A. Any business firm may be designated a "qualified business firm" for purposes of this chapter if it undertakes, within a housing revitalization zone, the eligible construction or rehabilitation of a housing unit as described under § 36-166.

B. Any individual may be designated as a "qualified owner occupant" for purposes of this chapter if the individual undertakes within a housing revitalization zone the eligible construction or rehabilitation, as described under § 36-166, of a housing unit and uses such unit as his residence.

C. After designation as a qualified business firm or as a qualified owner occupant pursuant to this section, each business firm or owner occupant in a housing revitalization zone shall submit a statement or other form as required by the Department requesting the grants provided under this chapter for qualified zone improvements. Such a statement shall be accompanied by an approved form supplied by the Department and completed by an independent certified public accountant licensed by the Commonwealth which states that the business firm or owner occupant met the definition of a "qualified business firm" or of a "qualified owner occupant" and continues to meet the requirements for eligibility as a qualified business firm or qualified owner occupant in effect at the time of its designation. A copy of the statement submitted by each business firm or owner occupant to the Department shall be forwarded to the local zone administrator.

D. The form referred to in subsection C of this section, prepared by an independent certified public accountant licensed by the Commonwealth, shall be prima facie evidence of the eligibility of a business firm or owner occupant for the purposes of this section, but the evidence of eligibility shall be subject to rebuttal. The Department may at its discretion require any business firm or owner occupant to provide supplemental information regarding the firm's or individual's eligibility (i) as a qualified business firm or qualified owner occupant or (ii) for the grants claimed pursuant to this chapter.

2000, cc. 789, 795.