12 U.S.C. § 1701w — Budget, debt management, and related

Page 475 TITLE 12—BANKS AND BANKING § 1701x housing more attractive, but to make it better suited to the needs of occupants. The Congress declares that in the administra- tion of housing programs which assist in the provision of housing for low and moderate in- come families, emphasis should be given to en- couraging good design as an essential compo- nent of such housing and to developing housing which will be of such quality as to reflect its im- portant relationship to the architectural stand- ards of the neighborhood and community in which it is situated, consistent with prudent budgeting. (Pub. L. 90–448, § 4, Aug. 1, 1968, 82 Stat. 477.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section was enacted as part of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, and not as part of the Na- tional Housing Act which comprises this chapter. § 1701w. Budget, debt management, and related counseling services for mortgagors; author- ization of appropriations The Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop- ment is authorized to provide, or contract with public or private organizations to provide, such budget, debt management, and related coun- seling services to mortgagors whose mortgages are insured under section 1715z(i) or (j)(4) of this title as he determines to be necessary to assist such mortgagors in meeting the responsibilities of homeownership. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. (Pub. L. 90–448, title I, § 101(e), Aug. 1, 1968, 82 Stat. 484.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section was enacted as part of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, and not as part of the Na- tional Housing Act which comprises this chapter. § 1701x. Assistance with respect to housing for low- and moderate-income families (a) Authorization to provide information, advice, and technical assistance; scope of assistance; authorization of appropriations (1) The Secretary is authorized to provide, or contract with public or private organizations to provide, information, advice, and technical as- sistance, including but not limited to— (i) the assembly, correlation, publication, and dissemination of information with respect to the construction, rehabilitation, and oper- ation of low- and moderate-income housing; (ii) the provision of advice and technical as- sistance to public bodies or to nonprofit or co- operative organizations with respect to the construction, rehabilitation, and operation of low- and moderate-income housing, including assistance with respect to self-help and mu- tual self-help programs; (iii) counseling and advice to tenants and homeowners with respect to property mainte- nance, financial management, and such other matters as may be appropriate to assist them in improving their housing conditions and in meeting the responsibilities of tenancy or homeownership; and (iv) the provision of technical assistance to communities, particularly smaller commu- nities, to assist such communities in planning, developing, and administering Community De- velopment Programs pursuant to title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 [42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.]. (2) The Secretary (A) shall provide the services described in clause (iii) of paragraph (1) for homeowners assisted under section 235 of the National Housing Act [12 U.S.C. 1715z]; (B) shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Agri- culture, provide such services for borrowers who are first-time homebuyers with guaranteed loans under section 502(h) of the Housing Act of 1949 [42 U.S.C. 1472(h)]; and (C) may provide such services for other owners of single family dwell- ing units insured under title II of the National Housing Act [12 U.S.C. 1707 et seq.] or guaran- teed or insured under chapter 37 of title 38. For purposes of this paragraph and clause (iii) of paragraph (1), the Secretary may provide the services described in such clause directly or may enter into contracts with, make grants to, and provide other types of assistance to private or public organizations with special competence and knowledge in counseling low- and moderate- income families to provide such services. (3) There is authorized to be appropriated for the purposes of this subsection, without fiscal year limitation, such sums as may be necessary; except that for such purposes there are author- ized to be appropriated $6,025,000 for fiscal year 1993 and $6,278,050 for fiscal year 1994. Of the amounts appropriated for each of fiscal years 1993 and 1994, up to $500,000 shall be available for use for counseling and other activities in con- nection with the demonstration program under section 152 of the Housing and Community De- velopment Act of 1992. Any amounts so appro- priated shall remain available until expended. (4) HOMEOWNERSHIP AND RENTAL COUNSELING ASSISTANCE.— (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make financial assistance available under this para- graph to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies and State housing finance agencies. (B) QUALIFIED ENTITIES.—The Secretary shall establish standards and guidelines for eligi- bility of organizations (including govern- mental and nonprofit organizations) to receive assistance under this paragraph, in accordance with subparagraph (D). (C) DISTRIBUTION.—Assistance made avail- able under this paragraph shall be distributed in a manner that encourages efficient and suc- cessful counseling programs and that ensures adequate distribution of amounts for rural areas having traditionally low levels of access to such counseling services, including areas with insufficient access to the Internet. In dis- tributing such assistance, the Secretary may give priority consideration to entities serving areas with the highest home foreclosure rates. (D) LIMITATION ON DISTRIBUTION OF ASSIST- ANCE.— (i) IN GENERAL.—None of the amounts made available under this paragraph shall be distributed to—