This rule establishes the procedures by which the Florida Housing Finance Corporation shall administer the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program which provides funds to Local Governments as an incentive to create Partnerships to ...

FLORIDA HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION
Departmental

RULE NO: RULE TITLE
67-37.002: Definitions
67-37.005: Local Housing Assistance Plans
67-37.007: Uses of and Restrictions Upon SHIP Local Housing Distribution Funds for Local Housing Assistance Plans
67-37.008: Local Housing Assistance Trust Fund
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: This rule establishes the procedures by which the Florida Housing Finance Corporation shall administer the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program which provides funds to Local Governments as an incentive to create Partnerships to produce and preserve affordable housing. Revisions to the Rule are required to implement technical and clarifying changes. The adoption of these revisions will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of local program service delivery and will provide greater clarification of the program.
SUMMARY: Revisions to the Rule are required to implement technical and clarifying changes. The adoption of these revisions will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of local program service delivery and will provide greater clarification of the program.
SUMMARY OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 420.907 FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 420.9071, 420.9072 420.9073, 420.9075, 420.9076, 420.9078, 420.9079 F.S.
A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE TIME, DATE AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
TIME AND DATE: August 14, 2006, 11:00 a.m.
PLACE: Florida Housing Finance Corporation, 227 North Bronough Street, 6th Floor Seltzer Room, Tallahassee, Florida 32301-1329
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 5 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: Robert Dearduff, SHIP Administrator, [phone] If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Robert Dearduff, SHIP Administrator, Florida Housing Finance Corporation, 227 North Bronough Street, Suite 5000, Tallahassee, Florida 32301-1329

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

67-37.002 Definitions.

As used in this rule chapter, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) through (5) No change.

(6) “Essential Service Personnel” means pursuant to Chapter 2006-69, Laws of Florida, persons in need of affordable housing who are employed in occupations or professions in which they are considered essential service personnel, as defined by each county and eligible municipality within its respective local housing assistance plan pursuant to Section 420.9075(3)(a), F.S.

(7)(6) “Expended” or “Spent” means the affordable housing activity is complete and funds deposited to the local affordable housing trust fund have been transferred from the local housing assistance trust fund account to pay for the cost of the activity.

(8) “Extremely low income household” or “ELI” means one or more natural persons or a family that has a total annual gross household income that does not exceed 30 percent of the area median income adjusted for family size for households within the metropolitan statistical area, the county, or the non-metropolitan median for the state, whichever is greatest.

(9)(7) “Home Ownership Activities” means the use of the local affordable housing trust fund moneys for the purpose of providing owner-occupied housing. Such uses include construction, rehabilitation, purchase, and lease-purchase financing where the primary purpose is the eventual purchase of the housing by the occupant within twenty-four months from initial execution of a lease agreement or within 24 months of the applicable fiscal year, whichever occurs first, to meet the requirement of subsection (8).

(10)(8) “Institutional First Mortgage Lender” means any financial institution or governmental agency authorized to conduct business in this state and which customarily provides service or otherwise aids in the financing of mortgages on real property located in this state.

(11)(9) “Interlocal Entity” means an entity created pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 163, Part I, F.S., for the purpose of establishing a joint local housing assistance plan pursuant to the provisions of Section 420.9072(5), F.S.

(12)(10) “Loan” means an award from the local housing assistance trust fund that is recorded in the county or eligible municipalities Official Records, to an eligible sponsor or eligible person to partially or fully finance the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of eligible housing with requirement for repayment or provision for forgiveness of repayment if the condition of the award is maintained

(13)(11) “Persons Who Have Special Housing Needs” means individuals who have incomes not exceeding moderate-income and, because of particular social, economic, or health-related circumstances, may have greater difficulty acquiring or maintaining affordable housing. Such persons may have, for example, encountered resistance to their residing in particular communities, and may have suffered increased housing costs resulting from their unique needs and high risk of institutionalization. Such persons include: persons with developmental disabilities; persons with mental illnesses or chemical dependency; persons with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (“AIDS”) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (“HIV”) disease; runaway and abandoned youth; public assistance recipients; migrant and seasonal farm workers; refugees and entrants; the elderly; and disabled adults.

