The requirements of this part supplement the requirements of 12 U.S.C. 1701z-11 for the management and disposition of multifamily housing projects and the sale of HUD-held multifamily mortgages. The goals and objectives of this part are the same as the goals and objectives of 12 U.S.C. 1701z-11,which.” With respect to the disposition of multifamily projects under subpart A, HUD may follow any other method of disposition, as determined by the Secretary.

The terms Department and URA are defined in 24 CFR part 5. The following definitions apply to this part:

Cooperative means a nonprofit, limited equity, or consumer cooperative as defined under 24 CFR part 213. It may include mutual housing associations.

HUD-owned project means a multifamily project that has been acquired by HUD.

Market area means the area from which a multifamily housing project may reasonably be expected to draw a substantial number of its tenants, as determined by HUD, taking into consideration the knowledge of the HUD office with jurisdiction over the project of the local real estate market and HUD's project underwriting experience. Submarkets may be used in large, complex metropolitan areas.

Multifamily housing project means a multifamily project that is or was insured under sections 207, 213, 220, 221(d)(3), 221(d)(4), 223(f), 231, 236, or 608 of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1713,1715e,1715k,1715l,1715n,1715v,1715z,or; or is or was subject to a loan under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q); or was a Real Estate Owned (REO) multifamily project transferred by the Government National Mortgage Association to the Department. Multifamily housing project does not include projects consisting of one to eleven units insured under section 220(d)(3)(A) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715l); or mobile home parks under section 207(m) of that Act (12 U.S.C. 1713); or vacant land; or property covered by a homeownership program approved under the Homeownership and Opportunity for People Everywhere (“HOPE”) program.

Multifamily project means a project consisting of five or more units that has or had a mortgage (even if subordinate to other mortgages) insured under the National Housing Act or is or was subject to a loan under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959, or a hospital, intermediate care facility, nursing home, group practice facility, or board and care facility that has or had a mortgage insured, or is or was subject to a loan under, these authorities. Multifamily project does not include projects consisting of one to eleven units insured under section 220(d)(3)(A) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715k), which are classified as single family homes.

Nonprofit organization means a corporation or association organized for purposes other than making a profit or gain for itself. Stockholders or trustees do not share in profits or losses. Profits are used to accomplish the charitable, humanitarian, or educational purposes of the corporation.

Preexisting tenant means a family that resides in a unit in a multifamily housing project immediately before the project is acquired under this part by a purchaser other than the Department.

Subsidized project means a multifamily housing project that is receiving, or immediately before its mortgage was foreclosed by HUD or the project was acquired by HUD, pursuant to this regulation, was receiving any of the following types of assistance:

(1) Below market interest rate mortgage insurance under the proviso of section 221(d)(5) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715l) (hereinafter, a BMIR project);

(2) Interest reduction payments made in connection with mortgages insured under section 236 of the National Housing Act (hereinafter, a 236 project);

(3) Direct loans made under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (hereinafter, a 202 project);

(4) Assistance, to more than 50 percent of the units in the project, in the form of:

(i) Rent supplement payments under section 101 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 (12 U.S.C. 1701s) (hereinafter, Rent Supp);

(ii) Additional assistance payments under section 236(f)(2) of the National Housing Act (hereinafter, RAP);

(iii) Housing assistance payments under section 23 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 note) (as in effect before January 1, 1975) (hereinafter, Sec. 23); or

(iv) Housing assistance payments under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f) (excluding payments of tenant-based Section 8 assistance) (hereinafter, project-based Section 8 assistance).

Sufficient habitable, affordable, rental housing is available means that the HUD office with jurisdiction determines that there is an adequate supply of habitable, affordable housing for low- and very low-income families available in the market area. Submarkets, consisting of portions of units of general local government, may be used in large, complex metropolitan areas. Local housing markets having an adequate supply of standard-quality rental housing would include housing markets in which the supply of rental housing available and in production is adequate to meet the anticipated demand (e.g., the housing market is balanced), as well as those in which there is an excess supply of rental housing (e.g., the housing market is soft). Rental markets that do not have an adequate supply (e.g., tight markets) are characterized by low rental vacancy rates, low levels of production and turnover of rental housing, and, usually, by high levels of rent inflation. HUD will make the determination of whether sufficient habitable, affordable, rental housing is available using established market analysis techniques, and will consider information that demonstrates:

