Revised - HCV Mobility Part A

Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submission

Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration

OMB Control # xxxx-xxxx

Part A. Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information.

The Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is seeking approval of a new information collection for the Phase 1 Evaluation of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Mobility Demonstration (“Demonstration”). The Demonstration, renamed the Community Choice Demonstration¹, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build rigorous evidence on how to advance the long-held goals of expanding residential choice and facilitating moves to lower poverty areas by HCV families.

Demonstration Overview

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (Pub. L. 116-6) and the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub. L. 116-94) authorized HUD to implement and evaluate the HCV Mobility Demonstration. As described in the Federal Register Notice Docket Number FR-6191-N-01, HUD is implementing a multi-site randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test and evaluate the effectiveness of providing voucher assistance and mobility-related services to families with children in facilitating moves by such families to neighborhoods that will support positive long-term outcomes for children and their families. These neighborhoods – which the demonstration calls “opportunity areas” – will be designated by HUD with input from the participating PHAs.

In April 2019, HUD announced the selection of 13 public housing agencies (PHAs) – which are grouped into nine demonstration sites – to participate in the Demonstration.² These sites will implement housing voucher mobility programs by offering mobility-related services to eligible families with children.³ Both existing families with vouchers (“existing voucher families”) and families newly offered a voucher from the waiting list (“waitlist families”) are eligible to participate. Participating PHAs will work to adopt administrative policies that further enable housing mobility, increase landlord participation, and reduce barriers for families to move across PHA jurisdictions through portability. Eligible families that consent to participate in the Demonstration will be randomly assigned to either receive mobility-related services or to not receive mobility-related services.

The Demonstration will enroll approximately 17,000 families over a five-year enrollment period—of which approximately 16,000 will be existing voucher families and approximately 1,000 will be waitlist families. Enrollment will occur in two phases. During the first two years of enrollment (Phase 1), the Demonstration will randomly assign approximately 6,700 households to a single treatment group or a control group. The treatment condition will offer a comprehensive set of mobility-related services (CMRS) to households. During the following three years of enrollment (Phase 2), the Demonstration will randomly assign approximately 10,300 households to one of two treatment groups or a control group. The two treatment conditions will be (1) the same comprehensive set of mobility-related services (CMRS) offered during Phase 1 and (2) a narrower set of selected mobility-related services (SMRS). This Information Collection Request (ICR) seeks approval for data collection for the first three years of enrollment into the demonstration—all of Phase 1 and up to the first year of Phase 2—during which time HUD anticipates approximately 10,100 families will enroll in the study. Exhibit A-1 illustrates the two phases of the Demonstration.

PD&R has contracted with Abt Associates, Inc, and its partners—the Urban Institute, MEF Associates, Social Policy Research Associates (SPR) and SAGE Computing (collectively, “the evaluation contractor”)—to be the Phase 1 evaluator.

Exhibit A-1 Demonstration Enrollment and Data Collection in this Request, by Phase

Research Questions

Through the Demonstration, HUD will implement, test, and evaluate whether housing mobility programs expand access to opportunity areas. HUD has designed the Demonstration to answer 16 research questions, which are included in Attachment A.

Research Questions 1 through 8 focus on assessing the impacts of the CMRS collected during Phase 1 of this demonstration:

1. For voucher families with children, what is the effect of offering CMRS on moves to an opportunity area during the 12 months following random assignment?

2. For voucher families with children, what is the effect of offering CMRS on the duration of residency in an opportunity area in the 24 months following random assignment??

3. How does the offer of mobility-related services affect the following secondary outcomes: (a) The characteristics of families’ rental units and tracts? (b) Search times? (c) Lease-up rates for waitlist families? (d) Share of existing voucher families who move to any area? and (e) When existing voucher families move relative to enrollment in the study?

4. Which mobility-related services appear most effective in facilitating moves to opportunity areas?

5. What challenges do key stakeholders—PHAs and mobility service providers, families, and landlords—face with regard to implementing, accessing, and interacting with mobility-related services?

6. Which site and household-level factors affect the success of mobility-related services in facilitating moves to opportunity areas?

7. How do implementation and fidelity to model vary across sites?

8. What are the costs associated with comprehensive and selected mobility-related services, and are some more cost effective than others?

Research questions 9 through 13 are similar to the research questions above but focus on the impacts of being offered SMRS and a comparison of the impacts of CMRS and SMRS. We will review these questions more fully when we apply to renew our ICR to cover the final years of demonstration enrollment and data collection.

Research questions 14-16 focus on the long-terms effects of being offered mobility-related services:

14. What is the effect of the offer of mobility-related services on housing outcomes to be collected at a later point in time?

15. What is the effect of the offer of mobility-related services on adult outcomes to be collected at a later point in time?

16. What is the effect of the offer of mobility-related services on child outcomes to be collected at a later point in time?

To measure these long-term outcomes, particularly outcomes on children as they age into adulthood, the demonstration has a long follow-up period – up to 30 years after the household enrolls into the study. While we understand that 30 years is a long time, research from an earlier HUD study has shown long-term benefits of moving to low-poverty neighborhoods for households and especially their children as they grow into adults.⁴ A long follow-up period is the only way to expand on that earlier study and determine if being offered mobility-related services and moving to an opportunity area has long-term impacts on households and their children as they grow into adults. As described further in Section 10, the informed consent documents make it clear that the participating households can withdraw from the study at any time.

Data Collection

To answer the research questions, data will be collected through a variety of methods including informational interviews and discussions, direct observation, surveys, and the collection of administrative records. During the first phase of the evaluation, the evaluation contractor will collect six types of data, the first five of which are the subject of this information collection request:

1. Baseline data on study households: Enrollment-level data collected via a web-based enrollment tool (Household Roster and Baseline Information Form) and Baseline Survey data collected from all heads of household.

2. Mobility Services delivery data: Information about the provision of comprehensive-mobility related services (CMRS) and selected mobility-related services (SMRS) offered to households in the treatment group and collected via a web-based mobility services delivery tool.

3. Qualitative interviews data: Semi-structured interviews conducted with PHAs, mobility-related service providers, a sample of households participating in the Demonstration, and a sample of landlords of rental housing.

4. Cost data: Data collection including requests of administrative records and a semi-structured interview conducted with PHA and service provider staff to capture data for a cost-benefit analysis.

5. Administrative data from PHAs: Data on Demonstration participants not available through HUD’s existing administrative data, including information on search time and preference category for waitlist families.

6. Administrative data from HUD. This final data source, which is not subject to this ICR, will provide data on families’ income, addresses, household composition and other factors included within the administrative data that HUD collects directly from PHAs pursuant to an alternative authority.

