Regulations last checked for updates: Oct 17, 2024

Title 12 - Banks and Banking last revised: Oct 15, 2024
§ 1291.10 - Required annual AHP contribution.

Each Bank shall contribute annually to its Program the greater of:

(a) 10 percent of the Bank's net earnings for the previous year; or

(b) That Bank's pro rata share of an aggregate of $100 million to be contributed in total by the Banks, such proration being made on the basis of the net earnings of the Banks for the previous year, except that the required annual AHP contribution for a Bank shall not exceed its net earnings in the previous year.

§ 1291.11 - Temporary suspension of AHP contributions.

(a) Request to FHFA. If a Bank finds that the contributions required pursuant to § 1291.10 are contributing to the financial instability of the Bank, the Bank may apply in writing to FHFA for a temporary suspension of such contributions.

(b) Director review—(1) Financial instability. In determining the financial instability of a Bank, the Director shall consider such factors as:

(i) Severely depressed Bank earnings;

(ii) A substantial decline in Bank membership capital; and

(iii) A substantial reduction in Bank advances outstanding.

(2) Limitations on grounds for suspension. The Director shall not suspend a Bank's annual AHP contributions if it determines that the Bank's reduction in earnings is due to:

(i) A change in the terms of advances to members that is not justified by market conditions;

(ii) Inordinate operating and administrative expenses; or

(iii) Mismanagement.

§ 1291.12 - Allocation of required annual AHP contribution.

Each Bank, after consultation with its Advisory Council and pursuant to written policies adopted by the Bank's board of directors, shall meet the following requirements for allocation of its required annual AHP contribution.

(a) General Fund. Each Bank shall allocate annually at least 50 percent of its required annual AHP contribution to provide funds to members through a General Fund established and administered by the Bank pursuant to the requirements of this part.

(b) Homeownership Set-Aside Programs. A Bank may, in its discretion, allocate annually, in the aggregate, up to the greater of $4.5 million or 35 percent of its required annual AHP contribution to provide funds to members participating in Homeownership Set-Aside Programs established and administered by the Bank pursuant to the requirements of this part, provided that at least one-third of the Bank's aggregate annual set-aside allocation to such programs is allocated to assist first-time homebuyers or households for owner-occupied rehabilitation, or a combination of both.

(c) Targeted Funds—phase-in requirements for funding allocations. Unless otherwise directed by FHFA and subject to the phase-in requirements for the number of Targeted Funds in § 1291.20(b), a Bank may, in its discretion, allocate annually, up to:

(1) 20 percent, in the aggregate, of its required annual AHP contribution to any Targeted Funds;

(2) 30 percent, in the aggregate, of its required annual AHP contribution to any Targeted Funds, provided that it allocated at least 20 percent, in the aggregate, of its required annual AHP contribution to one or more Targeted Funds in any preceding year; or

(3) 40 percent, in the aggregate, of its required annual AHP contribution to any Targeted Funds, provided that it allocated at least 30 percent, in the aggregate, of its required annual AHP contribution to one or more Targeted Funds in any preceding year.

(d) Acceleration of funding. A Bank may, in its discretion, accelerate to its current year's Program from future required annual AHP contributions an amount up to the greater of $5 million or 20 percent of its required annual AHP contribution for the current year. The Bank may credit the amount of the accelerated contribution against required AHP contributions under this part 1291 over one or more of the subsequent five years.

(e) No delegation. A Bank's board of directors shall not delegate to a committee of the board, Bank officers, or other Bank employees the responsibility for adopting the Bank's policies for its General Fund and any Targeted Funds and Homeownership Set-Aside Programs.

§ 1291.13 - Targeted Community Lending Plan; AHP Implementation Plan.

(a) Targeted Community Lending Plan—(1) Identification of housing needs. Pursuant to the requirements of 12 CFR 1290.6(a)(5)(v) and (vi), a Bank's annual Targeted Community Lending Plan adopted under its community support program shall, among other things, identify the significant affordable housing needs in its district that will be addressed through its AHP, as well as any specific affordable housing needs it plans to address through any Targeted Funds as set forth in its AHP Implementation Plan.

