Out already: the 2006 proposed FMRs
Well, someone at HUD must have listened to all that ruckus last fall, because the proposed Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for 2006 are in this morning's Federal Register, two months earlier than last year.
Housing advocates protested mightily last summer because HUD waited until August to release its proposed FMRs, which limit the rent levels that local housing authorities may subsidize through the Section 8 "Housing Choice" voucher program. The advocates howled even louder when the announcement appeared, because it was full of surprises based on new data, the comment period was only a month, and some of the random dialing surveys (used to check extrapolations from census figures) were not finished in time for the announcement. (HUD later took back some of its figures but between low FMRs and cuts in federal payments to voucher programs, some housing authorities still did have to cut subsidies; meanwhile, of course, there's a legislative proposal in the works that would let housing authorities base their subsidy levels on other rent data instead of FMRs.)
Hard to tell if HUD got an earlier start on the surveys this time around, but anyway they're giving the public two months for comment -- comments are due August 1 -- and the June announcement means they're giving themselves a further two months to work out glitches, since the legal deadline to announce final FMRs is October 1.
For a quick look at the announcement, try the HTML version, which loads without most of the tables. For the full 67-page PDF, click here. Might also be worth watching the HUDUSER FMRs data set page for the next few days.
From the announcement, it looks like public comments need to be sent in duplicate by snail mail, with one copy to the Rules Docket Clerk in Washington (it gives the address), and a second copy to "the Economic and Market Analysis Staff in the appropriate HUD field office" (it doesn't give the field office addresses). Of course most commenters will likely be housing officials who know full well where to find their local field offices, but for those who don't, here's the online directory of HUD offices.
So -- any comments on the local effects of the proposals, or anything else?
Housing advocates protested mightily last summer because HUD waited until August to release its proposed FMRs, which limit the rent levels that local housing authorities may subsidize through the Section 8 "Housing Choice" voucher program. The advocates howled even louder when the announcement appeared, because it was full of surprises based on new data, the comment period was only a month, and some of the random dialing surveys (used to check extrapolations from census figures) were not finished in time for the announcement. (HUD later took back some of its figures but between low FMRs and cuts in federal payments to voucher programs, some housing authorities still did have to cut subsidies; meanwhile, of course, there's a legislative proposal in the works that would let housing authorities base their subsidy levels on other rent data instead of FMRs.)
Hard to tell if HUD got an earlier start on the surveys this time around, but anyway they're giving the public two months for comment -- comments are due August 1 -- and the June announcement means they're giving themselves a further two months to work out glitches, since the legal deadline to announce final FMRs is October 1.
For a quick look at the announcement, try the HTML version, which loads without most of the tables. For the full 67-page PDF, click here. Might also be worth watching the HUDUSER FMRs data set page for the next few days.
From the announcement, it looks like public comments need to be sent in duplicate by snail mail, with one copy to the Rules Docket Clerk in Washington (it gives the address), and a second copy to "the Economic and Market Analysis Staff in the appropriate HUD field office" (it doesn't give the field office addresses). Of course most commenters will likely be housing officials who know full well where to find their local field offices, but for those who don't, here's the online directory of HUD offices.
So -- any comments on the local effects of the proposals, or anything else?
posted by Martha Bridegam at 9:49 AM
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