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US HR2482

US HR2482
Preservation Enhancement and Savings Opportunity Act of 2015


summary

Introduced
05/20/2015
In Committee
05/20/2015
Crossed Over
07/15/2015
Passed
Dead
01/03/2017

Introduced Session

114th Congress

Bill Summary

Preservation Enhancement and Savings Opportunity Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) Amends the Low-Income Housing Preservation and Resident Homeownership Act of 1990 (LIHPRHA) with respect to a plan of action the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may approve for extension of the low-income affordability restrictions on any eligible low-income housing. Entitles the owner of a property subject to a plan of action or use agreement to distribute: annually all surplus cash generated by the property, but only if the owner is in material compliance with the use agreement, including compliance with prevailing physical condition standards established by HUD; and any funds accumulated in a residual receipts account, notwithstanding any conflicting provision in the use agreement, but only if the individual is in material compliance with the use agreement and has completed, or set aside sufficient funds to complete, any capital repairs identified by the most recent third party capital needs assessment. Requires an owner distributing any such amounts to: continue to operate the property in accordance with the affordability requirements of its use agreement for its remaining useful life; continue to renew or extend any project-based rental assistance contract for at least 20 years, as required by the property's plan of action; and have the option to extend the contract to a 20-year term, if he or she has an existing multi-year project-based rental assistance contract for less than 20 years. (Sec. 3) Declares that neither LIHPRHA, nor any plan of action or use agreement implementing it, shall restrict an owner from obtaining a new loan or refinancing an existing loan secured by a low-income housing project, or from distributing the proceeds of such a loan, except that, in conjunction with such refinancing: the owner shall provide for adequate rehabilitation pursuant to a capital needs assessment to ensure long-term sustainability of the property satisfactory to the lender or bond issuance agency; any resulting budget-based rent increase shall include debt service on the new financing, commercially reasonable debt service coverage, and replacement reserves as required by the lender; and any rent increases resulting from the refinancing transaction for units not covered by a project-based rental subsidy contract shall be limited to 10%, with the following exception. States that any tenant who occupies a dwelling unit as of the time of the refinancing, and gives the owner proof of income, may not be required to pay for rent and utilities, for the duration of the tenancy, any amount exceeding the greater of: (1) 30% of the tenant's income, or (2) the amount the tenant paid for rent and utilities immediately before the refinancing. (Sec. 4) Directs HUD to issue any guidance necessary to carry out this Act within 120 days after its enactment.

AI Summary

This bill, the Preservation Enhancement and Savings Opportunity Act of 2015, amends the Low-Income Housing Preservation and Resident Homeownership Act of 1990 (LIHPRHA) to provide greater flexibility for owners of eligible low-income housing. It allows owners, if they are in material compliance with their use agreements and physical condition standards, to distribute annual surplus cash generated by the property and any funds accumulated in a residual receipts account, provided they have completed or set aside funds for necessary capital repairs. Owners distributing these funds must continue to operate the property according to affordability requirements for its remaining useful life and renew or extend project-based rental assistance contracts for at least 20 years, with an option to extend shorter contracts to that term. The bill also clarifies that LIHPRHA will not prevent owners from obtaining new loans or refinancing existing ones secured by low-income housing projects, as long as adequate rehabilitation is ensured through a capital needs assessment, rent increases are justified by new financing costs and reserves, and any rent increases for tenants not covered by rental subsidies are capped at 10% annually, with a protection for existing tenants to ensure their rent and utility payments do not exceed 30% of their income or their pre-refinancing costs, whichever is greater, for the duration of their tenancy, provided they submit proof of income. Finally, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is required to issue guidance for implementing these changes within 120 days of the bill's enactment.

Committee Categories

Business and Industry, Housing and Urban Affairs

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (on 07/15/2015)

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