This new information collection request is for data collected during the first three years of the Demonstration—all of Phase 1 and up to the first year of data collection in Phase 2. During this time, enrollment of Housing Choice Voucher families into the Demonstration and the administration of the Household Roster and Baseline Information Form and the Baseline Survey will be ongoing. This time period also includes one round of qualitative interviews with PHA and mobility-related services provider staff, families enrolled in the Demonstration, landlords of properties participating in the HCV program, and landlords who own properties in opportunity neighborhoods. HUD will seek renewal of this information collection before the initial three-year approval expires.

Instruments and Attachments

This new information collection request includes the following data collection instruments and attachments:

Instruments:

• Household Roster and Baseline Information Form (Instrument 1)

• Baseline Survey (Instrument 2)

• PHA Staff Interview Guide (Instrument 3)

• Mobility Service Providers Interview Guide (Instrument 4)

• Searching Families Interview Guide (Instrument 5)

• Participating Families Interview Guide (Instrument 6)

• Landlord Interview Guide (Instrument 7)

• Cost Data Collection Interview Guide (Instrument 8)

Attachments:

• Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Research Questions and Data Sources (Attachment A)

• Phase 1 Head of Household Existing Voucher Families Informed Consent (Attachment B)

• Phase 1 Head of Household Waitlist Families Informed Consent (Attachment C)

• Phase 1 Other Adult Household Member Informed Consent (Attachment D)

• Parent/Guardian Permission Form (Attachment E)

• Baseline Information and Survey Detailed Item Justification (Attachment F)

• Mobility Services Delivery Tool Item List (Attachment G)

• Head of Household Family Interview Consent Form (Attachment H)

• Head of Household Family Interview Advance Letter (Attachment I)

• Head of Household Family Interview Email Reminder (Attachment J)

• Mobility Services Provider Interview Advance Letter (Attachment K)

• Landlord Interview Advance Letter (Attachment L)

• Cost Interview Advance Letter (Attachment M)

• Phase 2 Head of Household Existing Voucher Families Informed Consent (Attachment N)

• Phase 2 Head of Household Waitlist Families Informed Consent (Attachment O)

• Phase 2 Other Adult Household Member Informed Consent (Attachment P)

2. Indicate how, by whom and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.

This is a new information collection request. The information collected in support of the Demonstration will allow HUD, the evaluation contractor, PHAs, other researchers, and policymakers to understand the effects of various mobility-related services on a household’s ability to make and sustain a move to an opportunity area. A primary goal of the Demonstration is to better understand the extent to which mobility-related services succeed in facilitating moves to opportunity areas, and whether and to what extent families who move to opportunity areas stay in those areas. The Demonstration also seeks to better understand the individual, PHA, and local community factors that either support or hinder the effectiveness of mobility-related services. Another aim of the Demonstration is to gain insight into the costs of each component of the mobility-related services provided and which services are most cost-effective.

A long-term goal of the Demonstration is to measure whether there are differences in long-term outcomes for those who make and sustain moves to opportunity areas and those who do not. Of particular importance is the ability to measure whether children in households that move to opportunity areas do better in school and earn a higher income later in life. The study design allows for ongoing collection of administrative data from several government agencies to help measure differences in long-term outcomes.

The remainder of this section describes the purpose of each data collection activity, who will make use of the information collected, and an item-by-item justification for each of the new data collection items.

Purpose of Each Data Collection Activity

The purpose of each data collection activity is described below.

1. Baseline data from study households (Instruments 1 and 2)

At the time of enrollment, PHA staff (or an agent assigned to this task by or on behalf of the PHA)⁵ will record household data and random assignment information in a user-friendly, web-based enrollment tool. This tool will (1) collect consent signatures and record that informed consent has been obtained, (2) contain a module for PHA staff (or their agents) to record information about the household members, (3) enable the family heads-of-household to self-administer a baseline survey, and (4) enable PHA staff to conduct random assignment.

Through the tool, PHA staff will collect the name and Social Security Number (SSN) for the head of household and the names, ages, and other key demographic characteristics for other household members using the Household Roster and Baseline Information Form (Instrument 1). Heads of household will then be asked to complete a baseline survey online, which will include questions related to race, gender, employment, education, their health and well-being, their current housing status, and their thoughts about searching for housing (Instrument 2).

All baseline survey data will be collected after heads of household provide informed consent for themselves (see Attachments B and C for Phase 1 and Attachments N and O for Phase 2) and at least one child to participate in the study (see Attachment E).⁶ The baseline data, along with random assignment data, will be recorded in the enrollment tool. After informed consent is obtained, the PHA staff person will have the family’s head of household complete the baseline survey on a tablet computer (or their own computer or phone) in a place of privacy. The head of household will have the option of completing the survey in written form or having the questions and response options read aloud through (their own or provided) headphones. After the head of household finishes the survey, the PHA staff person will receive notification that the baseline survey has been completed and they will use the enrollment tool to randomly assign the family to the treatment or the control group.

Individuals with disabilities will be provided reasonable accommodations in order to participate in the study, and the evaluation contractor, the PHAs, and HUD will ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities throughout this study.

The evaluation contractor will also work with HUD and the participating PHAs to ensure meaningful access to the study by persons with limited English proficiency. The evaluation contractor will make the survey available in English and Spanish and will work with HUD and the participating PHAs to accommodate interested households whose primary language is neither English nor Spanish.

2. Mobility services delivery data (Attachment G)

The collection of data on the mobility-related services provided to treatment group households will provide a key input for the evaluation. These data will be collected primarily through a mobility services delivery tool developed by the evaluation contractor and will serve as a user-friendly case management system and mobility program management information system (MIS) for staff, either at PHAs or at partner organizations, that are providing mobility-services (Attachment G). The mobility services delivery tool will be available to all participating organizations to help ensure collection of a uniform set of data elements (contacts between staff and households, between staff and landlords, costs of services provided, etc.) and to minimize coordination efforts and PHA burden. However, participating organizations have the option of using their own systems to collect the required data if that is preferable. In that case, the information collected through these systems will be transmitted through a secure file transfer system to the evaluation contractor.

3. Qualitative Data (Instruments 5, 6, 3, 4, and 7)

Interviews will be conducted with a sample of participating households, PHA staff, mobility service provider staff, and landlords at two points in time during the evaluation: first in 2022 to inform a Rapid Cycle Evaluation and again in 2024 to inform the Final Comprehensive Report. This Information Collection Request only covers the first set of interviews to be conducted in 2022. The questions for these interview guides build on a range of prior interview guides, including data collection tools used to evaluate voucher mobility programs, as well as prior Urban and Abt interviews of voucher families and PHA staff. The evaluation contractor will ensure meaningful access to participate in the interviews for persons with disabilities and individuals with limited English proficiency. The following instruments will be used in this data collection:

• Searching Family Interview Guide (Instrument 5). The Searching Family Interview Guide is designed to be administered to a sample of heads of household who have enrolled in the study and been assigned to either the treatment or the control group but have not yet completed their housing search (n = 45). The interview guide is designed to help the evaluation contractor and HUD understand the experiences of households as they search for housing. The interviews are expected to take about 90 minutes to complete. Interviews will be conducted in person on site visits and will be recorded if the participant consents.

