Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§12704 Definitions

Title 42 › CHAPTER 130 — NATIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING › SUBCHAPTER I — GENERAL PROVISIONS AND POLICIES › § 12704

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used in this part of the law. It lists many terms and gives a short description of each so people know what the law is talking about. Unit of general local government is a city, town, township, county, parish, village, or similar local government; it also includes the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, the Marshall Islands, their political subdivisions, consortia the Secretary recognizes, and agencies set up by law and named by the chief executive to act for the area. State is any U.S. State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or an agency set up by law and named by the State’s chief executive to act under this law. Jurisdiction is a State or a unit of general local government. Participating jurisdiction is a State or local government designated under section 12746. Nonprofit organization is a private nonprofit set up under state or local law, that does not give profits to individuals, follows financial rules the Secretary accepts, and works to provide decent affordable housing for low- and moderate-income people. Community housing development organization is that kind of nonprofit focused on affordable housing, accountable to low-income residents, able to carry out the work, and with a history of serving the area; if it serves more than one county, the Secretary cannot force it to have low-income board members from every county. Government-sponsored mortgage finance corporations are the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation. Housing includes manufactured housing, manufactured housing lots, and certain small elder cottage units placed next to existing 1- to 4-family homes. Very low-income families are those with income at or below 50 percent of the area median, with adjustments and possible Secretary changes for special local conditions. Low-income families are those at or below 80 percent of the area median, with similar adjustments. Families and security have the same meanings as in the cited sections. Displaced homemaker is an adult who mainly worked at home without pay, has not held full-time, year-round work for years, and is now unemployed or underemployed and finding work hard. First-time homebuyer is someone (and spouse) who did not own a home in the past 3 years, with exceptions for displaced homemakers, single parents, and certain previously owned nonpermanent or unsafe dwellings. Single parent is an unmarried or legally separated person with custody of one or more minor children, or who is pregnant. Secretary is the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Substantial rehabilitation is work that costs more than $25,000 per unit on average. Public housing agency, metropolitan city, and urban county have the meanings in the cited sections. Certification is a written claim with evidence kept for inspection and treated as accurate unless the Secretary inspects and finds otherwise after notice. To demonstrate to the Secretary means to submit a written claim with supporting evidence for the Secretary to review. Insular area means Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Energy efficient mortgage is a loan that gives incentives to buy energy-efficient homes or to include the cost of efficiency improvements in the mortgage. Infill housing project is a residential project inside a city on previously disturbed land of no more than 5 acres, served by existing utilities, and mostly surrounded by development. Community land trust is a nonprofit or government entity not run by a for-profit, whose main job is to hold land to provide housing that stays affordable to low- and moderate-income people, monitors affordability, uses legal tools to keep homes affordable for at least 30 years and allow renting or buying, and keeps options to buy the land if needed to preserve affordability.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §12704

