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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985-004 " . 74fl~ V -,G!~/ ) BEFORE THE HOUSING FINANCE AUTHORITY ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA , " RESOLUTION NO. 85-04 Sf. ;.0... ., ! A RESOLUTION ADOPTING GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE ISSUANCE OF MULTI-FAMILY REVENUE BONDS IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY WHEREAS, the Housing Finance Authority has made the following determinations: 1. Part IV, Chapter 159, Florida Statutes authorizes this Authority to issue mUlti-family revenue bonds for qualified multi-family housing rental projects. 2. Section 159.608, Florida Statutes directs this Authority to determine whether the project will assist in alleviating the shortage of housing and of capital for investment in the area of its operation. 3. Various federal statutes, including the Federal Tax Reform Act of 1984, impose further restrictions on the issuance of mUlti-family revenue bonds that this Authority may issue. 4. On December 10, 1985, after publishing notice in the Fort Pierce News Tribune on November 13 and December 2, 1985, this Authority held a public hearing on the proposal to establish guidelines and procedures for the issuance of multi-family tax exempt bonds in St. Lucie County. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the St. Lucie County Housing Finance Authority: A. The St. Lucie County Housing Finance Authority Guidelines and Procedures for the Issuance of MUlti-Family Tax Exempt Bonds attached to this resolution be, and they are hereby adopted. !i~ 4~11'.l(;t 1~92 - . . B. This resolution shall be effective on the date of adoption. After motion and second the vote on this resolution was as follows: Chairman Michael McCarty Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye Roosevelt Nelson Mike Perri, Jr. Vernon Smith Frederic A. Stewart PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 10th day of December, 1985. ATTEST: HOUSING FINANCE AUTHORITY ST. LUCIE , FLORIDA / ~tb By: APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: <~ /.'. o::5aL-v{c CU, uJOO~ ..J ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY en:l~, 4~'7 f'~fJt l~Y:J . . HOUSING FINANCE AUTHORITY OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE ISSUANCE OF MULTI-FAMILY TAX EXEMPT BONDS I. INTRODUCTION The Housing Finance Author i ty of St. Lucie County (the "Authority") will consider providing tax-exempt revenue bond financing for qualified mUlti-family housing projects which meet the goals of the Authority and comply with applicable federal and state law. The Authority has adopted the following guidelines to set forth the general requirements and procedures which apply to the financing of mUlti-family rental housing projects. The Authority will issue obligations to provide financing for any project only if the applicant has satisfied the requirements set forth in these guidelines. The Authority reserves the right to impose additional requirements on any particular project. Compliance with these guidel ines does not and shall not create any right by an applicant to a commitment or assurance that the Authority will provide the requested financing. The Author i ty is author ized under Part IV, Chapter 159, Florida Statutes, to issue tax-exempt obligations to finance the acquisition for construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation. of qualified mUlti-family rental housing projects. The Authority sells tax-exempt revenue bonds (the "Bonds") and loans the proceeds to a qualified financial institution (the "Lender"). The Lender in turn loans the funds to a qualified developer. The developer must arrange to secure or collateralize the loan from the Authority, thereby securing the bonds. The Bonds are backed 1 ;}}'ll~ 487 l'~f;t 1~!J4 . . by the collateral and by revenues from the project and not by public revenues. The Authority is merely a conduit and is liable on the bonds only to the extent of payments received from the developer or the lender. From time to time the Author i ty may approve other financing structures to the extent permitted by law. The purpose of such financing is to alleviate the shortage of rental housing available which many persons and families can afford and a shortage of capital for investments in such housing in St. Lucie County, to stimulate economic development and to create jobs. ALL PROJECTS ARE SUBJECT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE AUTHORITY'S RULES AND REGULATIONS AND PROGRAM GUIDELINES. II. GUIDELINES A. Use of Bond Proceeds The use of proceeds realized from the sale of bonds issued by the Housing Finance Authority of St. Lucie County shall be governed by the regulations and laws of the State of Florida and the United States Internal Revenue Code. B. Financial Structure 1. The legal structure of the proposed financing may take any form that is permitted by the applicable federal and state statutes in effect at the time of the bond issue closing. C. Fees and Expenses 1. An applicant for mUlti-family bonds will remit with the application a fee of seven hundred and 0/100 dollars ($700.00) payable to the St. Lucie County Housing Finance Authority. 2 . .' A ()'7 llJ1U: ~!-!:1K 'fO r.~(jf: 0,:7;) . . 2. The County Attorney shall represent the St. Lucie County Housing Finance Authority for all multi- family revenue bonds issued by the Author i ty, and the applicant shall pay for all expenses incurred by the County Attorney in providing such representation. 