Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 2015 / Notices 21755 

economic assumptions. For reference, 

these economic assumptions are 

described in Chapter 2 of the Analytical 

Perspectives in the President’s FY 2016 

Budget Proposal. 

Using the Per Unit Cost forecasting 

model, HUD forecasts average PUC to 

decrease slightly in 2015. The PUC 

forecast for 2015 uses VMS data and 

actual performance of economic indices 

through December of 2014. With no 

increases in PUCs predicted for 2015, 

the Renewal Funding Inflation Factor 

for each area will be 1.0. 

III. The Use of Inflation Factors 

Typically, the inflation factors have 

been developed to account for relative 

differences in the PUC of vouchers so 

that HCV funds can be allocated among 

PHAs. However, since the current 

forecast is for the PUC to decline in 

2015, HUD has set all areas to have an 

inflation factor of 1.0, which is 

consistent with the statutory 

requirements governing the Annual 

Adjustment Factor. 

IV. Geographic Areas and Area 

Definitions 

Inflation factors based on PUC 

forecasts are produced for all FMR 

areas. The tables showing the Renewal 

Funding Inflation Factors available 

electronically from the HUD data 

information page list the inflation 

factors for each FMR area and are 

created on a state by state basis. The 

inflation factors use the same OMB 

metropolitan area definitions, as revised 

by HUD, that are used in the FY 2015 

FMRs. To make certain that they are 

referencing the correct inflation factors, 

PHAs should refer to the Area 

Definitions Table on the following Web 

page: http://www.huduser.org/portal/

datasets/rfif/FY2015/FY2015_RFIF_

FMR_AREA_REPORT.pdf. The Area 

Definitions Table lists areas in 

alphabetical order by state, and the 

counties associated with each area. In 

the six New England states, the listings 

are for counties or parts of counties as 

defined by towns or cities. 

V. Request for Comments 

HUD has forecasted the decline in 

national PUC for 2015 to be ¥0.79 

percent. While more analysis is 

necessary, HUD is concerned that the 

current model used to predict the 

amount of per unit cost, when 

interacted with voucher program 

appropriations decisions, may have 

inadvertently locked in PHA cost 

reduction behaviors used to cope with 

funding reductions under sequestration 

in 2013. 

Rather than terminate assistance from 

families participating in the program, 

PHAs often respond to reduced funding 

by not reissuing vouchers when families 

leave the program. However there is a 

strong incentive for PHAs to reduce 

spending in the voucher program by 

means other than reducing the number 

of families served because PHA 

administrative fees are based on the 

number of vouchers under lease. These 

policies have the effect of reducing the 

(average) subsidy cost of vouchers, and 

as a result, reduce a family’s ability to 

rent in higher rent markets and higher 

opportunity areas. These policies, while 

necessary to handle the budget 

constraints, may also be viewed as 

reducing the effectiveness of vouchers 

in meeting the goals of the program. 

One of the primary tools PHAs use in 

administering the voucher program is 

through setting payment standards. 

Payment standards, rather than Fair 

Market Rents (FMR), form the basis of 

the subsidy (the lower of the payment 

standard or gross rent less the total 

tenant payment—typically 30 percent of 

adjusted household income) since a 

tenant selecting a unit with a gross rent 

higher than the payment standard must 

make up the additional rent to the 

owner. When payment standards 

decrease relative to FMR, the selection 

of units available to tenants decreases 

and higher opportunity neighborhoods 

with generally higher rents may no 

longer be available for tenants. A 

reduction of payment standards relative 

to FMRs is likely to cause gross rents to 

grow more slowly than FMRs as tenants 

choose units available within the 

payment standard. 

Other tools PHAs may use to reduce 

subsidy cost include policies that 

encourage more earnings among tenants 

or by approving more cases of tenants 

paying more than 30 percent of adjusted 

income toward rent. 

