Title HSC, California Health & Safety Code

(a) This division provides a complete, additional, and alternative method for the doing of the things authorized by this division, and is supplemental and additional to powers conferred by other laws. The issuance of bonds and refunding bonds under this division need not comply w…

The State of California does hereby pledge to and agree with the holders of any obligations issued under this division, and with those parties who may enter into contracts with the authority pursuant to the provisions of this division, that the state will not limit or alter the r…

To the extent that the provisions of this division, with respect to the financing of pollution control facilities, are inconsistent with the provisions of any general statute or special act or parts thereof, with respect to the financing of pollution control facilities, the provi…

This division shall be known and may be cited as the California Noise Control Act of 1973. (Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 957.)

Unless otherwise indicated by the context, the definitions contained in this chapter shall govern the construction of this division. (Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 610.)

“Affirmative action” means any program created pursuant to rules and regulations of the agency to create greater job opportunities for members of disadvantaged racial, sexual, religious, ancestral, or national-origin groups. Such program shall include educational, promotional, an…

“Affirmative marketing program” means any program approved by the agency that is designed to achieve greater access to housing opportunities created by this division for members of disadvantaged racial, sexual, religious, ancestral, or national-origin groups. Such program shall i…

(a) For any owner-occupied housing that receives assistance prior to January 1, 1991, and a condition of that assistance is compliance with this section, “affordable housing cost” with respect to lower income households may not exceed 25 percent of gross income. (b) For any owner…

(a) For any rental housing development that receives assistance prior to January 1, 1991, and a condition of that assistance is compliance with this section, “affordable rent” with respect to lower income households shall not exceed the percentage of the gross income of the occup…

“Agency” means the California Housing Finance Agency. (Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 610. Note: Conditional amendment by Stats. 1994, Ch. 94, was repealed by Stats. 1997, Ch. 580.)

“Assisted housing” means housing financed by a below-market interest rate mortgage insured or purchased, or a loan made, by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development or by the Farmers Home Administration of the United States Department of Agri…

“Below-market interest” means a below-market interest rate adequate to return to the agency sufficient income to meet its obligations, reserve requirements, and expenses connected with a loan financed by the agency for which such interest rate is established as determined by the …

“Board” means the board of directors of the agency. (Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 610.)

“Bonds” means bonds, notes (including bond anticipation notes and construction loan notes), debentures, interim or other certificates, or other evidences of financial indebtedness issued by the agency pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 50900) or Part 6 (commencing with S…

“Buy-down mortgage plan” is a program by which the effective interest cost to the purchaser of a real property is reduced below market rates through supplemental payments by the agency to a qualified mortgage lender in return for which the agency shall obtain from the purchaser a…

“Capitalized operating reserves” means capitalized funds for assisted units for the purpose of covering potential or projected operating deficits over time, including, but not limited to, operations, supportive services, and rent subsidies. (Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 22, Sec. 44.…

“Cause” means gross neglect of duties, fraud, or violation of Section 50904 or 50905. (Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 610.)

“Citizen participation” means action by the local agency that is approved by the agency as sufficient to provide persons who will be affected by financing or loan insurance assistance within a neighborhood preservation area, under the provisions of Chapter 6 (commencing with Sect…

“Commission” means the Commission of Housing and Community Development. (Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 610.)

Any reference in this division to the Commission of Housing and Community Development shall be deemed to be to the Department of Housing and Community Development and the department may exercise all the powers and shall perform all the duties of the commission. (Added by Stats. 1…

“Concentrated rehabilitation area” means an area characterized by substantial deterioration of residential structures and which is designated by the agency pursuant to Section 51302. (Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 610.)

“Congregate housing for the elderly” means a housing development, as defined by Section 50073.5, which is planned, designed, and managed to include facilities and common space that allow for direct services and support services that maximize the residents’ potential for independe…

“Construction loan” means a short-term loan secured by real property, made for development costs incurred in construction or rehabilitation of a housing development or residential structure. (Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 312, Sec. 4. Effective June 28, 1982.)