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

As used in this subchapter and in subchapter II:
(1)The term “unit of general local government” means a city, town, township, county, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State; the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, the Marshall Islands, or a general purpose political subdivision thereof; a consortium of such political subdivisions recognized by the Secretary in accordance with section 12746(2) of this title; and any agency or instrumentality thereof that is established pursuant to legislation and designated by the chief executive to act on behalf of the jurisdiction with regard to provisions of this Act.
(2)The term “State” means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any agency or instrumentality thereof that is established pursuant to legislation and designated by the chief executive officer to act on behalf of the State with regard to the provisions of this Act.
(3)The term “jurisdiction” means a State or unit of general local government.
(4)The term “participating jurisdiction” means any State or unit of general local government that has been so designated in accordance with section 12746 of this title.
(5)The term “nonprofit organization” means any private, nonprofit organization (including a State or locally chartered, nonprofit organization) that—
(A)is organized under State or local laws,
(B)has no part of its net earnings inuring to the benefit of any member, founder, contributor, or individual,
(C)complies with standards of financial accountability acceptable to the Secretary, and
(D)has among its purposes significant activities related to the provision of decent housing that is affordable to low-income and moderate-income persons.
(6)The term “community housing development organization” means a nonprofit organization as defined in paragraph (5), that—
(A)has among its purposes the provision of decent housing that is affordable to low-income and moderate-income persons;
(B)maintains, through representation on the organization’s governing board and otherwise, accountability to low-income community residents and, to the extent practicable, low-income beneficiaries with regard to decisions on the design, siting, development, and management of affordable housing;
(C)has a demonstrated capacity for carrying out activities assisted under this Act; and
(D)has a history of serving the local community or communities within which housing to be assisted under this Act is to be located.
In the case of an organization serving more than one county, the Secretary may not require that such organization, to be considered a community housing development organization for purposes of this Act, include as members on the organization’s governing board low-income persons residing in each county served.
(7)The term “government-sponsored mortgage finance corporations” means the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.
(8)The term “housing” includes manufactured housing and manufactured housing lots and elder cottage housing opportunity units that are small, free-standing, barrier-free, energy-efficient, removable, and designed to be installed adjacent to existing 1- to 4-family dwellings.
(9)The term “very low-income families” means low-income families whose incomes do not exceed 50 percent of the median family income for the area, as determined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller and larger families, except that the Secretary may establish income ceilings higher or lower than 50 percent of the median for the area on the basis of the Secretary’s findings that such variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or fair market rents, or unusually high or low family incomes.
(10)The term “low-income families” means families whose incomes do not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area, as determined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller and larger families, except that the Secretary may establish income ceilings higher or lower than 80 percent of the median for the area on the basis of the Secretary’s findings that such variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or fair market rents, or unusually high or low family incomes.
(11)The term “families” has the same meaning given that term by section 1437a of this title.
(12)The term “security” has the same meaning as in section 77b of title 15.
(13)The term “displaced homemaker” means an individual who—
(A)is an adult;
(B)has not worked full-time full-year in the labor force for a number of years but has, during such years, worked primarily without remuneration to care for the home and family; and
(C)is unemployed or underemployed and is experiencing difficulty in obtaining or upgrading employment.
(14)The term “first-time homebuyer” means an individual and his or her spouse who have not owned a home during the 3-year period prior to purchase of a home with assistance under subchapter II, except that—
(A)any individual who is a displaced homemaker may not be excluded from consideration as a first-time homebuyer under this paragraph on the basis that the individual, while a homemaker, owned a home with his or her spouse or resided in a home owned by the spouse;
(B)any individual who is a single parent may not be excluded from consideration as a first-time homebuyer under this paragraph on the basis that the individual, while married, owned a home with his or her spouse or resided in a home owned by the spouse; and
(C)an individual shall not be excluded from consideration as a first-time homebuyer under this paragraph on the basis that the individual owns or owned, as a principal residence during such 3-year period, a dwelling unit whose structure is—
(i)not permanently affixed to a permanent foundation in accordance with local or other applicable regulations, or
(ii)not in compliance with State, local, or model building codes, or other applicable codes, and cannot be brought into compliance with such codes for less than the cost of constructing a permanent structure.
(15)The term “single parent” means an individual who—
(A)is unmarried or legally separated from a spouse; and
(B)(i)has 1 or more minor children for whom the individual has custody or joint custody; or
(ii)is pregnant.
(16)The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, unless otherwise specified in this Act.
(17)The term “substantial rehabilitation” means the rehabilitation of residential property at an average cost in excess of $25,000 per dwelling unit.
(18)The term “public housing agency” has the meaning given the term in section 1437a(b) of this title.
(19)The term “metropolitan city” has the meaning given the term in section 5302(a)(4) of this title.
(20)The term “urban county” has the meaning given the term in section 5302(a)(6) of this title.
(21)The term “certification” means a written assertion, based on supporting evidence, which shall be kept available for inspection by the Secretary, the Inspector General and the public, which assertion shall be deemed to be accurate for purposes of this Act, unless the Secretary determines otherwise after inspecting the evidence and providing due notice and opportunity for comment.
(22)The term “to demonstrate to the Secretary” means to submit to the Secretary a written assertion together with supporting evidence that, in the determination of the Secretary, supports the accuracy of the assertion.
(23)The term “insular area” means any of the following: Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.
(24)The term “energy efficient mortgage” means a mortgage that provides financing incentives for the purchase of energy efficient homes, or that provides financing incentives to make energy efficiency improvements in existing homes by incorporating the cost of such improvements in the mortgage.
(25)The term “infill housing project” means a residential housing project that—
(A)is located within the geographic limits of a municipality;
(B)is adequately served by existing utilities and public services as required under applicable law;
(C)is located on a site of previously disturbed land of not more than 5 acres; and
(D)is substantially surrounded by residential or commercial development, as determined by the Secretary.
(26)The term “community land trust” means a nonprofit entity, a State, a unit of local government, or an instrumentality of a State or unit of local government that—
(A)is not managed by, or an affiliate of, a for profit organization;
(B)has as a primary purpose of acquiring, developing, or holding land to provide housing that is permanently affordable to low- and moderate-income persons;
(C)monitors properties to ensure affordability is preserved;
(D)provides housing that is permanently affordable to low- and moderate-income persons using a ground lease, deed covenant, or other similar legally enforceable measure, determined acceptable by the Secretary, that—
(i)keeps housing affordable to low- and moderate-income persons for not less than 30 years; and
(ii)enables low- and moderate-income persons to rent or purchase the housing for home-ownership; and
(E)maintains preemptive purchase options to purchase the property if such purchase would allow the housing to remain affordable to low-and moderate-income persons.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in pars. (1), (2), (6), (16), and (21), is Pub. L. 101–625, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4079, known as the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 12701 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2026—Par. (6)(B). Pub. L. 119–101, § 501(b), struck out “significant” before “representation”. Par. (22). Pub. L. 119–101, § 501(v)(4)(A), redesignated par. (23) as (22). Pars. (23), (24). Pub. L. 119–101, § 501(v)(4)(B), which directed the redesignation of par. (24) defining “insular area”, as added by section 2(2) of Pub. L. 102–230, as (23), was executed by redesignating par. (24) defining “insular area”, as added by title I of Pub. L. 102–229, as (23) to reflect the probable intent of Congress. section 211(a)(1) of Pub. L. 102–550 amended this section to read as if the amendment made by Pub. L. 102–230 had not been enacted. See 1992 Amendment note below. Par. (25). Pub. L. 119–101, § 501(l)(4), added par. (25) and struck out former par. (25) which read as follows: “The term ‘energy efficient mortgage’ means a mortgage that provides financing incentives for the purchase of energy efficient homes, or that provides financing incentives to make energy efficiency improvements in existing homes by incorporating the cost of such improvements in the mortgage.” Par. (26). Pub. L. 119–101, § 501(r), added par. (26). 1994—Par. (2). Pub. L. 103–233 struck out “and” after “Columbia,” and inserted before period at end “, or any agency or instrumentality thereof that is established pursuant to legislation and designated by the chief executive officer to act on behalf of the State with regard to the provisions of this Act”. 1992—Par. (1). Pub. L. 102–550, § 211(a)(1), amended this section to read as if amendment made by Pub. L. 102–230, § 2(1), had not been enacted. See 1991 Amendment note below. Par. (6). Pub. L. 102–550, § 217(a), inserted concluding provisions. Par. (8). Pub. L. 102–550, § 218, inserted before period at end “and elder cottage housing opportunity units that are small, free-standing, barrier-free, energy-efficient, removable, and designed to be installed adjacent to existing 1- to 4-family dwellings”. Par. (14)(C). Pub. L. 102–550, § 219, added subpar. (C). Par. (24). Pub. L. 102–550, § 211(a)(1), amended this section to read as if amendment made by Pub. L. 102–230, § 2(2), had not been enacted. See 1991 Amendment note below. Pub. L. 102–486 added par. (24) defining “energy efficient mortgage”. Par. (25). Pub. L. 102–550, § 914(a), added par. (25). 1991—Par. (1). Pub. L. 102–230, § 2(1), directed the substitution of “the insular areas” for “Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, the Marshall Islands”. See 1992 Amendment note above. Pub. L. 102–229 struck out “Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa,” after “of a State;”. Par. (24). Pub. L. 102–230, § 2(2), directed the addition of a par. (24) to read as follows: “(24) The term ‘insular areas’ means Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.” See 1992 Amendment note above. Pub. L. 102–229 added par. (24) defining “insular area”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1994 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–233 applicable with respect to any amounts made available to carry out subchapter II (§ 12721 et seq.) of this chapter after Apr. 11, 1994, and any amounts made available to carry out that subchapter before that date that remain uncommitted on that date, with Secretary to issue any

