Chapter 3.9. Portfolio Restructuring of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 31. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 3.9.
(a) Subject to the requirements of this chapter, the
department may approve an extension of a department loan, the
reinstatement of a qualifying unpaid matured loan, the subordination
of a department loan to new debt, or an investment of tax credit
equity under one or more of the following rental housing finance
programs: the original Rental Housing Construction Program
established by Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 50735), the Special
User Housing Rehabilitation Program established by Section 50670,
the Deferred Payment Rehabilitation Loan Program established by
Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 50660), the rental component of
the California Natural Disaster Assistance Program established by
Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 50671), the State Earthquake
Rehabilitation Assistance Program established by Chapter 6.5
(commencing with Section 50671), the rental component of the
California Housing Rehabilitation Program established by Section
50668.5, the component of the Rental Housing Construction Program
funded with bond proceeds governed by Section 50771.1, the Family
Housing Demonstration Program established by Chapter 15 (commencing
with Section 50880), and the Families Moving to Work Program
established by Chapter 15 (commencing with Section 50880).
(b) Once the department has approved a loan extension,
reinstatement of a qualifying unpaid matured loan, subordination, or
tax credit investment pursuant to this chapter, the statutes
enumerated in subdivision (a), and the regulations promulgated
pursuant to these statutes, shall no longer apply to developments
restructured pursuant to this chapter. These developments shall
instead be governed by this chapter and guidelines adopted pursuant
to subdivision (h).
(c) All projects restructured pursuant to this chapter shall
comply with the affirmative marketing and language accessibility
requirements set forth in Section 50736 of this code and Section
65863 of the Government Code.
(d) The department may approve an extension of a loan, the
reinstatement of a qualifying unpaid matured loan, the subordination
of a department loan to new debt, or an investment of tax credit
equity if it determines that the project has, or will have after
rehabilitation or repairs, a potential remaining useful life equal to
or greater than the term of the restructured loan.
(e) The department may subordinate its loan to refinance existing
senior debt only as necessary for project feasibility and to
reimburse borrower advances for predevelopment costs, recent capital
improvements, and recent operating deficits.
(f) If the extension of a department loan, the reinstatement of a
qualifying unpaid matured loan, the subordination of a department
loan to new debt, or an investment of tax credit equity will result
in a rent increase for tenants of a development, the department may
only subordinate a loan to senior debt if necessary to increase the
feasibility of a project and to fund reasonable rehabilitation or
improvements including soft costs. The application to refinance shall
include a third-party analysis that supports the need for
refinancing.
(g) The department may approve additional senior debt only as
necessary to finance rehabilitation or repairs, including soft costs,
that are modest in size, scope, and cost, as determined by the
department.
(h) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter
to provide to the department the flexibility necessary to maintain
the quality of the affordable rental housing units for which the
state has already made a significant public investment. The
department may implement this chapter through guidelines that shall
not be subject to Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part
1 of Title 2 of the Government Code. These guidelines shall be
developed through the following process:
(1) The department shall provide a notice of proposed action as
described in Section 11346.5 of the Government Code to the public at
least 21 days before the close of the public comment period.
(2) The department shall schedule at least one public hearing as
described in Section 11346.8 of the Government Code before the close
of the public comment period.
(3) The department shall maintain a rulemaking file as described
in Section 11347.3 of the Government Code.
(4) The final version of the guidelines shall be accompanied by a
final statement of reason as described in subdivision (a) of Section
11346.9 of the Government Code.
(5) The rules and guidelines shall be effective immediately upon
adoption by the department.
