Act means the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, as amended.

Affordable housing means a project in which 20 percent or more of the units are both rent-restricted and occupied by families whose income is 50 percent or less of the area median income as determined by HUD, with adjustments for household size, or in which 40 percent (25 percent in New York City) or more of the units are both rent-restricted and occupied by families whose income is 60 percent or less of the area median income as determined by HUD, with adjustments for household size. A residential unit is rent-restricted if the gross rent with respect to such unit does not exceed 30 percent of the imputed income limitation applicable to such unit.

Board and Care/Assisted Living Facility means a residential facility for independent living that is regulated by State or local government that provides continuous protective oversight and assistance with the activities of daily living to frail elderly persons or other persons needing such assistance. Continuous protective oversight may range from as little as awareness on the part of management staff of residents' whereabouts (and the ability to intervene in the event of crisis) to a higher level of services and assistance. Assistance with the activities of daily living may include, but is not limited to, bathing, dressing, eating, getting in and out of bed or chairs, walking, going outdoors, using the toilet, laundry, home management, meal preparation, shopping, supervision of medication, and housework.

Commissioner means the Federal Housing Commissioner or his or her authorized representative.

Contract of insurance means the agreement evidenced by the endorsement of the Commissioner upon the credit instrument given in connection with an insured mortgage, incorporating by reference the regulations in this part and the applicable provisions of the Act.

Credit subsidy means the cost of a direct loan or loan guarantee under the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 as defined in subpart B of title 13 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (Pub.L. 101-508, approved Nov. 5, 1990).

Debenture means the instrument issued by the HFA to HUD upon payment of an insurance claim by HUD. The instrument must be in the standard form of a State or Municipal Debenture issued under the Uniform Commercial Code, where applicable, and must be supported by the full faith and credit of the HFA. The instrument must define the terms and conditions and the risk-sharing portion which the HFA will pay at the end of the term of the Debenture, and must be for the full amount of the claim payment. The term Debenture may include similar instruments, such as promissory notes and bonds, as mutually agreed upon by the Commissioner and the HFA.

Designated offices means the HUD Field Offices that are assigned the responsibility for program monitoring, imposing or recommending sanctions for program violations, and conducting informal hearings.

Firm approval letter means a letter issued by HUD to an HFA upon the positive completion of the HUD-retained reviews described in § 266.210. The letter will apportion units to the project and provide that, so long as the HFA is in good standing and absent fraud or misrepresentation by the HFA, HUD will endorse the project mortgage for insurance upon presentation by the HFA of the required Closing Docket and certifications required by this part and the Commissioner's administrative requirements.

Gross rent includes any utility allowance (including charges for the occupancy of a cooperative unit) determined by the Secretary after taking into account such determination under section 8 of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f). It does not include any payment under section 8 or any comparable rental assistance program (with respect to such unit or occupants thereof), nor does it include any fee for a supportive service that is paid to the owner of the unit (on the basis of the low-income status of the tenant of the unit) by any governmental program of assistance (or by an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)) and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of the Code (26 U.S.C. 501(a)) if such program (or organization) provides assistance for rent and the amount of assistance provided for rent is not separable from the amount of assistance provided for supportive services. It also does not include any rental payment to the owner of the unit to the extent such owner pays an equivalent amount to the Farmers Home Administration under section 515 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1485).

Housing finance agency or HFA means any public body, agency, or instrumentality created by a specific act of a State legislature or local municipality empowered to finance activities designed to provide housing and related facilities, through land acquisition, construction or rehabilitation. The term State includes the several States, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, American Samoa and the Virgin Islands.

Insured mortgage means a valid 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 permitting on property insured under this part must be expressly subordinate to the insured mortgage.

Level I participants means HFAs that elect to take 50 percent or more of the risk of loss in 10 percent increments on mortgages issued under this program.

Level II participants means HFAs that elect to take 10 or 25 percent of the risk of loss on mortgages issued under this program, dependent on the loan-to-replacement cost or loan-to-value ratio of the project to be insured.

Mortgage means such a single first lien upon the real estate as is commonly given to secure advances on, or the unpaid purchase price of, real estate under the laws of the jurisdiction where the real estate is situated, together with the credit instruments, if any, secured thereby.

Mortgagee means the original lender under a mortgage and its successors and assigns approved by the Commissioner.

Mortgagor means the original borrower under a mortgage and its successor and assigns.

Multifamily housing means housing accommodations on the mortgaged property that are designed principally for residential use, conform to standards satisfactory to the Secretary, and consist of not less than 5 rental units (including cooperative units) on 1 site. These units may be detached, semidetached, row house, or multifamily structures.

Qualified HFA means an HFA that meets the requirements described in § 266.100(a).

Risk-Sharing Agreement means a contract between an HFA and the Commissioner that incorporates the terms, obligations, and conditions specified in this part.

Secondary financing means any grant, loan, inferior lien, or other form of indebtedness used during loan origination prior to HUD endorsement to finance a multifamily property insured under this part which is inferior to the insured mortgage as defined above and does not have first priority for payment.

Single Room Occupancy, or SRO, projects means multifamily projects consisting of units that are not required to contain food preparation or sanitary facilities for occupancy by single individuals capable of independent living.

Supportive services means any service provided under a planned program of services designed to enable residents of a residential rental property to remain independent and avoid placement in a hospital, nursing home, or intermediate care facility for the mentally or physically handicapped. In the case of a single room occupancy unit, the term includes any service provided to assist tenants in locating and retaining permanent housing. This definition is to be used in conjunction with the “gross rent” calculation.