3. The applicant shall designate bond counsel for the issue subject to acceptability to the County Attorney, and shall pay the cost of such services. 4. An administrative fee of 0.1 percent of the first one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) and 0.05 percent of the remaining amount of the bonds will be charged at the closing for all issues, but such administrative fee shall not exceed $15,000.00 for any single issue. 5. The Applicant shall be responsible for paying all fees and expenses incurred by any party in connection with the bond issue on its behalf. Applicant shall pay all County fees at or prior to closing and shall make arrangements for payment of all other fees. 6. The Authority will charge an annual program compliance fee of 0.04 of 1% of the principal amount of the bonds as well as any administrative, legal, or other charges associated with the ongoing operation of the bond issue. D. Development Reguirements The Authority may provide financing for projects which are in compliance with the provisions of Section 103(b) (4) (A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (the "Code") and the regulations pomulgated thereunder or Section 11 (b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended (the "Act"). Florida Statutes require that authorities issuing multi-family revenue bonds determine that projects financed assist in alleviating the shortage of housing in the area of the authority's operation. In order to qualify for financing, the project must at a minimum meet the following requirements: 3 "f' A()t7 l~Ut"" j!i,~ 'fO i',~(;t O~) , ' . . 1. Must provide safe, sanitary and decent multi-family residential housing for lower, middle, and moderate income persons or families. 2. The project must be owned, managed, and operated as a project to provide mUlti-family residential property compr ised of a building or structure or several proximate buildings or structures, each containing one or more dwelling units and functionally related facilities, in accordance with Section 103 (b) (4) (A) of the Internal Revenue Code. 3. Substantially all of the development will consist of similar units, containing facilities for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation for a single person or family. 4. None of the units in the development will be used on a transient basis, nor shall they be knowingly leased for a period of less than 30 days, nor shall they be used as a hotel, motel, fraternity house, sorority house, rooming house, hospital, sanitarium, or rest home. 5. The developer or applicant or an individual related to the owner has no present plan to convert the project as such terms are defined by the Code. 6. None of the uni ts will at any time be occupied by the owner of the project or an individual related to the owner as such terms are defined by the Code. 7. Commencing on the completion date of the project at least 20% of the dwelling units (the "Low and Moderate Income Units" in the project or 15% in the case of "targeted areas" as defined in the Code) will be rented to persons or families whose gross income, as determined in accordance with Section 8 requirements of the Act, does not exceed 80% of the County median income level most recently publ ished by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the longer of: (a) ten years after the date on which 50% of the units in such project are occupied, (b) one-half the term of the bond financing after the date on which any unit in such project is first occupied, or (c) the term of any contract pursuant to Section 8 of the Act which is provided with respect to such project. All such persons are hereafter referred to as "Low or Moderate Income Persons". All dwelling units will only be rented to eligible persons. 8. After satsifying the requirements set forth in paragraph 8 above, the remaining units must be 4 'I' 4lJ'7 ItJ( '1 BIJ!lK ,0 P~,(if' O.~ ( . . rented to persons or families, irrespective of race, creed, national origin, or sex, of moderate, middle, or lesser income, as determined by the Author i ty. Unless otherwise provided by Author i ty resolution, the remaining units in each mUlti-family project must be rented to persons or families with incomes equal to or less than 150% of the median income most recently established by HUD (or by the Authority if it adopts a different median income standard) for the County, (such persons or families to be hereinafter referred to as "Eligible Persons"). 9. The annual rent on units which are intended to qualify as the Low and Moderate Income Units will not exceed 30% of 80% of the County median income level. The rent on the remaining units in the project may not exceed 30% of 150% of the County median income level. 10. The developer or applicant will obtain and maintain on file income certifications from such tenant prior to initial occupancy of a unit and will submit copies of such income certifications to the Authority on a monthly basis. 11. The developer or applicant will maintain complete and accurate records pertaining to the dwelling units and will permit any duly authorized representative of the Authority, the lender/servicer, the trustee, the Department of the Treasury or the Internal Revenue Service to inspect such books and records. 12. The developer or applicant will monthly submit to the Authority and the trustee a certificate and other tenant related information as may be required by the Authority stating the percentage of dwelling units that are: a. Occupied by lower income tenants. b. Being held vacant for occupancy by lower income tenants. c. Occupied by other eligible tenants. 