(a) The department may approve an extension of an existing
rental housing development loan, the reinstatement of a qualifying
unpaid matured loan, the subordination of a department loan to new
debt, or an investment of tax credit equity as long as the rental
housing development is being operated in a manner consistent with the
regulatory agreement and the development requires an extension in
order to continue to operate in a manner consistent with this
chapter. Each extension shall be for a period of not less than 10
years and each extension shall not exceed 55 years, or 58 years if
needed to match the term of tax credit restrictions. The interest
rate shall be 3 percent simple interest. All loan payments shall be
deferred for the full term of the loan, except for residual receipts
payments. These residual receipts payments shall be structured to
avoid reducing the amount of payments on local public agency loans
resulting solely from changes in the payment terms on the department'
s loan, and not resulting from fees or other payments to the
borrower, and shall otherwise be consistent with the provisions of
the department's Uniform Multifamily Regulations or successor
regulations. The department may charge a monitoring fee to cover the
aggregate monitoring costs it incurs in years that the loan is
extended and charge a transaction fee to cover its costs for
processing restructuring transactions. The department may waive or
defer some or all fees, if it determines that a particular
development or class of developments does not have the ability to
make these payments. In determining the fees and payments to be
charged, the department shall seek to share monitoring activities
with other regulatory agencies and to minimize the impact on tenants
with the lowest incomes and on the capacity of the developments to
support private debt or secure tax credit investments.
(b) To the minimum extent necessary to support new debt to pay for
rehabilitation, rents for assisted units in these developments may
be adjusted. This rehabilitation shall be determined by the
department to be demonstrably necessary, based on third-party
assessment and on the department's own inspection. Assisted units in
developments with a specific, department-approved plan to undertake
the necessary rehabilitation, at a level that equals or exceeds the
minimum per-unit rehabilitation cost standards under the low-income
housing tax credit program, may be adjusted as follows:
(1) For developments originally financed under the bond-funded
component of the Rental Housing Construction Program pursuant to
Section 50771.1, and the Family Housing Demonstration Program, rents
may be increased up to a maximum of 30 percent of 60 percent of area
median income, for units designated in the development's original
regulatory agreement as lower income units, and up to a maximum of 30
percent of 35 percent of area median income, for units designated in
the development's original regulatory agreement as very low income
units.
(2) For developments originally financed under other programs,
rents for at least 35 percent of the assisted units, or as specified
in the original regulatory agreement governing the development,
whichever is greater, shall be restricted to the midlevel target used
by the Multifamily Housing Program. Rents for the balance of the
assisted units may be increased up to a maximum of 30 percent of 60
percent of area median income. For purposes of this paragraph,
"midlevel target used by the Multifamily Housing Program" shall mean
either of the following:
(A) For counties with an area median income of 110 percent or less
of state median income, it shall mean 30 percent of 30 percent of
state median income, expressed as a percentage of area median income.
(B) For counties with an area median income that exceeds 110
percent of the state median income, it shall mean 30 percent of 35
percent of state median income, expressed as a percentage of area
median income.
(c) Rent increases for tenants living in assisted units at the
time of restructuring pursuant to this chapter shall be limited as
follows:
(1) For existing tenants with incomes not exceeding 35 percent of
area median income, increases shall be limited to 5 percent per year,
until the rents reach the levels set under subdivision (b).
(2) For existing tenants with incomes exceeding 35 percent of area
median income, increases shall be limited to 10 percent per year,
until they reach the levels specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
subdivision (b) of Section 50561.
(3) It is the intent of the Legislature that rent increases for
existing tenants authorized by this subdivision shall not be greater
than necessary to ensure the financial feasibility of the project.
The projected maximum rent for tenants in assisted units, as
determined by subdivision (b), shall not exceed 50 percent of the
household's actual income. This requirement shall be applied using
maximum rent levels and household incomes determined at the time of
restructuring or at the time of the department's approval of the
restructuring.
(4) If the refinance of a loan results in a rent increase, the
project sponsor shall provide tenants with the following
notifications:
(A) Notice six months prior to the scheduled rent increase with an
estimate of the amount of the increase.
(B) Notice 90 days prior to the actual increase with the exact
amount of the new rent.
(d) If existing tenants move, the rent for these units may be
increased immediately up to the level specified in paragraphs (1) and
(2) of subdivision (b). The income limit for new tenants shall
correspond with the rent limit set pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2)
of subdivision (b).
(e) Once rents achieve the levels set forth in paragraphs (1) and
(2) of subdivision (b), income levels and rent limits shall be
calculated consistent with the calculation methodology used under the
Low Income Housing Tax Credit program and the Multifamily Housing
Program, and rent increases shall be based on increases in the area
median income.