(2) Public access. A Bank shall publish its current Targeted Community Lending Plan on its publicly available website, and shall publish any amendments to its Targeted Community Lending Plan on the website within 30 days after the date of their adoption by the Bank's board of directors and no later than the date of publication on the website of its annual AHP Implementation Plan (as amended). If such amendments relate to the Bank's AHP, the Bank shall publish them no later than the date of publication on its website of its annual AHP Implementation Plan (as amended). If a Bank plans to establish any Targeted Funds under its AHP, the Bank must publish its Targeted Community Lending Plan (as amended) on the website at least 90 days before the first day that applications may be submitted to the Targeted Fund, unless the Targeted Fund is specifically targeted to address a Federal- or State-declared disaster.

(3) Notification of Plan amendments to FHFA. A Bank shall notify FHFA of any amendments to its Targeted Community Lending Plan within 30 days after the date of their adoption by the Bank's board of directors.

(b) AHP Implementation Plan. Each Bank's board of directors, after consultation with its Advisory Council, shall adopt a written AHP Implementation Plan, and shall not amend the AHP Implementation Plan without first consulting its Advisory Council. The Bank's board of directors shall not delegate to Bank officers or other Bank employees the responsibility for such prior consultations with the Advisory Council, and shall not delegate to a committee of the board, Bank officers, or other Bank employees the responsibility for adopting or amending the AHP Implementation Plan. The AHP Implementation Plan shall set forth, at a minimum:

(1) The applicable median income standard or standards adopted by the Bank consistent with the definition of “median income for the area” in § 1291.1.

(2) For the General Fund established by the Bank pursuant to § 1291.20(a), the Bank's requirements for the General Fund, including the Bank's scoring methodology, including its scoring tie-breaker policy adopted pursuant to §§ 1291.25(c) and 1291.28(c), and any policy on approving AHP application alternates for funding pursuant to §§ 1291.25(c)(6) and 1291.28(b).

(3) For each Targeted Fund established by the Bank, if any, pursuant to § 1291.20(b), the Bank's requirements for the Targeted Fund, including the Bank's scoring methodology for each Fund, including its scoring tie-breaker policy adopted pursuant to §§ 1291.25(c) and 1291.28(c), and any policy on approving AHP application alternates for funding pursuant to §§ 1291.25(c)(6) and 1291.28(b), and the parameters adopted pursuant to § 1291.20(b)(2).

(4) The Bank's policy on how it will determine under which Fund to approve an application for the same project that is submitted to more than one Fund at a Bank in a calendar year and scores high enough to be approved under each Fund, pursuant to § 1291.28(d).

(5) For each Homeownership Set-Aside Program established by the Bank, if any, pursuant to § 1291.40, the Bank's requirements for the program, including the Bank's application and subsidy disbursement methodology.

(6) The Bank's retention agreement requirements for projects and households under its General Fund, any Targeted Funds, and any Homeownership Set-Aside Programs, pursuant to § 1291.15(a)(7) and (8), including the proxy or proxies selected by the Bank for determining a subsequent purchaser's income pursuant to FHFA guidance under § 1291.15(a)(7)(ii)(B).

(7) The Bank's standards for approving a relocation plan for current occupants of rental projects pursuant to § 1291.23(a)(2)(ii)(B).

(8) Any optional Bank district eligibility requirements adopted by the Bank pursuant to § 1291.24(c).

(9) The Bank's requirements for funding revolving loan funds, if adopted by the Bank pursuant to § 1291.31;

(10) The Bank's requirements for funding loan pools, if adopted by the Bank pursuant to § 1291.32;

(11) The Bank's requirements for monitoring under its General Fund and any Targeted Funds and Homeownership Set-Aside Programs pursuant to §§ 1291.50 and 1291.51.

(12) The Bank's requirements, including time limits, for re-use of repaid AHP direct subsidy in the same project, if adopted by the Bank pursuant to § 1291.64(b).

(c) Advisory Council review. Prior to the amendment of a Bank's AHP Implementation Plan, the Bank shall provide its Advisory Council an opportunity to review the document, and the Advisory Council shall provide its recommendations to the Bank's board of directors for its consideration.

