§ 4568. Housing Trust Fund

(a) Establishment and purpose

(1) In general The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (in this section referred to as the “Secretary”) shall establish and manage a Housing Trust Fund, which shall be funded with amounts allocated by the enterprises under section 4567 of this title and any amounts as are or may be appropriated, transferred, or credited to such Housing Trust Fund under any other provisions of law. The purpose of the Housing Trust Fund under this section is to provide grants to States (as such term is defined in section 4502 of this title) for use—

(A) to increase and preserve the supply of rental housing for extremely low- and very low-income families, including homeless families; and

(B) to increase homeownership for extremely low- and very low-income families.

(2) Federal assistance

For purposes of the application of Federal civil rights laws, all assistance provided from the Housing Trust Fund shall be considered Federal financial assistance.

(b) Allocations for HOPE bond payments

(1) In general Notwithstanding subsection (c), to help address the mortgage crisis, of the amounts allocated pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii) of section 4567(a)(1)(B) of this title and clauses (i) and (ii) of section 4567(a)(2)(B) of this title in excess of amounts described in section 4567(e) of this title—

(A) 100 percent of such excess shall be used to reimburse the Treasury for payments made pursuant to section 1715z–23(w)(1)(C) of this title in calendar year 2009;

(B) 50 percent of such excess shall be used to reimburse the Treasury for such payments in calendar year 2010; and

(C) 25 percent of such excess shall be used to reimburse the Treasury for such payments in calendar year 2011.

(2) Excess funds

At the termination of the HOPE for Homeowners Program established under section 1715z–23 of this title, if amounts used to reimburse the Treasury under paragraph (1) exceed the total net cost to the Government of the HOPE for Homeowners Program, such amounts shall be used for their original purpose, as described in paragraphs (1)(B) and (2)(B) of section 4567(a) of this title.

(3) Treasury fund

The amounts referred to in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1) shall be deposited into a fund established in the Treasury of the United States by the Secretary of the Treasury for such purpose.

(c) Allocation for Housing Trust Fund in fiscal year 2010 and subsequent years

(1) In general

Except as provided in subsection (b), the Secretary shall distribute the amounts allocated for the Housing Trust Fund under this section to provide affordable housing as described in this subsection.

(2) Permissible designees

A State receiving grant amounts under this subsection may designate a State housing finance agency, housing and community development entity, tribally designated housing entity (as such term is defined in section 4103 of title 25), or any other qualified instrumentality of the State to receive such grant amounts.

(3) Distribution to States by needs-based formula

(A) In general

The Secretary shall, by regulation, establish a formula within 12 months of July 30, 2008, to distribute amounts made available under this subsection to each State to provide affordable housing to extremely low- and very low-income households.

(B) Basis for formula The formula required under subparagraph (A) shall include the following:

(i) The ratio of the shortage of standard rental units both affordable and available to extremely low-income renter households in the State to the aggregate shortage of standard rental units both affordable and available to extremely low-income renter households in all the States.

(ii) The ratio of the shortage of standard rental units both affordable and available to very low-income renter households in the State to the aggregate shortage of standard rental units both affordable and available to very low-income renter households in all the States.

(iii) The ratio of extremely low-income renter households in the State living with either (I) incomplete kitchen or plumbing facilities, (II) more than 1 person per room, or (III) paying more than 50 percent of income for housing costs, to the aggregate number of extremely low-income renter households living with either (IV) incomplete kitchen or plumbing facilities, (V) more than 1 person per room, or (VI) paying more than 50 percent of income for housing costs in all the States.

(iv) The ratio of very low-income renter households in the State paying more than 50 percent of income on rent relative to the aggregate number of very low-income renter households paying more than 50 percent of income on rent in all the States.

(v) The resulting sum calculated from the factors described in clauses (i) through (iv) shall be multiplied by the relative cost of construction in the State. For purposes of this subclause, manner in which the State or State designated entity complied during such year with any allocation plan established pursuant to subsection (c).

(ii) Public availability

The Secretary shall make such reports pursuant to this subparagraph publicly available.

(B) Misuse of funds If the Secretary determines, after reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing, that a State or State designated entity has failed to comply substantially with any provision of this section, and until the Secretary is satisfied that there is no longer any such failure to comply, the Secretary shall—

(i) reduce the amount of assistance under this section to the State or State designated entity by an amount equal to the amount of grant amounts which were not used in accordance with this section;

(ii) require the State or State designated entity to repay the Secretary any amount of the grant which was not used in accordance with this section;

(iii) limit the availability of assistance under this section to the State or State designated entity to activities or recipients not affected by such failure to comply; or

(iv) terminate any assistance under this section to the State or State designated entity.

(f) Definitions For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) Extremely low-income renter household

The term “extremely low-income renter household” means a household whose income is not in excess of 30 percent of the area median income, with adjustments for smaller and larger families, as determined by the Secretary.

(2) Recipient

The term “recipient” means an individual or entity that receives assistance from a State or State designated entity from amounts made available to the State or State designated entity under this section.

(3) Shortage of standard rental units both affordable and available to extremely low-income renter households

(A) In general The term “shortage of standard rental units both affordable and available to extremely low-income renter households” means for any State or other geographical area the gap between—

(i) the number of units with complete plumbing and kitchen facilities with a rent that is 30 percent or less of 30 percent of the adjusted area median income as determined by the Secretary that are occupied by extremely low-income renter households or are vacant for rent; and

(ii) the number of extremely low-income renter households.

