cution or disbursement thereon, upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe.

(10) To be eligible for insurance under this subsection, a mortgage shall

(A) be a first lien on real estate held in fee simple, or on a leasehold under a lease which meets terms and conditions established by the Secretary;

(B) have been made to, and be held by, a mortgagee approved by the Secretary as responsible and able to service the mortgage properly;

(C) involve a one- to four-family dwelling which has been approved by the Secretary prior to the beginning of construction, or if not so approved, has been completed within one year prior to the filing of the application for insurance and which has never been sold other than to the mortgagor;

(D) involve a principal residence the sales price of which does not exceed 82 per centum of the applicable maximum principal obligation of a mortgage which may be insured in the area pursuant to section 203(b)(2), determined without regard to the last sentence of such section;

(E) have maturity and amortization provisions satisfactory to the Secretary;

(F) bear interest (exclusive of premium charges for insurance, and service charges if any) at not to exceed the applicable maximum rate for mortgages insured pursuant to section. 203(b);

(G) be executed by a mortgagor who shall have paid in cash or its equivalent, on account of the property, at least an amount equal to 3 per centum of the Secretary's estimate of the cost of acquisition; and

(H) contain such other terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe.

(11) The Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, insure mortgages under this subsection which are secured by properties which contribute to the conservation of land and energy resources.

(12) A mortgage to be assisted under this subsection shall, where the Secretary deems it appropriate, provide for graduated payments pursuant to section 245.

(13) The Secretary shall develop and utilize a system to allocate assistance under this subsection in a manner which assures a reasonable distribution of such assistance among the various regions of the country and which takes into consideration such factors as population, relative decline in building permits, the need for increased housing production, and other factors he deems appropriate. Assistance provided under this subsection shall not be subject to section 213 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.

(14) Upon the disposition by the homeowner of any property assisted pursuant to this subsection, or where the homeowner rents the property (or the owner's unit in the case of a two- to fourfamily residence) for a period longer than one year, the Secretary shall provide for the recapture of an amount equal to the lesser of (A) the amount of assistance actually received under this subsec

tion, other than any amount provided under paragraph (6), or (B) an amount at least equal to 50 per centum of the net appreciation of the property, as determined by the Secretary. For the purpose of this paragraph, the term "net appreciation of the property" means any increase in the value of the property over the original purchase price, less the reasonable costs of sale, the reasonable costs of improvements made to the property, and any increase in the mortgage balance as of the time of sale over the original mortgage balance due to the mortgage being insured pursuant to section 245. In providing for such recapture, the Secretary shall include incentives for the homeowner to maintain the property in a marketable condition. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any such assistance shall constitute a debt secured by the property to the extent that the Secretary may provide for such recapture.

(15) Procedures shall be adopted by the Secretary for recertification of the homeowner's income at intervals of two years (or at shorter intervals where the Secretary deems it desirable) for the purpose of adjusting the amount of such assistance payments within the limits of the formula described in paragraph (4) or (5). (r)(1) The Secretary is authorized, upon application of a mortgagee, to insure under this subsection a mortgage the proceeds of which are used to refinance a mortgage insured under this section. (2) To be eligible for insurance under this subsection, a mortgage must be executed by a mortgagor meeting the requirements of paragraph (3) and shall

(A) be a first lien on real estate held in fee simple, or on a leasehold under a lease

(i) for not less than 99 years which is renewable; or

(ii) having a period of not less than 10 years to run beyond the maturity date of the mortgage;

(B) have been made to, and held by, a mortgagee approved by the Secretary;

(C) be in an amount not exceeding the outstanding principal balance, including any unpaid interest, due on the mortgage being refinanced;

(D) have a maturity not exceeding the unexpired term of the mortgage being refinanced;

(E) bear an interest rate not exceeding such percent per annum on the amount of the principal obligation outstanding at any time as the Secretary finds necessary to meet the mortgage market, taking into consideration the yields on mortgages in the primary and secondary markets; to the extent that the amounts described in paragraphs (4) (A) and (B) are not otherwise paid by the Secretary, the foregoing interest rate may be increased, in the discretion of the Secretary, to compensate the mortgagee for its payment to, or on behalf of, the mortgagor of such amounts; and

(F) meet the criteria for refinancing as determined by the Secretary.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (h)(2), assistance payments in connection with mortgages insured under paragraph (2) shall be made only with respect to a family who is eligible for,

and receiving assistance payments with respect to, the insured mortgage being refinanced.

(4) The Secretary is authorized and, to the extent provided in appropriation Acts, may pay to the mortgagor (directly, through the mortgagee, or otherwise)

(A) an amount, as approved by the Secretary, as an incentive to the mortgagor to refinance a mortgage insured under this section; and

(B) an amount as approved by the Secretary for costs incurred in connection with the refinancing, including but not limited to discounts, loan origination fees, and closing costs. (5) Amounts of budget authority required for assistance payments contracts with respect to mortgages insured under this subsection shall be derived from amounts recaptured from assistance payments contracts relating to mortgages that are being refinanced. For purposes of subsection (c)(3)(A), the amount of recaptured budget authority that the Secretary commits for assistance payments contracts relating to mortgages insured under this subsection shall not be construed as "unused".