(d) Notification of Plan amendments to FHFA. A Bank shall notify FHFA of any amendments made to its AHP Implementation Plan within 30 days after the date of their adoption by the Bank's board of directors.

(e) Public access. A Bank shall publish its current AHP Implementation Plan on its publicly available website, and shall publish any amendments to the AHP Implementation Plan on the website within 30 days after the date of their adoption by the Bank's board of directors.

[83 FR 61231, Nov. 28, 2018, as amended at 87 FR 32969, June 1, 2022]
§ 1291.14 - Advisory Councils.

(a) Appointment. (1) Each Bank's board of directors shall appoint an Advisory Council of 7 to 15 persons who reside in the Bank's district and are drawn from community and not-for-profit organizations that are actively involved in providing or promoting low- and moderate-income housing, and community and not-for-profit organizations that are actively involved in providing or promoting community lending, in the district. Community organizations include for-profit organizations.

(2) Each Bank shall solicit nominations for membership on the Advisory Council from community and not-for-profit organizations pursuant to a nomination process that is as broad and as participatory as possible, allowing sufficient time for responses.

(3) The Bank's board of directors shall appoint Advisory Council members from a diverse range of organizations so that representatives of no one group constitute an undue proportion of the membership of the Advisory Council, giving consideration to the size of the Bank's district and the diversity of low- and moderate-income housing and community lending needs and activities within the district.

(b) Terms of Advisory Council members. Pursuant to policies adopted by the Bank's board of directors, Advisory Council members shall be appointed by the Bank's board of directors to serve for terms of three years, which shall be staggered to provide continuity in experience and service to the Advisory Council, except that Advisory Council members may be appointed to serve for terms of one or two years solely for purposes of reconfiguring the staggering of the three-year terms. No Advisory Council member may be appointed to serve for more than three full consecutive terms. An Advisory Council member appointed to fill a vacancy shall be appointed for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor in office.

(c) Election of officers. Each Advisory Council shall elect from among its members a chairperson, a vice chairperson, and any other officers the Advisory Council deems appropriate.

(d) Duties—(1) Meetings with the Banks. (i) The Advisory Council shall meet with representatives of the Bank's board of directors at least quarterly to provide advice on ways in which the Bank can better carry out its housing finance and community lending mission, including, but not limited to, advice on the low- and moderate-income housing and community lending programs and needs in the Bank's district, and on the use of AHP subsidies, Bank advances, and other Bank credit products for these purposes.

(ii) The Advisory Council's advice shall include recommendations on:

(A) The Bank's Targeted Community Lending Plan, and any amendments thereto, pursuant to 12 CFR 1290.6(a)(5)(iii);

(B) The amount of AHP funds to be allocated to the Bank's General Fund and any Targeted Funds and Homeownership Set-Aside Programs, including how the set-aside funds should be apportioned under the one-third funding allocation requirement in § 1291.12(b);

(C) The AHP Implementation Plan and any subsequent amendments thereto;

(D) The Bank's scoring methodologies, related definitions, and any additional optional district eligibility requirements for the General Fund and any Targeted Funds; and

(E) The eligibility requirements and any priority criteria for any Homeownership Set-Aside Programs.

(2) Summary of AHP applications. The Bank shall comply with requests from the Advisory Council for summary information regarding AHP applications from prior funding rounds.

(3) Annual analysis; public access. (i) Each Advisory Council annually shall submit to FHFA by May 1 its analysis of the low- and moderate-income housing and community lending activity of the Bank by which it is appointed.

(ii) Within 30 days after the date the Advisory Council's annual analysis is submitted to FHFA, the Bank shall publish the analysis on its publicly available website.

(e) Expenses. The Bank shall pay Advisory Council members' travel expenses, including transportation and subsistence, for each day devoted to attending meetings with representatives of the board of directors of the Bank and meetings requested by FHFA.

(f) No delegation. A Bank's board of directors shall not delegate to Bank officers or other Bank employees the responsibility to appoint persons as members of the Advisory Council or to meet with the Advisory Council at the quarterly meetings required by the Bank Act (12 U.S.C. 1430(j)(11)).