Thus, the model’s projections for PUC 

may not accurately forecast the true cost 

of maintaining a voucher program when 

there is a significant external event. As 

stated in prior notices, HUD may update 

the methodology for future funding 

estimates to improve the forecasting 

model, if necessary. HUD is also 

continuing to review and refine the 

methodology, especially for area 

differences in the factors, which will be 

described in future inflation factor 

notices. One option the Department is 

considering is to create a ‘‘constant 

quality’’ PUC forecast that addresses 

reduced payment standards and 

increases in tenant contributions as a 

way to account for outside disruptions 

such as sequestration. The Department 

welcomes comments on other ways to 

calculate the Renewal Funding Inflation 

Factor for the Housing Choice Voucher 

program for 2016 and beyond. 

VI. Environmental Impact 

This notice involves a statutorily 

required establishment of a rate or cost 

determination which does not constitute 

a development decision affecting the 

physical condition of specific project 

areas or building sites. Accordingly, 

under 24 CFR 50.19(c)(6), this notice is 

categorically excluded from 

environmental review under the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321). 

Dated: April 10, 2015. 

Katherine M. O’Regan, 

Assistant Secretary for Policy Development 

and Research. 

[FR Doc. 2015–09011 Filed 4–17–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

[Docket No. FR–5869–D–02] 

Order of Succession for the Office of 

Community Planning and Development 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD. 

ACTION: Notice of Order of Succession 

for the Office of Community Planning 

and Development. 

SUMMARY: In this notice, the Secretary of 

HUD designates the Order of Succession 

for the Office of Community Planning 

and Development. This Order of 

Succession supersedes all prior Orders 

of Succession for the Assistant Secretary 

for Community Planning and 

Development, including the Order of 

Succession published on May 30, 2012. 

DATES: Effective upon date of signature. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David H. Enzel, Director, Office of 

Technical Assistance and Management, 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 

7228, Washington, DC 20410–7000; 

telephone number 202–402–5557. (This 

is not a toll-free number.) This number 

may be accessed via TTY by call the 

Federal Relay Service at 1–800–877– 

8339 (this is a toll-free number). 

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: The 

Secretary of HUD is issuing this Order 

of Succession of officials authorized to 

perform the functions and duties of the 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Community Planning and Development 

when the Assistant Secretary is not 

available to exercise the powers or 

perform the duties of the office. This 

publication supersedes all prior orders 

of succession for the Office of 

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21756 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 2015 / Notices 

Community Planning and Development, 

including the Order of Succession 

published in the Federal Register on 

May 30, 2012. 

Section A. Order of Succession 

During any period when the Assistant 

Secretary is not available to exercise the 

powers or perform the duties of the 

Assistant Secretary for Community 

Planning and Development the 

following officials within the Office of 

Community Planning and Development 

are hereby designated to exercise the 

powers and perform the duties of the 

Office, including the authority to waive 

regulations: 

(1) Principal Deputy Assistant 

Secretary for Community Planning and 

Development; 

(2) General Deputy Assistant 

Secretary for Community Planning and 

Development; 

(3) Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Grant Programs; 

(4) Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Special Needs Programs; 

(5) Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Operations; 

(6) Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Economic Development. 

These officials shall perform the 

functions and duties of the office in the 

order specified herein, and no official 

shall serve unless all the other officials, 

whose positions precede his/hers in this 

order, are unable to act by reason of 

absence, disability, or vacancy in office. 

Section B. Authority Superseded 

This Order of Succession supersedes 

all prior orders of succession for the 

Office of Community Planning and 

Development, including the one 

published at 77 FR 31974 on May 30, 

2012. 

Authority: Section 7(d), Department of 

Housing and Urban Development Act, 42 

U.S.C. 3535(d). 

Dated: April 13, 2015. 

Julia ́n Castro, 

Secretary of Housing and Urban 

Development. 

[FR Doc. 2015–08950 Filed 4–17–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

[Docket No. FR–5870–D–01] 

Consolidated Delegation of Authority 

for the Office of Housing—Federal 

Housing Administration (FHA) 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD. 

ACTION: Notice of revocation and 

delegation of authority. 

