Meetings: Public Housing Agency Plan and Section 8 certificate and voucher merger; public forums,

[Federal Register: June 21, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 118)]

[Notices]

[Page 33111-33112]

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

[DOCID:fr21jn99-97]

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4420-N-03]

RIN 2577-AB89

Public Housing Agency Plan and Section 8 Certificate and Voucher Merger Announcement of Public Forum

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

ACTION: Public forums announcement.

SUMMARY: This document announces the (1) exact location of the public forum to be held in Syracuse, New York, on HUD's Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan interim rule that was published on February 18, 1999, and on HUD's Section 8 certificate and voucher merger interim rule (Section 8 merger) that was published on May 14, 1999, and (2) an additional public forum to be held on both rules in Washington, DC. The statute authorizing these two rules requires that before HUD issues final rules on these subjects, HUD will convene at least two public forums for each rule, and specifically seek recommendations from certain organizations and individuals, as specified in the statute.

DATES: June 28, 1999, and July 28, 1999. The exact times for discussion of each rule at these two forums is provided in the Supplementary Information section of this document.

ADDRESSES: The June 28, 1999 public forum will be held at Grant Auditorium, E.I. White Hall, College of Law, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York. The July 28, 1999 public forum will be held at HUD Headquarters, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: This information will be posted on the QHWRA page of HUD's website (www.hud.gov/pih/legis/titlev.html). Information also may be obtained by contacting your local HUD office, or by contacting the Office of Policy, Program and Legislative Initiatives, in the Office of Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 4116, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708-0713 (this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access that number via TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

PHA Plan Interim Rule

Section 511 of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (Pub.L. 105-276, 112 Stat. 2461, approved October 21, 1998) (the 1998 Act) added a new section 5A to the United States Housing Act of 1937 (USHA) (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.). This new section provides for public housing agencies (PHAs) to develop and submit to HUD two plans-- a five-year plan and an annual plan on their goals and objectives and current PHA operations. Section 511 also required HUD to publish, within 120 days of enactment of the statute, an interim rule implementing the requirements of the PHA plans and the submission process. HUD published its interim rule on February 18, 1999 (64 FR 8170) (the PHA Plan rule). The PHA Plan rule provided a 60-day public comment period which closed on April 19, 1999.

Section 511 also requires that before HUD issues its final PHA Plan rule, HUD will seek recommendations on implementation of the PHA plans from organizations representing:

(1) State or local public housing agencies; (2) Residents, including resident management corporations; (3) Other appropriate parties.

Section 511 also requires HUD to convene not less than two public forums at which the person or organization making recommendations may express their views concerning the proposed disposition of their recommendations.

Through its February 18, 1999 interim rule, HUD specifically sought recommendations from these categories of organizations (see 64 FR 8170, middle column), and again seeks their recommendations through this document.

Section 8 Certificate and Voucher Merger Rule

Section 545 of the 1998 Act amended section 8(o) of the USHA to provide for the merger of the Section 8 certificate and voucher programs. HUD's interim rule implementing the merger of these two programs was published on May 14, 1999 (64 FR 26632) (Merger rule). The Merger rule provides for a 60-day public comment period which closes on July 13, 1999. In accordance with section 559 of the 1998 Act, HUD will also hold a minimum of two public forums on this rule.

Section 559 provides that the Secretary of HUD shall issue interim regulations as may be necessary to implement the amendments made by the 1998 Act as these amendments relate to section 8(o) of the USHA. Section 559 also provides that before the publication of final regulations, in addition to public comment invited in connection with the publication of the interim rule, the Secretary shall seek recommendations on the implementation of sections 8(o)(6(B), 8(o)(7)(B) and 8(o)(10)(D) of the USHA and on the implementation of the renewals of expiring tenant-based assistance from organizations representing:

(1) State or local public housing agencies; (2) Owners and managers of tenant-based housing assisted under section 8 of the USHA; (3) Families receiving tenant-based assistance under section 8 of the USHA; and (4) Legal services organizations.

Section 559 also requires HUD to hold not less than two public forums at which the individuals and organizations described above may express views concerning the proposed disposition of the recommendations.

Through its May 14, 1999 interim rule, HUD specifically sought rulemaking recommendations from these categories of organizations (see 64 FR 26635, middle column), and again seeks their recommendations through this document.

Public Forum Dates and Locations

June 28, 1999 Public Forum. The June 28, 1999 public forum in Syracuse, New York, will be HUD's third public forum on the PHA Plan rule, and its second

[[Page 33112]]

public forum on the Merger rule. (HUD's public forum announcement, published on April 27, 1999, provided the dates and locations of the earlier public forums (see 64 FR 22550).)

The public forum on the PHA Plan rule will be held from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

The public forum for the Merger rule will be held from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Both public forums will be held at Grant Auditorium, E.I. White Hall, College of Law, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York.

July 28, 1999 Public Forum. The July 28, 1999 public forum in Washington, DC, will be HUD's fourth public forum on the PHA Plan rule, and its third public forum on the Merger rule. On this date, the discussion of the Merger rule will precede the discussion of the PHA Plan rule.

The public forum for the Merger rule will be held from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

The public forum on the PHA Plan rule will be held from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Both public forums will be held at HUD Headquarters, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC.

Discussions at Public Forums

So that the discussions at the public forums can be productive, recommendations from the categories of organizations specified in the statute need to be submitted in as far in advance of the forum date as possible 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 include the following reference: ``PHA Plan rule (FR-4420); Public Forum'' or ``Section 8 Merger rule (FR-4428); Public Forum.''

Dated: June 15, 1999. Harold Lucas, Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.

[FR Doc. 99-15628Filed6-18-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210-33-P