Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a)
Direct Loan awardees must satisfactorily complete the Post-Award Requirements
identified in this section after the Board approval date.
(b) If a Direct Loan award is declined by the
Direct Loan awardee and returned after Board approval, or if the Direct Loan
awardee or Affiliates fail to timely enter into the Contract, close the loan,
begin and complete construction, or leave a portion of the Direct Loan award
unexpended, penalties may apply under 10 TAC §
11.9(f) (relating
to Competitive HTC Selection Criteria), and/or the Department may prohibit the
Applicant and all Affiliates from applying for MFDL funds for a period of two
years.
(c) Benchmarks. Extensions
to the benchmarks in paragraphs (1) - (8) of this subsection may only be
approved by the Executive Director or authorized designee in accordance with
§
13.12 or §
13.13 of this chapter (relating to
Pre-Closing and Post-Closing Amendments), as applicable.
(1) Environmental Clearance. In order to
obtain environmental clearance required by the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) and other related Federal and state environmental laws (if
applicable), Direct Loan Applicants, including those previously awarded HTC,
must submit a fully completed environmental review, including any applicable
reports to the Department within 90 days of the Application Acceptance
Date.
(2) Contract Execution. After
a Development receives environmental clearance (if applicable), the Department
will draft a Contract to be emailed to the Direct Loan awardee. Direct Loan
awardees must execute and return a Contract to the Department within 30
calendar days after receipt of the Contract.
(3) Loan Closing and Construction
Commencement. Loan closing must occur and construction must begin on or before
the dates described in the Contract. If construction has not commenced within
12 months of the Contract Effective Date, the award may be
terminated.
(4) Loan Closing. In
preparation for closing any Direct Loan, the Development Owner must submit the
items described in subparagraphs (A) - (F) of this paragraph. Providing
incomplete documents, or not responding timely to subsequent Department
requests for materials needed to facilitate closing, may significantly delay
closing. Any request to change the financing structure of the Development, or
the ownership structure, will in most cases extend the amount of time it will
take for the Department to meet closing timelines, and may move prioritization
of the closing below that of other Developments.
(A) Documentation of the prior closing or
concurrent closing with all sources of funds necessary for the long-term
financial feasibility of the Development.
(B) Due diligence items determined by the
Department to be prudent and necessary to meet the Department's rules and to
secure the interests of the Department, as requested by Staff.
(C) When Department funds have a first lien
position during the construction term, or if the Development is a public work
under state law, assurance of completion of the Development in the form of
payment and performance bonds in the full amount of the construction contract
or equivalent guarantee as allowable under state law in the sole determination
of the Department is required. Development Owners utilizing the USDA §515
program for a Development that is not a public work are exempt from this
requirement, but must meet the alternative requirements set forth by
USDA.
(D) Documentation required
for preparation of closing loan documents includes, but is not limited to:
(i) Substantially final information necessary
for REA staff to reevaluate the transaction prior to loan closing, including
but not limited to a substantially final development cost schedule, sources and
uses, operating pro forma, annual operating expenses, rent schedule, updated
written financial commitments or term sheets, and any additional financing
exhibits that have changed since the time of Application;
(ii) Substantially final Draft Owner/General
Contractor agreement and draft Owner/Architect agreement prior to closing with
final executed copies required by the day of closing;
(iii) Survey of the Property that includes a
certification to the Department, Development Owner, Title Company, and other
lenders;
(iv) Plans and
specifications for review by the Department's inspection staff. Inspection
staff will issue a plan review letter that is intended to assist in identifying
early concerns associated with the Department's final construction
requirements; and
(v) If layered
with Housing Tax Credits, a substantially final draft limited partnership
agreement between the General Partner and the tax credit investor
entity.
(E) If required
by the fund source, prior to Contract Execution unless an earlier period is
described in Chapters 10, 11, or 12 of this title, the Development Owner must
provide verification of:
(i) Environmental
clearance from the Department or HUD, as applicable;
(ii) Site and Neighborhood clearance from the
Department;
(iii) Documentation
necessary to show compliance with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and
Property Act and any other relocation requirements that may apply;
(iv) Title Insurance Commitment or Policy
showing the Department as Lender, with copies of all Schedule B documents;
and
(v) Any other documentation
that is necessary or prudent to meet program requirements or state or federal
law in the sole determination of the Department.
