Sec. 8-410. Low and Moderate Income Housing Predevelopment Cost Revolving Loan Fund. Interest-free loans for predevelopment costs.

      Sec. 8-410. Low and Moderate Income Housing Predevelopment Cost Revolving Loan Fund. Interest-free loans for predevelopment costs. (a) There is established a fund to be known as the "Low and Moderate Income Housing Predevelopment Cost Revolving Loan Fund". The fund shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the fund. Any balance remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried forward in the fund for the fiscal year next succeeding. The fund shall be used to make loans pursuant to subsection (b) of this section and to pay reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in administering loans under this section. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may enter into a contract with a nonprofit corporation to provide for the administration of the Low and Moderate Income Housing Predevelopment Cost Revolving Loan Fund by such nonprofit corporation, provided no loan shall be made from the fund without the authorization of the commissioner as provided in subsection (b) of this section.

      (b) The state, acting by and in the discretion of the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, may enter into a contract to provide financial assistance in the form of interest-free loans or deferred loans to nonprofit corporations, housing authorities or municipal developers, or to partnerships which include a nonprofit corporation, housing authority or municipal developer, for predevelopment costs incurred in connection with the construction, rehabilitation or renovation of housing for low and moderate income persons and families. Such predevelopment costs may include: (1) Feasibility studies, (2) expenses incurred in project planning and design, including architectural expenses, (3) legal and financial expenses, (4) expenses incurred in obtaining required permits and approvals, (5) options to purchase land, (6) expenses incurred in obtaining required insurance and (7) other preliminary expenses authorized by the commissioner. Repayment of such loans or deferred loans shall be made upon receipt of permanent financing by the borrower, except the commissioner may forgive any such loan or deferred loan in any case where the borrower has made a good faith effort to obtain permanent financing and has been refused such financing and where the forgiveness of such loan is in the best interest of the state. Payments of principal on such loans or deferred loans shall be paid to the Treasurer for deposit in the Housing Repayment and Revolving Loan Fund. In the case of a deferred loan, the contract shall require that payments on interest are due immediately but that payments on principal may be made at a later time.

      (P.A. 88-268, S. 1, 6; P.A. 90-238, S. 25, 32; P.A. 92-166, S. 26, 31; P.A. 94-95, S. 13; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6.)

      History: P.A. 90-238 revised provisions re allocation of moneys to various housing funds; P.A. 92-166 amended Subsec. (b) to make deferred loans a form of financial assistance available under the section and to further provide that payments on interest are due immediately but that payments on principal may be made at a later time; P.A. 94-95 in Subsec. (a) eliminated provisions requiring the fund to be held separate and apart from all other moneys, funds and accounts and that investment earnings be credited to assets of the fund; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Housing with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development.