§12802. Rental housing production

(a) Repayable advances

(1) In general

The Secretary shall make available a model program under which repayable advances may be made to public and private project sponsors in constructing, acquiring, or substantially rehabilitating projects to be used as affordable rental housing, including limited equity cooperatives and mutual housing.

(2) Maximum amount of advance

An advance under this model program shall not exceed 50 percent of the total costs associated with the construction, acquisition, or substantial rehabilitation of the project, as determined by the participating jurisdiction.

(3) Terms of repayment

(A) Interest payments

(i) In general

Under the model program, advances shall be repaid with interest calculated at a rate of not more than 3 percent per year, as determined by the participating jurisdiction to be appropriate. Interest shall begin to accrue 1 year after the completion of the construction, acquisition, or substantial rehabilitation of the project and shall be payable in annual installments.

(ii) Exception

Interest and any accrued interest shall be payable only from the surplus cash flow of the project, after a minimum return on equity determined by the participating jurisdiction to be appropriate. As used in the previous sentence, the term "surplus cash flow" means the cash flow of the project after the payment of all amounts due under the first mortgage, operating expenses, and required replacement reserves, as determined by the participating jurisdiction.

(B) Additional interest payments

Under the model program, for any year in which the sum of the surplus cash flow of a project and the return on equity exceeds all interest payments due under subparagraph (A), 50 percent of the excess surplus cash flow shall be paid to the participating jurisdiction's HOME Investment Trust Fund as additional interest.

(C) Principal and unpaid interest

The principal amount of an advance under the model program, and any interest remaining unpaid pursuant to subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be repayable when the housing no longer qualifies as affordable housing in accordance with section 12749(b) of this title.

(b) Selection guidelines

(1) In general

The Secretary shall establish guidelines for the selection of projects by participating jurisdictions for assistance under the model program. Such guidelines shall be designed to select projects in areas and for markets demonstrating the greatest need for the production of affordable rental housing.

(2) Specific requirements

The selection guidelines may include—

(A) the extent of the shortage of rental housing in the area that is available to low-income families;

(B) the extent large families with children will be served by the project;

(C) the extent to which the project provides congregate facilities and has available supportive services that will permit elderly or handicapped residents who become frail and are in need of assistance in living to continue to reside in the project;

(D) the extent of very low-income and low-income occupancy in excess of the income targeting requirements in section 12744 of this title;

(E) the extent of the project sponsor's commitment of equity to the project (except that this criterion shall not apply to or affect the selection of applications submitted by public housing agencies and nonprofit entities);

(F) the extent of the project sponsor's commitment of equity to the project in comparison to the value of all public assistance for the project, including assistance under this subchapter, other Federal assistance and financing, and State and local government contributions (except that this criterion shall not apply to or affect the selection of applications submitted by public housing agencies and nonprofit entities);

(G) the extent of non-Federal public or private assistance to the project;

(H) the extent to which the project provides supportive services for persons with disabilities; and

(I) any other factor determined by the Secretary to be appropriate.

(c) Guidelines

The Secretary shall publish guidelines for the model program under this section not later than 180 days after November 28, 1990.

(Pub. L. 101–625, title II, §252, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4119.)