Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and Completions

OMB Control No: 0607-0110	ICR Reference No: 201411-0607-002
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201309-0607-002
Agency/Subagency: DOC/CENSUS	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and Completions
Type of Information Collection: Reinstatement without change of a previously approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 11/26/2014
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 11/21/2014
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)	Date Received in OIRA: 11/20/2014
Terms of Clearance: Prior to the commencement of the Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and Completions forms distribution, the Census Bureau shall provide on its Internet site prominent links to a set of finalized survey forms, including instructions and cover letters, comparable to those provided for the 2012 Economic Census report forms. The final forms and letters shall reflect any changes in the survey year, OMB number expiration date, and Census leadership from those submitted for review.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	03/31/2015	04/30/2015
Responses	158,244	0	0
Time Burden (Hours)	13,187	0	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: The information collected is needed to determine the number and type of new residential buildings being built and or sold. Housing starts and sales data, in particular, are important economic indicators used by businesses and government agencies. The data are collected from individual or households, business or other for-profit institutions.

Emergency Justfication: With regard to the circumstances necessitating an emergency clearance, on mid-July 2014, we submitted a request for extension of a currently approved collection. However, on November 18, 2014, after the current information approved collection, expired, we were informed by Commerce that the package had not fully made it through the approval process. Given the timing of this determination a separate emergency OMB clearance package is needed. The choice is either to delay the highly sensitive economic indicator for a month or pursue an emergency clearance.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 13 USC 131, 182 Name of Law: null

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	79 FR 29739	05/23/2014
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 1

IC Title Form No. Form Name Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and Completions SOC-QI/SF.1, SOC-QI/MF.1 Survey of Housing Starts, Sales & Completions (Single-family buildings) ,   Survey of Housing Starts, Sales & Completions (Multiunit Buildings)

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	158,244	0	0	-17,316	0	175,560
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	13,187	0	0	-1,443	0	14,630
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Short Statement: Adjustments to the burden have gone downwards by 1,443 hours due to recent decreases in the overall amount of residential construction that affect the number of cases sampled and number of interviews needed.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $7,105,000

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? Yes Part B of Supporting Statement

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

Agency Contact: Erica Filipek 301 763-5161

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
		(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;
		(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;
		(c) It reduces burden on small entities;
		(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;
		(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;
		(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;
		(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:
			(i) Why the information is being collected;
			(ii) Use of information;
			(iii) Burden estimate;
			(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
			(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
			(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
		(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.
		(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and
		(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Certification Date: 11/20/2014

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