[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 31, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68298-68299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-34083]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4170-N-16]


Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB

AGENCY: Office of Public and Indian Housing--HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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

DATES: The due date for comments is January 7, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons were invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments must be received within seven (7) days from the 
date of this Notice. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and 
should be sent to: Joseph F. Lackey, Jr., HUD Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 
20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reports Management Officer, Department 
of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, 
DC 20410, telephone (202) 708-0050. This is not a toll-free number. 
Copies of available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from Ms. 
Weaver.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice informs the public that the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has submitted to OMB, 
for emergency processing, an information collection package with 
respect to proposed Indian Housing Plan (IHP) form for the Native 
American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 
(NAHASDA).
    On October 26, 1996, the President signed into law the NAHASDA, 
which streamlines the process of providing housing assistance to Native 
Americans. Specifically, it eliminates several separate programs of 
assistance and replaces them with a single block grant program, 
effective October 1, 1997.
    The collection of information being requested is necessary so that 
the Secretary shall allocate any amounts made available for assistance 
under this Act for the future fiscal years, in accordance with the 
formula established pursuant to section 302, among Indian tribes that 
comply with the requirements under this Act for a grant under this Act.
    These forms meet the minimum requirements for an IHP required by 
the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. To be 
eligible for grants, respondents must submit the IHP which meets the 
minimum requirements of the NAHASDA. IHPs originally had a submission 
deadline of November 3, 1997. On October 1, 1997, the NAHASDA 
legislation became effective. The Department concluded that new IHP 
submission dates were needed to enable tribes/tribally designated 
housing entities (TDHEs) additional time to formulate their plan to 
comply with NAHASDA requirements. Language in the transition notice 
advises all tribes/TDHEs that an IHP can be submitted no earlier than 
the publication of the final regulations implementing NAHASDA and no 
later than July 1, 1998.
    Additionally, seven comments were received on the paperwork 
requirements for the NAHASDA IHP and were submitted to the NAHASDA 
Negotiated Rulemaking Committee. The Committee reviewed these comments 
and the Department streamlined the IHP forms per these suggestions and 
eliminated requirements that were determined to be unnecessary for 
submission of a tribe's plan.
    The Department has submitted the proposal for the collection of 
information to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). The Department has requested emergency 
clearance of the collection of information, as described below, with 
approval being sought by January 12, 1998.
    (1) Title of the information collection proposal: Indian Housing 
Plan (IHP) form.
    (2) Summary of the collection of information.

5-Year Plan

    For an Indian tribe to receive funding they must submit to the 
Secretary, for each fiscal year, a housing plan which shall be in a 
form prescribed by the Secretary and shall contain, with respect to the 
5-year period beginning without the fiscal year for which the plan is 
submitted, the following information:
    (A) Mission Statement--A general statement for the mission of the 
Indian tribe to serve the needs of the low-income families in the 
jurisdiction of the Indian tribe during the period.
    (A) Goals and Objectives--A statement of the goals and objectives 
of the Indian tribe to enable the tribe to serve the needs identified 
in paragraph (1) during the period.
    (B) Activities Plan--An overview of the activities planned during 
the period including an analysis of the manner in which the activities 
will enable tribe to meet its mission, goals, and objectives.

1-Year Plan

    For an Indian tribe to receive funding they must submit to the 
Secretary, for each fiscal year, a housing plan which shall be in a 
form prescribed by the Secretary and shall contain, the following 
information relating to the upcoming fiscal year for which

[[Page 68299]]

assistance under this Act is to be made available:
    (A) Goals and Objecrtives--A statement of the goals and objectives 
of the Indian tribe to enable the tribe to serve the needs identified 
in paragraph (1) during the period.
    (B) Statement of Needs--A statement of the housing needs of the 
low-income Indian families residing in the jurisdiction of the Indian 
tribe and the means by which such needs will be addressed during the 
period.
    (C) Financial Resources--An operating budget for the recipient, in 
a form prescribed by the Secretary.
    (D) Affordable Housing Resources--A statement of the affordable 
housing resources currently available and to be made available during 
the period.
    (E) Certification of Compliance--Evidence of compliance which shall 
include certification that the recipient will comply with title II of 
the Civil Rights Act of 1968 in carrying out this Act and other 
applicable Federal statues; certification that the recipient will 
maintain adequate insurance coverage for housing units; certification 
that eligibility, admission and occupancy policies are in effect; 
certification that policies are available for review by the Secretary 
and the public governing the management and maintenance of housing 
assisted with grant amounts provided under this Act.
    (3) Description of the need for the information and its proposed 
use: The IHP describes how the tribe will implement its affordable 
housing activities. The Secretary shall conduct a limited review of 
each IHP submitted to the Secretary to ensure that the plan complies 
with the requirements of section 102 of the Act. The Secretary shall 
have the discretion to review a plan only to the extent that the 
Secretary considers review is necessary.
    All federally recognized tribes or State recognized tribes are 
eligible to apply for NAHASDA funding. The estimated number of 
respondents is 400. The proposed frequency of the response to the 
collection is one time. A plan under this section may cover more than 1 
Indian tribe, but only if the certification requirements under section 
102(d)--Participation of Tribally Designated Housing Entity, are 
complied with by each such grant beneficiary covered. (5) Estimate of 
the total reporting and record keeping burden that will result the 
collection of information:
    Reporting Burden: Number of respondents: 400.
    Total burden hours (@400 per response): 42,000.

    Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

    Dated December 23, 1997.
David S. Cristy,
Director, IRM Policy and Management Division.
[FR Doc. 97-34083 Filed 12-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-33-M