Overview
Title
60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification and Pilot Program; OMB Control No.: 2506-0213
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) wants to hear from people about plans to collect information for a program that helps fix homes for veterans who need it. They are asking people to share what they think about this and have 60 days to send in their thoughts.
Summary AI
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is announcing a 60-day public comment period for a proposed information collection related to the Fiscal Year 2020 Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program. This program aims to provide grants to nonprofit organizations to help modify and rehabilitate the primary residences of disabled and low-income veterans. HUD is seeking feedback on the necessity and utility of the information collected, its estimated burden, ways to improve the quality and clarity of this information, and methods to minimize the response burden. Interested parties are invited to submit comments by April 30, 2021.
Abstract
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.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) calls for public comment on an information collection proposal related to the 2020 Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program. This program is designed to offer grants to nonprofit organizations to assist in modifying and upgrading the homes of disabled and low-income veterans. Public input is sought to assess the relevance, utility, and burden of the information being collected, as well as to explore ways to improve and streamline this process.
General Summary
The notice serves as a formal announcement in the Federal Register, inviting comments from the public within a 60-day window, concluding on April 30, 2021. HUD is requesting feedback on several aspects, including whether the information collection is necessary, if their estimate of the burden is accurate, and suggestions for minimizing the respondents' workload through technological solutions or other means.
Significant Issues and Concerns
Several key issues emerge from the document:
Technical Language and Acronyms: The notice employs numerous technical terms and acronyms, such as SF-424 and HUD 424CB, which may not be familiar to a broad audience. Simplification or clarification of these terms would be beneficial to foster broader public engagement.
Legislative Context: Multiple legislative acts are referenced, including the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, and previous years' acts. For those not versed in legislative processes, this can create confusion, which may dissuade potential commenters from participating.
Estimated Burden: The estimate of 12.74 hours per response may seem substantial. However, the document does not provide a clear rationale for this time requirement, which might concern potential respondents about the commitment involved.
Utilization of Public Comments: The notice lacks specifics on how the public comments will influence the final decision-making process, potentially limiting the perceived impact of public participation.
Impact on the Public
Broadly, the document underscores HUD's commitment to transparency and public engagement concerning the program assisting valuable stakeholders, namely veterans. It encourages those with insights into the needs and challenges faced by disabled and low-income veterans to contribute to shaping effective program implementation.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For nonprofit organizations involved in veteran services, the document represents an opportunity to directly influence a government program designed to support their constituencies. These stakeholders could benefit from ensuring that the information collection and reporting processes are as efficient as possible, potentially reducing administrative burdens and allowing them to focus more on service delivery.
Conversely, the complexity of the notice, coupled with the potential workload involved in responding, might deter some nonprofit organizations with limited resources from participating in the feedback process. This could disadvantage smaller organizations that often provide crucial services to veteran communities.
Overall, while the effort to solicit public feedback is commendable, simplifications and clarifications could enhance understanding and engagement from a broader audience, ultimately benefiting both HUD’s processes and the veteran communities they aim to serve.
Issues
• The document contains technical jargon and acronyms (e.g., SF-424; HUD 424CB) that may not be immediately clear to the general public.
• The description of multiple Acts (Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020; Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018; Consolidated Appropriations Action, 2019) may be confusing and benefits from more context for those not familiar with legislative processes.
• The estimated burden on respondents is listed as 12.74 hours on average per response, which may be considered high; however, no justification is provided explaining why this amount of time is necessary.
• Information about how public comments will be utilized in reviewing the information collection is not clearly specified.
• There is detailed contact information provided for obtaining more information or submitting comments, which could both be seen as either helpful or overly complex for individuals unfamiliar with these procedures.