(1) The rental housing vacancy rate is at a low level relative to the rate required for a balanced market, typically a four percent vacancy rate; except that a rate lower than four percent may be considered in unusual circumstances if it can be demonstrated that there is an adequate supply of affordable housing for low-income families;

(2) The number of rental housing units being produced on an annual basis is not large enough to satisfy demand arising from the increase in households, or, in markets where there is little or no growth, evidence that the number of additional rental units being supplied is not sufficient to meet the demand arising from net losses to the available inventory and the inadequate supply of rental housing has inhibited growth;

(3) The shortage of housing is resulting in rent increases that exceed normal increases commensurate with the costs of operating rental housing;

(4) A significant number, or proportion, of the households holding Section 8 rental vouchers are unable to find adequate housing because of the shortage of rental housing, including PHA data showing a lower than average percentage of units under lease and a longer than average time required to find units.

Unsubsidized project means a multifamily housing project that is not a subsidized project.

Useful life means, generally, twenty years, but it may be more or less, as determined by the Department.

(a) Multifamily housing project that is HUD-owned or for which HUD is mortgagee-in-possession. Occupancy in a multifamily housing project that is HUD-owned or for which HUD is mortgagee-in-possession shall be available on a basis that is comparable to the occupancy requirements that applied to the project immediately before HUD acquired the project or became mortgagee-in-possession, except that preference shall be given to tenants of other HUD-owned multifamily housing projects who are eligible for assistance in accordance with the displacement and relocation provisions at § 290.17.

(b) Evictions. Eviction from a HUD-owned multifamily housing project is governed by 24 CFR part 247, subpart B.

(c) Threat to health and safety. Whenever HUD determines that there is an immediate threat to the health and safety of the tenants, HUD may require the tenants to vacate the premises and shall provide temporary relocation benefits as provided in § 290.17 to tenants required to vacate the premises.

Because of the subsidies involved in making multifamily housing projects affordable, the setting of rents involves two steps: first, establishing the rent on a unit that will be paid to the owner, and second, determining the rent that the tenant pays (with the difference made up by a subsidy), using a number of procedures to obtain income verification and notify tenants of changes in rent. These procedures for a property owned by HUD or where HUD is mortgagee-in-possession are explained below.

(a) Setting unit rents. Except as modified by this section, for a property where HUD is mortgagee-in-possession (MIP), HUD will set unit rents in accordance with the rent setting requirements of the project's mortgage insurance or direct loan program; or for a property owned by HUD, rents will be set in accordance with the rent setting requirements of the project's mortgage insurance or direct loan program in effect immediately before HUD became the owner of the project.

(b) Setting rents payable by tenants—(1) Tenant rent. The rent the tenant pays will be based on the income certification and the rent payment requirements of the project's mortgage insurance or direct loan program in effect while HUD is MIP or immediately before HUD became the owner of the project, as affected by any of the factors in paragraphs (b)(2) through (b)(4) of this section. However, if a tenant does not certify income as required by this section, the tenant must pay the unit rent as determined under the rent setting requirements in paragraph (a) of this section.

(2) Utility allowance. For a tenant whose rent is based on a percentage of adjusted income (except for rental voucher holders), if the cost of utilities (except telephone) and other housing services for the unit is the responsibility of the tenant to pay directly to the provider of the utility or service, HUD will deduct from the rent to be paid by the tenant to HUD a utility allowance, which is an amount equal to HUD's estimate of the monthly costs of a reasonable consumption of the utilities and other services for the unit for an energy-conservative household of modest circumstances consistent with the requirement of a safe, sanitary, and healthful living environment. If the utility allowance exceeds the percentage of the tenant's adjusted income payable as rent, HUD will pay the difference between the amount payable as rent and the utility allowance to the tenant or, with the consent of the tenant and the utility company, either jointly to the tenant and the utility company or directly to the utility company.

