The following definitions shall apply to all activities conducted pursuant to this chapter. Except as otherwise provided in this article or unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions contained in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 50050) of Part 1 of this division shall also apply to this chapter.

(a)  “Assisted unit” means a unit which is affordable to an eligible household as a result of a payment made by the department pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 50745), 3 (commencing with Section 50755), 4 (commencing with Section 50765) or 6 (commencing with Section 50771.1), or as a result of establishment of, or assistance from, an annuity trust fund or both. The department shall adopt regulations which establish a method for computing rents for eligible households.

(b)  “Below-market interest financing” means any of the following:

(1)  A long-term loan made by the agency with below-market interest, as defined by Section 50056.

(2)  A long-term loan made by a local finance entity at a below-market interest rate no higher than that established from time to time by the department, provided such rate shall not exceed by more than 1 1/2 percent the interest rate on long-term loans, if any, made by the agency for rental housing development proposals being submitted or processed for department assistance under this chapter at the same time.

(3)  The use of subsidies, assistance, or financing, other than as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2), which reduce rent levels by an amount equivalent to that enabled by long-term loans at the interest rate established for purposes of paragraph (2).

(4)  Subsidies, assistance, or financing provided to the sponsor by or through the agency or local finance entity and which is a loan made at below-market interest by an agency of the federal government.

(c)  “Development costs” means the aggregate of all costs incurred in connection with construction of a rental housing development pursuant to this chapter, including (1) the cost of land acquisition, whether by purchase or lease, (2) the cost of construction, (3) the cost of overhead including architectural, legal, and accounting fees incurred in connection with the construction of the rental housing development, (4) the cost of related offsite improvements, such as sewers, utilities, and streets, and (5) the cost of necessary and related onsite improvements. The department shall adopt regulations consistent with this section specifying the expenses qualifying as development costs for which a payment may be made pursuant to Section 50745.

(d)  “Eligible households” means lower income households, as defined by Section 50079.5, including very low income households, as defined by Section 50105.

(e)  “Local finance entity” means a redevelopment agency, housing authority, duly constituted governing body of an Indian rancheria, city, county, or city and county, or any combination thereof, which, in connection with the program established pursuant to this chapter, provides or utilizes financing, at below-market interest or the equivalent under subdivision (b) of Section 50745, for development of rental housing developments eligible for assistance under this chapter.

(f)  “Rental housing development” means a development of five or more rental or cooperative units, on one or more sites and includes a mobilehome park with five or more mobilehome spaces.

(g)  “Sponsor” means any individual, joint venture, partnership, limited partnership, trust, corporation, cooperative, local public entity, duly constituted governing body of an Indian rancheria, or other legal entity, or any combination thereof, certified by the department and the agency or the department and a local finance entity as the case may be, to own and manage or construct a rental housing development assisted pursuant to this chapter. A sponsor may be organized for profit or limited profit or be nonprofit.

(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1346, Sec. 1.5. Effective October 2, 1989.)