§ 1291.15 - Agreements.

(a) Agreements between Banks and members. A Bank shall have in place with each member receiving an AHP subsidized advance or AHP direct subsidy an agreement or agreements containing, at a minimum, the following provisions, where applicable:

(1) Notification of member. The member has been notified of the requirements of this part as they may be amended from time to time, and all Bank policies relevant to the member's approved application for AHP subsidy.

(2) AHP subsidy pass-through. The member shall pass on the full amount of the AHP subsidy to the project or household, as applicable, for which the subsidy was approved.

(3) Use of AHP subsidy—(i) Use of AHP subsidy by the member. The member shall use the AHP subsidy in accordance with the terms of the member's approved application for the subsidy and the requirements of this part.

(ii) Use of AHP subsidy by the project sponsor or owner. The member shall have in place an agreement with each project sponsor or owner in which the project sponsor or owner agrees to use the AHP subsidy in accordance with the terms of the member's approved application for the subsidy and the requirements of this part.

(4) Repayment of AHP subsidies in case of noncompliance—(i) Noncompliance by the member. The member shall repay AHP subsidies to the Bank in accordance with the requirements of § 1291.61.

(ii) Noncompliance by a project sponsor or owner—(A) Agreement. The member shall have in place an agreement with each project sponsor or owner in which the project sponsor or owner agrees to repay AHP subsidies to the member or the Bank in accordance with the requirements of § 1291.60.

(B) Recovery of AHP subsidies. The member shall recover from the project sponsor or owner and repay to the Bank AHP subsidies in accordance with the requirements of § 1291.60 (if applicable).

(5) Project monitoring—(i) Monitoring by the member. The member shall comply with the monitoring requirements applicable to it, as established by the Bank in its monitoring policies pursuant to §§ 1291.50 and 1291.51.

(ii) Agreement; LIHTC noncompliance notice. The member shall have in place an agreement with each project sponsor and owner, in which the project sponsor and owner agree to comply with the monitoring requirements applicable to such parties, as established by the Bank in its monitoring policies pursuant to § 1291.50. The member's agreement shall also include an agreement by the project owner to provide prompt written notice to the Bank if the project also received LIHTC and the project is in material and unresolved noncompliance with the LIHTC income targeting or rent requirements at any time during the AHP 15-year retention period.

(6) Transfer of AHP obligations—(i) To another member. The member shall make best efforts to transfer its obligations under the approved application for AHP subsidy to another member in the event of its loss of membership in the Bank prior to the Bank's final disbursement of AHP subsidies.

(ii) To a nonmember. If, after final disbursement of AHP subsidies to the member, the member undergoes an acquisition or a consolidation resulting in a successor organization that is not a member of the Bank, the nonmember successor organization assumes the member's obligations under its approved application for AHP subsidy, and where the member received an AHP subsidized advance, the nonmember assumes such obligations until prepayment or orderly liquidation by the nonmember of the subsidized advance.

(7) Owner-occupied units—required provisions for retention agreements. The member shall ensure that where a household receives AHP subsidy for purchase, for purchase in conjunction with rehabilitation, or for construction of an owner-occupied unit, the unit is subject to a deed restriction or other legally enforceable retention agreement or mechanism requiring that:

(i) Notice. The Bank, and in its discretion any designee of the Bank, shall be given notice of any sale, transfer, assignment of title or deed, or refinancing of the unit by the household occurring during the AHP five-year retention period;

(ii) Repayment of subsidy; exceptions. In the case of a sale, transfer, assignment of title or deed, or refinancing of the unit by the household during the retention period, the amount of AHP subsidy calculated in accordance with paragraph (a)(7)(v) of this section shall be repaid to the Bank, unless one of the following exceptions applies:

(A) The unit was assisted with a permanent mortgage loan funded by an AHP subsidized advance;

(B) The subsequent purchaser, transferee, or assignee is a low- or moderate-income household, as determined by the Bank. For any sale, transfer, or assignment that occurs after the date established by FHFA in guidance on the use of proxies, the Bank or its designee shall determine the household's income using one or more proxies that are reliable indicators of the subsequent purchaser's income, which may be selected by the Bank pursuant to the FHFA guidance and shall be included in the Bank's AHP Implementation Plan, unless documentation demonstrating that household's actual income is available. The Bank or its designee is not required to request or obtain such documentation, but must use it in lieu of a proxy if available;

