(A) Except as otherwise provided in this section, all monies deposited in the fund must be used to increase the supply of safe, decent, and affordable housing for members of the very low or lower income households within this State. These monies must be used to:

(1) encourage affordable home ownership and rental housing opportunities for the very low and lower income individuals and households;

(2) assist in the creation and preservation of safe, decent, affordable, and sanitary housing for the very low and lower income persons through the provision of loans and grants;

(3) increase the availability of affordable rental and owner-occupied housing for special needs populations, including housing for the elderly, the handicapped, and the homeless;

(4) promote creativity and flexibility in the design of programs at the local level to bring about the creation of safe, decent, affordable, and sanitary home ownership and rental housing in quality living environments;

(5) maximize the utilization of federal housing assistance programs and leverage all other public and private resources; and

(6) establish a spirit of partnership between government, nonprofit, and for-profit concerns and those in need of affordable housing.

(B) Monies deposited in the fund must be used to finance, in whole or in part, affordable housing projects and developments eligible under this section. Monies deposited in the fund may be used to make loans, grants, or provide for matching funds to secure financial assistance made available through federal funding and other programs to eligible applicants for the provision of affordable housing. Only nonprofit sponsors are eligible to receive grants for the implementation of an affordable housing proposal. Funds for resident services programs which further independence and responsibility may be included in a proposal submitted to the fund but may not exceed two percent of the total funds requested in the proposal.

(C) In evaluating proposals for the use of monies deposited in the fund, the board shall ensure, to the extent feasible, that monies are allocated to affordable housing for home ownership or rental housing developments which provide housing to members of very low income households. The fund may provide for appropriate penalties or fees for removal of the lien in its loan documents or contractual documents if monies are not used to provide housing for members of very low or lower income households for a period of at least twenty years. All prepayments must be returned to the fund.

(D) The board shall ensure that monies deposited in the fund are allocated only to projects which are eligible projects. An eligible project consists of one or more residential buildings containing similarly constructed units, the site on which the building is located, and any functionally related facilities. Multiple buildings may constitute a project only if bounded together as a result of proximate location or common ownership and financing.

(E) The board may approve the withdrawal of monies deposited in the fund for the acquisition and rehabilitation of substandard housing units, new construction of housing units, to provide assistance for the construction or rehabilitation of shelters for the homeless, or for such other programs which increase the supply of safe, decent, and affordable housing for members of very low or lower income households which the board considers appropriate to meet the purposes stated in this section.

HISTORY: 1992 Act No. 410, Section 1; 1994 Act No. 360, Section 4.