Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4349-N-09]

Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB

AGENCY: Office of Administration, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described

below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

for emergency review and approval by March 27, 1998, as required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments

on the subject proposal.

DATES: The due date for comments is: March 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding

this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and should

be sent to: Joseph F. Lackey, Jr., HUD Desk Officer, Office of

Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC

20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Eddins, Reports Management

Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh

Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410, telephone (202) 708-0050. This is not

a toll-free number. Copies of available documents submitted to OMB may

be obtained from Mr. Eddins.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice informs the public that the

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has submitted to OMB,

for emergency processing, an information collection package with

respect to a proposed ``Request for Proposals--Contract Administrators

for Project-Based Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Contracts.''

This emergency processing is essential to provide for the immediate,

ongoing, responsible administration of over 20,000 Section 8 contracts.

These contracts represent a substantial investment to support the

physical and financial well-being of affordable housing on a nation-

wide basis. It is necessary for the Department to obtain the contract

administration capability sought in the Request as soon as possible to

ensure that the recent restructuring of the Department does not

adversely affect this national investment, but instead, through

Departmental oversight of successful bidders rather than direct, hands-

on administration, results in improvements in the quality and

affordability of the nation's housing stock.

The Department has submitted the proposal for the collection of

information, as described below, to OMB for review, as required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 USC Chapter 35):

(1) Title of the information collection proposal:

``Request for Proposals--Contract Administrators for Project-Based

Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Contracts'' (Request)

(2) Summary of the collection of information:

Each party seeking to become a contract administrator under the

Request would be required to submit current information, as listed

below:

1. Name.

2. Address.

3. Geographic service area in which the applicant proposes to serve

as contract administrator.

4. Documented evidence that, within the last two years immediately

prior to the date of the proposal, the proposer has performed duties

substantially similar to those provided for in the Request.

5. Description of the applicant's experience in conducting mortgage

foreclosures or in related activities which would qualify the applicant

to serve as a foreclosure commissioner.

6. Description of how the proposer has provided similar services in

the past, and a detailed description of experience with oversight of

multifamily residential portfolios.

7. The proposal must describe methods used to manage and control

prior contracts or portfolios.

8. The proposal must provide the names, addresses and telephone

numbers of all references.

9. The proposal must demonstrate a thorough understanding of HUD's

requirements and ability and capacity to perform all of the duties and

tasks required.

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10. The proposal also must describe the proposer's experience with

automated systems to support the services required (including

accessibility, documentation, security, and flexibility).

11. The proposal must include sufficient information on the

relevant experience, special training and education of proposed

personnel related to the tasks to be performed.

12. The proposal must describe the method to be used to manage and

control the tasks to be performed under the contract.

13. The proposal must include a quality assurance plan.

14. The proposal must provide a plan for the transfer of

responsibility for contract administration from HUD to the Contract

Administrator.

15. All proposers must include in their response the fixed, ongoing

administrative fee per unit per month they propose for the first year

of the ACC.

16. Selected Contract Administrators shall provide to HUD, by the

15th of each month, a report which includes the following information:

Physical Inspections*

Number of inspections completed during month.

Cumulative percentage of assisted units.

Number with unacceptable ratings.

Number requiring remedial actions and type of action.

Occupancy and Management*

Number of on-site management reviews completed during month.

Cumulative percentage of reviews completed.

Number of tenant files reviewed.

Cumulative percentage of reviews completed.

Contract Rents*

Number of rent increases approved.

Number of budget-based rent increases approved.

Number of special rent adjustments reviewed.

Data Systems

Any problems.

Payment to Project Owners

Number of payments made after first of the month with number of

days late and reason.

Annual Financial Statements

Number and status of problem cases noted by the Assessment Center.

Number of owners contacted for corrective actions.

Number of corrective actions outstanding (over 30 days late).

Status/progress of corrective actions.

Community/Resident Relations

Description of repeated complaints at any project and steps taken

to resolve.

Steps taken to promote resident initiatives.

Loss Mitigation and General Project Servicing

Synopsis of support provided to HUD Centers.

Number of requests reviewed for releases from reserve for

replacement account and residual receipts.

Other

Hot topics--Projects that required special attention due to such

matters as abatement actions, excessive tenant complaints, inquiries

from governmental officials or general public.

Any significant administrative actions that could affect the

contract.

Major accomplishments, success stories, etc.

Noteworthy meetings.

Pending issues.

Year-End Reporting

Number of annual operating budgets, requisitions, and year-end

statements submitted.

Percentage of required number.

* Where appropriate, the Contract Administrator shall give the

project name and project number and submit copies of all reviews and

inspections.

(3) Description of the need for the information and its proposed

use:

The requested information is needed for HUD's selection of contract

administrators to provide contract administration services for project-

based Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contracts currently

being administered directly by HUD staff. The Department is not

providing any assurances of confidentiality.

(4) Description of the likely respondents, including the estimated

number of likely respondents, and proposed frequency of response to the

collection of information:

HUD will enter into an ACC only with a legal entity that meets one

of the following qualifications:

1. A general or special purpose governmental entity, which includes

a State, municipality, or public benefit corporation (including a

housing authority).

2. A multi-state, regional or interstate entity which has

governmental functions.

3. An existing or to be created for-profit or not-for-profit

private entity acting as an instrumentality of a governmental entity,

or multiple governmental entities, or any of them, acting in concert or

partnership with a private entity (``private instrumentality'').

Respondents will be entities with experience in real estate foreclosure

procedures.

The estimated number of respondents is approximately 250. The

estimated frequency of responses is estimated to be no more than three

times during a three year period.

(5) Estimate of the total reporting and recordkeeping burden that

will result from the collection of information:

Reporting Burden:

Number of Request respondents: 250.

Total burden hours (@ 20 hours per response): 5,000.

Number of Monthly Reporters: 10.

Number of Monthly Reports (Annual): 12.

Total burden hours (@ 5 hours per response): 600.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 5,600.

Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

Dated: March 20, 1998.

David S. Cristy

Director, IRM Policy and Management Division.

[FR Doc. 98-7914 Filed 3-23-98; 11:29 am]

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