(3) Rent adjustments for project viability. For a HUD-owned project, HUD may adjust the rent provided for in paragraphs (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section if necessary or desirable to maintain the existing economic mix in the project, prevent undesirable turnover, or increase occupancy.

(4) Tenants who are rental voucher holders. Tenants assisted with rental vouchers certify their income to the public housing agency (PHA) administering the assistance, and pay rent pursuant to the policies and procedures governing such assistance.

(c) Income verification and rent notification procedures—(1) Income certification by tenants—(i) In subsidized projects. (A) For families residing in subsidized projects, when HUD becomes MIP or owner, HUD will request an income certification from each family as soon as practicable after HUD initially assumes management, unless the family's income has been examined by the owner or by HUD not more than four months before HUD's assumption of management.

(B) For each family applying for admission to subsidized projects, HUD will request an income certification to determine the family's eligibility for a subsidized rent, and (if the rent is based on a percentage of adjusted income) the family's subsidized rent, in accordance with part 813 of this title.

(ii) In unsubsidized projects. (A) For tenants in occupancy when HUD becomes mortgagee-in-possession or owner of an unsubsidized project, HUD may request an income certification from families who are not paying a subsidized rent.

(B) For families applying for admission to such projects, HUD will request sufficient information for income verification to determine the family's ability to pay the unit rent.

(2) Notice of increases in the amount of rent payable. Whenever HUD proposes an increase in rents in a HUD-owned multifamily project or a project where HUD is mortgagee-in-possession, HUD will provide tenants 30 days notice of the proposed changes and an opportunity to review and comment on the new rent and supporting documentation. After HUD considers the tenants' comments and has made a decision with respect to its proposed rent change, HUD shall notify the tenants of its decision, with the reasons for the decision. A tenant in occupancy before the effective date of any revised rental rate must be given 30 days notice of the revised rate, and any change in the tenant's rent is subject to the terms of an existing lease. Notices to each tenant must be personally delivered or sent by first class mail. General notices of rent increases to all tenants must be posted in the project office and in appropriate conspicuous and accessible locations around the project.

(3) Disclosure and verification of Social Security numbers. Any certifications or reexaminations of the income of tenants or prospective tenants in connection with tenancy under this section are subject to the requirements for the disclosure and verification of Social Security Numbers, as provided by part 200, subpart T, of this title.

(4) Signing of consent forms for income verification. Any certifications or reexaminations of the income of tenants or prospective tenants in connection with tenancy under this section are subject to the requirements for the signing and submitting of consent forms for the obtaining of wage and claim information from State Wage Information Collection Agencies, as provided by part 200, subpart V, of this title.

(a) In general. HUD may combine two or more of the required notifications, as appropriate, to simplify the disposition process.

(b) Timing of notifications. Disposition-related notifications (i.e., pre-foreclosure notification to tenants and units of general local government; pre-disposition community and tenant input notification; state and local government right of first refusal notification) will be made, as appropriate:

(1) 60 or more days before HUD forecloses on a project; or

(2) Before, or not more than 30 days after, HUD acquires a project.

(c) Methods of notification—(1) To tenants. Pre-disposition notification will be delivered to each unit in the project, or sent to each unit by first class mail. Where HUD is mortgagee-in-possession or owner of a project, the notice will also be posted in the project office and in appropriate conspicuous and accessible locations around the project.

(2) To units of general local government. Pre-disposition notification to a unit of general local government will be sent to the chief executive officer of the unit of general local government by first class mail. For purposes of receiving or sending any notices or information under this part, the unit of general local government is its chief executive officer, or the person designated by the chief executive officer to receive or send the notice or information.

(3) To the community or any other party. HUD will consult with tenants and their organizations, officials of units of general local government, and other entities as HUD determines to be appropriate, to identify community recipients of any required notification. Any notice required to be made to any party other than a tenant or a unit of general local government will be sent by first class mail.

(d) Content of notifications. Notifications will, as appropriate, identify the project acquired or to be foreclosed by HUD; provide the general terms and conditions concerning the sale, future use, and operation of the project as proposed by HUD; indicate the time by which any offers must be made or any comments must be submitted; and state that the full disposition recommendation and analysis and other supporting information will be available for inspection and copying at the HUD Field Office.