(F) The Direct Loan Contract as executed,
which will be drafted by the Department's counsel or its designee for the
Department. No changes proposed by the Developer or Developer's counsel will be
accepted unless approved by the Department's Legal Division or its
designee.
(6) Loan
Documents. The Development Owner is required to execute all loan closing
documents required by and in the form and substance acceptable to the
Department's Legal Division.
(A) Loan closing
documents include but are not limited to a promissory note, deed of trust,
construction loan agreement (if the proceeds of the loan are to be used for
construction), LURA, Architect and/or licensed engineer certification of
understanding to complete environmental mitigation if such mitigation is
identified in HUD's environmental clearance or the Underwriting Report and
assignment and security instruments whereby the Developer, the Development
Owner, and/or any Affiliates (if applicable) grants the Department their
respective right, title, and interest in and to other collateral, including
without limitation the Owner/Architect agreement and the Owner/General
Contractor agreement, to secure the payment and performance of the Development
Owner's obligations under the loan documents. Additional loan terms and
conditions may be imposed by the loan closing documents.
(B) Loan terms and conditions may vary based
on the type of Development, Real Estate Analysis Underwriting Report, and the
Set-Aside under which the award was made.
(7) Quarterly Construction Status Reports.
The Development Owner is required to submit quarterly Construction Status
Reports to the Asset Management Division as described and by the deadlines
specified in 10 TAC §
10.401(e) of this
title (relating to Construction Status Report).
(8) Mid-Construction Development Inspection
Letter. In addition to any other obligations required as the result of any
other Department funding sources, the Development Owner must submit a
Mid-Construction Development Inspection Request once the Development has met at
least 25% construction completion as indicated on the G703 Continuation Sheet
or HUD equivalent form. Department inspection staff will issue a
Mid-Construction Development Inspection Letter that confirms work is being done
in accordance with the applicable codes, the construction contract, and
construction documents.
(9)
Construction Completion. Construction must be completed, as reflected by the
Development's certificate(s) of occupancy (if new construction and/or
reconstruction) and Certificate of Substantial Completion (AIA Form G704) or
Form HUD-92485 for instances in which a federally insured HUD loan is being
utilized, within the construction term of any superior construction loan(s) or
up to 36 months of the actual loan closing date if no superior construction
loan(s) exists, unless a shorter timeline is necessitated by the federal
funding source.
(10) Closed Final
Development Inspection Letter. The Closed Final Development Inspection Letter
must be issued by the Department within 36 months of loan closing. This letter
will verify committed amenities have been provided and confirm compliance with
all applicable accessibility requirements; this letter may include deficiencies
that require resolution. The Closed Final Development Inspection may be
conducted concurrently with a NSPIRE inspection. However, any letters
associated with a NSPIRE inspection will not satisfy the Closed Final
Development Inspection Letter required by this subsection.
(11) Initial Occupancy. Initial occupancy of
all MFDL assisted Units by eligible households shall occur within six months of
the final Direct Loan draw. Requests to extend the initial occupancy period
must be accompanied by documentation of marketing efforts and a marketing plan.
The marketing plan may be submitted to HUD for final approval, if required by
the MFDL fund source.
(12) Per Unit
Repayment. Repayment may be required on a per Unit basis for Units that have
not been rented to eligible households within 6-18 months of the final Direct
Loan draw, depending on the fund source.
(13) Termination and Repayment for Failure to
Complete. Termination of the Direct Loan award and repayment of all disbursed
funds will be required for any Development that is not completed within four
years of the effective date of a Direct Loan Contract.
(14) Disbursement of Funds. The Borrower must
comply with the requirements in subparagraphs (A) - (K) of this paragraph in
order to receive a disbursement of funds to reimburse eligible costs incurred.
