# Proposed Collection; Comment Request
**AGENCY:**
Federal Housing Finance Agency.
**ACTION:**
60-Day notice of submission of information collection for approval from the Office of Management and Budget.
**SUMMARY:**
In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or the Agency) is seeking public comments concerning an information collection known as “Advances to Housing Associates,” which has been assigned control number 2590-0001 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). FHFA intends to submit the information collection to OMB for review and approval of a three-year extension of the control number, which is due to expire on October 31, 2025.
**DATES:**
Interested persons may submit comments on or before October 20, 2025.
**ADDRESSES:**
Submit comments to FHFA, identified by “Proposed Collection; Comment Request: `Advances to Housing Associates, (No. 2025-N-6)' ” by any of the following methods:
• *Agency Website: www.fhfa.gov/open-for-comment-or-input.*
• *Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.* Follow the instructions for submitting comments. If you submit your comment to the *Federal eRulemaking Portal,* please also send it by *email* to FHFA at *[email protected]* to ensure timely receipt by the agency.
• *Mail/Hand Delivery:* Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fourth Floor, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20219, Attention: Proposed Collection; Comment Request: “Advances to Housing Associates, (No. 2025-N-6).” Please note that all mail sent to FHFA via U.S. Mail is routed through a national irradiation facility, a process that may delay delivery by approximately two weeks. For any time-sensitive correspondence, please plan accordingly.
FHFA will post all public comments on the FHFA public website at *http://www.fhfa.gov,* except as described below. Commenters should submit only information that the commenter wishes to make available publicly. FHFA may post only a single representative example of identical or substantially identical comments, and in such cases will generally identify the number of identical or substantially identical comments represented by the posted example. FHFA may, in its discretion, redact or refrain from posting all or any portion of any comment that contains content that is obscene, vulgar, profane, or threatens harm. All comments, including those that are redacted or not posted, will be retained in their original form in FHFA's internal file and considered as required by all applicable laws. Commenters that would like FHFA to consider any portion of their comment exempt from disclosure on the basis that it contains trade secrets, or financial, confidential or proprietary data or information, should follow the procedures in section IV.D. of FHFA's *Policy on Communications with Outside Parties in Connection with FHFA Rulemakings, see https://www.fhfa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Ex-Parte-Communications-Public-Policy_3-5-19.pdf.* FHFA cannot guarantee that such data or information, or the identity of the commenter, will remain confidential if disclosure is sought pursuant to an applicable statute or regulation. *See* 12 CFR 1202.8, 12 CFR 1214.2, and the FHFA *FOIA Reference Guide* at *https://www.fhfa.gov/about/foia-reference-guide* for additional information.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Deattra Perkins, Senior Financial Analyst, by email at *[email protected],* by telephone at (202) 649-3133, or Angela Supervielle, Assistant General Counsel, *[email protected],* (202) 649-3973 (these are not toll-free numbers); Federal Housing Finance Agency, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20219. For TTY/TRS users with hearing and speech disabilities, dial 711 and ask to be connected to any of the contact numbers above.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
**A. Need for and Use of the Information Collection**
Section 10b of the Federal Home Loan Bank Act (Bank Act) establishes the requirements for making Federal Home Loan Bank (Bank) advances (secured loans) to nonmember mortgagees, which are referred to as “Housing Associates” in FHFA's regulations. [^1] Section 10b also establishes the eligibility requirements an applicant must meet in order to be certified as a Housing Associate.
[^1]*See* 12 U.S.C. 1430b; 12 CFR 1264.3.
Part 1264 of FHFA's regulations implements the statutory eligibility requirements and establishes uniform review criteria the Banks must use in evaluating applications from entities that wish to be certified as a Housing Associate. Specifically, § 1264.4 implements the statutory eligibility requirements and provides guidance to an applicant on how it may satisfy those requirements. [^2] Section 1264.5 authorizes the Banks to approve or deny all applications for certification as a Housing Associate, subject to the statutory and regulatory requirements. [^3] Section 1264.6 permits an applicant that has been denied certification by a Bank to appeal that decision to FHFA. [^4]
[^2]*See* 12 CFR 1264.4.
[^3]*See* 12 CFR 1264.5.
[^4]*See* 12 CFR 1264.6.
Subpart B of 12 CFR part 1266 governs Bank advances to Housing Associates that have been approved under 12 CFR part 1264. Section 1266.17 establishes the terms and conditions under which a Bank may make advances to Housing Associates. [^5] Specifically, § 1266.17(e) imposes a continuing obligation on each certified Housing Associate to provide information necessary for the Bank to determine if it remains in compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, as set forth in part 1264.
[^5]*See* 12 CFR 1266.17.
The OMB control number for the information collection, which expires on October 31, 2025, is 2590-0001. The likely respondents include entities applying to be certified as a Housing Associate and current Housing Associates.
**B. Burden Estimates**
FHFA estimates the total annualized hour burden imposed upon respondents by this information collection to be 314 hours (14 hours for applicants + 300 hours for current Housing Associates), based on the following calculations:
**I. Applicants**
FHFA estimates that the total annual average number of entities applying to be certified as a Housing Associate over the next three years will be one, with one response per applicant. The estimate for the average hours per application is 14 hours. Therefore, the estimate for the total annual hour burden for all applicants is 14 hours (1 applicant × 1 response per applicant × 14 hours = 14 hours).
**II. Current Housing Associates**
FHFA estimates that the total annual average number of existing Housing Associates over the next three years will be 75, with one response per Housing Associate required to comply with the regulatory reporting requirements. The estimate for the average hours per response is 4 hours. Therefore, the estimate for the total annual hour burden for current Housing Associates is 300 hours (75 certified Housing Associates × 1 response per associate × 4 hours = 300 hours).
**C. Comments Request**
FHFA requests written comments on the following: (1) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of FHFA functions, including whether the information has practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FHFA's estimates of the burdens of the collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Shawn Bucholtz,
Chief Data Officer, Federal Housing Finance Agency.