able for occupancy by families which are eligible for assistance under this section, at the time of their initial occupancy, the number of units for which assistance is committed under the contract.

(e)(1) The Secretary shall not contract to make assistance payments with respect to a newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated dwelling unit for a term of less than two hundred and forty months or more than three hundred and sixty months, except that such term may not exceed two hundred and forty months in the case of a project financed with assistance of a loan made by, or insured, guaranteed or intended for purchase by, the Federal Government, other than pursuant to section 244 of the National Housing Act. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in the case of a project owned by, or financed by a loan or loan guarantee from, a State or local agency or the Farmers' Home Administration, the term may not exceed four hundred and eighty months.

(2) The contract between the Secretary and the owner with respect to newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated dwelling units shall provide that all ownership, management, and maintenance responsibilities, including the selection of tenants and the termination of tenancy, shall be assumed by the owner (or any entity, including a public housing agency, approved by the Secretary, with which the owner may contract for the performance of such responsibilities), except that the tenant selection criteria shall give preference to families which occupy substandard housing or are involuntarily displaced at the time they are seeking housing assistance under this section. In approving any public housing agency to assume all the management and maintenance responsibilities of any dwelling unit under the preceding sentence, the Secretary may do so without regard to whether such agency administers the housing assistance payment contract for that unit.

(3) The construction or substantial rehabilitation of dwelling units to be assisted under this section shall be eligible for financing with mortgages insured under the National Housing Act. Assistance with respect to such dwelling units shall not be withheld or made subject to preferences by reason of the availability of mortgage insurance pursuant to section 244 of such Act or by reason of the tax-exempt status of the bonds or other obligations to be used to finance such construction or rehabilitation.

(i) In entering into contracts under this section with respect to substantially rehabilitated dwelling units, the Secretary shall provide that

(1) the maximum monthly rent permitted for the assisted units be not greater than the amount permitted under subsection (c) or a lesser amount which the Secretary determines is appropriate taking into consideration the investment of the owner in the assisted units and such other factors as the Secretary determines to be relevant;

(2) the assisted units be rehabilitated to a level which meets but does not exceed applicable codes and standards for decent,

safe, and sanitary housing which are prescribed by the Secretary;

(3) all the dwelling units in the housing structure in which the assisted units are located meet applicable codes and standards prescribed by the Secretary for decent, safe, and sanitary housing;

(4) the term of any such contract does not exceed the maximum term permitted under subsection (e)(1) or a shorter term which the Secretary determines is appropriate taking into consideration the amount of investment of the owner in the assisted units and such other factors as the Secretary determines to be relevant; and

(5) the assisted units meet cost-effective energy efficiency standards prescribed by the Secretary.

(1) After selection of a proposal involving newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated units for assistance under this section, the Secretary shall limit cost and rent increases, except for adjustment in rent pursuant to section 8(c)(2), 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.

(m) 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 or units of local government if the Secretary determines that the tract of land is suitable for such housing, and that affording such preference will be cost effective.

Approved August 22, 1974.

EXCERPT FROM UNITED STATES HOUSING ACT OF 1937-ORIGINAL

VERSION

[Public Law 412, 75th Congress; 50 Stat. 888; 42 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.]

LOW-RENT HOUSING IN PRIVATE ACCOMMODATIONS

SEC. 23. (a)(1) For the purpose of providing a supplementary form of low-rent housing which will aid in assuring a decent place to live for every citizen and promote efficiency and economy in the program under this Act by taking full advantage of vacancies or potential vacancies in the private housing market, each public housing agency shall, to the maximum extent consistent with the achievement of the objectives of this Act, provide low-rent housing under this Act in the form of low-rent housing in private accommodations in accordance with this section where such housing in private accommodations can be provided at a cost equal to or less than housing in projects assisted under other provisions of this Act. (2) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any locality unless the governing body of the locality has by resolution approved the application of such provisions to such locality.

(3) As used in this section, the term "low-rent housing in private accommodations" means dwelling units in a structure leased from a private owner, which provide decent, safe, and sanitary dwelling accommodations and related facilities effectively supplementing the accommodations and facilities in low-rent housing assisted under the other provisions of this Act in a manner calculated to meet the total housing needs of the community in which they are located; and the term "owner" means any person or entity having the legal right to lease or sublease property containing one or more dwelling units as described in this section.

(b) Beginning as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this section, each public housing agency shall conduct a continuing survey and listing of the available dwelling units within the community or communities under its jurisdication which provide decent, safe, and sanitary dwelling accommodations and related facilities and are, or may be made, suitable for use as low-rent housing in private accommodations under this section.