When HUD conducts a negotiated sale involving the disposition of a project to a person or entity without a public offering, the following provisions apply:

(a) HUD may negotiate the sale of any project to an agency of the federal, State, or local government.

(b) When HUD determines that a purchaser can demonstrate the capacity to own and operate a project in accordance with standards set by HUD, and/or a competitive offering will not generate offers of equal merit from qualified purchasers, HUD may approve a negotiated sale of a subsidized project to:

(1) A resident organization wishing to convert the project to a nonprofit or limited equity cooperative;

(2) A cooperative (e.g., nonprofit limited equity, consumer cooperative, mutual housing organization) with demonstrated experience in the operation of nonprofit (and preferably low-income) housing;

(3) A nonprofit entity that will continue to operate the project as low-income housing and whose governing board is composed of project residents;

(4) A State or local governmental entity with the demonstrated capacity to acquire, manage, and maintain the project as housing available to and affordable by low-income residents;

(5) A State or local governmental or nonprofit entity with the demonstrated capacity to acquire, manage, and maintain the project as a shelter for the homeless or other public purpose, generally when the project is vacant or has minimal occupancy and is not needed in the area for continued use as rental housing for the elderly or families; or

(6) Other nonprofit organizations.

(a) In general. Before disposing of a HUD-owned multifamily housing project, HUD will develop an initial and a final disposition plan for the project that specifies the minimum terms and conditions for the disposition of the project, the sales price that is acceptable to HUD, and the assistance that HUD plans to make available to a prospective purchaser.

(b) Environmental requirements. HUD will perform, and include in the final disposition plan, the environmental reviews required by 24 CFR part 50.

(a) Scope of section. This section applies to all HUD-owned multifamily housing projects and all multifamily housing projects subject to HUD-held mortgages. When HUD is not the mortgagee-in-possession or owner, the owner of the project shall comply with this section, if HUD has authorized the demolition of, repairs to, or conversion of the use of the multifamily housing project.

(b) Minimizing displacement. Consistent with the other goals and objectives of this part, all reasonable steps shall be taken to minimize the displacement of persons (families, individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations) from a project covered by this part. If displacement or temporary relocation will occur in connection with the disposition of a project, HUD may require the purchaser of the project to provide assistance in accordance with this section.

(c) Relocation assistance at non-URA levels. Whenever the displacement of a residential tenant (family or individual) occurs in connection with the management or disposition of a multifamily housing project, but is not subject to paragraph (d) of this section (e.g., occurs as a direct result of HUD repair or demolition of all or a part of a HUD-owned multifamily housing project or as a direct result of the foreclosure of a HUD-held mortgage on a multifamily housing project or sale of a HUD-owned project without federal financial assistance), the displaced tenant shall be eligible for the following relocation assistance:

(1) Advance written notice of the expected displacement shall be provided at least 60 days before displacement, describe the assistance and the procedures for obtaining the assistance, and contain the name, address and phone number of an official responsible for providing the assistance;

(2) Other advisory services, as appropriate, including counseling, referrals to suitable (and where appropriate, accessible), decent, safe, and sanitary replacement housing, and fair housing-related advisory services;

(3) Payment for actual reasonable moving expenses, as determined by HUD; and

(4) Such other federal, State or local assistance as may be available.

(d) Relocation assistance at URA levels—(1) General. The requirements of this paragraph apply to any displacement that results whenever assistance under 24 CFR part 886, subpart C, (or other federal financial assistance, as defined in 49 CFR 24.2(j)) is provided in connection with the purchase, demolition, or rehabilitation of a multifamily property by a third party. A displaced person (defined in paragraph (d)(3) of this section) must be provided relocation assistance at the levels described in, and in accordance with the requirements of, the URA, implementing regulations at 49 CFR part 24, and this section.

(2) Definition of “initiation of negotiations”. Under the URA, for purposes of determining the method for computing the replacement housing assistance to be provided to a residential tenant displaced as a direct result of privately undertaken rehabilitation, demolition, or acquisition of the real property, the term “initiation of negotiations” means the transfer of title to the purchaser.