Regulations

necessary to carry out such amendment not later than end of 45-day period beginning on that date, see section 209 of Pub. L. 103–233, set out as a note under section 5301 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1992 Amendment Pub. L. 102–550, title II, § 211(b), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3757, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by subsection (a) [amending this section and section 12747 of this title] shall apply with respect to fiscal year 1993 and thereafter.” Pub. L. 102–550, title II, § 223, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3762, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this title [enacting section 12810 of this title and amending this section and section 12705, 12724, 12742, 12745 to 12748, 12750, 12771, 12773, 12774, 12782, and 12784 of this title] shall apply to unexpended funds allocated under title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act [42 U.S.C. 12721 et seq.] in fiscal year 1992, except as otherwise specifically provided.”

Regulations

Pub. L. 102–550, title II, § 222, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3762, provided that: “The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall issue any final

Regulations

necessary to implement the provisions of this title [enacting section 12810 of this title, amending this section and section 12705, 12724, 12742, 12745 to 12748, 12750, 12771, 12773, 12774, 12782, and 12784 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section 12746, 12747, and 12750 of this title] and the

Amendments

made by this title not later than the expiration of the 180-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 28, 1992], except as expressly provided otherwise in this title and the

Amendments

made by this title. Such

Regulations

shall be issued after notice and opportunity for public comment pursuant to the provisions of section 553 of title 5, United States Code (notwithstanding subsections (a)(2), (b)(B), and (d)(3) of such section).” Transition Rule Pub. L. 102–550, title II, § 217(b), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3760, provided that: “For the purposes of determining compliance with the requirements of section 104(6) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act [42 U.S.C. 12704(6)], the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may provide an exception for organizations that meet the definition of community housing development organization, except for significant representation of low-income community residents on the board, if such organization fulfills such requirement within 6 months of receiving funds under title II of such Act [42 U.S.C. 12721 et seq.] or September 30, 1993, whichever is sooner.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 12704

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110