This subchapter is designed to supplement systems of mortgage insurance under other provisions of this chapter in order to assist in providing adequate housing in areas which the President, pursuant to section 1591 of title 42, shall have determined to be critical defense housing areas. The Secretary is authorized, upon application by the mortgagee, to insure under this section or section 1750g of this title as hereinafter provided any mortgage which is eligible for insurance as hereinafter provided and upon such terms as the Secretary may prescribe to make commitments for the insuring of such mortgages prior to the date of their execution or disbursement thereon: Provided, That the property covered by the mortgage is in an area which the President, pursuant to section 1591 of title 42, shall have determined to be a critical defense housing area, and that the total number of dwelling units in properties covered by mortgages insured under this subchapter in any such area does not exceed the number authorized by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from time to time as needed in such area for defense purposes and to be insured pursuant to this subchapter: Provided further, That in the event the Secretary has issued a commitment to insure a mortgage under this section, which commitment was in force and effect on June 1, 1953, and the Secretary determines that, because of changes in defense requirements, there is reasonable doubt that such housing is needed for defense purposes and that it is probable that the mortgage would become immediately in default and claim made for payment under the mortgage insurance contract if the unit or units are completed and the mortgage insured, the Secretary is authorized, in the interest of conserving the General Insurance Fund, to pay (in cash from the General Insurance Fund) to the mortgagee for the account of the mortgagor such amount as the Secretary shall determine to be necessary to reimburse the mortgagor the amounts paid or to be paid by the mortgagor on account of labor performed and materials in place, less the Secretary’s estimate of the reasonable salvage value of such materials, plus an allowance for development costs equal to 4 per centum of the principal amount of the mortgage specified in such commitment, and no payments shall be made pursuant to this proviso unless a claim therefor is filed not later than six months from date of the determination of lack of need and the claim is in such form and contains such supporting information, documents, and data as the Secretary may require: Provided further, That the aggregate amount of principal obligations of all mortgages insured under this subchapter shall not exceed such sum as may be authorized by the President from time to time for the purposes of this subchapter pursuant to his authority under section 1715h [1] of this title: Provided further, That the Secretary shall have power to require properties covered by mortgages insured under this subchapter to be held for rental for such periods of time and at such rentals or other charges as he may prescribe; and, with respect to such properties being held for rental, (1) to require that the property be held by a mortgagor approved by him, and (2) to prescribe such requirements as he deems to be reasonable governing the method of operation and prohibiting or restricting sales of such properties or interests therein or agreements relating to such sales: Provided further, That the Secretary shall require each dwelling covered by a mortgage insured under this section, for which a commitment to insure is issued after August 2, 1954, to be held for rental for a period of not less than three years after the dwelling is made available for initial occupancy: And provided further, That no mortgage shall be insured under this subchapter unless the mortgagor certifies under oath that in selecting tenants for any property covered by the mortgage he will not discriminate against any family by reason of the fact that there are children in the family, and that he will not sell the property while the insurance is in effect unless the purchaser so certifies, such certification to be filed with the Secretary. Violation of any such certification shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not to exceed $500.

To be eligible for insurance under this section a mortgage shall—

(1) have been made to, and be held by, a mortgagee approved by the Secretary as responsible and able to service the mortgage properly;

(2) involve a principal obligation (including such initial service charges, appraisal, inspection, and other fees as the Secretary shall approve) in an amount not to exceed 90 per centum of the appraised value (as of the date the mortgage is accepted for insurance) of a property, urban, suburban, or rural, upon which there is located a dwelling designed principally for residential use for not more than two families in the aggregate, which is approved for mortgage insurance prior to the beginning of construction, the construction of which is begun after September 1, 1951. The principal obligation of such mortgage shall not, however, exceed $8,100 if such dwelling is designed for a single-family residence, or $15,000 if such dwelling is designed for a two-family residence except that the Secretary may by regulation increase these amounts to not to exceed $9,000 and $16,000, respectively, in any geographical area where he finds that cost levels so require: Provided, That if the Secretary finds that it is not feasible within the aforesaid dollar amount limitations to construct dwellings containing three or four bedrooms per family unit without sacrifice of sound standards of construction, design, and livability, he may increase such dollar amount limitations by not exceeding $1,080 for each additional bedroom (as defined by the Secretary) in excess of two contained in such family unit if he finds that such unit meets sound standards of livability as a three-bedroom or a four-bedroom unit as the case may be;

(3) have a maturity satisfactory to the Secretary but not to exceed thirty years from the date of the insurance of the mortgage;