Submission of documentation related to the Borrower's compliance with these
requirements is required with a request for disbursement:
(A) All requests for disbursement must be
submitted using the MFDL draw workbook or such other format as the Department
may requre;
(B) Documentation of
the total construction costs incurred and costs incurred since the last
disbursement of funds must be submitted. Such documentation must be signed by
the General Contractor and certified by the Development architect and is
generally in the form of an AIA Form G702/ G703 or HUD equivalent
form;
(C) Disbursement requests
must include a down-date endorsement to the Direct Loan (mortgagee) title
policy or Nothing Further Certificate that includes a title search through the
date of the Architect's signature on AIA form G702 or HUD equivalent form. For
release of retainage, the down-date endorsement to the Direct Loan title policy
or Nothing Further Certificate must be dated at least 30 calendar days after
the date of the completion as certified on the Certificate of Substantial
Completion (AIA Form G704) with $0 as the work remaining to be completed. If
AIA Form G704 or HUD equivalent form indicates an amount of work remaining to
be completed, the Architect must provide confirmation that all work has been
completed. Disbursement requests for acquisition and closing costs are exempt
from this requirement;
(D) Table
Funding (the wiring of Direct Loan funds to the title company at loan closing)
may be permitted at the time of closing, for disbursement of funds related to
eligible acquisition costs and eligible softs costs incurred, and in an amount
not to exceed 50% of the total funds. Table Funding must be requested in
writing at least 30 calendar days prior to the anticipated closing date, and
will not be considered unless the Direct Loan Contract has been executed and
all necessary documentation has been submitted to and accepted by the
Department at least 10 calendar days prior to the anticipated closing
date;
(E) At least 50% of Direct
Loan funds (except as otherwise allowed for Permanent Refinance Loans described
in 10 TAC §
13.8(e)) will be
withheld from the initial disbursement of loan funds to allow for periodic
disbursements;
(F) The initial draw
request for the Development (excluding Table Funding) must be entered into the
Department's Housing Contract System no later than 180 days after loan closing,
and may not be submitted prior to submission of all architectural
drawings;
(G) Developer Fee
disbursement shall be limited by subparagraph (I) of this paragraph and is
further conditioned upon clauses (i) - (iii), as applicable:
(i) For Developments in which the loan is
secured by a first lien deed of trust against the Property, 75% shall be
disbursed in accordance with percent of construction completed. 75% of the
total allowable fee will be multiplied by the percent completion, as documented
by the construction contract and as may be verified by an inspection by the
Department. The remaining 25% shall be disbursed at the time of release of
retainage; or
(ii) For Developments
in which the loan is not secured by a first lien deed of trust or the
Development is also utilizing Housing Tax Credits, Developer Fees will not be
reimbursed by the Department, except as follows. If all other lenders and
syndicator in a Housing Tax Credit Development (if applicable) provide written
confirmation that they do not have an existing or planned agreement to govern
the disbursement of Developer Fees and expect that Department funds shall be
used to fund Developer Fees, they shall be reimbursed in the same manner as
described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph; and
(iii) The Department may reasonably withhold
any disbursement in accordance with the Loan Documents and if it is determined
that the Development is not progressing as reasonably necessary to meet the
benchmarks for the timely completion of construction of the Development as set
forth in the loan documents, or that cost overruns have put the Development
Owner's ability to repay its Direct Loan or complete the construction at risk
in accordance with the terms of the loan documents and within budget. If
disbursement has been withheld under this subsection, the Development Owner
must provide evidence to the satisfaction of the Department that the
Development will be timely completed and occupied in order to continue
receiving funds. If disbursement is withheld for any reason, disbursement of
any remaining Developer Fee will be made only after construction of the
Development has been completed, and all requirements for expenditure and
occupancy have been met;
(H) Expenditures must be allowable and
reasonable in accordance with federal and state rules and regulations. The
Department shall review each expenditure requested for reasonableness. The
Department may request the Development Owner make modifications to the
disbursement request and is authorized to modify the disbursement procedures
set forth herein and to establish such additional requirements for payment of
Department funds to Development Owner as may be necessary or advisable for
compliance with all program requirements;
(I) Following 50% construction completion,
any funds will be released in accordance with the percentage of construction
completion as documented on AIA Form G702/703 or HUD equivalent form. 10% of
requested Hard Costs will be retained and will not be released until the final
draw request. If the Development is receiving funds from more than one MFDL
source, the retainage requirement will apply to each fund source individually.
