Briefing Letter

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

WASHINGTON, DC 20410-6000

OFFICE OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT

AND RESEARCH

[Name of County Official]

[Title of County Official]

[Address]

[Date]

Dear [Salutation]:

I am contacting you to request your community’s parcel level information to support a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) project called the County Data Record Project. Through this project, HUD is seeking to collect parcel level data on ownership, rights, and interests of residential land parcels from counties receiving the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grants. This data will be used to track housing trends and neighborhood conditions such as foreclosures, abandonment, and natural disasters as well as support future evaluation of NSP and other HUD programs.

We are requesting access to available parcel data for your community, including parcel characteristics, tax assessment valuation, property sales information, easements and liens for free or nominal charge if applicable. A complete list of attributes we are requested is attached to the letter. Your community’s assistance in this pilot project is greatly appreciated and is important for supporting HUD activities and programs.

HUD has contracted with Abt Associates to contact the department of revenue or an equivalent agency in counties and states nationwide to compile parcel data for use by HUD. You will be contacted by an Abt team member in the next two weeks to request copies of available parcel data, including GIS data.

If you have any questions about this project or request, please contact me at (202) 402-7545. Again, HUD appreciates your participation in the County Data Record Project.

Sincerely

Ashaki Robinson Johns

Office of Policy Development and Research

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

www.hud.gov espanol.hud.gov