• Leased Family Interview Guide (Instrument 6). The Leased Family Interview Guide is designed to be administered to a sample of heads of household who have enrolled in the study and been assigned to either the treatment or the control group and completed their housing search (n = 45). Because this interview guide will be administered to a different set of families than was interviewed as “Searching Families,” the interview guide is designed to help the evaluation contractor and HUD understand the experiences of enrolled households as they searched for housing and after they moved into a new housing unit. The interviews are expected to take about 90 minutes to complete. Interviews will be conducted in person on site visits and will be recorded if the participant consents.

• Public Housing Agency (PHA) Staff Interview Guide (Instrument 3). The PHA Staff Interview Guide is designed for PHA leadership and PHA staff. The interview guide is designed to help the evaluation contractor and HUD understand program-model implementation and model fidelity within and across agencies and will support interpretation of results from outcome and impact analyses. Interview data from early rounds will inform subsequent data collection efforts. Interviews will be roughly 90 minutes long, with open-ended questions. Interviews will be conducted in person on site visits and will be recorded if the participant consents. Interviews may need to be conducted with multiple staff at the PHA depending on their roles.

• Mobility Service Provider Guide (Instrument 4) is designed for mobility services providers who work directly with treatment households to provide mobility-related services, and who interact with landlords on households’ behalf. Interviews will be roughly 90 minutes long, with open-ended questions. Mobility service providers will either be PHA staff or service providers contracted by the participating PHA. Interviews will be conducted in person on site visits and will be recorded if the participant consents.

• Landlord Interview Guide (Instrument 7) is intended for landlords who have properties in opportunity areas and have had some engagement, either via outreach or recruitment efforts, with mobility services staff. (It is likely that some of the landlords interviewed will have rented to study participants or other HCV holders, while others will not have.) Interviews will be roughly 60 minutes long, with open-ended questions. Interviews will be conducted in person on site visits and will be recorded if the participant consents.

4. Cost Data Collection and Interview Guide (Instrument 8)

Cost data collection will collect details on staffing and salaries, materials, administrative, and any other relevant costs with the goal of capturing the quantity and unit cost of all inputs used to provide Comprehensive Mobility Related Services to treatment group participants. The cost interview will be administered to both PHA staff and mobility services provider staff.

Who Will Use this Information?

The evaluation contractor will use the information collected as part of the Demonstration to prepare reports to HUD on the findings of the Demonstration. The primary beneficiary of these reports (and the data used to inform the reports) will be HUD. HUD will use the information from the study to understand the impact of mobility-related services on whether HCV families with children move to an opportunity area, as well as to understand how to implement a mobility-related services program and the cost-effectiveness of the specific services provided. The Demonstration will also provide the foundation to study the impacts of being offered mobility-related services on a range of long-term outcomes The findings of the impact analyses will be published by HUD and are relevant to a broader set of policymakers, financial institutions, counseling agencies, voucher families, and researchers.

HUD plans to publish two reports on the results of Phase 1 of the Demonstration:

• A Rapid Cycle Evaluation Report and Selected Mobility Related Services Brief (2023)

• Final Process and Impact Study Report (2025)

Instrument Item-by-Item Justification Chart

Exhibit A-1 lists key information about the respondents, the content, and the reason or purpose for each of the instruments included in this information collection request. Attachment F contains a more detailed item-by-item justification of the Household Roster and Baseline Information Form and Baseline Survey items as each relates to the research questions. Attachment G contains a detailed list of the items in the mobility services delivery tool.

The estimates of the number of respondents in Exhibit A-2 are based on the three-year duration of this Information Collection Request. Data collection related to the Demonstration in subsequent years will be addressed in a subsequent filing to renew the initial information collection authorization.