(C) The amount of the AHP subsidy that would be required to be repaid in accordance with the calculation in paragraph (a)(7)(v) of this section is $2,500 or less; or

(D) Following a refinancing, the unit continues to be subject to a deed restriction or other legally enforceable retention agreement or mechanism described in this paragraph (a)(7);

(iii) Subsidy repayments to Bank, member, or project sponsor. In the case of a direct subsidy, such repayment of AHP subsidy shall be made:

(A) To the Bank. If the Bank has not authorized re-use of the repaid AHP subsidy or has authorized re-use of the repaid subsidy but not retention of such repaid subsidy by the member or project sponsor pursuant to § 1291.64(b) of this part, or has authorized retention and re-use of such repaid subsidy by the member or project sponsor pursuant to such section and the repaid subsidy is not re-used in accordance with the requirements of the Bank and such section; or

(B) To the member or project sponsor. To the member or project sponsor for re-use by such member or project sponsor, if the Bank has authorized retention and re-use of such subsidy by the member or project sponsor pursuant to § 1291.64(b);

(iv) Termination of subsidy repayment obligation. The obligation to repay AHP subsidy to the Bank shall terminate after any event of foreclosure, transfer by deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, an assignment of a Federal Housing Administration first mortgage to HUD, or death of the AHP-assisted homeowner; and

(v) Calculation of AHP subsidy repayment based on net proceeds and household's investment. The Bank shall be repaid the lesser of:

(A) The AHP subsidy, reduced on a pro rata basis per month until the unit is sold, transferred, or its title or deed transferred, or is refinanced, during the AHP five-year retention period; or

(B) Any net proceeds from the sale, transfer, or assignment of title or deed of the unit, or the refinancing, as applicable, minus the AHP-assisted household's investment.

(8) Rental projects—required provisions for retention agreements. The member shall ensure that an AHP-assisted rental project is subject to a deed restriction or other legally enforceable retention agreement or mechanism requiring that:

(i) Income and rent commitments. The project's rental units, or applicable portion thereof, must remain occupied by and affordable for households with incomes at or below the levels committed to be served in the approved AHP application for the duration of the AHP 15-year retention period;

(ii) Notice. The Bank, and in its discretion any designee of the Bank, shall be given notice of any sale, transfer, assignment of title or deed, or refinancing of the project by the project owner occurring during the retention period;

(iii) Repayment of subsidy; exceptions. In the case of a sale, transfer, assignment of title or deed, or refinancing of the project by the project owner during the retention period, the full amount of the AHP subsidy received by the project owner shall be repaid to the Bank, unless one of the following exceptions applies:

(A) The project continues to be subject to a deed restriction or other legally enforceable retention agreement or mechanism incorporating the income-eligibility and affordability restrictions committed to in the approved AHP application for the duration of the AHP 15-year retention period; or

(B) If authorized by the Bank, in its discretion, the households are relocated, due to the exercise of eminent domain, or for expansion of housing or services, to another property that is made subject to a deed restriction or other legally enforceable retention agreement or mechanism incorporating the income-eligibility and affordability restrictions committed to in the approved AHP application for the remainder of the AHP 15-year retention period; and

(iv) Termination of income and rent restrictions. The income-eligibility and affordability restrictions applicable to the project shall terminate after any foreclosure.

(9) Lending of AHP direct subsidies. If a member or a project sponsor lends AHP direct subsidy to a project, any repayments of principal and payments of interest received by the member or the project sponsor must be paid forthwith to the Bank, unless the direct subsidy is being both lent and re-lent by a revolving loan fund pursuant to § 1291.31(d).

(10) Special provisions where members obtain AHP subsidized advances—(i) Repayment schedule. The term of an AHP subsidized advance shall be no longer than the term of the member's loan to the project funded by the advance, and at least once in every 12-month period, the member shall be scheduled to make a principal repayment to the Bank equal to the amount scheduled to be repaid to the member on its loan to the project in that period.