(B) Rule of construction

If the number of units described in subparagraph (A)(i) exceeds the number of extremely low-income households as described in subparagraph (A)(ii), there is no shortage.

(4) Shortage of standard rental units both affordable and available to very low-income renter households

(A) In general The term “shortage of standard rental units both affordable and available to very low-income renter households” means for any State or other geographical area the gap between—

(i) the number of units with complete plumbing and kitchen facilities with a rent that is 30 percent or less of 50 percent of the adjusted area median income as determined by the Secretary that are occupied by very low-income renter households or are vacant for rent; and

(ii) the number of very low-income renter households.

(B) Rule of construction

If the number of units described in subparagraph (A)(i) exceeds the number of very low-income households as described in subparagraph (A)(ii), there is no shortage.

(5) Very low-income family

The term “very low-income family” has the meaning given such term in section 4502 of this title, except that such term includes any family that resides in a rural area that has an income that does not exceed the poverty line (as such term is defined in section 9902(2) of title 42, including any revision required by such section) applicable to a family of the size involved.

(6) Very low-income renter households

The term “very low-income renter households” means a household whose income is in excess of 30 percent but not greater than 50 percent of the area median income, with adjustments for smaller and larger families, as determined by the Secretary.

(g) Regulations

(1) In general

The Secretary shall issue regulations to carry out this section.

(2) Required contents The regulations issued under this subsection shall include—

(A) a requirement that the Secretary ensure that the use of grant amounts under this section by States or State designated entities is audited not less than annually to ensure compliance with this section;

(B) authority for the Secretary to audit, provide for an audit, or otherwise verify a State or State designated entity’s activities to ensure compliance with this section;

(C) a requirement that, for the purposes of subparagraphs (A) and (B), any financial statement submitted by a grantee or recipient to the Secretary shall be reviewed by an independent certified public accountant in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services, issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants;

(D) requirements for a process for application to, and selection by, each State or State designated entity for activities meeting the State or State designated entity’s priority housing needs to be funded with grant amounts under this section, which shall provide for priority in funding to be based upon—

(i) geographic diversity;

(ii) ability to obligate amounts and undertake activities so funded in a timely manner;

(iii) in the case of rental housing projects under subsection (c)(7)(A), the extent to which rents for units in the project funded are affordable, especially for extremely low-income families;

(iv) in the case of rental housing projects under subsection (c)(7)(A), the extent of the duration for which such rents will remain affordable;

(v) the extent to which the application makes use of other funding sources; and

(vi) the merits of an applicant’s proposed eligible activity;

(E) requirements to ensure that grant amounts provided to a State or State designated entity under this section that are used for rental housing under subsection (c)(7)(A) are used only for the benefit of extremely low- and very low-income families; and

(F) requirements and standards for establishment, by a State or State designated entity, for use of grant amounts in 2009 and subsequent years of performance goals, benchmarks, and timetables for the production, preservation, and rehabilitation of affordable rental and homeownership housing with such grant amounts.

(h) Affordable housing trust fund

If, after July 30, 2008, in any year, there is enacted any provision of Federal law establishing an affordable housing trust fund other than under this chapter for use only for grants to provide affordable rental housing and affordable homeownership opportunities, and the subsequent year is a year referred to in subsection (c), the Secretary shall in such subsequent year and any remaining years referred to in subsection (c) transfer to such affordable housing trust fund the aggregate amount allocated pursuant to subsection (c) in such year. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, assistance provided using amounts transferred to such affordable housing trust fund pursuant to this subsection may not be used for any of the activities specified in clauses (i) through (vi) of subsection (c)(9)(D).

(i) Funding accountability and transparency

Any grant under this section to a grantee by a State or State designated entity, any assistance provided to a recipient by a State or State designated entity, and any grant, award, or other assistance from an affordable housing trust fund referred to in subsection (h) shall be considered a Federal award for purposes of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note). Upon the request of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Secretary shall obtain and provide such information regarding any such grants, assistance, and awards as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget considers necessary to comply with the requirements of such Act, as applicable, pursuant to the preceding sentence.

(Pub. L. 102–550, title XIII, § 1338, as added Pub. L. 110–289, div. A, title I, § 1131(b), July 30, 2008, 122 Stat. 2712.)

References In Text

References in Text

Section 4103 of title 25, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), was in the original “section 4 of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1997 (25 U.S.C. 4103)”, and was translated as meaning section 4 of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

The Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(7)(B)(i)(II), is Pub. L. 101–625, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4079. Title II of the Act, known as the HOME Investment Partnerships Act, is classified principally to subchapter II (§ 12721 et seq.) of chapter 130 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 12701 of Title 42 and Tables.

Section 132 of the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008, referred to in subsec. (c)(7)(B)(iv), probably means section 1132 of Pub. L. 110–289, which is set out as a note under section 1701x of this title.

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (h), was in the original “this title”, meaning title XIII of Pub. L. 102–550, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3941, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of title XIII to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 4501 of this title and Tables.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, referred to in subsec. (i), is Pub. L. 109–282, Sept. 26, 2006, 120 Stat. 1186, which is set out as a note under section 6101 of Title 31, Money and Finance.

Prior Provisions

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1338 of Pub. L. 102–550, title XIII, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3964, was set out as a note under section 4562 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 110–289, div. A, title I, § 1122(a)(2), July 30, 2008, 122 Stat. 2689.