Exhibit A-2 Instrument Overview

Instrument(s)	Overview
Household Roster and Baseline information Form (Instrument 1)	Respondents: approximately 10,100 heads of households willing to enroll in the HCV Mobility Demonstration during the three years covered by this information collection request Content: Household Composition Basic demographics of household members (educational attainment, relationship to head of household, employment status of adults, chronic health conditions of children etc.) Contact information Reason: Before the consent process occurs, the name, social security number, and date of birth of the head of household will be collected to check that the individual has not previously enrolled in the Demonstration and to ensure proper matching to administrative records. Collection of name, age, and other characteristics for all household members (adults and children) will be collected after head of household consent is obtained. The names and ages of other household members data will allow for the identification of other adults and children to be consented into the study. The collection of baseline characteristics of all household members helps to improve precision of impact estimates, form subgroups, and test hypotheses about what factors affect the success of mobility services in facilitating moves to opportunity areas.
Baseline Survey (Instrument 2)	Respondents: approximately 10,100 heads of household willing to enroll in the HCV Mobility Demonstration during the three years covered by this information collection request Content: Housing and neighborhood status Perceptions of opportunity areas Health Financial well-being Educational attainment Employment Demographic characteristics Reason: Information on demographics and other baseline characteristics such as employment, education, health and well-being, current housing status, and respondents’ thoughts about searching for housing will improve precision of impact estimates, enable the study to form subgroups, and be used to test hypotheses about what factors affect the success of mobility services in facilitating moves to opportunity areas.
Interview Guide for PHA Staff (Instrument 3)	Respondents: Approximately 45 Public Housing Agency (PHA) staff who are knowledgeable about the demonstration decisions and HCV services, such as executive directors, policy and program directors, HCV managers, and HCV specialists. Content: Respondent background Institutional context Mobility program partnerships Partnerships with other PHAs Partnerships with service providers Housing search context Enrollment process and progress Program implementation Early outcomes Reflections on the Demonstration Reason: PHA staff interviews will contribute to the researchers’ understanding of program-model implementation and model fidelity within and across agencies and will support interpretation of results from outcome and impact analyses. Interview data from early rounds will inform subsequent data collection efforts.
Interview Guide for Mobility Service Providers (Instrument 4)	Respondents: Approximately 45 mobility services staff who work directly with program participants to provide CMRS, including case managers and team leaders. Staff may work for participating PHAs or be employees of service providers contracted by participating PHAs to provide mobility services. Content: Respondent background Service capacity and context Factors affecting opportunity moves Engaging with mobility program participants to provide CMRS Effectiveness of specific comprehensive mobility related services Additional context on mobility services Engagement with landlords Reflections on the Demonstration Reason: Service provider interviews will contribute to the researchers’ understanding of mobility-services implementation and model fidelity across providers and will support interpretation of results from outcome and impact analyses. Interview data from early rounds will inform subsequent data collection efforts.
Interview Guide for Participating Households Currently Searching for Housing (Instrument 5)	Respondents: Approximately 90 participating heads of households that are searching for housing, including waitlist families assigned to the treatment group, existing voucher families assigned to the treatment group, and households in the control group. Content: Respondent background Housing search Interest in move to opportunity area Services received from the PHA Mobility services available Experience with CMRS Reflections on the Demonstration Reason: Interviews will illuminate participants’ experiences with program implementation and will contribute to researchers’ understanding of the benefits and challenges of the program from the perspective of households searching for housing. Interviews will inform within- and cross-site analyses of treatment and control group outcomes and impact.
Interview Guide for Participating Households who have Leased Up (Instrument 6)	Respondents: Approximately 90 participating heads of household that have successfully leased housing, including waitlist families assigned to the treatment group, existing voucher families assigned to the treatment group, and households in the control group. Content: Respondent background Housing search Housing characteristics Interest in move to opportunity area PHA Services Received Mobility services available Experience with CMRS Post-move services Satisfaction with move and neighborhood Reflections on the Demonstration Reason: Interviews will illuminate participants’ experiences with program implementation and will contribute to researchers’ understanding of the benefits and challenges of the program from the perspective of households that have successfully leased housing. Interviews will inform within- and cross-site analyses of treatment and control group outcomes and impact.
Interview Guide for Participating Landlords (Instrument 7)	Respondents: Approximately 36 landlords who have properties in opportunity areas and have had some engagement, either via outreach or recruitment efforts, with mobility services staff. Some landlords may be property owners while others may be property managers. It is likely that some of the landlords interviewed will have rented to a study participant or another HCV family, while others may not have. Content: Respondent background HCV and mobility program experience Mobility program experience Experience with mobility program tenants Perceptions of HCV program Reflections on the Demonstration Reason: Interviews with landlords participating in the mobility program will contribute to the researchers’ understanding of the benefits and challenges for landlords early in the demonstration, which will inform analysis of other data and subsequent data collection efforts. Interviews with landlords who are not participating in the HCV or mobility programs can shed light on their views of these programs and help generate ideas for strengthening landlord recruitment efforts.
Interview Guide for Cost Data Collection (Instrument 8)	Respondents: Approximately 34 individuals, comprised of a mix of staff from PHAs and mobility services providers, who are knowledgeable of the program operations and operating costs of the program. Content: Operational costs of organization Mobility costs incurred by PHA and by other entities Reason: To gather information that will allow the evaluation contractor to understand, estimate, and document the costs of mobility services provided to voucher families as part of the Demonstration.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.

The evaluation team will use automated technology in several ways to enhance the collection of information under the Demonstration and reduce burden.

• Informed Consent: the evaluation team will obtain informed consent electronically, subject to state and local laws. The Demonstration has a long follow-up period—30 years. Having electronic consent reduces the paperwork requirements of the demonstration and offers improved retention capabilities. Electronic consent will also enhance the ability of the PHA and the evaluation contractor to track the status of pending consent forms and improve efforts to obtain consent for the head of household, other adult household members, and parent/guardian permission for children in the household through electronic communications as opposed to phone or paper mailings.

• The enrollment tool is a web-based data collection system that PHA staff will use to collect baseline information on approximately 10,100 households who enroll in the demonstration in the first three years. This tool will also store the random assignment outcome data for all households and facilitate the completion of the baseline survey by participating families.

• The mobility services delivery tool is a web-based tool that PHA and mobility services provider staff will use to deliver services to approximately 5,652 households assigned to the treatment group in the first three years of the demonstration covered by this PRA request. Use of the tool will automate the collection of information needed for the Demonstration, reducing the burden on service providers.

• Administrative Data on Households and Units from PHAs. The evaluation contractor plans to regularly obtain administrative data from the PHAs that are not included in their Form 50058 data submissions to HUD (such as preference category, search time before moving or lease up, and inspection data. The evaluation contractor site liaisons will coordinate with PHAs for the transfer of these data on a quarterly basis throughout the demonstration. The following is a list of data elements that the evaluation contractor will obtain for all households enrolled in the Demonstration from PHA administrative records:

• Preference category

• Housing search time

• Inspection data

• Date of issuance of voucher

• Date of expiration of voucher

• Date of exit from HCV program (if applicable)

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item 2.

Wherever possible, the evaluation contractor will draw upon HUD and PHA administrative data to reduce the burden of direct data collection from the study participants and to avoid duplication of effort by collecting data available elsewhere. For example, social security number of the head of household is necessary at the time of enrollment to ensure proper matching to HUD and PHA administrative data and ensure that the head of household was not previously enrolled in the study. However, social security numbers will not be obtained for other household members at enrollment, as the evaluation contractor can obtain that data from HUD and PHA administrative data.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities (Item 5 of OMB Form 83-I) describe any methods used to minimize burden.

Landlords and mobility service providers participating in qualitative interviews may be small businesses. Every effort will be taken to minimize burden with small business respondents or other small entities including relying on administrative data or publicly available data whenever possible.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (Pub. L. 116-6) and the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub. L. 116-94) authorized and required the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to implement and evaluate the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Mobility Demonstration ("Demonstration). If the data included in this information collection request is not collected, HUD would be unable to conduct the research necessary to meet the statutory requirements for an evaluation of the Demonstration. Specifically, HUD would be unable to adequately determine:

• whether or not households can sustain moves to opportunity areas,

• what if any of the services received enabled them to do so, and

• what the long-term outcomes are for both adults and children in households who do make opportunity moves relative to those who do not.

The burden has been reduced to the minimum necessary to achieve the purposes of the Demonstration. No technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden have been identified beyond the need to protect privacy and ensure that interviewees engage in informed consent.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:

• requiring respondents to report information to the agency more than quarterly;

  • This circumstance is not applicable.

• requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;

  • This circumstance is not applicable.

• requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;

  • This circumstance is not applicable.

• requiring respondents to retain records other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years;

  • This circumstance is not applicable.

• in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results than can be generalized to the universe of study;

  • This circumstance is not applicable.

• requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;

  • This circumstance is not applicable.

• that includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or

  • This circumstance is not applicable.

• requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secret, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.

  • This circumstance is not applicable.