(ii) Prepayment fees. Upon a prepayment of an AHP subsidized advance, the Bank shall charge a prepayment fee only to the extent the Bank suffers an economic loss from the prepayment.

(iii) Treatment of loan prepayment by project. If all or a portion of the loan or loans financed by an AHP subsidized advance are prepaid by the project to the member, the member may, at its option, either:

(A) Repay to the Bank that portion of the advance used to make the loan or loans to the project, and be subject to a fee imposed by the Bank sufficient to compensate the Bank for any economic loss the Bank experiences in reinvesting the repaid amount at a rate of return below the cost of funds originally used by the Bank to calculate the interest rate subsidy incorporated in the advance; or

(B) Continue to maintain the advance outstanding, subject to the Bank resetting the interest rate on that portion of the advance used to make the loan or loans to the project to a rate equal to the cost of funds originally used by the Bank to calculate the interest rate subsidy incorporated in the advance.

(b) Agreements between Banks and project sponsors or owners—(1) Repayment of subsidies. A Bank may have in place an agreement with each project sponsor or owner, in which the project sponsor or owner agrees to repay AHP subsidies directly to the Bank in accordance with the requirements of § 1291.60.

(2) Project sponsor qualifications. A Bank's AHP subsidy application form and AHP subsidy disbursement form for each subsidy disbursement (or other related documents) must include a requirement for the project sponsor to provide a certification that it meets the project sponsor qualifications criteria established by the Bank and that it has not engaged in, and is not engaging in, covered misconduct as defined in FHFA's Suspended Counterparty Program regulation (12 CFR part 1227), or as defined by the Bank, provided the Bank's definition incorporates the definition in 12 CFR part 1227 at a minimum.

(c) Application to existing AHP agreements. The requirements of section 10(j) of the Bank Act (12 U.S.C. 1430(j)) and the provisions of this part, as amended, are incorporated into all AHP agreements between a Bank and any member, project sponsor, or project owner receiving AHP subsidies under the General Fund and any Targeted Funds, and between a Bank and any member or unit owner under any Homeownership Set-Aside Programs. To the extent the requirements of this part are amended from time to time, such agreements are deemed to incorporate the amendments to conform to any new requirements of this part. No amendment to this part shall affect the legality of actions taken prior to the effective date of such amendment.

[83 FR 61231, Nov. 28, 2018, as amended at 87 FR 32969, June 1, 2022]
§ 1291.16 - Conflicts of interest.

(a) Bank directors and employees. (1) Each Bank's board of directors shall adopt a written policy providing that if a Bank director or employee, or such person's family member, has a financial interest in, or is a director, officer, or employee of an organization involved in, a project that is the subject of a pending or approved AHP application, the Bank director or employee shall not participate in or attempt to influence decisions by the Bank regarding the evaluation, approval, funding, monitoring, or any remedial process for such project.

(2) If a Bank director or employee, or such person's family member, has a financial interest in, or is a director, officer, or employee of an organization involved in, an AHP project such that he or she is subject to the requirements in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, such person shall not participate in or attempt to influence decisions by the Bank regarding the evaluation, approval, funding, monitoring, or any remedial process for such project.

(b) Advisory Council members. (1) Each Bank's board of directors shall adopt a written policy providing that if an Advisory Council member, or such person's family member, has a financial interest in, or is a director, officer, or employee of an organization involved in, a project that is the subject of a pending or approved AHP application, the Advisory Council member shall not participate in or attempt to influence decisions by the Bank regarding the approval for such project.

(2) If an Advisory Council member, or such person's family member, has a financial interest in, or is a director, officer, or employee of an organization involved in, an AHP project such that he or she is subject to the requirements in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, such person shall not participate in or attempt to influence decisions by the Bank regarding the approval for such project.

(c) No delegation. A Bank's board of directors shall not delegate to Bank officers or other Bank employees the responsibility to adopt the conflict of interest policies required by this section.

authority: 12 U.S.C. 1430(j)
source: 83 FR 61231, Nov. 28, 2018, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 12 CFR 1291.10