Current through Reg. 50, No. 13; March 28, 2025
(a) Commitment or Reservation of Funds. The
Administrator must submit the true and complete information, certified as such,
with a request for the Commitment or Reservation of Funds as described in
paragraphs (1) - (20) of this subsection:
(1)
Head of Household name and address of housing unit for which assistance is
being requested;
(2) A budget that
includes the amount of Activity funds specifying the acquisition costs,
construction costs, soft costs and administrative costs requested, a maximum of
five percent of hard construction costs for contingency items, proposed Match
to be provided, evidence that Direct Activity Cost and Soft Cost limitations
are not exceeded, and evidence that any duplication of benefit is addressed;
(3) Verification of environmental
clearance;
(4) A copy of the
Household's intake application on a form prescribed by the Department;
(5) Certification of the income
eligibility of the Household signed by the Administrator and all Household
members age 18 or over, and including the date of the income eligibility
determination. In instances where the total Household income is within $3,000
of the 80 percent AMFI, all documentation used to determine the income of the
Household;
(6) Project cost
estimates, construction contracts, and other construction documents necessary
to ensure applicable property standard requirements will be met at
completion;
(7) When assistance is
provided in the form of a loan, provide written consent from all Persons who
have a valid lien or ownership interest in the Property;
(8) In the instance of relocation from one
site to another site, the Household must document Homeownership of the existing
unit to be replaced and must establish Homeownership of the lot on which the
replacement housing unit will be constructed. The Household must agree to the
demolition of the existing housing unit. HOME Activity funds cannot be used for
the demolition of the existing unit and any funding used for the demolition is
not eligible Match; however, solely for a Activity under this paragraph, the
Administrator Match obligation may be reduced by the cost of such demolition
without any Contract amendment;
(9)
Identification of any Lead-Based Paint (LBP);
(10) For housing units located within the
100-year floodplain or otherwise required to carry flood insurance by federal
or local regulation, certification from the Household that they understand the
flood insurance requirements;
(11)
Consent to demolish from any existing mortgage lien holders and consent to
subordinate to the Department's loan, if applicable;
(12) If applicable, documentation to address
or resolve any potential conflict of interest, Identity of Interest,
duplication of benefit, or floodplain mitigation;
(13) A title commitment or policy or a down
date endorsement to an existing title policy evidencing the Household's
ownership of the property:
(A) For New
Construction Activities, a title commitment or down-date endorsement to an
existing title policy the effective date title commitment must be no more than
60 days prior to of the date of Activity submission. Title commitments for loan
projects that expire prior to the loan closing date must be updated and must
not have any adverse changes; and
(B) For Reconstruction Activities, a title
report or a title commitment dated not more than six months prior to the date
of Activity submission;
(14) Documents evidencing ownership, such as
a warranty deed, life estate, or 99-year leasehold;
(15) If the housing to be replaced is an MHU,
a Statement of Ownership and Location (SOL) for the MHU;
(16) Tax certificate that evidences a current
paid status, and in the case of delinquency, evidence of an approved payment
plan with the taxing authority and evidence that the payment plan is
current;
(17) In the instances of
replacement with an MHU, information necessary to draft loan documents or grant
agreements to issue SOL;
(18) Life
event documentation, as applicable, and all information necessary to prepare
any applicable affidavits such as marital status and heirship;
(19) For disaster relief set-aside
Activities, evidence that the housing unit occupied by the eligible Household
was damaged as a direct result of a federal, state, or locally declared
disaster that occurred less than four years prior to the submission of the
Activity; and
(20) Any other
documentation necessary to evidence that the Activity meets the program
requirements.
(b) Loan
closing or grant agreement. In addition to the documents required under
subsection (a) of this section, the Administrator must submit the appraisal or
other valuation method approved by the Department which establishes the post
construction value of improvements for Activities involving construction prior
to the issuance of grant or loan documents by the Department.
(c) Disbursement of funds. The Administrator
must comply with all of the requirements described in paragraphs (1) - (12) of
this subsection, for a request for disbursement of funds to reimburse eligible
costs incurred. Submission of documentation related to the Administrator's
compliance with requirements described in paragraphs (1) - (12) of this
subsection, may be required with a request for disbursement:
(1) For construction costs associated with a
loan, a down date endorsement to the title policy not older than the date of
the last disbursement of funds or 45 days, whichever is later. For release of
retainage the down date endorsement must be dated at least 40 days after the
Construction Completion Date;
(2)
For construction costs associated with a grant agreement, an interim lien
waiver or final lien waiver. For release of retainage the release on final
payment must be dated at least 40 days after the Construction Completion Date;
(3) If applicable, a maximum of 50
percent of Activity funds for an Activity may be drawn before providing
evidence of Match. Thereafter, each Administrator must provide evidence of
Match, including the date of provision, in accordance with the percentage of
Activity funds disbursed;
(4)
Property inspections, including photographs of the front, back, and side
elevations of the housing unit and at least one picture of the each of the
kitchen, family room, each bedroom and each bathroom with date and property
address reflected on each photo. The inspection must be signed and dated by the
inspector and Administrator;
(5)
Certification that its fiscal control and fund accounting procedures are
adequate to assure the proper disbursal of, and accounting for, funds provided;
that no Person that would benefit from the award of HOME funds; that it has
satisfied any applicable cash reserve obligation or made promises in connection
therewith; that each request for disbursement of HOME funds is for the actual
cost of providing a service; and that the service does not violate any conflict
of interest provisions;
(6) The
executed grant agreement or original, executed, legally enforceable loan
documents and statement of location, if applicable, for each assisted Household
containing remedies adequate to enforce any applicable affordability
requirements. Original documents must evidence that such agreements have been
recorded in the real property records of the county in which the housing unit
is located and the original documents must be returned, duly certified as to
recordation by the appropriate county official;
(7) Expenditures must be allowable and
reasonable in accordance with federal, state, and local rules and regulations.
The Department shall determine the reasonableness for expenditures submitted
for reimbursement. The Department may request Administrator to 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 HOME funds to Administrator as may be necessary or
advisable for compliance with all program requirements;
(8) The request for funds for administrative
costs must be proportionate to the amount of Direct Activity Costs requested or
already disbursed;
(9) Include the
withholding of ten percent of hard construction costs for retainage. Retainage
will be held until at least 40 days after the Construction Completion
Date;
(10) For final disbursement
requests, submission of documentation required for Activity completion reports
and evidence that the demolition or, if an MHU, salvage and removal of all
dilapidated housing units on the lot, certification or other evidence
acceptable to Department that the replacement house, whether site-built or MHU,
was constructed or placed on and within the same lot for which ownership was
established and on and within the same lot secured by the loan or grant
agreement, if applicable, and evidence of floodplain mitigation;
(11) The final request for disbursement must
be submitted to the Department with support documentation no later than 60 days
after the termination date of the Contract in order to remain in compliance
with Contract and eligible for future funding. The Department shall not be
obligated to pay for costs incurred or performances rendered after the
termination date of a Contract; and
(12) For costs associated with insurance
policies, including title policies and homeowner insurance policies, charged as
Activity costs, evidence of payment of the cost must be submitted with the
retainage request.