§ 1437c. Contributions for low-income housing projects

(a) Contract authorization; amounts; use as security for obligations of public housing agency; use of existing structures

(1) The Secretary may make annual contributions to public housing agencies to assist in achieving and maintaining the lower income character of their projects. The Secretary shall embody the provisions for such annual contributions in a contract guaranteeing their payment. The contribution payable annually under this section shall in no case exceed a sum equal to the annual amount of principal and interest payable on obligations issued by the public housing agency to finance the development or acquisition cost of the lower income project involved. Annual contributions payable under this section shall be pledged, if the Secretary so requires, as security for obligations issued by a public housing agency to assist the development or acquisition of the project to which annual contributions relate and shall be paid over a period not to exceed 40 years.

(2) The Secretary may make contributions (in the form of grants) to public housing agencies to cover the development cost of public housing projects. The contract under which such contributions shall be made shall specify the amount of capital contributions required for each project to which the contract pertains, and that the terms and conditions of such contract shall remain in effect for a 40-year period.

(3) The amount of contributions that would be established for a newly constructed project by a public housing agency designed to accommodate a number of families of a given size and kind may be established under this section for a project by such public housing agency that would provide housing for the comparable number, sizes, and kinds of families through the acquisition and rehabilitation, or use under lease, of structures that are suitable for low-income housing use and obtained in the local market.

(b) Maximum amount of contributions; regulations; criteria for rates of contribution

The Secretary may prescribe regulations fixing the maximum contributions available under different circumstances, giving consideration to cost, location, size, rent-paying ability of prospective tenants, or other factors bearing upon the amounts and periods of assistance needed to achieve and maintain low rentals. Such regulations may provide for rates of contribution based upon development, acquisition, or operation costs, number of dwelling units, number of persons housed, interest charges, or other appropriate factors.

(c) Limitation on aggregate contractual contributions; contracts for preliminary loans; payments of annual contributions; limitations on specific authorities

(1) The Secretary may enter into contracts for annual contributions aggregating not more than $7,875,049,000 per annum, which amount shall be increased by $1,494,400,000 on October 1, 1980, and by $906,985,000 on October 1, 1981. The additional authority to enter into such contracts provided on or after October 1, 1980, shall be effective only in such amounts as may be approved in appropriation Acts. In addition, the aggregate amount which may be obligated over the duration of the contracts may not exceed $31,200,000,000 with respect to the additional authority provided on October 1, 1980, and $18,087,370,000 with respect to the additional authority provided on October 1, 1981.

(2) The Secretary shall enter into only such new contracts for preliminary loans as are consistent with the number of dwelling units for which contracts for annual contributions may be entered into.

(3) The full faith and credit of the United States is solemnly pledged to the payment of all annual contributions contracted for pursuant to this section, and there are hereby authorized to be appropriated in each fiscal year, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the amounts necessary to provide for such payments.

(4) All payments of annual contributions pursuant to this section shall be made out of any funds available for purposes of this chapter when such payments are due, except that funds obtained through the issuance of obligations pursuant to section 1437b (b) of this title (including repayments or other realizations of the principal of loans made out of such funds) shall not be available for the payment of such annual contributions.

(5) During such period as the Secretary may prescribe for starting construction, the Secretary may approve the conversion of public housing development authority for use under section 1437g of this title or for use for the acquisition and rehabilitation of property to be used in public housing, if the public housing agency, after consultation with the unit of local government, certifies that such assistance would be more effectively used for such purpose, and if the total number of units assisted will not be less than 90 per centum of the units covered by the original reservation.

(6) The aggregate amount of budget authority which may be obligated for contracts for annual contributions and for grants under section 1437o of this title is increased by $9,912,928,000 on October 1, 1983, and by such sums as may be approved in appropriation Acts on October 1, 1984. The aggregate amount of budget authority that may be obligated for contracts for annual contributions for assistance under section 1437f of this title, for contracts referred to in paragraphs (7)(A)(iv) and (7)(B)(iv), for grants for public housing, for comprehensive improvement assistance, and for amendments to existing contracts, is increased (to the extent approved in appropriation Acts) by $7,167,000,000 on October 1, 1987, and by $7,300,945,000 on October 1, 1988. The aggregate amount of budget authority that may be obligated for assistance referred to in paragraph (7) is increased (to the extent approved in appropriation Acts) by $16,194,000,000 on October 1, 1990, and by $14,709,400,000 on October 1, 1991. The aggregate amount of budget authority that may be obligated for assistance referred to in paragraph (7) is increased (to the extent approved in appropriation Acts) by $14,710,990,520 on October 1, 1992, and by $15,328,852,122 on October 1993.

