If an owner of a covered section
8 housing project in which elderly families are given a preference for occupancy pursuant to section
13611 of this title determines (in accordance with regulations established by the Secretary) that there are insufficient numbers of disabled families who are not elderly or near-elderly families and have applied for occupancy in the housing to fill all the units in the project reserved under section
13612 of this title, the owner may give preference for occupancy of units so reserved to disabled families who are near-elderly families and have applied for occupancy in the housing.