Funds made available under this part may be used by participating jurisdictions to provide incentives to develop and support affordable rental housing and homeownership affordability through the acquisition, new construction, reconstruction, or moderate or substantial rehabilitation of affordable housing, including real property acquisition, site improvement, conversion, demolition, and other expenses, including financing costs, relocation expenses of any displaced persons, families, businesses, or organizations, to provide for the payment of reasonable administrative and planning costs, to provide for the payment of operating expenses of community housing development organizations, and to provide tenant-based rental assistance. For the purpose of this part, the term “affordable housing” includes permanent housing for disabled homeless persons, transitional housing, and single room occupancy housing.
A jurisdiction’s section 8 [42 U.S.C. 1437f] fair share allocation shall be unaffected by the use of assistance under this subchapter.
Rental assistance contracts made available with assistance under this subchapter shall be for not more than 24 months, except that assistance to a family may be renewed.
In any case where assistance under section 1437f of this title becomes available to a participating jurisdiction, recipients of rental assistance under this subchapter shall qualify for tenant selection preferences to the same extent as when they received the rental assistance under this subchapter. A rental assistance program under this subchapter shall meet minimum criteria prescribed by the Secretary, such as housing quality standards and standards regarding the reasonableness of the rent.
A jurisdiction using funds provided under this part for tenant-based rental assistance may use such funds to provide loans or grants to very low- and low-income families for security deposits for rental of dwelling units. Assistance under this subparagraph does not preclude assistance under any other provision of this paragraph.
A participating jurisdiction may use funds provided under this part for the evaluation and reduction of lead-based paint hazards, as defined in section 4851b of this title.
Participating jurisdictions shall have discretion to invest funds made available under this part as equity investments, interest-bearing loans or advances, noninterest-bearing loans or advances, interest subsidies or other forms of assistance that the Secretary has determined to be consistent with the purposes of this subchapter. Each participating jurisdiction shall have the right to establish the terms of assistance.
In each fiscal year, each participating jurisdiction may use not more than 10 percent of the funds made available under this part to the jurisdiction for such year for any administrative and planning costs of the jurisdiction in carrying out this part, including the costs of the salaries of persons engaged in administering and managing activities assisted with funds made available under this part.
The Secretary shall establish limits on the amount of funds under this part that may be invested on a per unit basis. For multifamily housing, such limits shall not be less than the per unit dollar amount limitations set forth in section 1715l(d)(3)(ii) of title 12, as such limitations may be adjusted in accordance therewith, except that for purposes of this subsection the Secretary shall, by regulation, increase the per unit dollar amount limitations in any geographical area by an amount, not to exceed 140 percent, that equals the amount by which the costs of multifamily housing construction in the area exceed the national average of such costs. The limits shall be established on a market-by-market basis, with adjustments made for number of bedrooms, and shall reflect the actual cost of new construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of housing that meets applicable State and local housing and building codes and the cost of land, including necessary site improvements. Adjustments shall be made annually to reflect inflation. Separate limits may be set for different eligible activities.
In calculating cost limits, the Secretary shall consult with organizations that have expertise in the development of affordable housing, including national nonprofit organizations and national organizations representing private development firms and State and local governments.
The requirements of section 3545(d) of this title shall be satisfied by a certification by a participating jurisdiction to the Secretary that the combination of Federal assistance provided to any housing project shall not be any more than is necessary to provide affordable housing.
A participating jurisdiction may not use more than 5 percent of its allocation under this part for the payment of operating expenses for community housing development organizations.