30472 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 107 /Thursday, June 4, 1998 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

Notice of Request for Approval of New

Information Collection

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments

requested.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces Rural Housing

Service’s (RHS) intention to request

approval of additional information

collection in support of the Survey of

Housing Conditions for Migrant and

Seasonal Farmworkers expanded from

just the East Coast to include

Midwestern and West Coast migrant

streams.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by August 3, 1998 to be

assured of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Fox, Senior Loan Specialist,

Multi-Family Housing Processing

Division, Rural Housing Service, USDA,

Stop 0781, 1400 Independence Avenue

SW., Washington, DC. 20250, telephone

(202) 720–1604 (this is not a toll free

number); or you may contact Leslie R.

Strauss, Director of Research and

Information, Housing Assistance

Council, 1025 Vermont Ave. NW., Suite

606, Washington, DC. 20005, telephone

202–842–8600 (this is not a toll free

number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Survey of Housing Conditions

for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers.

Type of Request: New information

collection.

Abstract: Migrant and seasonal

farmworkers are among the poorest and

worst-housed groups in the United

States. Only limited information has

been collected on farmworker

demographics and working conditions,

and even less on the housing which

they live. The objective of this survey is

to collect data on the housing

conditions of farmworkers in the

midwestern and western migrant

streams including types of structures

occupied, proportion of households

crowded, proportion of households cost

burdened, proportion lacking full

appliances and sanitary facilities,

proportion residing in grower-provided

housing, and other characteristics.

Only a few national studies have

addressed the needs of the farmworkers,

and most have not collected information

pertaining to housing conditions. The

only major study focusing on

farmworker housing conditions was the

National Farmworker Housing Study

prepared in 1980. This study was never

published. Housing developers and

others who provide housing to this

population are hampered in serving

them by this lack of information.

This study has three sets of research

goals. The first goal of the study is to

refine a survey instrument that may be

used by case workers in the field who

may not have a strong background in

housing assessment. Additionally, the

survey instrument must pose a minimal

burden upon respondents’ time. The

study’s second goal is to develop new

partnerships with organizations that

work extensively with the farmworker

population, so that the widest range of

farmworker housing conditions may be

surveyed in a cost-effective manner. The

partnership developed for data

collection on the East Coast should

provide a model for replication in the

Midwest and West Coast migrant

streams. The third goal of the study is

to collect a representative sample of

farmworker housing data that illustrates

the predominant housing structure

types occupied by migrant and seasonal

farmworkers, the physical quality of

farmworker housing, overcrowding, and

housing cost burden. These data items

are the primary indicators of housing

need and health risk. Gathering this data

will help federal agencies and local

farmworker service organizations

coordinate limited resources and

address the most pressing housing

needs of farmworkers.

This survey is being expanded from a

current HUD-sponsored survey in the

Eastern migrant stream. In combination

with the study for the East Coast, a

national perspective on housing

conditions for migrant and seasonal

farmworkers will be gained. More

detailed information concerning

farmworker housing conditions is

necessary in order to determine the

significant health risks associated with

farmworker housing and effectively

focus housing resources on the areas of

greatest need. The collection of housing

data will greatly benefit farmworkers by

improving the information available to

organizations and federal agencies that

address farmworker health and housing

needs.

The Housing Assistant Council (HAC)

is slated to perform a collection of

farmworker housing data in the East

Cost migrant stream under a cooperative

agreement with the U.S. Department of

Housing and Urban Development

(HUD), and this research plan will

outline the expansion of the data

collection to the Midwest and West

Coast migrant streams. This will also

result in creating a database for the

consolidation and retrieval of this data,

and provision of stipends for outreach

workers performing the survey.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 15 minutes per

response, including time for listening to

instructions, gathering data needed, and

responding to questionnaire items.

Respondents: Migrant farmworkers,

rural housing developers, and

government agencies.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

6,000.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 1500 hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Jean Mosely,

Regulations and Paperwork

Management Branch, at (202) 692–0041.

Comments: Comments are invited on:

(a) Whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of RHS,

including whether the information will

have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of

RHS’ estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond, including

through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technological collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology. Comments may be sent to

Jean Mosely, Regulations and

Paperwork Management Branch, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Rural

Development, STOP 0742, 1400

Independence Ave. SW, Washington,

DC 20250. All responses to this notice

will be summarized and included in the

request for OMB approval. All

comments will also become a matter of

public record.

Dated: May 22, 1998.

Jan E. Shadburn,

Administrator, Rural Housing Service.

[FR Doc. 98–14780 Filed 6–3–98; 8:45 am]

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Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

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