Section 8 housing,

[Federal Register: August 11, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 154)]

[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 43613]

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

[DOCID:fr11au99-5]

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

24 CFR Part 982

[Docket No. FR-4428-N-02]

RIN 2577-AB91

Section 8 Tenant-Based Assistance; Statutory Merger of Section 8 Certificate and Voucher Programs: Change in Effective Date

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, HUD.

ACTION: Interim rule; change in effective date.

SUMMARY: This document advises the public that the interim rule published on May 14, 1999, which provides for the complete merger of HUD's Section 8 tenant-based Certificate and Voucher programs into a new Housing Choice Voucher Program, will take effect on October 1, 1999.

DATES: The effective date of the rule published at 64 FR 26632 (May 14, 1999) is delayed until October 1, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gerald J. Benoit, Office of Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Room 4210, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708-0477, extension 4069 (this is not a toll-free number). Hearing or speech impaired individuals may access this number via TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 14, 1999 (64 FR 26632), HUD published an interim rule to implement most of the Section 8 tenant-based program provisions contained in the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (Title V of the FY 1999 HUD Appropriations Act; Pub. L. 105- 276, approved October 21, 1998; 112 Stat. 2461) (the ``1998 Act''). Section 502 of the 1998 Act states that a purpose of the legislation is ``consolidating the voucher and certificate programs for rental assistance under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (the ``USH Act'' (42 U.S.C. 1437f)) into a single market-driven program that will assist in making tenant-based rental assistance under such section more successful at helping low-income families obtain affordable housing and will increase housing choice for low-income families.'' Accordingly, the May 14, 1999 interim rule provides for the complete merger of the Section 8 tenant-based certificate and voucher programs (section 545 of the 1998 Act, amending 42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) into the new Housing Choice Voucher Program.

The May 14, 1999 interim rule provides for the rule to take effect on August 12, 1999. HUD has decided to delay the effective date until October 1, 1999, to allow public housing agencies (PHAs) more time to prepare for implementation of the Housing Choice Voucher Program and to allow PHAs to revise their computer software to accommodate the new subsidy formula.

The purpose of this document is to give notice that the effective date of the May 14, 1999 interim rule has been changed to October 1, 1999. Any reference in the regulatory text to an effective date or merger date earlier than October 1, 1999 will be amended at the final rule stage.

Accordingly, HUD's interim rule published on May 14, 1999 at 64 FR 26632 (Docket No. FR-4428-I-01, FR Doc. 99-12082) will take effect on October 1, 1999.

Dated: August 6, 1999. Deborah Vincent, General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.

[FR Doc. 99-20837Filed8-9-99; 11:04 am]

BILLING CODE 4210-33-P