16-7-105. Replacement housing payment; tenants.

(a) In addition to amounts otherwise authorized by this act, a displacing agency shall make a payment to or for any displaced person displaced from any dwelling and not eligible to receive a payment under W.S. 16-7-104, providing the displaced person actually and lawfully occupied the dwelling for not less than ninety (90) days immediately prior to:

(i) The initiation of negotiations for acquisition of the dwelling; or

(ii) An event as prescribed by the agency in any case in which displacement is not a direct result of acquisition.

(b) The payment under subsection (a) of this section shall consist of the amount necessary to enable the displaced person to lease or rent, for a period not to exceed forty-two (42) months a comparable replacement dwelling not to exceed five thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($5,250.00). At the discretion of the displacing agency, a payment under this subsection may be made in periodic installments. Computation of a payment under this subsection to a low-income displaced person for a comparable replacement dwelling shall take into account the person's income.

(c) Any person eligible for a payment under subsections (a) and (b) of this section may elect to apply the payment to a down payment including incidental expenses on the purchase of a decent, safe and sanitary replacement dwelling. That person may at the discretion of the displacing agency be eligible under this subsection for the maximum payment allowed under subsection (b) of this section, except that in the case of a displaced home owner who has owned and occupied the displacement dwelling for at least ninety (90) days but not more than one hundred eighty (180) days immediately prior to the initiation of negotiations for the acquisition of the dwelling, the payment shall not exceed the payment the person would otherwise have received under W.S. 16-7-104(a) of this act had the person owned and occupied the displacement dwelling one hundred eighty (180) days immediately prior to the initiation of the negotiations.