(f) Eligible households displaced as a result of rehabilitation
pursuant to this section shall be accorded first priority in
occupying comparable units in the development from which they were
displaced, subsequent to rehabilitation. Tenants of rental housing
developments repaired with assistance provided under this chapter who
are temporarily or permanently displaced as a result of
rehabilitation or other repair work, shall be entitled to relocation
benefits pursuant to, and subject to, the requirements of Section
7260 of the Government Code. Sponsors of assisted rental housing
developments shall be responsible for providing the benefits and
assistance. The costs of the benefits and the assistance provided to
tenants shall be eligible for funding by a loan provided pursuant to
this section.
(g) The guidelines adopted by the department pursuant to
subdivision (h) of Section 50560 shall be patterned after the
regulations governing the Multifamily Housing Program, including the
Uniform Multifamily Regulations, except that the department may adopt
different standards for the following factors:
(1) Commercial vacancy loss assumptions must reflect project
operating history.
(2) Debt service coverage ratios.
(3) Payment terms and principal amount of senior debt, considering
financial market conditions, including costs and department risk, as
determined by the department.
(4) Developer fee limitations shall be consistent with California
Tax Credit Allocation Committee regulations for inclusion in the
basis for projects receiving 9 percent tax credits, for projects
receiving the special rent increases contemplated by this chapter,
and, consistent with the requirements of other funding sources, for
projects not receiving special rent increases.
(5) Replacement reserve deposit amounts must be based on projected
costs over 20 years, adjusted for inflation, and as shown in an
independent replacement reserve analysis.
(h) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section
that the department shall manage its reserves for the original Rental
Housing Construction Program in a manner that will allow for the
continuation of benefits to current low-income tenants for the
longest period of time possible up to the term of the original
regulatory agreement or the depletion of the annuity funds, whichever
occurs first. Accordingly, rents for those households in units
subsidized by the annuity fund established pursuant to Section 50748
may be increased to 30 percent of household income. A household
affected by the rent increase permitted by this subdivision shall be
given at least 90 days advanced notice of the increase.
(i) (1) The department shall, within available resources, post on
its Internet Web site information regarding household incomes and
rents for developments approved for restructuring.
(2) The information shall be provided within six months of a
restructuring and, thereafter, no less than every three years.
(3) The information shall include the following or similar
information:
(A) The monthly rent of each household at the time of
restructuring.
(B) The current monthly rent of each household.
(C) The annual income of each household as a percentage of area
median income at the time of restructuring.
(D) The current income of each household as a percentage of area
median income.
(a) If a department loan is extended or subordinated, the
department approves the reinstatement of a qualifying unpaid matured
loan, or a new tax credit investment occurs, then the department
shall enter into a new regulatory agreement with the development's
owner, or amend the existing agreement. The agreement shall be
binding upon the development's owner and successors in interest upon
sale or transfer of the development property, regardless of any
prepayment of the loan. The agreement shall be recorded in the office
of the county recorder in the county in which the development is
located. The new or amended regulatory agreement shall:
(1) Set standards for tenant selection to ensure occupancy by the
eligible households.
(2) Govern the terms of occupancy agreements.
(3) Restrict rents for assisted units, consistent with this
chapter.
(4) Provide for periodic inspections by the department.
(5) Require occupancy and financial reports, and financial audits
for the development.
(6) Govern the use of operating income for the development.
(7) Govern the use of reserves for the development.
(8) Have a term for not less than the term of the loan, including
any extension.
(9) Include other provisions necessary to carry out the purposes
of this chapter.
(b) The development's owner shall agree to replace or amend any
other loan document to accomplish the purposes of this chapter.
(a) Sections 50560 and 50562 shall apply to the
restructuring of loans for group homes, except as modified in this
section.
(b) The department may approve an extension of a department loan
at the end of the current loan term to an existing owner of a group
home, or the reinstatement of a qualifying unpaid matured loan to an
existing owner of a group home, as long as the group home is being
operated in a manner consistent with the regulatory agreement and the
group home requires an extension in order to operate in a manner
consistent with this chapter. The extension may be for a period of no
less than 10 years and up to 30 years.