(7)

(A) Using the additional budget authority provided under paragraph (6) and the balances of budget authority that become available during fiscal year 1993, the Secretary shall, to the extent approved in appropriation Acts, reserve authority to enter into obligations aggregating—

(i) for public housing grants under subsection (a)(2) of this section, not more than $830,900,800, of which amount not more than $257,320,000 shall be available for Indian housing;

(ii) for assistance under section 1437f of this title, not more than $1,977,662,720, of which $20,000,000 shall be available for 15-year contracts for project-based assistance to be used for a multicultural tenant empowerment and homeownership project located in the District of Columbia, except that assistance provided for such project shall not be considered for purposes of the percentage limitations under section 1437f (i)(2) of this title; except that not more than 49 percent of any amounts appropriated under this clause may be used for vouchers under section 1437f (o) of this title;

(iii) for comprehensive improvement assistance grants under section 1437l (k) of this title, not more than $3,100,000,000;

(iv) for assistance under section 1437f of this title for property disposition, not more than $93,032,000;

(v) for assistance under section 1437f of this title for loan management, not more than $202,000,000;

(vi) for extensions of contracts expiring under section 1437f of this title, not more than $6,746,135,000, which shall be for 5-year contracts for assistance under section 1437f of this title and for loan management assistance under such section;

(vii) for amendments to contracts under section 1437f of this title, not more than $1,350,000,000;

(viii) for public housing lease adjustments and amendments, not more than $83,055,000;

(ix) for conversions from leased housing contracts under section 1421b of this title (as in effect immediately before August 22, 1974) to assistance under section 1437f of this title, not more than $12,767,000; and

(x) for grants under section 1437v of this title for revitalization of severely distressed public housing, not more than $300,000,000.

(B) Using the additional budget authority provided under paragraph (6) and the balances of budget authority that become available during fiscal year 1994, the Secretary shall, to the extent approved in appropriation Acts, reserve authority to enter into obligations aggregating—

(i) for public housing grants under subsection (a)(2) of this section, not more than $865,798,634, of which amount not more than $268,127,440 shall be available for Indian housing;

(ii) for assistance under section 1437f of this title, not more than $2,060,724,554, of which $20,000,000 shall be available for 15-year contracts for project-based assistance to be used for a multicultural tenant empowerment and homeownership project located in the District of Columbia, except that assistance provided for such project shall not be considered for purposes of the percentage limitations under section 1437f (i)(2) of this title; except that not more than 49 percent of any amounts appropriated under this clause may be used for vouchers under section 1437f (o) of this title;

(iii) for comprehensive improvement assistance grants under section 1437l (k) of this title, not more than $3,230,200,000;

(iv) for assistance under section 1437f of this title for property disposition, not more than $96,939,344;

(v) for assistance under section 1437f of this title for loan management, not more than $210,484,000;

(vi) for extensions of contracts expiring under section 1437f of this title, not more than $7,029,472,670, which shall be for 5-year contracts for assistance under section 1437f of this title and for loan management assistance under such section;

(vii) for amendments to contracts under section 1437f of this title, not more than $1,406,700,000;

(viii) for public housing lease adjustments and amendments, not more than $86,543,310;

(x) for grants under section 1437v of this title for revitalization of severely distressed public housing, not more than $312,600,000.

(C)

(i) Any amount available for the conversion of a project to assistance under section 1437f (b)(1) of this title, if not required for such purpose, shall be used for assistance under section 1437f (b)(1) of this title.

(ii) Any amount available for assistance under section 1437f of this title for property disposition, if not required for such purpose, shall be used for assistance under section 1437f (b)(1) of this title.

(8) Any amount available for Indian housing under subsection (a) of this section that is recaptured shall be used only for such housing.

(d) Scope of contracts for loans or annual contributions

Any contract for loans or annual contributions, or both, entered into by the Secretary with a public housing agency, may cover one or more than one low-income housing project owned by such public housing agency; in the event the contract covers two or more projects, such projects may, for any of the purposes of this chapter and of such contract (including, but not limited to, the determination of the amount of the loan, annual contributions, or payments in lieu of taxes, specified in such contract), be treated collectively as one project.

