Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing—Federal Housing Commissioner, HUD.
Notice.
HUD is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.
Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB Control Number and should be sent to: Lorraine Griscavage-Frisbee, Deputy Director, Office of Outreach and Capacity Building, Office of Housing Counseling, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 302 Carson Street, 4th Floor, Las Vegas, NV 89101–5911; telephone (702) 366–2160 (this is not a toll-free number) or email at
Lorraine Griscavage-Frisbee, Deputy Director, Office of Outreach and Capacity Building, Office of Housing Counseling, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 302 East Carson Street, 4th Floor, Las Vegas, NV 89101–5911;
This notice informs the public that HUD is seeking approval from OMB for the information collection described in Section A.
Approximately 2,364 HUD-participating agencies provide housing counseling services nation-wide currently. Of these, approximately 970 have been directly approved by HUD. HUD maintains a list of these agencies so that individuals in need of assistance can easily access the nearest HUD-approved housing counseling agency via HUD's Web site, an automated 1–800 Hotline, or a smart phone application. HUD Form 9900, Application for Approval as a Housing Counseling Agency, is necessary to make sure that people who contact a HUD approved agency can have confidence they will receive quality service and these agencies meet HUD requirements for approval.
To participate in HUD's Housing Counseling Program, a housing counseling agency must first be approved by HUD. Approval entails meeting various requirements relating to experience and capacity, including nonprofit status, a minimum of one year of housing counseling experience in the target community, and sufficient resources to implement a housing counseling plan. Eligible organizations include local housing counseling agencies, private or public organizations (including grassroots, faith-based and other community-based organizations) such as nonprofit, state, local or tribal government entities or public housing authorities that meet the Program criteria. HUD uses form HUD–9900 to evaluate whether applying organizations meet minimum requirements to participate in the Housing Counseling Program. The application for approval for HUD–9900 is found at
HUD is seeking an extension for the Application for Approval as a Housing Counseling Agency, form HUD–9900. There have been no changes in program eligibility requirements. The form will be updated to reflect changes in Offices responsible for processing applications from the Single Family Program Support Division to the Office of Housing Counseling, and require electronic submission of applications through email in place of paper submissions. Based on the most recent information available (as of February 2014)
This notice is soliciting comments from members of the public and affected parties concerning the collection of information described in Section A on the following:
(1) 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; (2) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond; including through the use of appropriate automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.
HUD encourages interested parties to submit comment in response to these questions.
Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35.