IRT Study Emergency letter

3

Ms. Kimberly P. Nelson

OMB Desk Officer

Office of Management and Budget

New Executive Office Building

Washington, DC  20503

Dear Ms. Nelson:

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is seeking an emergency review of the Paperwork Reduction Act requirements for the DHAP Incremental Rent Transition Study. The Notice of Paperwork Submission (copy enclosed), proposed for immediate publication in the Federal Register, explains the burden of the collection requirements and invites public comments. 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 in the Federal Register. This emergency processing is essential to conduct this study because the Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is expiring on February 28, 2009 and the Department must obtain study participant consent and baseline questionnaires in January and February 2009 before DHAP terminates. Without this emergency request, HUD will not be able to conduct the important DHAP Incremental Rent Transition Study. This study will compare families transitioning from stepped-up rents (i.e., Phase I families) and $0 rent (i.e., Phase II/Phase III families) to market rate or assisted housing and measure their outcomes over time. This Information Collection would enable the Department to answer the question of how do you transition people most effectively from rental assistance to market rate housing after a disaster. Additionally, since DHAP differs from the regular Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, this study will enable HUD to see if DHAP vouchers and their differential rents are having a different effect on housing, employment, education, health, and other outcomes after DHAP ends February 28, 2009.

Thank you for your consideration and assistance.

Sincerely,

Darlene F. Williams

Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy Development and Research

Enclosures

Internal HUD Distribution:
HTS: Curry		HT: Golrick
HTSP: Hylton
Identification Lines:
2502-0204 and 2502-0182 Emergency Letter 06112008
Correspondence Code	Originator HTS		Concurrence HTS	Concurrence HT	Concurrence		Concurrence	Concurrence
Name	Curry		Hylton	Golrick
Date

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

Previous edition is obsolete.