Multifamily mortgage credit programs

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (hereinafter referred to as the “Secretary”) shall carry out programs through the Federal Housing Administration to provide new forms of Federal credit enhancement for multifamily loans. In carrying out the programs, the Secretary shall include an evaluation of the effectiveness of entering into partnerships or other contractual arrangements including reinsurance and risk-sharing agreements with State or local housing finance agencies, the Federal Housing Finance Board, the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, qualified financial institutions, and other State or local mortgage insurance companies or bank lending consortia. The Secretary shall carry out a program in conjunction with qualified participating entities to provide Federal credit enhancement for loans for affordable multifamily housing through a system of risk-sharing agreements with such entities. In carrying out the program under this subsection, the Secretary shall enter into risk-sharing agreements with qualified participating entities. Agreements under subparagraph (A) may provide for (i) mortgage insurance through the Federal Housing Administration of loans for affordable multifamily housing originated by or through, or purchased by, qualified participating entities, and (ii) reinsurance, including reinsurance of pools of loans, on affordable multifamily housing. In entering into risk-sharing agreements under this subsection covering mortgages, the Secretary may give preference to mortgages that are not already in the portfolios of qualified participating entities. Agreements entered into under this subsection between the Secretary and a qualified participating entity shall specify the percentage of loss that each of the parties to the agreement will assume in the event of default of the insured or reinsured multifamily mortgage. Such agreements shall specify that the qualified participating entity and the Secretary shall share any loss in accordance with the risk-sharing agreement. Agreements entered into under this subsection between the Secretary and a qualified participating entity shall provide evidence acceptable to the Secretary of the capacity of such entity to fulfill any reimbursement obligations made pursuant to this subsection. Evidence of such capacity which may be considered by the Secretary may include— The Secretary shall allow any qualified participating entity to use its own underwriting standards and loan terms and conditions for purposes of underwriting loans to be insured under this subsection, except as provided in this section, without further review by the Secretary, except that the Secretary may impose additional underwriting criteria and loan terms and conditions for contractual agreements where the Secretary retains more than 50 percent of the risk of loss. Any financing permitted on property insured under this subsection other than the first mortgage shall be expressly subordinate to the insured mortgage. The Secretary, upon request of a qualified participating entity, may insure or reinsure and make commitments to insure or reinsure under this section any mortgage, advance, loan, or pool of mortgages otherwise eligible under this section, pursuant to a risk-sharing agreement providing that the qualified participating entity will carry out (under a delegation or otherwise, and with or without compensation, but subject to audit, exception, or review requirements) such credit approval, appraisal, inspection, issuance of commitments, approval of insurance of advances, cost certification, servicing, property disposition, or other functions as the Secretary shall approve as consistent with the purpose of this section. All appraisals of property for mortgage insurance under this section shall be completed by a Certified General Appraiser in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. Qualified participating entities shall make available to the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee, at the Secretary’s request, such financial and other records as the Secretary deems necessary for purposes of review and monitoring for the program under this section. The Secretary shall develop and assess a variety of risk-sharing alternatives, including arrangements under which the Secretary assumes an appropriate share of the risk related to long-term mortgage loans on newly constructed or acquired multifamily rental housing, mortgage refinancings, bridge financing for construction, and other forms of multifamily housing mortgage lending that the Secretary deems appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subsection. Such alternatives shall be designed— The Secretary shall establish and enforce standards for eligibility under this subsection of qualified participating entities under this subsection, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. Using any authority provided in appropriation Acts to insure mortgages under the National Housing Act [12 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.], the Secretary may enter into commitments under this subsection for risk-sharing units. The Secretary shall establish and collect premiums and fees under this subsection as the Secretary determines appropriate to (A) achieve the purpose of this subsection, and (B) compensate the Federal Housing Administration for the risks assumed and related administrative costs. The Secretary shall carry out this subsection, to the maximum extent practicable, with the participation of well-established residential mortgage originators, financial institutions that invest in multifamily housing mortgages, multifamily housing sponsors, and such other private sector experts in multifamily housing finance as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. The Government National Mortgage Association shall not securitize any multifamily loans insured or reinsured under this subsection. Multifamily housing securing loans insured or reinsured under this subsection shall qualify as affordable only if the housing is occupied by families and bears rents not greater than the gross rent for rent-restricted residential units as determined under section 42(g) of title 26. The requirements of section 3545(d) of title 42 may be satisfied in connection with a commitment to insure a mortgage under this subsection by a certification by a housing credit agency (including an entity established by a State that provides mortgage insurance) to the Secretary that the combination of assistance within the jurisdiction of the Secretary and other government assistance provided in connection with a property for which a mortgage is to be insured shall not be any greater than is necessary to provide affordable housing. The