low-rent housing in private accommodations

low-rent housing in private accommodations Sec. 103. (a) The United States Housing Act of 1937 is amended by redesignating section 23 as section 24, and by adding after section 22 the following new section: “low-rent housing in private accommodations “Sec. 23. (a) (1) For the purpose of providing a supplementary form of low-rent housing which will aid in assuring a decent place to live for every citizen and promote efficiency and economy in the program under this Act by taking full advantage of vacancies or potential vacancies in the private housing market, each public housing agency shall, to the maximum extent consistent with the achievement of the objectives of this Act, provide low-rent housing under this Act in the form of low-rent housing in private accommodations in accordance with this section where such housing in private accommodations can be provided at a cost equal to or less than housing in projects assisted under other provisions of this Act. “(2) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any locality unless the governing body of the locality has by resolution approved the application of such provisions to such locality. “(3) As used in this section, the term ‘low-rent housing in private accommodations’ means dwelling units in an existing structure, leased from a private owner, which provide decent, safe, and sanitary dwelling accommodations and related facilities effectively supplementing the accommodations and facilities in low-rent housing assisted under the other provisions of this Act in a manner calculated to meet the total housing needs of the community in which they are located; and the term ‘owner’ means any person or entity having the legal right to lease or sublease property containing one or more dwelling units as described in this section. “(b) Beginning as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this section, each public housing agency shall conduct a continuing survey and listing of the available dwelling units within the community or communities under its jurisdiction which provide decent, safe, and sanitary’ dwelling accommodations and related facilities and are, or may be made, suitable for use as low-rent housing in private accommodations under this section. “(c) Each public housing agency, by notification to the owners of housing listed under subsection (b\ or by publication or advertisement, or otherwise, shall from time to time make known to the public in the community or communities under its jurisdiction the anticipated need for dwelling units in such community or communities to be. used as low-rent housing in private accommodations under this section, inviting the owners of such dwelling units to make available for purposes of this section one or more of such units (not exceeding 10 per centum of the units in any single structure except to the extent that the agency, because of the limited number of units in the structure or for any other reason, determines that such limit should not be applied). The public housing agency shall conduct appropriate inspections of the units offered to be made available in any residential structure by the owner thereof in response to such invitation, and if— “(1) it finds that such units are, or may be made, suitable for use as low-rent housing in private accommodations within the meaning of subsection (a)(3), and “(2) the rentals to be charged for such units, as negotiated and agreed to by the agency and the owner of the. structure in a manner consistent with subsection (d)(2), are within the financial range of families of low income, 79 Stat. 456such agency may approve such units for use as low-rent housing in private accommodations in accordance with (and subject to the applicable limitations contained in) this section. Each public housing agency shall maintain and keep current a list of units approved by it under this subsection, including such information with respect to each such unit as it may consider necessary or appropriate. “(d) To the extent of contracts for annual contributions entered into by the Authority with a public housing agency under section 10(e), such agency may enter into contracts with the owners of structures containing dwelling units approved under subsection (c) for the use of such units in accordance with this section. Each such contract with an owner shall provide (with respect to any unit) that— “(1) the selection of tenants for such unit shall be the function of the owner, subject to the provisions of the contract between the Authority and the agency; “(2) the rental and other charges to be received by the owner shall be negotiated and agreed to by the agency and the owner, and the rental and other charges to be paid by the tenant shall be determined in accordance with the standards applicable to units in low-rent housing projects assisted under the other provisions of this Act; “(3) the agency shall have the sole right to give notice to vacate, with the owner having the right, to make representations to the agency for termination of a tenancy; “(4) maintenance and replacements (including redecoration) shall he in accordance with the standard practice for the building concerned, as established by the owner and agreed to by the agency; and “(5) the agency and the owner shall carry out such other appropriate terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed to by them. Each contract between a public housing agency and an owner entered into under this subsection shall be for a term of not less than twelve months nor more than thirty-six months, and shall be renewable by such agency and owner at the expiration of such term. “(e) The annual contribution under this Act for a project of a public housing agency for low-rent housing in private accommodations under this section in lieu of any other guaranteed contribution authorized by section 10 shall not. exceed the amount of the fixed annual contribution which would be established under this Act for a newly constructed project by such public housing agency designed to accommodate the comparable number, sizes, and kinds of families. The period over which payments will be made to a public housing agency for a project of low-rent housing in private accommodations under this section, and the aggregate amount of such payments, under a contract for annual contributions, shall be determined on the basis of the number of units in the community or communities under the jurisdiction of such agency which are in use (or can reasonably be expected to be placed in use) as low-rent housing in private accommodations under this section, taking into account the terms of the leases under which such units are (or will be) so used. In addition, contracts for financial assistance entered into by the Authority with a public housing agency pursuant to this section shall provide for reimbursement of reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by such agency in conducting surveys, listings, and inspections described in subsections (b) and (c). “(f) The provisions of sections 10(h) and 15(7) of this Act, and the workable program requirement in section 10(e) of this Act and section 79 Stat. 457101 (c) of the Housing Act of 1949, shall not apply to low-rent housing in private accommodations provided under this section.” (b) The last sentence of sect.ion 2(1) of such Act is amended by striking out “Income limits for occupancy and rents” and inserting in lieu thereof “Except as otherwise provided in section 23, income limits for occupancy and rents”.