No loan shall be made or insured under subsection (a) or (b) unless the Secretary finds that the construction involved will be undertaken in an economical manner and will not be of elaborate or extravagant design or materials. However, specifically designed equipment required by elderly or handicapped persons or families shall not be considered elaborate or extravagant. A loan may be made or insured under subsection (a) or (b) with respect to detached units, including those on scattered sites, for cooperative housing.
Amounts made available pursuant to section 1483 of this title shall be available for administrative expenses incurred under this section.
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the Secretary may make and insure loans to consumer cooperatives to enable such cooperatives to finance the transfers of memberships in the cooperatives upon such terms and conditions as low- and moderate-income persons can reasonably afford, except that such loans shall not be made upon terms more favorable than are authorized under section 1490a(a) of this title, and that the total loan to a cooperative under this section shall not exceed the value of the property.
The Secretary shall take actions to facilitate timely approval of requests to transfer ownership or control, for the purpose of rehabilitation or preservation, of multifamily housing projects for which assistance is provided by the Secretary of Agriculture in conjunction with any low-income housing tax credits under section 42 of title 26 or tax-exempt housing bonds.
The Secretary of Agriculture shall consult with the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and take such actions as are appropriate in conjunction with such consultation to simplify the coordination of rules, regulations, forms (including applications forms for project transfers), and approval requirements [2] multifamily housing projects for which assistance is provided by the Secretary of Agriculture in conjunction with any low-income housing tax credits under section 42 of title 26 or tax-exempt housing bonds.
Any actions taken pursuant to this paragraph shall be taken in a manner that provides for full compliance with any existing requirements under law or regulation that are designed to protect families receiving Federal housing assistance, including income targeting, rent, and fair housing provisions, and shall also comply with requirements regarding environmental review and protection and wages paid to laborers.
In implementing the changes required under this paragraph, the Secretary shall solicit recommendations regarding such changes from project owners and sponsors, investors and stakeholders in housing tax credits, State and local housing finance agencies, tenant advocates, and other stakeholders in such projects.
After approving a project involving newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated units under this section, the Secretary shall limit cost increases to those approved by the Secretary. The Secretary may approve those increases only for unforeseen factors beyond the owner’s control, design changes required by the Secretary or the local government, or changes in financing approved by the Secretary.
For the purpose of achieving the lowest cost in providing units in newly constructed projects assisted under this section, the Secretary shall give a preference in entering into contracts under this section for projects which are to be located on specific tracts of land provided by States, units of local government, or others if the Secretary determines that the tract of land is suitable for such housing, and that affording such preference will be cost effective.
The Secretary shall assure that management fees are not excessive when a project developed under this section is managed by the developer or an affiliate of the developer.
The Secretary may not deny assistance under this section or section 1490a of this title on the basis that the project involved is to be located on more than one site.
The Secretary may not (1) deny assistance under this section on the basis that rental assistance payments under section 1490a of this title may be required unless the authority to provide such assistance is not available; or (2) promulgate any regulation that would have the effect of denying occupancy to eligible persons on the basis that such persons require rental assistance payments under section 1490a of this title.
In determining the income of a person or family occupying housing financed under this section, the Secretary shall consider the value of that person’s or family’s assets in the same manner as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development considers such value for the purpose of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.].
No fee other than a late fee may be imposed by or for the Secretary or any other Federal agency on or with respect to a loan made or insured under this section.
The Secretary is authorized to guarantee an equity loan under this subsection after the expiration of the 20-year period beginning on the date that an existing loan under subsection (b) of this section was made or insured. Not more than one equity loan under this subsection may be provided for any project.
The amount of an equity loan under this subsection shall not exceed the difference between the outstanding principal on debt secured by the project and 90 percent of the appraised value of the project. The appraised value of the project shall be determined by 2 independent appraisers, 1 of whom shall be selected by the Secretary and 1 of whom shall be selected by the owner. If the 2 appraisers fail to agree on the value of the project, the Secretary and the owner shall jointly select a third appraiser whose appraisal shall be binding on the Secretary and the owner. The amount of the equity loan shall not exceed 30 percent of the amount of the original appraised value of the project made or insured under subsection (b).