(e) Local determination of need as prerequisite for contracts for preliminary loans, and contracts for loans or annual contributions; notice

In recognition that there should be local determination of the need for low-income housing to meet needs not being adequately met by private enterprise—

(1) the Secretary shall not make any contract with a public housing agency for preliminary loans (all of which shall be repaid out of any moneys which become available to such agency for the development of the projects involved) for surveys and planning in respect to any low-income housing projects

(i) unless the governing body of the locality involved has by resolution approved the application of the public housing agency for such preliminary loan; and

(ii) unless the public housing agency has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Secretary that there is need for such low-income housing which is not being met by private enterprise; and

(2) the Secretary shall not make any contract for loans (other than preliminary loans) or for contributions pursuant to this chapter unless the governing body of the locality involved has entered into an agreement with the public housing agency providing for the local cooperation required by the Secretary pursuant to this chapter; the Secretary shall require that each such agreement shall provide that, notwithstanding any order, judgment, or decree of any court (including any settlement order), before making any amounts that are provided pursuant to any contract for contributions under this subchapter available for use for the development of any housing or other property not previously used as public housing, the public housing agency shall

(A) notify the chief executive officer (or other appropriate official) of the unit of general local government in which the public housing for which such amounts are to be so used is located (or to be located) of such use, and

(B) pursuant to the request of such unit of general local government, provide such information as may reasonably be requested by such unit of general local government regarding the public housing to be so assisted (except to the extent otherwise prohibited by law).

(f) Modification by Secretary of terms of contracts, etc.; limitations; amendment or supersedure of contracts for annual contributions or loans

Subject to the specific limitations or standards in this chapter governing the terms of sales, rentals, leases, loans, contracts for annual contributions, or other agreements, the Secretary may, whenever he deems it necessary or desirable in the fulfillment of the purposes of this chapter, consent to the modification, with respect to rate of interest, time of payment of any installment of principal or interest, security, amount of annual contribution, or any other term, of any contract or agreement of any kind to which the Secretary is a party. When the Secretary finds that it would promote economy or be in the financial interest of the Federal Government or is necessary to assure or maintain the lower income character of the project or projects involved, any contract heretofore or hereafter made for annual contributions, loans, or both, may be amended or superseded by a contract entered into by mutual agreement between the public housing agency and the Secretary. Contracts may not be amended or superseded in a manner which would impair the rights of the holders of any outstanding obligations of the public housing agency involved for which annual contributions have been pledged. Any rule of law contrary to this provision shall be deemed inapplicable.

(g) Pledge of annual contributions as guarantee of payment of obligations issued by public housing agency; exception

In addition to the authority of the Secretary under subsection (a) of this section to pledge annual contributions as security for obligations issued by a public housing agency, the Secretary is authorized to pledge annual contributions as a guarantee of payment by a public housing agency of all principal and interest on obligations issued by it to assist the development or acquisition of the project to which the annual contributions relate, except that no obligation shall be guaranteed under this subsection if the income thereon is exempt from Federal taxation.

(h) Audits

(1) By Secretary and Comptroller General

Each contract for contributions for any assistance under this chapter to a public housing agency shall provide that the Secretary, the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, shall, for the purpose of audit and examination, have access to any books, documents, papers, and records of the public housing agency that are pertinent to this chapter and to its operations with respect to financial assistance under the this ^[1] chapter.

(2) Withholding of amounts for audits under Single Audit Act

The Secretary may, in the sole discretion of the Secretary, arrange for and pay the costs of an audit required under chapter 75 of title 31. In such circumstances, the Secretary may withhold, from assistance otherwise payable to the agency under this chapter, amounts sufficient to pay for the reasonable costs of conducting an acceptable audit, including, when appropriate, the reasonable costs of accounting services necessary to place the agency’s books and records in auditable condition. As agreed to by the Secretary and the Inspector General, the Inspector General may arrange for an audit under this paragraph.

(i) Prohibition on use of funds

None of the funds made available to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to carry out this chapter, which are obligated to State or local governments, public housing agencies, housing finance agencies, or other public or quasi-public housing agencies, shall be used to indemnify contractors or subcontractors of the government or agency against costs associated with judgments of infringement of intellectual property rights.

[1] So in original.

U.S. Code

§ 1437c. Contributions for low-income housing projects