The proposed data collection activities are consistent with the guidelines set forth in 5 CFR 1320 (Controlling Paperwork Burdens on the Public). There are no special circumstances that require deviation from these guidelines. Thus, each of the requirements above are “Not Applicable” to this collection.

8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publications in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.

• Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping disclosure, or reporting format (if any) and the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported.

• Consultation with representatives of those from whom information is to be obtained or those who must compile records should occur at least once every 3 years -- even if the collection of information activity is the same as in prior periods. There may be circumstances that preclude consultation in a specific situation. These circumstances should be explained.

Federal Register Notice and Comments

The notice, soliciting comments on the information collection, was posted in the Federal Register on January 25, 2021, Volume 86, Number 14, pages 6908-6910, and provided a sixty-day period for public comment. During the notice and comment period, no public comments were received. Please see the link to the Federal Register notice below.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01454/60-day-notice-of-proposed-information-collection-phase-1-evaluation-of-the-housing-choice-voucher.

1. Consultations Outside of the Agency

For a list of those consulted on this study outside of HUD, please see Supporting Statement B, Section 5.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

Participation in the evaluation is a requirement of Demonstration. Therefore, there are no incentives planned for the interviews with PHA and mobility service provider staff for their participation in the qualitative and cost data collection.

However, incentives are planned for the baseline data collection with the head of household and three of the qualitative data collection interviews: heads of household for households that leased up, heads of household for households that are searching for housing, and landlords. Exhibit A-3 shows the planned incentive amount for each respondent type.

Exhibit A-3 Planned Respondent Incentives

Information Collection	Incentive Amount	Incentive Type
Baseline Survey	$25	Gift Card
Family Interview, Leased Family	$40	Gift Card
Family Interview, Searching Family	$40	Gift Card
Landlord Interview	$30	Gift Card

HUD and the evaluation contractor have determined that the appropriate incentive amount for the baseline survey is $25. The justification for this level of incentive is: 1) the length of the survey is significantly shorter than the in-depth interviews (estimated to be 45 minutes rather than 90 minutes); and 2) the baseline survey is a required aspect of the Demonstration enrollment. The incentive was offered to help offset the costs incurred to participate in the enrollment session—including but not limited to transportation and childcare costs incurred if enrollment was in-person or internet/cell-phone charges incurred while completing the session remotely.

HUD and the evaluation contractor have determined that $40 for household heads and $30 for landlords are appropriate amounts to offset the costs of participation such as childcare or transportation and the burden associated with participation in the qualitative interviews. Although participation is voluntary and participants will likely have a choice of travelling to an interview or having an interviewer travel to them, there are potential burdens placed on participating heads of household and landlords. These interviews may impose burden on the participant’s daily life. For instance, an interview that takes about 90 minutes to complete could interfere in family commitments, result in substantial travel or childcare costs, or result in unforeseen other expenses associated with research participation. Without offsetting the direct costs incurred by respondents for attending the interviews, such as arranging childcare, transportation, or time off from paid work, the evaluation contractor increases the risk that only those individuals able to overcome the financial barriers to attend will participate in the study, thus limiting the experiences the evaluation is able to capture. For example, this may result in fewer participants with younger children participating in the study and thus the study would not reveal the experiences of searching for housing or adjusting to life in a new area while raising children. Further, leading survey research organizations, American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and American Statistical Association (ASA), agree that incentives improve response rates and are financially prudent for researchers, because they reduce time spent pursuing responses and improve the ability to interview households of interest.⁷

To avoid coercion, the consent statements for each interview guide will accurately state known benefits and risks of participation without exaggerating them. Individuals with disabilities will be provided reasonable accommodations and evaluation contractors will ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities during this study. Similarly, meaningful access will be provided to persons with LEP.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

Because of the nature of the information collected from and about study participants, strict confidentiality procedures will be followed for this evaluation. The information requested under this collection is protected and held confidential in accordance with 5 U.S.C. § 552a (Privacy Act of 1974) and OMB Circular No. A-130. As required by 5 U.S.C. 552a (Privacy Act of 1974), HUD has published a Systems of Record Notice (SORN) in the Federal Register on XX/XX/XX.

Prior to beginning the data collections included in this submission, the study protocols and materials will be reviewed in detail by Abt Associates’ Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Abt Associates Cybersecurity team.

Informed Consent

The study has been designed to allow all potential participants to make a genuinely informed decision about study participation. Vigorous outreach with a clear message and strong supporting materials will be used to ensure that households enrolled in the study understand the concept of random assignment, the opportunities available to participating households under each random assignment group, the risks and benefits of participating in the study, the requirements of study participation, and the expected duration of the study.

There are two sets of consent forms, one set for Phase 1 – attachments B, C and D – and a second set for Phase 2 – attachments N, O and P. The two sets are very similar. The only difference is the Phase 1 consent forms inform potential study participants of the two-way random assignment conducted in the first two years of enrollment, between CMRS and the control condition, while the Phase 2 consent forms inform potential study participants of the three-way random assignment conducted in the final three years of enrollment, between CMRS, SMRS, and the control condition.

The Demonstration enrollment procedures require four types of informed consent:

1. consent of the head of household to enroll the family into the demonstration and the study (existing voucher families); (Attachment B for Phase 1 and Attachment N for Phase 2)

2. consent of the head of household to enroll the family into the demonstration and the study (families that newly receive a housing choice voucher); (Attachment C for Phase 1 and Attachment O for Phase 2)

3. consent from other adult household members agreeing to be in the study; (Attachment D for Phase 1 and Attachment P for Phase 2) and,

4. parent/guardian permission allowing children in the household to be part of the study (Attachment E).

All heads of household will provide their informed consent at the time of enrollment into the Demonstration. In accordance with local, state, and federal laws, heads of household will provide their consent electronically, through the enrollment tool. If electronic consent is not feasible for some reason, PHA staff will provide heads of household with paper forms to sign. The paper forms will either be collected in hard copy or scanned and transmitted through a secure file transfer system, such as the enrollment tool.

At the time of enrollment, PHA staff will also ask heads of household to provide their permission for the children residing in the household to participate in the study. To be eligible for the study, heads of household must give permission for at least one child under the age of 17 to participate in the study. While heads of household will be asked to provide permission for other children in the household to participate in the study, such permission will not be required as a condition of enrolling in the study.

PHA staff will also provide heads of household with a copy of the ‘Other Adult Household Member’ consent form along with instructions to share with other adult household members so that they can consent to be in the study. The decision of any other adults in the household to decline to participate in the study would not stand in the way of the family as a whole enrolling in the study, but no information will be collected from the non-consenting adult.