SUMMARY: Section 7(d) of the 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development (HUD) Act, as amended, 

authorizes the Secretary to delegate 

functions, powers and duties as the 

Secretary deems necessary. In this 

delegation of authority, the Secretary 

delegates authority to the Assistant 

Secretary for Housing—Federal Housing 

Commissioner, the Principal Deputy 

Assistant Secretary for Housing, the 

General Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Housing and the Associate General 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing, 

for the administration of certain Office 

of Housing programs. This delegation 

revokes and supersedes all prior 

delegations of authority, including the 

delegation published on June 20, 2012. 

DATES: Effective upon date of signature. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Laura M. Marin, Associate General 

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Housing— 

Federal Housing Commissioner, 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 

9106, Washington, DC 20410; telephone 

number 202–708–2601. (This is not a 

toll-free number.) Persons with hearing 

or speech impairments may call HUD’s 

toll-free Federal Relay Service at 800– 

877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice supersedes the prior consolidated 

delegation of authority dated June 20, 

2012. First, authority previously 

delegated to the Assistant Secretary for 

Housing—Federal Housing 

Commissioner (Assistant Secretary) and 

General Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Housing—Deputy Federal Housing 

Commissioner (General Deputy 

Assistant Secretary), with regard to 

regulation of government-sponsored 

enterprises (GSEs) under the Federal 

Housing Enterprises Financial Safety 

and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 

4501 et seq.) (FHEFSSA), is no longer 

included in the delegation to the 

aforesaid official. Except for certain fair 

housing oversight requirements retained 

by HUD, programmatic regulation of the 

GSEs was transferred to the Federal 

Housing Finance Agency by the 

Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 

2008 (Pub. L. 110–289, approved July 

30, 2008). The Secretary’s authority for 

those oversight requirements has been 

delegated in a separate document to the 

Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing. 

Second, this delegation has been 

updated (in sections B through E) to 

include legislative authority enacted 

since the 2006 publication of 

consolidated delegations for the Office 

of Housing and includes a new overall 

category for risk management and 

regulatory functions and authorities. 

With respect to regulatory authorities, as 

of July 21, 2011, the Dodd-Frank Wall 

Street Reform and Consumer Protection 

Act (Pub. L. 111–203, approved July 21, 

2010) transferred from the Department 

of Housing and Urban Development to 

a new Consumer Financial Protection 

Bureau, all powers and duties vested in 

HUD to carry out the Real Estate 

Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (12 

U.S.C. 2601–2617); the Secure and Fair 

Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act 

of 2008 (Title V of Pub. L. 110–289, 

approved July 30, 2008); and the 

Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure 

Act (15 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.). 

Nevertheless, HUD may be 

responsible for certain actions 

undertaken prior to the transfer date but 

not completed, or for other residual 

duties after the transfer of regulatory 

functions. As a result, this notice 

contains delegations of authority under 

the statutes cited above. Finally, the 

general delegation below includes the 

position of the Associate General 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing. 

Section A. General Delegation of 

Authority 

Unless otherwise stated, the Assistant 

Secretary, the Principal Deputy 

Assistant Secretary, the General Deputy 

Assistant Secretary and the Associate 

General Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Housing are each delegated the power 

and authority of the Secretary of HUD 

with respect to all housing programs 

and functions, including, but not 

limited to, those listed below in 

Sections B through F, with authority to 

redelegate to officials of the Department, 

unless otherwise specified. Only the 

Assistant Secretary for Housing is 

delegated the authority to issue a final 

regulation or a Notice of Funding 

Availability (NOFA). The authority 

delegated herein to the Assistant 

Secretary, Principal Deputy Assistant 

Secretary and General Deputy Assistant 

Secretary for Housing includes the 

authority to waive regulations and 

statutes. 

Section B. Multifamily, Healthcare, and 

Other Authority Delegated 

The authority of the Secretary of HUD 

with respect of Office of Housing’s 

multifamily housing, healthcare, and 

certain other programs and functions 

that are authorized under the following: 

(1) Titles I, II, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, and 

XI of the National Housing Act (12 

U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) in exercising the 

power and authority delegated under 

this section; 

(2) Section 202 of the Housing Act of 

1959, as such section existed prior to 

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