(3) Definition of displaced person. The term “displaced person” means any person (family, individual, business, or nonprofit organization) that moves from the real property, or moves personal property from the real property, permanently, as a direct result of acquisition, rehabilitation or demolition for a federally assisted project. However, a person does not qualify as a “displaced person” if:

(i) The person is excluded under 49 CFR 24.2(g)(2);

(ii) The person has been evicted for a serious or repeated violation of the terms and conditions of the lease or occupancy agreement, violation of applicable federal, State, or local law, or other good cause, and HUD determines that the eviction was not undertaken for the purpose of evading the obligation to provide relocation assistance;

(iii) The person moves into the property after transfer of title to the purchaser; or

(iv) HUD determines that the person was not displaced as a direct result of acquisition, rehabilitation, or demolition for an assisted project.

(e) Temporary relocation (URA and non-URA relocation assistance). Residential tenants, who will not be required to move permanently, but who must relocate temporarily (e.g., to permit property repairs), shall be provided:

(1) Reimbursement for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the temporary relocation, including the cost of moving to and from the temporary housing and any increase in monthly rent or utility costs. The party responsible for this requirement may, at its option, perform the services involved in temporarily relocating the tenants or pay for such services directly; and

(2) Appropriate advisory services, including reasonable advance written notice of the date and approximate duration of the temporary relocation; the suitable (and where appropriate, accessible), decent, safe, and sanitary housing to be made available for the temporary period; the terms and conditions under which the tenant may lease and occupy a suitable, decent, safe, and sanitary dwelling in the building/complex following completion of the repairs; and the right to financial assistance provided under paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

(f) Appeals. If a person disagrees with the purchaser's determination concerning the person's eligibility for relocation assistance or the amount of the assistance for which the person is eligible, the person may file a written appeal of that determination with the owner or purchaser. A person who is dissatisfied with the purchaser's determination on his or her appeal may submit a written request for review of that decision to the HUD Field Office responsible for administering the URA in the area.

The defaulting mortgagor, or any principal, successor, affiliate, or assignee thereof, on the mortgage on the property at the time of the default resulting in acquisition of the property by HUD shall not be eligible to purchase the property. A “principal” and an “affiliate” are defined as provided at 24 CFR 24.105.

The purchaser of any multifamily housing project shall not refuse unreasonably to lease a dwelling unit offered for rent, offer to sell cooperative stock, or otherwise discriminate in the terms of tenancy or cooperative purchase and sale because any tenant or purchaser is the holder of a Voucher under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f), or any successor legislation. The purchaser's agreement to this condition must be contained in any contract of sale and also may be contained in any regulatory agreement, use agreement, or deed entered into in connection with the disposition.

(a) Substitution of tenant-based Section 8 assistance to low-income families instead of project-based assistance to units. The number of units eligible, as permitted by the Statute, for this form of substitution within the 10 percent limit will be estimated at the beginning of each fiscal year, taking into consideration the aggregate number of subsidized project units disposed of by HUD in the immediately preceding fiscal year and the disposition activity planned for the current fiscal year.

(b) Alternate uses. The number of units eligible for alternate uses in any fiscal year, as permitted by the Statute, will be determined at the beginning of the fiscal year as the applicable percentages (i.e., either 10 percent or 5 percent) of the estimated total number of units to be disposed of in the fiscal year, taking into consideration the total number of units in multifamily housing projects disposed of by the Department in the immediately preceding fiscal year, and the extent of the disposition activity planned in the current fiscal year.

HUD may provide project-based assistance to support the rebuilding of a HUD-owned multifamily housing project only. The required determination that rebuilding the project would be less expensive than substantial rehabilitation means that the costs to HUD for rebuilding are such that the monthly debt service needed to amortize the cost of relocating tenants, demolition, site preparation, rebuilding, operating expenses, and a reasonable return to the purchaser cannot be provided with rents that are within 120 percent of the most recently published Section 8 Fair Market Rents for Existing Housing (24 CFR part 888, subpart A), and would be less expensive than rehabilitation.