The study follow-up period is long, up to 30 years, so as part of the informed consent process, prospective participants will be informed that their participation is voluntary and that they can withdraw their participation at any time. During the consent process, the PHA staff will communicate procedures for study participants to withdraw consent at any point during the study and the consent form will include instructions for withdrawing from the study.

Once the head of household has consented to participate in the evaluation, agreed to enroll at least one child aged 17 or under in the evaluation, and completed the baseline survey, PHA staff (or their agents), having been trained by the evaluation contactor, will conduct random assignment in each study site. During the administration of informed consent, PHA staff (or agents) will describe the other implications of participating in the study, which relate mostly to data collection. As noted in the consent form, participating households who sign the consent form and agree to participate in the study are also granting the evaluation contractor, HUD, and other researchers’ permission to use their SSN and their children’s SSN and other information to access information about them from other administrative records systems, including federal agencies, state departments of labor, local school districts, child welfare agencies, and credit bureaus. Among other information, this may include information on employment, individual and household earnings, family composition, health and health care health and health care, education, residency, neighborhood quality and information found in tax returns.

Heads of household for households on the waiting list will be reminded that they need to meet eligibility requirements for the HCV program and that it is possible that the final determination of eligibility for the HCV program may happen after they are randomly assigned. If they are randomized to the treatment group, and later found ineligible, they will not be able to continue to receive mobility-related services since these services require the participant be in the HCV program.

If other adult household members besides the head of household opt not to enroll in the study, they will be reassured that their decision will have no impact on the rest of the household’s ability to participate in the study. If they opt to enroll, they will be reminded that are also granting the evaluation team, HUD, and other researchers’ permission to use their name, DOB, SSN, and other information to access information about them from the same sources as the head of household listed above. The same language will be provided in the parent permission form, explaining that the evaluation contractor will collect the same data for each of the children for which they grant permission to participate in the study.

Options for those who need reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities will be provided for households interested in enrolling. Language assistance options will also be provided for persons with limited English proficiency to be able to enroll in the study and provide informed consent.

Data Confidentiality Protections

The evaluation contractor shall protect respondent privacy to the extent permitted by law and will comply with all Federal and Departmental regulations for private information. The evaluation contractor will develop a Data Security Plan that assesses all protections of respondents’ PII. The evaluation contractor shall ensure that all employees, subcontractors (at all tiers), and employees of each subcontractor, who perform work under this contract/subcontract, are trained on data privacy issues and comply with the above requirements.

The evaluation contractor shall use Federal Information Processing Standard compliant encryption (Security Requirements for Cryptographic Module, as amended) to protect all instances of sensitive information during storage and transmission. The evaluation contractor shall securely generate and manage encryption keys to prevent unauthorized decryption of information, in accordance with the Federal Processing Standard. The evaluation contractor shall: ensure that this standard is incorporated into the evaluation contractor’s property management/control system; establish a procedure to account for all laptop computers, desktop computers, and other mobile devices and portable media that store or process sensitive information. Any data stored electronically will be secured in accordance with the most current National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requirements and other applicable Federal and Departmental regulations. In addition, the evaluation contractor will submit a plan for minimizing to the extent possible the inclusion of sensitive information on paper records and for the protection of any paper records, field notes, or other documents that contain sensitive or PII that ensures secure storage and limits on access.

All enrollment and mobility services data collected via the enrollment tool and mobility services delivery tool maintained by the evaluation contractor will be stored securely in the cloud-based system. Data extracted from those tools and all other data collected for this study will reside within the secure ACE 3 Data Collection Platform maintained by evaluation contractor Abt Associates. Only staff with a need to use the data will have access to the data.

An assurance of confidentiality to the extent provided by law is included in the study consent agreement through which participants provide informed consent. An assurance of confidentiality to the extent provided by law also will be made to all respondents as part of the introduction to each of the baseline data collection, qualitative interviews, the cost data collection interviews, and any future surveys as applicable. The other adult household member and parent permission consent forms also contains the promise of confidentiality to the extent provided by law.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

The instruments included in this information collection request contain some questions that may be deemed sensitive in nature by some study participants, such as income, employment status, family composition, and personal experiences with housing search, moves, and discrimination. This information is important to the study to ensure that the baseline characteristics of study participants randomized to the control group and those randomized to the treatment group are comparable and to understand the contextual or mediating factors that may contribute the long-term outcomes of each family.

All respondents will be informed that their participation is voluntary, that they can choose not to answer any question, that their responses will be kept private to the extent allowed by law, and that they can stop the interview at any time without any repercussion. The baseline survey is self-administered which offers additional privacy protections to the respondent. Prior to the family interviews, interviewers will ask that respondents find a quiet place where they can talk freely, without distraction to ensure no one else can listen in. Where possible, respondents in remote interviews will be encouraged to wear headphones if available.

The study also requires collection of SSNs to facilitate matching to other administrative databases to support the long-term outcomes of this study. Without matching to these administrative data sources over the long follow-up period, the study would not be able to measure the long-term outcomes for households—including children as they age into adulthood—that are the focus of this research.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. The statement should:

• indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated. Unless directed to do so, agencies should not conduct special surveys to obtain information on which to base hour burden estimates. Consultation with a sample (fewer than 10) of potential respondents is desirable. If the hour burden on respondents is expected to vary widely because of differences in activity, size, or complexity, show the range of estimated hour burden, and explain the reasons for the variance. Generally, estimates should not include burden hours for customary and usual business practices;

• if this request covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form and aggregate the hour burdens in Item 13 of OMB Form 83-I; and

• provide estimates of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories.

• The cost of contracting out or paying outside parties for information collection activities should not be included here. Instead, this cost should be included in Item 13.

Exhibit A-4 shows the estimated respondent burden for each of the data collection items included in this information collection request for the first three years of the Demonstration. Burden estimates are based on current projections for the first three-years of enrollment, projected sample sizes for the qualitative and cost data collection, and experience administering data collection forms with similar content to study participants with comparable demographic characteristics. The estimates of burden for each data collection activity are described below:

The average time per head of household (up to 10,100 households over three years) to complete the enrollment process—which includes obtaining informed consent, completion of the Household Roster and Baseline Information Form and completion of the Baseline Survey is two hours and 15 minutes per family or 23,987.5 hours over the three-year approval period, or 7,995.8 hours annually. The estimated hourly cost of $7.39 is based on the annual average household income for HCV holders as of 2019 (based on 2010 Census data, accessed January 8, 2021 at https:// www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/picture/about.html). The estimated annual cost for heads of household to complete the enrollment process is $59,089.21.