(c) The guidelines adopted by the department pursuant to
subdivision (h) of Section 50560 may simplify requirements as
appropriate to group homes and may include a limitation on occupancy
of vacant units or rooms to extremely low-income households, rent
limitations appropriate to required income levels, requirements that
property be maintained, financial reporting, and other provisions as
determined necessary by the department.
(d) Loan terms contained in the existing promissory note shall
apply during the period of the loan extension. All unpaid principal
and interest shall be due at the end of the extension. However, the
department may require periodic payments of principal or interest, or
both, during the extension period. If the borrower repays the loan
prior to the end of the extension, regulatory requirements shall be
removed. As necessary to generate sufficient revenue to cover the
cost of processing loan transactions and long-term monitoring of
program requirements, the department may also assess loan processing
and monitoring fees. This subdivision shall not authorize a rent
increase that exceeds 30 percent of the household's actual income,
based upon the most recent income certification.
(e) Rent increases for tenants living in assisted units at the
time of restructuring pursuant to this chapter shall be limited as
follows:
(1) For existing tenants with incomes not exceeding 30 percent of
area median income, rent increases shall be limited to 5 percent per
year until rents reach the levels for targeted income levels
specified in the regulatory agreement.
(2) For existing tenants with incomes exceeding 30 percent of area
median income, rent increases shall be limited to 10 percent per
year until rents reach the levels for targeted income levels
specified in the regulatory agreement.
(f) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter
that the department shall manage its reserves for the original Rental
Housing Construction Program in a manner that will allow for the
continuation of benefits to current low-income tenants for the
longest period of time possible up to the term of the original
regulatory agreement or the depletion of the annuity funds.
Accordingly, rent subsidies shall be continued only for units
occupied by lower income tenants who were in residence at the time of
the extension authorized under this section and rents for those
households shall be increased to 30 percent of household income.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the department may
approve the extension of a loan to an owner who occupies his or her
housing unit funded by the department under any of the following loan
programs: the owner component of the California Natural Disaster
Assistance Act Program established by Chapter 6.5 (commencing with
Section 50660), the California Homeownership Assistance Program
established by Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 50775), the owner
component of the California Housing Rehabilitation Program
established by Chapter 6.5 (commencing with 50668), the owner
component of the Deferred Payment Rehabilitation Loan Program
established by Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 50660), the owner
component of the State Earthquake Rehabilitation Assistance Program
established by Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 50671), and the
owner component of the Mobilehome Park Resident Ownership Program
established by Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 50780).
(b) A loan extension for a period of 10 years may be granted when
the loan is due if the owner demonstrates that his or her household
income is no more 50 percent of area median income, adjusted for
family size, or if the department determines that it is not in the
department's interest to call the loan due.
(c) Loan terms contained in the existing promissory note shall
apply during the period of the loan extension. All unpaid principal
and interest shall be due at the end of the extension. However, the
department may require periodic payments of principal or interest, or
both, during the extension period. If the borrower repays the loan
prior to the end of the extension, program restrictions shall be
removed. As necessary to generate sufficient revenue to cover the
cost of processing loan transactions and long-term monitoring of
program requirements, the department may also assess loan processing
and monitoring fees.
(d) The department may implement this section through guidelines
that shall not be subject to Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section
11340) of Part 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(a) For purposes of this chapter, "qualifying unpaid matured
loan" shall mean either of the following:
(1) A loan made pursuant to the programs listed in subdivision (a)
of Section 50560 that is in material compliance, as determined by
the department, with all loan terms and conditions, including, but
not limited to, those required by the department loan documents or
applicable statutes and regulations, or otherwise required by the
department, other than having reached the due date of its promissory
note without being paid.
(2) A matured loan that is not in compliance, as described in
paragraph (1), and is being transferred to another borrower approved
by the department.
(b) A reinstatement of a qualifying unpaid matured loan under this
chapter shall be treated as if its term has been extended from the
expired due date for purposes of calculating obligations of the
borrower to the department.