 (14)(12) “Rehabilitation” means repairs or improvements which are needed for safe or sanitary habitation, correction of substantial code violations, or the creation of additional living space. Local plans may more specifically define local rehabilitation standards.

(15)(13) “Review Committee” means the committee established pursuant to Section 420.9072(3)(a), F.S.

(16)(14) “SHIP” or “SHIP Program” means the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program created pursuant to the State Housing Initiative Partnership Act, Sections 420.907-.9079, F.S.

(17)(15) “State” means the State of Florida.

(18) “Welfare Transition Program” means a program pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 2000-165, Laws of Florida.

Specific Authority 420.9072(9) FS. Law Implemented 420.9072 FS. History–New 11-26-92, Amended 2-9-94, 12-28-94, 1-6-98, Formerly 9I-37.002, Amended 12-26-99, 9-22-03, 1-30-05,_________.

 

67-37.005 Local Housing Assistance Plans.

(1) To be eligible for SHIP funding for a state fiscal year, a county or eligible municipality must submit and receive approval of its local housing assistance plan and amendments thereto as provided in Rule 67-37.006, F.A.C. Plans must be submitted to the Corporation by May 2 preceding the end of the fiscal year in which the current plan expires. New Plans must be submitted utilizing the LHAP Template (6_06), adopted and incorporated herein by reference with an effective date of __________.   A copy of the LHAP Template (6_06) may be obtained at www.floridahousing.org or by contacting Florida Housing Finance Corporation, 227 North Bronough Street, Suite 5000, Tallahassee, Florida 32301. In the case of new eligible municipalities, plans must be submitted to the Corporation by May 2 of the state fiscal year prior to the state fiscal year they are eligible for funding. No SHIP local housing distribution funds shall be distributed in any fiscal year to any county or eligible municipality unless and until an approved plan is in place with respect to such fiscal year.

(2) through (5)(c) No change.

(d) The proposed sales price of new and existing units, which can be lower but may not exceed 90 percent of median area purchase price established by the U.S. Treasury Department, or as required by Section 420.9075(5)(4)(c), F.S.;

(e) through (i) No change.

(6) Each local housing assistance plan shall also include a statement, and evidence thereof, that the county or eligible municipality:

(a) No change.

1. through 3. No change.

(b) The advertisement may include other such information that the local governments deem necessary such as:

1. An estimated amount of SHIP local housing distribution per strategy;

2. Income set asides for each strategy along with applicable income limits;

3. A deion of the selection criteria for each strategy;

4. The maximum housing value limitation for each strategy; or

5. A statement that SHIP local housing distribution may not be used to purchase, rehabilitate, or repair mobile homes.

6. Once a waiting list has been exhausted and funds remain unencumbered, advertise as instructed in Section 420.9075(3)(b), F.S.

7. Has developed a qualification system and selection criteria for applications for Awards to eligible sponsors, which includes a deion that demonstrates how eligible sponsors that employed personnel from the Welfare Transition Program WAGES and Workforce Development Initiatives programs will be given preference in the selection process, adopted criteria for selection of eligible persons, and adopt a maximum Award schedule or system of amounts consistent with the intent and budget of its local housing assistance plan, with Sections 420.907-.9079, F.S.;

(c) through (e) No change.

(f) No change.

1. through 5. No change.

(7) No change.

(8)(a) Each county and eligible municipality shall include a definition of essential service personnel for the county or eligible municipality. Such definition may include teachers and educators, other school district, community college, and university employees, police and fire personnel, health care personnel, skilled building trades personnel, and other job categories as required by Section 420.9075(3)(a), F.S.

(b) Each county and eligible municipality may develop a strategy within its local housing assistance plan that emphasizes the recruitment and retention of Essential Service Personnel pursuant to Section 420.9075(3)(b), F.S.

(c) Each county and eligible municipality may develop a strategy within its local housing assistance plan that addresses the needs of persons who are deprived of affordable housing due to the closure of a mobile home park or the conversion of affordable rental units to condominiums pursuant to Section 420.9075(3)(c), F.S.