The average time for family heads of household to complete the qualitative family interviews is 1.5 hours per respondent or 270 burden hours over the three-year approval period, 90 hours annually. The estimated hourly cost of $7.39 is based on the annual average household income for HCV holders as of 2019 (based on 2010 Census data, accessed January 8, 2021 at https:// www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/picture/about.html). The estimated annual cost for heads of household to complete the qualitative family interviews is $665.

The average time for landlords to complete the qualitative landlord interviews is 1 hour per respondent or 36 burden hours over the three-year approval period, 18 hours annually. The estimated cost burden for landlords of $35.37 is based on average hourly and weekly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted for all professional and business services (based on November 2020 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t19.htm). The estimated annual cost for landlords to complete the qualitative interviews is $424.

The PHA and mobility services provider staff will be required to participate in two information collection efforts:

• PHA staff: the PHA staff interviews and the cost study data collection interviews.

• Services provider staff: the mobility services provider interviews and the cost study data collection interviews.

The total burden for both the PHA staff and mobility service provider interviews is up to 90 minutes for each person or 45 hours annually, 135 hours over the three-year approval period for each form (270 hours total for both interviews over the three-year period). The estimated cost burden of $42.47 for PHA staff participating in interviews is based on the average wage for civilian workers, management professional and related (as of December 2020, accessed June 10, 2021, at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf). The estimated annual cost for PHA staff interviews is $955.58. The cost data collection interviews are estimated to take up to two hours per interview, for a total of 68 hours over the three-year approval period, or roughly 23 hours annually. The estimated annual cost for the cost data collection interviews is $963.

Mobility services staff will use the mobility services delivery tool as part of their case management system. The tool will also record data on service usage for the study. We estimate an average of 30 staff per year will each serve 63 households per year and may use the tool to record information 8 times for each household at roughly 12 minutes per record, for a total of 3,024 hours annually. The estimated cost burden of $25.06 for mobility services provider staff participating in interviews and the mobility services delivery tool is based on the average wage for Counselors, Social Workers, and Other Community and Social Service Specialists as of May 2020 (accessed June 10, 2021 at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#21-0000). The estimated annual cost for mobility services provider staff participating in interviews and the mobility services delivery tool is estimated to be $76,345.29.

The total burden for the instruments included in this information collection request is 11,228 hours annually, and 33,684 hours over the three-year period. The total estimated cost of this collection is $138,954 per annum.

Exhibit A-4 Estimated Annual Respondent Burden

Information collection	Number of respondents	Frequency of response	Responses per annum	Burden hour per response	Annual burden hours	Hourly cost per response	Cost
Household Roster and Baseline Information Form (Instrument 1)	10,100	1	10,100	0.75	7,575	$7.39	$55,979.25
Phase 1- Head of Household Existing Voucher Family Informed Consent for Study Participation (Attachment B)	6,334	1	6,334	0.25	1583.5	$7.39	$11,702.07
Phase 1- Head of Household Waitlist Family Informed Consent for Study Participation (Attachment C)	3166	1	3166	0.25	791.5	$7.39	$5,849.19
Phase 2- Head of Household Existing Voucher Family Informed Consent for Study Participation (Attachment N)	400	1	400	0.25	100	$7.39	$739.00
Phase 2- Head of Household Waitlist Family Informed Consent for Study Participation (Attachment O)	200	1	200	0.25	50	$7.39	$369.50
Phase 1- Other Adult Household Member Informed Consent for Study Participation (Attachment D)	10,100	1	10,100	0.25	2525	$7.39	$18,659.75
Phase 2- Other Adult Household Member Informed Consent for Study Participation (Attachment P)	5050	1	5050	0.25	1,262.5	$7.39	$9,329.88
Parent/Guardian Permission Form (Attachment E)	10,100	1	10,100	0.25	2,525	$7.39	$18,659.75
Baseline Survey (Instrument 2)	10,100	1	10,100	0.75	7,575	$7.39	$55,979.25
PHA Staff Interview Guide (Instrument 3)	45	1	45	1.5	67.5	$42.47	$2,866.73
Head of Household Family Interview Advance Letter (Attachment I)	180	1	180	0.17	30.6	$7.39	$226.13
Head of Household Family Interview Email Reminder (Attachment J)	180	1	180	0.08	14.4	$7.39	$106.42
Head of Household Family Interview Consent Form (Attachment H)	180	1	180	0.25	45	$7.39	$332.55
Interview Guide for Participating Families Currently Searching for Housing (Instrument 5)	90	1	90	1.5	135	$7.39	$997.65
Interview Guide for Participating Families Who Have Leased Up (Instrument 6)	90	1	90	1.5	135	$7.39	$997.65
Mobility Services Provider Interview Outreach (Attachment K)	45	1	45	0.17	7.65	$25.06	$191.71
Mobility Services Provider Interview Guide (Instrument 4)	45	1	45	1.5	67.5	$25.06	$1,691.55
Cost Study Data Collection Outreach (Attachment M)	34	1	34	0.17	5.78	$42.47	$245.48
Cost Data Collection Interview Guide (Instrument 8)	34	1	34	2	68	$42.47	$2,887.96
Landlord Interview Advance Letter (Attachment L)	72	1	72	0.17	12.24	$35.37	$432.93
Interview Guide for Opportunity Area Landlords (Instrument 7)	36	1	36	1	36	$35.37	$1,273.32
Mobility Services Delivery Tool (Attachment G)	30	1,512	45,360	0.2	9,072	$25.06	$227,344.32
Total	56,611		101,941		33,684		$416,862.01

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information (do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in Items 12 and 14).

• The cost estimate should be split into two components: (a) a total capital and start-up cost component (annualized over its expected useful life); and (b) a total operation and maintenance purchase of services component. The estimates should take into account costs associated with generating, maintaining, and disclosing or providing the information. Include descriptions of methods used to estimate major cost factors including system and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, the discount rate(s) and the time period over which costs will be incurred. Capital and start-up costs include, among other items, preparations for collecting information such as purchasing computers and software; monitoring, sampling, drilling and testing equipment; and record storage facilities;

• If cost estimates are expected to vary widely, agencies should present ranges of cost burdens and explain the reasons for the variance. The cost of purchasing or contracting out information collection services should be a part of this cost burden estimate. In developing cost burden estimates, agencies may consult with a sample of respondents (fewer than 10) utilize the 60-day pre-OMB submission public comment process and use existing economic or regulatory impact analysis associated with the rulemaking containing the information collection, as appropriate.

• Generally, estimates should not include purchases of equipment or services, or portions thereof made: (1) prior to October 1, 1995, (2) to achieve regulatory compliance with requirements not associated with the information collection, (3) for reasons other than to provide information or keep records for the government, or (4) as part of customary and usual business or private practices.