“Acutely low income households” means persons and families whose incomes do not exceed 15 percent of area median income, adjusted for family size and revised annually. The limits shall be published by the department in the California Code of Regulations for all geographic areas o…

“Department” means the Department of Housing and Community Development. (Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 610.)

“Development costs” means the aggregate of all costs incurred in connection with a housing development which are approved by the agency as reasonable and necessary, including, but not limited to, the following: (a) The cost of refinancing or acquiring land and any buildings there…

“Development loan” means a loan, made prior to the granting of a construction loan, for planning, acquisition of land and improvements thereon, and site preparation for a housing development or residential structure. A development loan may include costs of architectural, engineer…

“Elderly” means a family in which the head of the household is 60 years of age or older, a single person who is 60 years of age or older, or an elderly or handicapped household as defined in Section 19903 and subject to Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 19902) of Division 13. The…

“Financial interest” has the same meaning as specified in Section 87103 of the Government Code. (Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 610.)

“First-time home buyer” means a person who is a purchaser of an owner-occupied housing unit and who neither has, nor has had, a present ownership in a principal residence at any time during the three-year period prior to the date on which the mortgage pursuant to this division is…

“First-Time Home Buyers Fund” is a fund in the General Fund, distinguished from the California Housing Finance Fund, which is created by Section 52504. (Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 320, Sec. 5. Effective June 29, 1982.)

“First-Time Home Buyers Policy Committee” or “policy committee” is the committee which performs certain policy functions and makes certain policy determinations pursuant to Part 6 (commencing with Section 52500), and which is established pursuant to Section 52502. (Added by Stats…

“Fund” means the California Housing Finance Fund. (Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 610.)

“Governmental agency” means the United States of America, the State of California, any city, county, or city and county within this state and any department, division, public corporation, or public agency of this state or of the United States, or two or more of such entities acti…

“Guaranteed taxable bonds” means bonds secured by a pledge of the full faith and credit of the United States for the payment of the principal and interest on bonds issued under the authority of this division and on which the interest is not exempted from federal income taxes. Whe…

“Handicapped” means a family in which the head of the household is suffering from an orthopedic disability impairing personal mobility or a physical disability affecting his or her ability to obtain employment or a single person with such a physical disability, where the family o…

“Housing development,” for the purpose of housing assisted by the department, means any work or undertaking of new construction or rehabilitation, or the acquisition of existing residential structures in good condition, for the provision of housing that is financed pursuant to th…

“Housing development,” for the purpose of the California Housing Finance Agency, means any existing structure of five or more dwelling units or any work or undertaking of five dwelling units or more of new construction or rehabilitation for the provision of housing financed pursu…

“Housing sponsor,” for the purpose of housing assisted by the department, means any individual, joint venture, partnership, limited partnership, trust, corporation, limited equity housing cooperative, cooperative, local public entity, duly constituted governing body of an Indian …

“Housing sponsor,” for the purpose of the California Housing Finance Agency, means any individual, joint venture, partnership, limited partnership, trust, corporation, cooperative, local public entity, duly constituted governing body of an Indian reservation or rancheria, or othe…

“Legislative body” means the city council, board of supervisors, or other legislative body of the local agency. (Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 610.)

“Limited-dividend housing sponsor” means any sponsor which owns a housing development and whose profit or cash return is limited pursuant to Section 51202 and regulations adopted by the board pursuant thereto. (Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 610.)

“Limited-equity housing cooperative” means a corporation organized pursuant to Section 817 of the Civil Code and Section 11003.4 of the Business and Professions Code. For purposes of this division, a limited equity housing cooperative is a nonprofit corporation or nonprofit housi…

“Loan,” for purposes of provisions relating to the agency, means an obligation to repay funds advanced by the agency for the purpose of financing housing that is evidenced by a promissory note or other instrument in writing and that may or may not be secured by real or personal p…

“Local agency” means a city, county, city and county, or duly constituted governing body of an Indian reservation or rancheria and includes any governmental agency or local public entity to which a city, county, city and county, or duly constituted governing body of an Indian res…

“Local housing agent” means a city, county, city and county, or combination thereof acting jointly, or the duly constituted governing body of an Indian reservation or rancheria which is certified by the department pursuant to Section 51252 to review applications by prospective ho…