HUD may determine to demolish, or otherwise dispose of, a HUD-owned multifamily housing project, or any portion of such a project, or to foreclose a HUD-held mortgage on a multifamily housing project, without ensuring its continued availability as affordable rental or cooperative housing for low- and very low-income families under appropriate circumstances which may include one or more those listed in paragraphs (a) through (g) of this section. If HUD decides not to preserve an occupied multifamily housing project at a foreclosure sale or sale of a HUD-owned project, tenants must be provided relocation assistance as described in § 290.17.

(a) The costs to HUD of rehabilitation are such that the monthly debt service needed to amortize the cost of rehabilitation, operating expenses, and a reasonable return to the purchaser cannot be provided with rents that are, for subsidized and formerly subsidized projects, within 120 percent of the most recently published Section 8 Fair Market Rents for Existing Housing (24 CFR part 888, subpart A) or, for unsubsidized and formerly unsubsidized projects, within rents obtainable in the market.

(b) Construction is substantially incomplete.

(c) Preservation is not feasible because of environmental factors that cannot be mitigated by HUD or the purchaser. For example, when the project is located on a site that cannot be made to comply with the Section 8 Site and Neighborhood standards in 24 CFR 886.307(k) because of factors that adversely affect the health, safety and general welfare of residents such as air pollution; smoke; mud slides; fire or explosion hazards. Preservation may also be infeasible because of significantly deteriorated surrounding neighborhood conditions with inadequate police or fire protection; high crime rates; drug infestation; or lack of public community services needed to support a safe and healthy living environment for residents.

(d) HUD determines the project is unfit for rehabilitation.

(e) Rehabilitation would cost more than constructing comparable new housing.

(f) A reduction in the number of units in the project will enhance long-term project viability, for example, demolition of a building to provide space for a playground, open space, or combining one-bedroom units to create larger units for families.

(g) Continued preservation of the project as rental or cooperative housing is not compatible with State or local land use plans for the area in which the project is located.

(a) General. HUD may provide up-front grants and loans for rehabilitation, demolition, rebuilding and other related development costs as part of the disposition of a multifamily housing project that is HUD-owned, upon making a determination that such a grant or loan, plus any additional project-based assistance made available, would be more cost-effective than the use of the maximum permissible project-based rental assistance alone.

(b) Eligible projects. An up-front grant or loan can be made available in the sale of a HUD-owned multifamily housing project that meets all of the following requirements:

(1) Has more than 50% of the units in the project occupied by very low-income residents at the time a disposition plan is approved by HUD, or that HUD determines is essential, as affordable housing, to the revitalization of its community;

(2) Is located in a housing market or submarket in which there is not sufficient habitable, affordable, rental housing, as defined in § 290.3;

(3) Will generate, after rehabilitation or rebuilding, sufficient rental income in a competitive market to cover all operating expenses, meet after sale debt service requirements, fund required reserves and throw off positive cash flow;

(4) Will provide affordable housing for at least 20 years or the term of the loan, whichever is shorter, after the rehabilitation and/or rebuilding is completed; and

(5) Meets such other requirements, including deed restrictions, loan provisions, and monetary penalties for non-performance, as HUD may determine are appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

(c) Eligible sales and purchasers—(1) Negotiated sales to governmental entities. A negotiated sale of a project with an up-front grant or loan can only be made to the unit of general local government, which includes public housing agencies, in the area in which the project is located; or a State agency designated by the chief executive officer of the State in which the project is located; or an agency of the Federal government. The governmental entity in such a sale must take title to the project.

(2) Other sales and purchasers. All sales which provide up-front grants or loans to entities other than those described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section must be conducted through a competitive selection process. All general and limited partnerships or their nominees, joint ventures or other entities assembled for purposes of purchasing the project and which have a governmental entity as a partner or other participant are considered profit motivated purchasers and not governmental entities, whether or not there is a non-profit, public, corporate or individual general partner.

(d) Up-front grant or loan amount. The maximum that HUD will fund per project in an up-front grant or loan is 50 percent of total development cost (TDC), or $40,000 per affordable, finished unit, whichever amount is less. TDC covers demolition, environmental hazard remediation, construction materials, artisan services, professional services, developers services, and overhead, relocation and operating losses that are incurred to plan, perform and complete repairs or rebuilding.