42 USC 12703 – Purposes of Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act
The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to help families not owning a home to save for a down payment for the purchase of a home;
(2) to retain wherever feasible as housing affordable to low-income families those dwelling units produced for such purpose with Federal assistance;
(3) to extend and strengthen partnerships among all levels of government and the private sector, including for-profit and nonprofit organizations, in the production and operation of housing affordable to low-income and moderate-income families;
(4) to expand and improve Federal rental assistance for very low-income families; and
(5) to increase the supply of supportive housing, which combines structural features and services needed to enable persons with special needs to live with dignity and independence.
Terms Used In 42 USC 12703
- 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. See 42 USC 12704
- 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. See 42 USC 12704
- 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. See 42 USC 12704