Emergency Letter

3

Chandana L. Achanta

OMB Desk Officer

Office of Management and Budget

New Executive Office Building

Washington, DC 20503

Dear Ms. Achanta:

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is seeking emergency review of the Paperwork Reduction Act requirements for the Demonstration Program for Elderly Housing for Intergenerational Families. The Notice of Paperwork Submission (copy enclosed), proposed for immediate Federal Register publication, explains the burden of the collection requirements and invites public comment on them. This is a new information collection.

In compliance with the requirements of 5 CFR 1320.13, this letter requests emergency processing within 14 days from the date of publication of the Federal Register Notice. This emergency processing is essential to complete the requirements authorized by Congress in the “Living Equitably: Grandparents Aiding Children and Youth Act of 2003” or the “Legacy Act of 2003” (Pub. L. 108-186, title II, Dec. 16, 2003, 117, 117 Stat. 2688).

This emergency request is necessary at this time because the Legacy Act requires the Department to complete three directives by the end of this fiscal year 2008. Two mandates are complete; the demonstration grant program is the third and final piece, with funds that must be disbursed by the end of the fiscal year. In order to assure program controls in the demonstration grant and effective distribution of the other two products, the Department took time and effort to create quality deliverables. The Department expects the time spent on the front end of the project to result in long-term success of the Intergenerational demonstration program.

The Legacy Act requires the Department to conduct a study with the Census Bureau on intergenerational housing needs; to carry out training for federal employees who, through no fault of their own, may be misinterpreting policies that affect the grandparent- and other relative-headed families; and to create a demonstration grant program that will enable the development of appropriate dwellings with services for intergenerational families. The training video is complete and on HUD’s website as a webcast, the study is finished, and the funds for this demonstration program, must be completely obligated by the end of the fiscal year.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2006 (Pub. L. 109-115, approved Nov. 30, 2005) provided $4 million for a Demonstration Program for Elderly Intergenerational Families pursuant to section 203 of Public Law 108-186. In order to complete the third part of this project in a short amount of time, emergency review of the Paperwork Reduction Act requirements is crucial.

The Elderly Housing for Intergenerational Families grant is critical for a growing population of grandparents raising their grandchildren. According to the Census, there are now more than 6.7 million children across the nation growing up in intergenerational families or families headed by a non-parent relative. This demonstration grant program is to provide assistance for intergenerational dwelling units for intergenerational families in connection with the supportive housing program under Section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q).

The funds to be awarded will include capital advance funds to develop or retrofit units and will also include Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRAC funds) used to cover the difference between the tenants’ contribution toward rent (30 percent of adjusted income) and the HUD-approved cost to operate the project. The PRAC funds may also be used to provide supportive services and to hire a service coordinator in those projects selected for assistance. The supportive services must be appropriate to the category or categories of residents to be served. The housing and services that will be provided for this growing population in the demonstration are integral for determining the future of HUD’s intergenerational affordable housing programs and initiatives.

Thank you for your consideration and assistance.

Sincerely,

John L. Garvin, Senior Advisor to Assistant Secretary for Housing - FHA Commissioner/ Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Multifamily Housing

Enclosures

Internal HUD Distribution:
HTH : Trivedi		HTHP : Williams
HTH :Evans/Spearmon		HT :Golrick
Identification Lines:
J : HMIP : Trivedi.Intergenerational Emergency Letter 1-7-08.doc : crl 01-07-08
Correspondence Code	Originator HTH		Concurrence HTHP	Concurrence HTH	Concurrence HT		Concurrence	Concurrence
Name	Trivedi		Williams	Evans/Spearmon	Golrick
Date

Official Record Copy U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development form HUD-713.1 (02/03)

Previous edition is obsolete.