All of the items described in clauses (i) - (viii) of this subparagraph are
required in order to approve the final draw request:
(i) Fully executed Certificate of Substantial
Completion (AIA Form G704) or Form HUD-92485 (for instances in which a
federally insured HUD loan is being utilized) with $0 as the cost estimate of
work that is incomplete. If AIA Form G704 or Form HUD-92485 indicates an amount
of work remaining to be completed, the Architect must provide confirmation that
all work has been completed;
(ii) A
down date endorsement to the Direct Loan title policy or Nothing Further
Certificate dated at least 30 calendar days after the date of completion as
certified on the Certificate of Substantial Completion (AIA Form G704) or Form
HUD-92485;
(iii) For Developments
not layered with Housing Tax Credits, a Closed Final Development Inspection
Letter from the Department;
(iv)
For NHTF Developments layered with HTCs, a separate, additional cost
certification form completed by an independent, licensed, certified public
accountant of all Development costs (including project costs), subject to the
conditions and limitations set forth in the executed Direct Loan Contract,
commonly known as a cost certification;
(v) For Developments subject to the
Davis-Bacon Act, written documentation from the Department that the
Department's Notice to Proceed that serves to lock in the Department of Labor's
worker prevailing wage mandates at the development and authorizes start of
construction was sent and final wage compliance report was received and
approved or confirmation that HUD or other entity maintains Davis-Bacon
oversight;
(vi) Certificate(s) of
Occupancy (for New Construction or Reconstruction Units);
(vii) Development completion reports, which
includes, but is not limited to, documentation of full compliance with the
Uniform Relocation Act/104(d), Match Documentation requirements, and Section 3
of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as applicable to the
Development, and any other applicable requirement;
(viii) If applicable to the Development,
certification from Architect or a licensed engineer that all HUD environmental
mitigation conditions have been met; and
(ix) evidence of Match being credited to the
Development.
(J) No
disbursement of funds will be approved without receipt of all closing documents
in the form and substance required by the Department's Legal
Division;
(K) The final draw
request must be submitted within the construction term as determined in
accordance with 10 TAC §
13.8(c)(1) or
(d)(1) as applicable, unless the construction
term has been extended in accordance with 10 TAC §
13.12 or 10 TAC §
13.13 of this chapter, as
applicable; and
(L) Annually,
Borrowers must submit at least one draw, and may not submit more than four
draws, unless previously approved by the Executive Director or
designee.
(15) Annual
Audits and Cost Certifications under
24 CFR §
93.406(b).
(A) Annual Audits under
24 CFR §
93.406(b). Unless otherwise
directed by the Department, the Development Owner shall arrange for the
performance of an annual financial and compliance audit of funds received and
performances rendered under the Direct Loan Contract, subject to the conditions
and limitations set forth in the executed Direct Loan Contract. All approved
audit reports will be made available for public inspection within 30 days after
completion of the audit.
(B) Cost
Certifications under 24 CFR
§
93.406(b).
(i) Non-HTC-Layered Developments. Within 180
calendar days of the later of all title transfer requirements and construction
work having been performed, as reflected by the Development's Certificate(s) of
Occupancy (if New Construction) or Certificate of Substantial Completion (AIA
Form G704 or HUD equivalent form), or when all modifications required as a
result of the Department's Final Construction Inspection are cleared as
evidenced by receipt of the Closed Final Development Inspection Letter, the
Development Owner will submit to the Department a cost certification done by an
independent licensed certified public accountant of all Development costs
(including project NHTF eligible costs), subject to the conditions and
limitations set forth in the executed Direct Loan Contract.
(ii) HTC-Layered Developments. With the Cost
Certification required by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, the
Development Owner must submit to the Department a cost certification completed
by an independent licensed certified public accountant of all Development costs
(including NHTF project eligible costs), subject to the conditions and
limitations set forth in the executed Direct Loan Contract.