This data collection effort involves no recordkeeping or reporting costs for respondents other than the time burden to respond to questions on the data collection instruments as described in item A.12. There is no known cost burden to the respondents.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information. Agencies also may aggregate cost estimates from Items 12, 13, and 14 in a single table.

Exhibit A-5 shows the estimated annual costs to the Federal Government to conduct this information collection by activity category. The estimated annual cost is $450,000. Over the three-year approval period, the costs will be $1,350,000.

Exhibit A-5 Preliminary Cost Estimates for this Information Collection Request

Activity	Detail	Estimated Cost
Design: Instrument Development, Pretesting, User Testing OMB Clearance	FTE time Operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and staff support) Other expenses which would not have been incurred without this collection of information	$450,000
Data Collection and Analysis Activities Enrollment, Random Assignment, and Qualitative and Cost Data Collection	FTE time Operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and staff support) Other expenses which would not have been incurred without this collection of information, including incentive fees	$800,000
Reporting	FTE time Operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and staff support) Other expenses which would not have been incurred without this collection of information	$100,000
Total costs over the request period		$1,350,000
Annual costs per year		$450,000

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 and 14 of the OMB Form 83-I.

This is a new information collection request thus there are no program changes or adjustments.

16. For collection of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.

The planned impact analyses rely on data collected under this information collection request. This section describes the data collection and reporting schedule for the full Demonstration period. This section first provides an overview of the data collection schedule, with the projected timing of each activity and whether or not it is covered under this information collection request. The section then shows the timing for the publication plans that will be conducted in support of the Demonstration evaluation. The details on the analysis plans and report content are described in Supporting Statement B.

Exhibit A-6 shows the timing for the data to be collected under this information collection request, which covers all of Phase 1 and up to the first year of Phase 2 enrollment. Additional data collection for the remainder of the Demonstration will be submitted in a future information collection request, before the end of this three-year approval period.

Exhibit A-6 Data Collection Schedule

Data Collection Activity	Timing
Household Roster and Baseline Information Form, Baseline Survey, and Random Assignment via the Enrollment Tool	Years 1-3 (June 2022 – February 2025)
Qualitative Interviews with:
Leased Families	Year 2 (Spring/Summer 2023)
Searching Families	Year 2 (Spring/Summer 2023)
Landlords	Year 2 (Spring/Summer 2023)
PHA Staff	Year 2 (Spring/Summer 2023)
Mobility Services Provider Staff	Year 2 (Spring/Summer 2023)
Cost Interviews	Year 2 (Spring/Summer 2023)
Mobility Services Data via Mobility Services Tool	Years 1-3 (June 2022-February 2025)

Based on data collected in Phase 1 of the Demonstration, the evaluation contractor will develop two reports: a Rapid Cycle Evaluation and SMRS Recommendations Brief (RCE) Report and a Phase 1 Process and Impact Evaluation Report. They will prepare both reports, and all other study deliverables, in plain language for a wide audience and ensure they are Section-508 compliant.

The RCE Report will provide an assessment of which components of the CMRS are likely most effective, based on initial outcomes data and perceptions from PHA staff, mobility services providers, landlords, and participating households. Based on this information and the evaluation contractor’s analysis of the services that have been utilized and their costs, the report will include recommendations for the identification of specific SMRS to test in Phase 2 of the Demonstration. The RCE Report will also provide concise feedback on challenges reported by PHA staff, resident services providers, and participating households that might potentially be addressed through technical assistance. Of particular interest will be factors differentiating the experiences or service needs of existing voucher families versus waitlist families, and feedback from landlords. Finally, this report will include results to date of the impact analysis. Based on address data in quarterly HUD administrative records, the report will indicate whether households reside in opportunity areas.

The Phase 1 Process and Impact Evaluation Report will integrate the results of the impact (quantitative), process (qualitative) and cost analyses of data for the families enrolled during the first two and half years of enrollment, summarizing findings on the first eight research questions (RQ) as they pertain to CMRS. (See Attachment A for a full list of the research questions.) The report will include an overview of the research questions; methodology of the evaluation; and sections devoted to answering each of the research questions, drawing on and integrating the process and impact analyses as appropriate.

Future Impact Analysis

Phase 2 analyses will estimate the impacts of CMRS versus Control with the full five-year enrollment sample, estimate the impacts of SMRS versus Control and SMRS versus CMRS, and examine the extent to which CMRS and SMRS affect families’ residence in an opportunity area at two years after random assignment, relative to the Control condition. In addition, after the enrollment phases of the study, HUD plans to examine the impact of being offered CMRS or SMRS on a range of long-term outcomes, including health and economic outcomes of children and adults. These long-term outcomes will be measured up to 30 years after random assignment in order to capture the long-term effects of neighborhoods on children.

Exhibit A-7 shows the report schedule.

Exhibit A-7: Report Schedule for the HCV Mobility Demonstration Evaluation

Rapid Cycle Evaluation (RCE) and Selected Mobility Related Services (SMRS) Recommendation Report	Winter 2023/2024
Final Phase 1 Process and Impact Evaluation Report	Summer 2025
Future reports on Phase 2 of the Demonstration	TBD
Reports on Long-Term Outcomes	TBD

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

All data collection instruments will prominently display the expiration date for OMB approval.

18. Explain each exception to the topics of the certification statement identified in “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions.”

This submission describing data collection requests no exceptions to the Certificate for Paperwork Reduction Act (5 CRF 1320.9).

1 The official name of the Demonstration is the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration, which appears in various Federal Register Notices. However, public facing documents regarding the Demonstration are now branded as the Community Choice Demonstration. Data collection instruments, consents forms, and burden statements reflect the new Demonstration name.

2 A list of the 13 participating PHAs can be accessed here: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/hcv/mobilitydemo

3 For the purpose of this demonstration, eligible families are defined as households consisting of at least one adult and one child aged 17 or under.

4 The earlier HUD study is the Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing Demonstration

5 Some PHAs may choose to designate an agent to administer the Household Roster and Baseline Information Form, use the enrollment tool to determine a household’s random assignment status, and enroll households in the study. Throughout this supporting statement, we use the term “PHA staff” to be inclusive of any such agents, whether or not they are formally employed by the PHA as staff members.

6 The Demonstration will also collect consent from other adult household members (See Attachment C), however that level of consent is not required before the family can enroll in the study and proceed to the baseline survey.

7 Berlin, Martha, Leyla Mohadjer, Joseph Waksberg, Andrew Kolstad, Irwin Kirsch, D. Rock, and Kentaro Yamamoto. 1992. "An experiment in monetary incentives." Proceedings of the Survey Research Methods Section of the American Statistical Association. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association.