Justification for Modification of ICR

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

WASHINGTON, DC 20410-6000

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR

POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH

MEMORANDUM FOR: Patrick J. Fuchs, Desk Officer, Office of Management and
Budget

FROM: Michael J. Early, Engineer, Affordable Housing Research and
Technology Division, RRT

SUBJECT: Paperwork Reduction Action clearance package for Baseline
Assessment of Renewable Energy Capacity with HUD’s
Public Housing and Federally-Assisted Multifamily Housing
Portfolios (201403-2528-004) -- Justification for modification of
Information Collection Request

The modification requested is for the information collection request (ICR) of the subject Paperwork Reduction Action (PRA) clearance package (201403-2528-004).

Specifically, the requested change relates to the manner in which the data collection instrument will be administered to the targeted participants. It is requested that the collection instrument be administered through a two-phase approach as opposed to the single-phase approach that is currently described in the subject clearance package. The Department anticipates that only a small percentage (~ 1%) of the HUD housing stock will have installed renewable energy systems. The primary focus of this data collection effort is to gather information related to the installed renewable energy systems with the Department’s housing stock.

The initial phase will consist of a brief, web-based survey that will be sent via e-mail to all targeted participants. It is anticipated that this survey can be completed within 5 minutes. Non-respondents to this survey will only receive reminders via e-mail. Positive responses from this phase, along with informal evidence, generated by the Department, of agencies and properties that have renewable energy systems will formulate list of participants that will be administered the more in-depth, second phase survey. This set of participants is estimated to be approximately 400 entities.

The second survey will be administered to the: 1) subset of respondents with positive responses to the initial survey and 2) agencies and properties on the Department’s informal list of entities with renewable energy systems. This survey will inquire about the type, capacity, and financing and costs associated with the installed renewable energy systems. It will be web-based and administered via e-mail, and is anticipated that it can be completed within 10-15 minutes. Non-respondents to this survey will receive both e-mail and phone call reminders.

It is anticipated that approximately 33,100 entities will participate in the brief, phase one survey and approximately 400 entities will participate in the more in-depth, phase two survey.

The Department is aware that the total number of participants in the revised data collection methodology (33,100) far outnumbers the total within the current clearance package (20,370). This difference is due to the number of multifamily-assisted properties that will be surveyed. The current package requires the survey to be administered only to Property Managers that have an e-mail address and phone number within the Department’s database. However within the revised package, participants who receive the initial survey are only required to have an e-mail address within the database. All phase one respondents will be required to provide their contact information, including a phone number. This requirement will provide the Department with a means to make reminder phone calls to all phase one respondents who are administered the more in-depth survey. In addition, the revised package expands the targeted participants to include both Property Managers and Property Owners, with the emphasis on first contacting the Property Managers. This change allows the Department to broaden the number of multifamily-assisted properties that are able to participate in the study.

The requested change will reduce the overall burden on the targeted participants and increase the response rate of participants who have or are believed to have installed renewable energy systems.

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