(c) Each public housing agency, by notification to the owners of housing listed under subsection (b), or by publication or advertisement, or otherwise, shall from time to time make known to the public in the community or communities under its jurisdiction the anticipated need for dwelling units in such community or communities to be used as low-rent housing in private accommodations under this section, inviting the owners of such dwelling units to make available for purposes of this section one or more of such units (not exceeding 10 per centum of the units in any single structure except to the extent that the agency, because of the limited number of units in the structure or for any other reasons, determines that such limit should not be applied). The public housing agency shall conduct appropriate inspections of the units offered to

1 For limitation on rent increases for tenants assisted under this section whose assistance is converted to section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, see page 167 of this compilation.

be made available in any residential structure by the owner thereof in reponse to such invitation, and if

(1) it finds that such units are, or may be made, suitable for use as low-rent housing in private accommodations within the meaning of subsection (a)(3), and

(2) the rentals to be charged for such units, as negotiated and agreed to by the agency and the owner of the structure in a manner consistent with subsection (d)(2), are within the financial range of families of low income.

Such agency may approve such units for use as low-rent housing in private accommodations in accordance with (and subject to the applicable limitations contained in) this section. Each public housing agency shall maintain and keep current a list of units approved by it under this subsection, including such information with respect to each such unit as it may consider necessary or appropriate.

(d) to the extent of contracts for annual contributions entered into by the Authority with a public housing agency under section 10(e), such agency may enter into contracts with the owners of structures containing dwelling units approved under subsection (c) for the use of such units in accordance with this section (and no limitation not specifically provided for in this section shall be imposed by regulations of the Authority on the types of categories of structures or dwelling units, qualifying under subsection (a)(3) and approved under subsection (c), which may be so used in any community). Each such contract with an owner shall provide (with respect to any unit) that

(1) the selection of tenants for such unit shall be the function of the owner, subject to the provisions of the contract between the Authority and the agency;

(2) the rental and other charges to be received by the owner shall be negotiated and agreed to by the agency and the owner, and the rental and other charges to be paid by the tenant shall be determined in accordance with the standards applicable to units in low-rent housing projects assisted under the other provisions of this Act;

(3) the agency shall have the sole right to give notice to vacate, with the owner having the right to make representations to the agency for termination of the tenancy;

(4) maintenance and replacements (including redecoration) shall be in accordance with the standard practice for the building concerned, as established by the owner and agreed to by the agency; and

(5) the agency and the owner shall carry out such other appropriate terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed to by them.

Each contract between a public housing agency and an owner entered into under this subsection shall be for a term of not less than twelve months nor more than one hundred and twenty months and shall be renewable by such agency and owner at the expiration of such term; Provided, that no renewal of such a contract shall result in a total term exceeding two hundred and forty months (or one hundred and eighty months in the case of an existing structure). (e) The annual contribution under this Act for a project of a public housing agency for low-rent housing in private accommoda

tions under this section in lieu of any other guaranteed contribution authorized by section 10 shall not exceed the amount of the fixed annual contribution which would be established under this Act for a newly constructed project by such public housing agency designed to accommodate the comparable number, sizes, and kinds of families. The period over which payments will be made to a public housing agency for a project of low-rent housing in private accommodations under this section, and the aggregate amount of such payments, under a contract for annual contributions, shall be determined on the basis of the number of units in the community or communities under the jurisdiction of such agency which are in use (or can reasonably be expected to be placed in use) as low-rent housing in private accommodations under this section, taking into account the terms of the leases under which such units are (or will be) so used. In addition, contracts for financial assistance entered into by the Authority with a public housing agency pursuant to this section shall provide for reimbursement of reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by such agency in conducting surveys, listings, and inspections described in subsections (b) and (c).

(f) The provisions of sections 10(h) and 15(7) of this Act, shall not apply to low-rent housing assisted or to be assisted under this section.

(g) To the extent authorized in contracts entered into by the authority with a public housing agency, such agency may purchase any structure containing one or more dwelling units leased to provide low-rent housing in private accommodations under this section for the purpose of reselling the structure to the tenant or tenants of the structure or to a group of such tenants occupying units aggregating in value at least 80 per centum of the structure's total value. Any such resale shall be made subject to such terms and conditions (including provision for deferment of the required downpayment and for elimination of or adjustments in the required interest payments during a temporary period) as may be necessary to enable the tenants involved to make the purchase without undue financial hardship.

Approved September 1, 1937.

EXCERPT FROM THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACT OF

1974

[Public Law 93-383; 88 Stat. 669; 42 U.S.C. 1421b note]

LEASED HOUSING

SEC. 208. Nothing in this title or any other provision of law authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to apply any policy or procedure established by him with respect to the rights of an owner under a lease entered into under section 23 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, including the right to renewal of such lease to the maximum term permitted by law, if such lease was entered into prior to the effective date of such policy or procedure.

Approved August 22, 1974.