[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 94 (Monday, May 16, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 29733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-10469]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

[Docket No. RHS-22-SFH-0009]


Notice of Request for Revision of Currently Approved Information 
Collection

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, Department of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
USDA Rural Housing Service (RHS) invites comments on this information 
collection for the Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) Program, which 
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be 
requested.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by July 15, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Bennett, Regulations Management 
Division, Innovation Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Email: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#80f0e1ede5ece1aee2e5eeeee5f4f4c0f5f3e4e1aee7eff6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="92e2f3fff7fef3bcf0f7fcfcf7e6e6d2e7e1f6f3bcf5fde4">[email protected]</span></a>. Telephone: (202) 720-9639.
    For program inquires, contact Mandy Couture, Finance and Loan 
Analyst, Single Family Housing Direct Loan Division, Special Programs 
and Initiatives Branch, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Email: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e08d818e8499ce838f9594959285a095938481ce878f96"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dab7bbb4bea3f4b9b5afaeafa8bf9aafa9bebbf4bdb5ac">[email protected]</span></a>. Telephone (515) 418-2188.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget's 
regulation (5 CFR 1320) implementing provisions of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) requires that interested members 
of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on 
information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)). This notice identifies an information collection that the 
Agency is submitting to OMB for revision.
    Comments are invited on (a) whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including 
the validity of the methodology and assumption 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 the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques on other forms and information technology.
    Comments may be sent by the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 
https://www.regulations.gov and, in the ``Search'' box, type in the 
Docket No. RHS-22-SFH-0009. A link to the Notice will appear. You may 
submit a comment here by selecting the ``Comment'' button or you can 
access the ``Docket'' tab, select the ``Notice,'' and go to the 
``Browse & Comment on Documents'' tab. Here you may view comments that 
have been submitted as well as submit a comment. To submit a comment, 
select the ``Comment'' button, complete the required information, and 
select the ``Submit Comment'' button at the bottom. Information on 
using Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, 
submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the 
comment period, is available through the site's ``FAQ'' link at the 
bottom.
    Title: 7 CFR Part 1944-N Housing Preservation Grants.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0115.
    Expiration Date of Approval: November 30, 2022.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: The primary purpose of the HPG Program is to repair or 
rehabilitate individual housing, rental properties, or co-ops owned or 
occupied by very low- and low-income rural persons. Grantees will 
provide eligible homeowners, owners of rental properties and owners of 
co-ops with financial assistance through loans, grants, interest 
reduction payments or other comparable financial assistance for 
necessary repairs and rehabilitation of dwellings to bring them up to 
code or minimum property standards. Where repair and rehabilitation 
assistance are not economically feasible or practical the replacement 
of existing, individual owner-occupied housing is available.
    The Rural Housing Amendments of 1983 amended the Housing Act of 
1949 by adding Section 533 (12 U.S.C. 1490m). The program is 
implemented at 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N. In addition, the Secretary 
of Agriculture has authority to prescribe rules and regulations to 
implement the HPG and other programs under 42 U.S.C. S 1480G. Section 
533(d) is prescriptive about the information applicants are to submit 
to RHS as part of their application and in the assessments and criteria 
RHS is to use in selecting grantees. An applicant is to submit a 
''statement of activity'' describing its proposed program, including 
the specific activities it will undertake, and its schedule. RHS is 
required in turn to evaluate proposals on a set of prescribed criteria, 
for which the applicant will also have to provide information, such as: 
(1) Very low- and low-income persons proposed to be served by the 
repair and rehabilitation activities; (2) participation by other public 
and private organizations to leverage funds and lower the cost to the 
HPG program; (3) the areas to be served in terms of population and 
need: (4) Cost data to assure greatest degree of assistance at lowest 
cost; (5) administrative capacity of the applicant to carry out the 
program. The information collected will be the minimum required by law 
and by necessity for RHS to assure that it funds responsible grantees 
proposing feasible projects in areas of greatest need. Most data are 
taken from a localized area, although some are derived from census 
reports of city, county and Federal governments showing population and 
housing characteristics.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .85 hours per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 11,045 hours.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,083.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 6.21.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Pamela 
Bennett, Rural Development Innovation Center, Regulations Management 
Division, at (202) 720-9639. 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.
    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.

Joaquin Altoro,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-10469 Filed 5-13-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P


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