An owner requesting an equity loan under this subsection shall submit a plan acceptable to the Secretary to ensure that the cost of amortizing an equity loan under paragraph (1) does not result in the displacement of very-low-income tenants or substantially alter the income mix of the tenants in the project.
The requirements of this subsection shall apply to any loan obligated under this section on or after December 15, 1989. This subsection shall not require retroactive reserve account payments with respect to any loan that was obligated on or after December 15, 1989, and on or before June 16, 1990, but reserve account payments shall be required for such loans beginning on November 28, 1990.
Loan authority that is obligated under this section but that is not expended due to any action that removes the original borrower, may be reallocated to a different borrower during the same fiscal year in which the loan authority was obligated. Any loan authority under this section appropriated or made available within limits established in appropriations Acts shall remain available until expended.
The Secretary may provide for the assumption or transfer of a loan or loan obligation under this section to any person or entity qualified to receive a loan or loan obligation under this section in any case of default or foreclosure with respect to the original borrower. The Secretary shall provide in each assumption or transfer under this subsection for the assumption of the obligations, rights, and interests under the terms of the loan or loan obligation or such other terms as the Secretary determines appropriate.
If the amount set aside under paragraph (1) for any State is less than $750,000 in any fiscal year, the Secretary shall pool such amount together with set-aside amounts from other States whose set-aside is less than $750,000, and shall make such amounts available for such eligible entities under paragraph (1) in any such State. The Secretary shall establish a procedure to provide that any amounts pooled under this paragraph from the allocation for any State in any fiscal year that are not obligated during a reasonable period in such year shall be made available for any such eligible entities under paragraph (1) in such State. The Secretary may provide amounts available for reallocation under this subsection in excess of $750,000 in a given State, if such amounts are necessary to finance a project under this section.
Any amounts set aside under this subsection from the allocation for any State that are not obligated by 9 months after the allocation, shall first be pooled and made available to any other eligible nonprofit entity in any State as defined in this subsection. The Secretary shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that pooled funds are distributed under this subparagraph in an equitable manner.
Individuals employed as service coordinators pursuant to this subsection shall meet the minimum qualifications and standards established under section 8011(d)(4) of this title for service coordinators under a congregate housing services program.
The Secretary shall provide for the form and manner of applications for grants under this subsection and for the selection of applicants to receive the grants.
For purposes of this subsection, the term “frail elderly” has the meaning given the term in section 8011(k) of this title.
The Secretary shall require that borrowers in programs authorized by this section maintain accounting records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for all projects that receive funds from loans made or guaranteed by the Secretary under this section.
The Secretary shall require that borrowers in programs authorized by this section retain for a period of not less than 6 years and make available to the Secretary in a manner determined by the Secretary, all records required to be maintained under this subsection and other records identified by the Secretary in applicable regulations.
The Secretary may request the Attorney General to bring an action in a United States district court to recover any assets or income used by any person in violation of the provisions of a loan made or guaranteed by the Secretary under this section or in violation of any applicable statute or regulation.
For purposes of this subsection, a use of assets or income in violation of the applicable loan, loan guarantee, statute, or regulation shall include any use for which the documentation in the books and accounts does not establish that the use was made for a reasonable operating expense or necessary repair of the project or for which the documentation has not been maintained in accordance with the requirements of the Secretary and in reasonable condition for proper audit.
In any judgment favorable to the United States entered under this subsection, the Attorney General may recover double the value of the assets and income of the project that the court determines to have been used in violation of the provisions of a loan made or guaranteed by the Secretary under this section or any applicable statute or regulation, plus all costs related to the action, including reasonable attorney and auditing fees.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may use amounts recovered under this subsection for activities authorized under this section and such funds shall remain available for such use until expended.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an action under this subsection may be commenced at any time during the 6-year period beginning on the date that the Secretary discovered or should have discovered the violation of the provisions of this section or any related statutes or regulations.