Suite 800, Washington DC, 20024; telephone Technical Assistance Center 
at (888)-245-4860 (this is a toll free number). Persons with hearing or 
speech impairments may access that number via TTY by calling the 
Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additional 
information is available from the REAC Internet Site, http://www.hud.gov/reac.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On January 11, 2000 (65 FR 1712), HUD issued a final rule that made 
certain amendments to the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) 
regulations. The PHAS was implemented by final regulations published on 
September 1, 1998. The amendments published to the PHAS regulations on 
January 11, 2000, followed a proposed rule published on June 22, 1999, 
and were prompted by both statutory and administrative changes to the 
PHAS.

II. Additional Transition Assistance to Certain PHAs

    Following publication of the January 11, 2000, final rule, HUD was 
asked to provide further transition assistance to PHAs with fiscal 
years ending March 31, 2000, and June 30, 2000, by allowing these PHAs 
to inspect occupied units in accordance with HUD's Housing Quality 
Standards (HQS). Under sub-indicator #3 of PHAS Indicator #3, 
Management Operations, PHAs are assessed on the percentage of units and 
systems that a PHA inspects on an annual basis in order to determine 
short-term maintenance needs and long-term Capital Fund needs. PHAs 
must inspect these units in accordance with HUD's Uniform Physical 
Condition Standards. In a notice published December 16, 1999 (64 FR 
70274), HUD advised that PHAs with fiscal years ending September 30, 
1999, and December 31, 1999, could inspect their units in accordance 
with HQS because HUD only recently released its physical inspection and 
training guidebook. HUD will extend the transition assistance provided 
in its December 16, 1999, notice to PHAs with fiscal years ending March 
31, 2000, and June 30, 2000.
    Additionally, HUD was requested to allow PHAs with fiscal years 
ending March 31, 2000, to receive PHAS advisory scores, given the date 
on which the PHAS Amendments final rule was issued--January 11, 2000. 
HUD agrees to issue PHAS advisory scores to PHAs with fiscal years 
ending March 31, 2000. PHAS scores will be issued to PHAs with fiscal 
years ending on or after June 30, 2000. As the October 21, 1999, PHAS 
Transition Notice clarified, however, HUD is required by statute to 
assess PHAs performance. PHAs with fiscal years ending March 31, 2000, 
will receive an assessment score solely on the basis of HUD's 
assessment of the PHA's management operations in accordance with 24 CFR 
part 902, subpart D of the PHAS regulations (PHAS Indicator #3, 
Management Operations), as amended by the January 11, 2000, final rule, 
and corrected by the correction document published elsewhere in this 
edition of the Federal Register.

III. PHAS Technical Correction

    Elsewhere in this edition of the Federal Register, HUD is 
publishing a technical correction to the January 11, 2000 PHAS final 
rule.

    Dated: March 30, 2000.
Harold Lucas,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
Donald J. LaVoy,
Director, Real Estate Assessment Center.
[FR Doc. 00-14161 Filed 6-5-00; 8:45 am]
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