Secretary shall take any administrative actions necessary to initiate the program under this subsection. The Secretary shall carry out a specific program in conjunction with qualified housing finance agencies (including entities established by States that provide mortgage insurance) to provide Federal credit enhancement for loans for affordable multifamily housing through a system of risk-sharing agreements with such agencies. In carrying out the program authorized under this subsection, the Secretary shall enter into risk-sharing agreements with qualified housing finance agencies. Agreements under subparagraph (A) shall provide for full mortgage insurance through the Federal Housing Administration of the loans for affordable multifamily housing originated by or through qualified housing finance agencies and for reimbursement to the Secretary by such agencies for either all or a portion of the losses incurred on the loans insured. Agreements entered into under this subsection between the Secretary and a qualified housing finance agency shall specify the percentage of loss that each of the parties to the agreement will assume in the event of default of the insured multifamily mortgage. Such agreements shall specify that the qualified housing finance agency and the Secretary shall share any loss in accordance with the risk-sharing agreement. Agreements entered into under this subsection between the Secretary and a qualified housing finance agency shall provide evidence of the capacity of such agency to fulfill any reimbursement obligations made pursuant to this subsection. Evidence of such capacity may include— The Secretary shall allow any qualified housing finance agency to use its own underwriting standards and loan terms and conditions for purposes of underwriting loans to be insured under this subsection without further review by the Secretary, except that the Secretary may impose additional underwriting criteria and loan terms and conditions for contractual agreements where the Secretary retains more than 50 percent of the risk of loss. Qualified housing finance agencies shall make available to the Secretary such financial and other records as the Secretary deems necessary for program review and monitoring purposes. The Secretary shall establish a schedule of insurance premium payments for mortgages insured under this subsection based on the percentage of loss the Secretary may assume. Such schedule shall reflect lower or nominal premiums for qualified housing finance agencies that assume a greater share of the risk apportioned according to paragraph (2)(C). Using any authority provided in appropriation Acts to insure mortgages under the National Housing Act [12 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.], the Secretary may enter into commitments under this subsection for risk-sharing units. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall not apply identity of interest provisions to agreements entered into with qualified State housing finance agencies under this subsection. The Government National Mortgage Association shall not securitize any multifamily loans insured under this subsection. Multifamily housing securing loans insured under this subsection shall qualify as affordable only if the housing is occupied by families and bears rents not greater than the gross rent for rent-restricted residential units as determined under section 42(g) of title 26. Not later than 90 days after October 28, 1992, the Secretary shall issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this subsection. The Secretary shall issue regulations to carry out this subparagraph only after consultation with the Council on Environmental Quality. Such regulations shall, among other matters, provide— The Secretary shall approve a mortgage for the provision of mortgage insurance subject to the procedures authorized by this paragraph only if, not less than 15 days prior to such approval, prior to any approval, commitment, or endorsement of mortgage insurance on the property on behalf of the Secretary, and prior to any commitment by the qualified housing finance agency to provide financing under the risk-sharing agreement with respect to the property, the qualified housing finance agency submits to the Secretary a request for such approval, accompanied by a certification of the State or unit of general local government that meets the requirements of clause (iii). The Secretary’s approval of any such certification shall be deemed to satisfy the Secretary’s responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] and such other provisions of law as the regulations of the Secretary specify insofar as those responsibilities relate to the provision of mortgage insurance on the property that is covered by such certification. A certification under the procedures authorized by this paragraph shall— In cases in which a unit of general local government carries out the responsibilities described in clause (i), the Secretary may permit the State to perform those actions of the Secretary described in clause (ii) and the performance of such actions by the State, where permitted by the Secretary, shall be deemed to satisfy the Secretary’s responsibilities referred to in the second sentence of clause (ii). In carrying out the requirements of section 302 of the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act [42 U.S.C. 4822], the Secretary may provide by regulation for the assumption of all or part of the Secretary’s duties under such Act [42 U.S.C. 4801 et seq.] by qualified housing finance agencies, for purposes of this section. The requirements of section 3545(d) of title 42 may be satisfied in connection with a commitment to insure a mortgage under this subsection by a certification by a housing credit agency (including an entity established by a State that provides mortgage insurance) to the Secretary that the combination of assistance within the jurisdiction of the Secretary and other government assistance provided in connection with a property for which a mortgage is to be insured shall not be any greater than is necessary to provide affordable housing. For purposes of this subsection, the following definitions shall apply: The term “mortgage” means a first mortgage on real estate that is— subject to a leasehold interest that— The term “first mortgage” means a single first lien given to secure advances on, or the unpaid purchase price of, real estate, under the laws of the State in which the real estate is located, together with the credit instrument, if any, secured thereby. Any other financing permitted on property insured under this section must be expressly subordinate to the insured mortgage. The terms “unit of general local government” and “State” have the same meanings as in section 5302(a) of title 42.