(d) For plans adopted prior to the effective date of this rule, the Corporation shall not require submission of an amendment to include a strategy for Essential Service Personnel until such time as the current plan expires. If a county or eligibility municipality creates a strategy as referenced above before the current plan expires, an amendment must be submitted to the Corporation in underline and strikethrough format as provided in subsection 67-37.005(9), F.A.C.

(9)(8) A copy of the local housing assistance plan shall be submitted to the Corporation, via U.S. Mail or electronic submission. If submitted electronically, a mailed copy shall be sent to the Corporation within three working days of the plan being electronically transmitted. The mailed copy submitted to the corporation shall bear the original signature of the authorized official which includes: Mayor, Commissioner, County Manager or City Manager or the authorized official’s designee and a certification that the document being submitted is the county’s, eligible municipality’s or interlocal entity’s local housing assistance plan and that all provisions of the plan conform to the requirements of Section 420.9072, F.S., et seq., and Rule Chapter 67-37, F.A.C. Each local housing assistance plan shall be printed on 8 1/2'' × 11'' paper or electronic submission and contain a table of contents or checklist, which specifies exactly where in the documentation certain required items shall be located. Each local housing assistance plan amendment shall be coded with text which is being deleted struck through and text being added underlined. Within two weeks after receipt of final approval letter, the local government shall provide to the Corporation a clean copy (no strike through or underline) for Corporation files.

Specific Authority 420.9072(9) FS. Law Implemented 420.9072(2), 420.9075 FS. History–New 11-26-92, Amended 5-2-93, 2-9-94, 12-28-94, 1-6-98, Formerly 9I-37.005, Amended 12-26-99, 9-22-03, 1-30-05,_________.

 

67-37.007 Uses of and Restrictions Upon SHIP Local Housing Distribution Funds for Local Housing Assistance Plans.

(1) through (5) No change.

(6) The sales price or value of new or existing homes which are sold or rehabilitated under the SHIP Program may not exceed 90 percent of the average area purchase price in the statistical area in which the housing is located. The local government at its discretion may set the sales price or value below the 90 percent benchmark. The maximum area purchase price used must be that established by the United States Department of Treasury or that calculated in accordance with Section 420.9075(5)(4)(c), F.S.

(7) through (12) No change.

(13) The local government may require that housing units receiving assistance from local housing distribution funds deposited to the local housing assistance trust fund be located within the boundaries of the local government’s governmental’s jurisdiction which has been approved for receipt of local housing distribution funds.

(14) No change.

(15) The Corporation shall monitor the activities of the local governments to determine compliance with program requirements as noted in Rule 67-53.005, F.A.C., and Section 420.9075(3)(e), F.S.

Specific Authority 420.9072(9) FS. Law Implemented 420.9072 FS. History–New 11-26-92, Amended 2-9-94, 12-28-94, 1-6-98, Formerly 9I-37.007, Amended 12-26-99, 9-22-03,_________.

 

67-37.008 Local Housing Assistance Trust Fund.

(1) No change.

(2) The local housing assistance trust fund shall be separately stated as a special revenue fund in a county’s or eligible municipality’s audited financial statements. Copies of such audited financial statements shall be forwarded annually to the Corporation no later than June April 30th of the following fiscal year. In addition to providing audited financial statements, all participating jurisdictions must provide evidence of compliance with the Florida Single Audit Act, as referenced in Section 215.97(6), F.S.

(3) An interlocal entity shall have its local housing assistance trust fund separately audited for each State fiscal year, which audit shall be forwarded to the Corporation as soon as available, but no later than June April 30th of the following fiscal year.

(4) No change.

Specific Authority 420.9072(9) FS. Law Implemented 420.9075(5) FS. History–New 11-26-92, Amended 2-9-94, 1-6-98, Formerly 9I-37.008, Repromulgated 12-26-99, Amended 9-22-03, 1-30-05,________.

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Darlene Raker, Program Manager, State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program, Florida Housing Finance Corporation, 227 North Bronough Street, Suite 5000, Tallahassee, Florida 32301-1329, [phone], extension 1156
NAME OF SUPERVISOR OR PERSON WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Robert Dearduff, Program Administrator, State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program, Florida Housing Finance Corporation, 227 North Bronough Street, Suite 5000, Tallahassee, Florida 32301-1329, [phone]
DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: June 9, 2006
DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAW: June 23, 2006