(4) contain complete amortization provisions satisfactory to the Secretary;

(5) bear interest (exclusive of premium charges for insurance) at not to exceed 4½ per centum per annum on the amount of the principal obligation outstanding at any time;

(6) provide, in a manner satisfactory to the Secretary, for the application of the mortgagor’s periodic payments (exclusive of the amount allocated to interest and to the premium charge which is required for mortgage insurance as herein provided) to amortization of the principal of the mortgage; and

(7) contain such terms and provisions with respect to insurance, repairs, alterations, payment of taxes, default reserves, delinquency charges, foreclosure proceedings, anticipation of maturity, additional and secondary liens, and other matters as the Secretary may in his discretion prescribe.

The Secretary is authorized to fix a premium charge for the insurance of mortgages under this subchapter but in the case of any mortgage such charge shall not be less than an amount equivalent to one-half of 1 per centum per annum nor more than an amount equivalent to 1½ per centum per annum of the amount of the principal obligation of the mortgage outstanding at any time, without taking into account delinquent payments or prepayments. Such premium charges shall be payable by the mortgagee, either in cash or in debentures issued by the Secretary under this subchapter at par plus accrued interest, in such manner as may be prescribed by the Secretary: Provided, That the Secretary may require the payment of one or more such premium charges at the time the mortgage is insured, at such discount rate as he may prescribe not in excess of the interest rate specified in the mortgage. If the Secretary finds upon the presentation of a mortgage for insurance and the tender of the initial premium charge or charges so required that the mortgage complies with the provisions of this subchapter, such mortgage may be accepted for insurance by endorsement or otherwise as the Secretary may prescribe; but no mortgage shall be accepted for insurance under this subchapter  unless  the  Secretary  finds  that  the project with respect to which the mortgage is executed is an acceptable risk in view of the needs of national defense. In the event that the principal obligation of any mortgage accepted for insurance under this subchapter is paid in full prior to the maturity date, the Secretary is further authorized in his discretion to require the payment by the mortgagee of an adjusted premium charge in such amount as the Secretary determines to be equitable, but not in excess of the aggregate amount of the premium charges that the mortgagee would otherwise have been required to pay if the mortgage has continued to be insured under this subchapter until such maturity date; and in the event that the principal obligation is paid in full as herein set forth the Secretary is authorized to refund to the mortgagee for the account of the mortgagor all, or such portion as he shall determine to be equitable, of the current unearned premium charges theretofore paid. Upon application of the mortgagee with the consent of the mortgagor of a mortgage for which a commitment to insure has been issued pursuant to section 1709 of this title covering property on which the construction of the dwellings thereon was begun prior to the enactment of this subchapter and the determination of prevailing wages in the locality in accordance with section 1715c of this title, the Secretary is authorized, notwithstanding such beginning of construction, to convert such commitment to a commitment under section 1750g of this title; any charges or fees paid to the Secretary with respect to such insurance under section 1709 of this title shall be credited to charges or fees due the Secretary with respect to such insurance under section 1750g of this title; and the determination of prevailing wages in the locality for purposes of section 1715c of this title may be made by the Secretary of Labor at any time prior to the insurance under section 1750g of this title: Provided, That such mortgage, or the mortgage covering the same property executed in substitution therefor, is otherwise eligible for insurance under section 1750g of this title.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter or any other Act, except provisions of law enacted hereafter expressly referring to this subsection (d), the Secretary is further authorized to prescribe such procedures as are necessary to secure to persons engaged or to be engaged in national defense activities preference or priority of opportunity to purchase or rent properties, or interests therein, covered by mortgages insured under this subchapter.

Any contract of insurance heretofore or hereafter executed by the Secretary under this subchapter shall be conclusive evidence of the eligibility of the mortgage for insurance, and the validity of any contract of insurance so executed shall be incontestable in the hands of an approved mortgagee from the date of the execution of such contract, except for fraud or misrepresentation on the part of such approved mortgagee.

(June 27, 1934, ch. 847, title IX, § 903, as added Sept. 1, 1951, ch. 378, title II, § 201, 65 Stat. 296; amended July 14, 1952, ch. 723, § 13, 66 Stat. 604; June 30, 1953, ch. 170, § 11, 67 Stat. 124; Aug. 2, 1954, ch. 649, title I, § 128(b), 68 Stat. 609; Pub. L. 89–117, title XI, § 1108(x), Aug. 10, 1965, 79 Stat. 507; Pub. L. 90–19, § 1(a)(3), (4), (s), (t), May 25, 1967, 81 Stat. 17, 19.)