[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 16, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2623-2624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00648]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Expedited Office of Management and Budget Review and Public 
Comment: Office of Community Services Affordable Housing and Supportive 
Services Demonstration Data Collection (New Collection)

AGENCY: Office of Community Services, Administration for Children and 
Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Community Services (OCS), Administration for 
Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS), is requesting expedited review of an information 
collection request from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and 
inviting public comments on the proposed collection. The Affordable 
Housing and Supportive Services Demonstration was appropriated by the 
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Bill, 2023 through the Social Services Research 
Demonstration program (SSRD). The House report language directs ACF to 
provide a report on the findings of this demonstration within 1 year 
after grants are awarded. ACF is soliciting public comment within the 
next 30 days and requesting expedited approval from OMB to collect 
information to study the implementation of this demonstration program 
to inform this report. Following initial approval, ACF will request an 
extension of approval within 6 months. This extension process will 
include additional commenting opportunities.

DATES: Comments due within February 15, 2024. In compliance with the 
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ACF is soliciting 
public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection 
described in this notice.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be 
obtained and comments may be submitted by emailing 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#41282f272e222e2d2d242235282e2f012022276f2929326f262e37"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ae3e4ece5e9e5e6e6efe9fee3e5e4caebe9eca4e2e2f9a4ede5fc">[email protected]</span></a>. Identify all by the title of the 
information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Description: ACF is requesting that OMB grant a 180-day approval 
for this request under procedures for expedited processing. A request 
for review under normal procedures will be submitted within 180 days of 
the approval for this request. Given the Congressional directive for a 
report on the Affordable Housing and Supportive Services Demonstration 
within 1 year, OCS has prepared data collection instruments to study 
the implementation of this demonstration program with the intent to 
produce a robust report to Congress. Under normal circumstances, OCS 
would submit the data collection instruments through a standard 
information collection request with OMB. However, the short timeframe 
attached to the Congressional directive make it reasonably likely that 
the use of normal clearance procedures to comply with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act would cause this Congressional deadline to be missed. If 
OCS were to proceed with the normal timeline for OMB review and 
approval, OCS would be unable to collect, clean, analyze, and 
consolidate program data such that it would be accessible for the 
report to Congress due within 1 year. Thus, OCS is requesting emergency 
OMB approval of this data collection to ensure we can accommodate the 
Congressional request for a report on the findings of this 
demonstration within 1 year. OCS is hoping to center the study around 
three main research categories--implementation of supportive services 
in affordable housing, changes in participant access to supportive 
services in affordable housing, and overall participant experience and 
outcomes along several variables of interest. Ultimately, OCS hopes to 
illustrate how supportive services are implemented in affordable 
housing spaces by program directors and caseworkers, and also 
demonstrate participant experiences accessing those services in the 
affordable housing setting, as well as which services and supports 
worked to improve resident well-being and overall self-sufficiency. To 
answer these research questions, OCS will engage in the following 
activities:

[[Page 2624]]

    <bullet> Collecting program official, caseworker, and resident 
beneficiary level data from the Affordable Housing and Supportive 
Services Demonstration.
    <bullet> Conducting interviews with program officials and 
caseworkers that administer the supportive services to residents living 
in affordable housing units to better understand their program 
implementation efforts and responses to resident needs.
    <bullet> Conducting focus groups with beneficiary residents to 
understand their needs and experiences with the supportive services 
offered in their affordable housing residence.
    <bullet> Administering a self-sufficiency matrix to beneficiary 
residents to assess any change or improvement in beneficiary resident 
reporting of overall self-sufficiency and wellbeing, which is measured 
using several indicators, with the receipt of additional supportive 
services in the affordable housing setting.
    Respondents: There will be three types of respondents to the 
proposed instruments. First, the direct beneficiaries living in the 
residential housing communities will respond to instruments 1, 2, and 
3. Second, the program directors/administrative staff will respond to 
instruments 4, 5, 6, and 7. Finally, the caseworkers providing direct 
support to beneficiaries will respond to instrument 8. Caseworkers may 
also be asked to support the implementation and administration of 
instruments 1, 2, and 3.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                              Total
                                                                 Total      number of     Average       Total/
                         Instrument                            number of    responses      burden       annual
                                                              respondents      per       hours per      burden
                                                                            respondent    response      hours
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1--Self-Sufficiency Matrix..................................          560            2          1.5        1,680
2--Service Receipt Questionnaire............................          560            2          .25          280
3--Resident Focus Group.....................................           25            1          1.5         37.5
4--Quarterly PPR Questions..................................            9            4            2           72
5--Semi-Annual Report MANDATORY.............................            9            2            3           54
6--Semi-Annual Report OPTIONAL..............................            3            2            1            6
7--Interviews of Program Directors..........................           18            1          1.5           27
8--Interviews of Caseworkers................................           18            1            1           18
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours.....................  ...........  ...........  ...........      2,174.5
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    Comments: The Department specifically requests comments on (a) 
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 
the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection 
of information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology. 
Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted 
within 60 days of this publication. Comments will be considered and any 
necessary updates to materials made prior to, and responses provided 
in, the submission to OMB that will follow this public comment period.
    Authority: Sec. 1110, Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 1310.

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-00648 Filed 1-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-24-P


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