(6) The Secretary is authorized to take any actions to identify and communicate with any mortgagor of a mortgage insured under this section to implement the refinancing of such mortgages with insurance under this subsection. The Secretary may take such actions directly, or under contract. Notwithstanding the restriction of section 552a(b) of title 5 of the United States Code, upon the request of an approved mortgagee, the Secretary may disclose to such mortgagee the name and address of any mortgagor of a mortgage insured under this section that meets the criteria for refinancing, pursuant to paragraph (2)(F), and the unpaid principal balance and interest rate on such mortgage.

(7) The Secretary shall implement the provisions of this subsection by a notice published in the Federal Register. [12 U.S.C. 1715z]

SECTION 236 RENTAL ASSISTANCE

EXCERPT FROM NATIONAL HOUSING ACT

[Public Law 90-448; 82 Stat. 498; 12 U.S.C. 1715z-1]

RENTAL AND COOPERATIVE HOUSING FOR LOWER INCOME FAMILIES

SEC. 236. (a) For the purpose of reducing rentals for lower income families, the Secretary is authorized to make, and to contract to make, periodic interest reduction payments on behalf of the owner of a rental housing project designed for occupancy by lower income families, which shall be accomplished through payments to mortgagees holding mortgages meeting the special requirements specified in this section.

(b) Interest reduction payments with respect to a project shall only be made during such time as the project is operated as a rental housing project and is subject to a mortgage which meets the requirements of, and is insured under, subsection (j) of this section: Provided, That the Secretary is authorized to continue making such interest reduction payments where the mortgage has been assigned to the Secretary: Provided further, That interest reduction payments may be made with respect to a mortgage or part thereof on a rental or cooperative housing project owned by a private nonprofit corporation or other private nonprofit entity, a limited dividend corporation or other limited dividend entity, public entity, or a cooperative housing corporation, which is financed under a State or local program providing assistance through loans, loan insurance, or tax abatements, and which may involve either new or existing construction and which is approved for receiving the benefits of this section. The term "mortgage insurance premiums," when used in this section in relation to a project financed by a loan under a State or local program, means such fees and charges, approved by the Secretary, as are payable by the mortgagor to the State or local agency mortgagee to meet reserve requirements and administrative expenses of such agency.

(c) The interest reduction payments to a mortgagee by the Secretary on behalf of a project owner shall be in an amount not exceeding the difference between the monthly payments for principal, interest, and mortgage insurance premium which the project owner as a mortgagor is obliged to pay under the mortgage and the monthly payment for principal and interest such project owner would be obligated to pay if the mortgage were to bear interest at the rate of 1 per centum per annum.

(d) The Secretary may include in the payment to the mortgagee such amount, in addition to the amount computed under subsection (c), as he deems appropriate to reimburse the mortgagee for its expenses in handling the mortgage.

(e) As a condition for receiving the benefits of interest reduction payments, the project owner shall operate the project in accordance with such requirements with respect to tenant eligibility and rents as the Secretary may prescribe. Procedures shall be adopted by the Secretary for review of tenant incomes at intervals of one year (or at shorter intervals where the Secretary deems it desirable).

(f)(1) For each dwelling unit there shall be established with the approval of the Secretary (A) a basic rental charge determined on the basis of operating the project with payments of principal and interest due under a mortgage bearing interest at the rate of 1 per centum per annum; and (B) a fair market rental charge determined on the basis of operating the project with payment of principal, interest, and mortgage insurance premium which the mortgagor is obligated to pay under the mortgage covering the project. The rental for each dwelling unit shall be at the basic rental charge or such greater amount, not exceeding the fair market rental charge, as represents 30 per centum of the tenant's adjusted income. With respect to those projects which the Secretary determines have separate utility metering for some or all dwelling units, the Secretary is authorized

(i) to permit the basic rental charge and the fair market rental charge to be determined on the basis of operating the project without the payment of the cost of utility services used by such dwelling units; and

(ii) to permit the charging of a rental for such dwelling units at such an amount less than 30 per centum of a tenant's adjusted income as the Secretary determines represents a proportionate decrease for the utility charges to be paid by such tenant, but in no case shall rental be lower than 25 per centum of a tenant's adjusted income.

(2) With respect to 20 per centum of the dwelling units in any project made subject to a contract under this section after the date of enactment of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, the Secretary shall make, and contract to make, additional assistance payments to the project owner on behalf of tenants whose incomes are too low for them to afford the basic rentals (including the amount allowed for utilities in the case of a project with separate utility metering) with 30 per centum of this adjusted income. The additional assistance payments authorized by this paragraph with respect to any dwelling unit shall be the amount required to reduce the rental payment (including the amount allowed for utilities in the case of a project with separate utility metering) by the tenant to the highest of the following amounts, rounded to the nearest dollar:

(A) 30 per centum of the tenant's monthly adjusted income; (B) 10 per centum of the tenant's monthly income; or

(C) if the family is receiving payments for welfare assistance from a public agency and a part of such payments, adjusted in accordance with the family's actual housing costs, is specifically designated by such agency to meet the family's housing costs, the portion of such payments which is so designated.