Community development block grants: Fair housing performance standards for acceptance of consolidated plan certifications and compliance with performance review criteria,

[Federal Register: December 28, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 248)]

[Proposed Rules]

[Page 71405]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr28de98-13]

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

24 CFR Parts 91 and 570

[Docket No. FR-4133-P-02]

RIN No. 2529-AA81

Fair Housing Performance Standards for Acceptance of Consolidated Plan Certifications and Compliance with Community Development Block Grant Performance Review Criteria; Extension of Public Comment Period

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, HUD.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of public comment period.

SUMMARY: On October 28, 1998, HUD published a proposed rule that would amend the regulations on Consolidated Submissions for Community Planning and Development Programs to establish a standard for determining if the jurisdiction's certification regarding affirmatively furthering fair housing is inaccurate. The October 28, 1998 proposed rule also would amend the regulations on Community Development Block Grants to provide performance review standards for affirmatively furthering fair housing requirements. The public comment period on this rule was scheduled to close on December 28, 1998. This document extends the public comment period on this proposed rule to February 26, 1999.

DATES: Comment Due Date: February 26, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this interim rule to the Regulations Division, Office of General Counsel, Room 10276, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410. Communications should refer to the above docket number and title. Facsimile (FAX) comments are not acceptable. A copy of each communication submitted will be available for public inspection and copying between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. weekdays at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions on part 570, Deirdre Maguire-Zinni, Director, Entitlement Communities Division, Office of Block Grant Assistance, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 7282, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410. Telephone (202) 708-1577, ext. 4529. For questions on part 91, Sal Sclafani, Acting Director, Policy Coordination Division, Office of Executive Services, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410. Telephone (202) 708-1283, ext. 4364. For questions on affirmatively furthering fair housing or the analysis of impediments to fair housing choice, William Dudley Gregorie, Deputy Director, Office of Programs, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 452 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410. Telephone (202) 708-2288, ext. 266. (These telephone numbers are not toll-free.) Hearing-impaired or speech-impaired individuals may access the voice telephone number listed above by calling the Federal information relay service during working hours at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 28, 1998, HUD published a proposed rule that would amend part 91--Consolidated Submissions for Community Planning and Development Programs--to establish a standard for determining if the jurisdiction's certification regarding affirmatively furthering fair housing is inaccurate (see 63 FR 57882). The October 28, 1998 rule also proposed to amend part 570--Community Development Block Grants--to provide performance review standards for affirmatively furthering fair housing requirements.

Both revisions would make clear that compliance with the requirement to affirmatively further fair housing would require grantees to have a complete and accurate analysis of impediments to fair housing choice and to not violate the Fair Housing Act or civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination in housing programs receiving Federal financial assistance. These revisions would serve to provide communities with a clear idea of the standards that HUD would use in both reviewing certifications included as part of a grantee's Consolidated Plan submission, as well as determining CDBG grantees' compliance with the statutory requirements of the CDBG program to affirmatively further fair housing.

The public comment period on this proposed rule was scheduled to end December 28, 1998. A number of commenters have requested additional time to submit their comments. Accordingly, the Department has decided to extend the public comment period on this proposed rule for an additional 60 days. The new public comment period deadline is February 26, 1999.

Dated: December 21, 1998. Cardell Cooper, Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.

[FR Doc. 98-34313Filed12-24-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210-32-P