13. The developer or applicant will not take, permit, omit to take, or cause to be taken any action which would adversely affect the exemption from federal income taxation of the interest on the bonds. 14. The developer or applicant will take such action or actions as may be necessary, in the opinion of Bond Counselor the County Attorney, to comply fully with the Internal Revenue Code or Florida Statutes. 5 . i.,; A l,l'7 l' LJI B..' f)i)n~ /.fO f'.~(;t OtJZJ . . 16. The developer or applicant will execute or cause to be executed a loan agreement, mortgage and such guarantee agreement as are necessary to secure the bonds. III. PROCEDURES A. Pre-application Review Representatives for a potential applicant for the issuance of mUlti-family revenue bonds may appear at a work session of the Housing Finance Authority to outline the proposed capital project and to request a preliminary, informal, and non- binding indication of whether the proposal might receive favorable consideration. No further review or analysis will be performed by the Housing Finance Authority or Authority staff until an application is filed. B. Application An application for the issuance of multi-family revenue bonds shall be submitted to the Housing Finance Authority. The original and 7 copies of the application shall be submitted with the appropriate application fee to the County Attorney. In order to be considered at a regular meeting of the Authority the application must be submitted not less than fifteen working days (three weeks) prior to the Authority meeting at which the application is to be considered. The application shall be on the developer's letterhead and shall include the following information: 1. Applicant's name, parent company name or names of principals with 10 percent or more interest in the applicant, names of applicant's principal operating officers, names of principals with 10 percent or more interest in the project, and the applicant's business address and telephone number. 6 ~n;l~ 487 f'~r,t 1~9~ . . 2. Approximate total amount of financing being sought. 3. A statement describing the applicant, its history, its operations, and its prior experience with mUlti-family development. 4. A statement describing the sources funds for the project, as follows: a. Bond proceeds b. Equity (cash, letter of credit, etc.) c. Other (fixed assets, etc.) 5. A completed information form concerning all aspects of the project. Such form is incorporated herein as Exhibit "A" and shall include: a. Project location and approximate acreage. b. A description of the number, type of units, and square footage and project rental for such units. c. Status of site acquisition, zoning, site plan approval, and all other permits. d. Total estimated project cost and total cost breakdown. e. Amount of project cost expended. f. Name of lender to participate in project. g. Market analysis identifying demand for rental housing or statement evidencing. h. Project amenities. i. First year analysis. proforma income and expense j. Project site plan and construction timetable. 6. A statement describing the zoning, land use, and other laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations affecting development of the project. 7 · A statement indicating the proposed secur i ty for and guarantors of the bonds. ~n6~ 487 f'.'Gt 1900 7 . . 8. A statement describing the proposed method of selling the bonds. 9. Audited financial statements (including balance sheet, income statement, statement of changes in financial condition, and all accompanying notes) of the applicant, parent company (if any), and bond guarantors for the preceding three years. If personal guarantees are required, include a current balance sheet for each individual guarantor. Should audited financial statements not be available, the Board may agree to accept statements in unaudited form supported by corporate income tax returns in order to commence processing of the application. 10. A notarized certificate executed by a principal or the chief executive or operating officer of the applicant, as follows: I hereby certify (a) that I am authorized to submit to the Housing Finance Authority of St. Lucie County, Florida, this application for the issuance of multi-family revenue bonds; (b) that I have reviewed the Guidelines and Procedures for the Issuance of MUlti-family Revenue Bonds in St. Lucie County and have determined that this application and the project contemplated hereby meet the requirements set forth in such Guidelines and Procedures; and (c) that the information contained in this application is true, correct, and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. 11. In conjunction with its application, the applicant shall be required to execute an Expense and Indemnity Agreement, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit nBn, whereby the applicant agrees to pay all bond issuance expenses, including, without limitation, the fees and disbursements of the Authority's Counsel, Bond Counsel, and any other administrative charges or out-of-pocket expenses which relate to the issue, and to indemnify the Authority and its members, officers, agents, attorneys, and employees against any and all claims and liability arising out of the issuance of the bonds. 12. Other information which the appliant considers relevant to the consideration of the application. C. Application evaluation criteria 8 , ,,' 4",>'7 1. nUl 6q;lK 0 p~lit t~ . . In considering an application the Authority shall consider the following: 1. The need for additional rental housing in the area in which the project is being proposed. 2. Whether the project will be available to persons and families of low, moderate, and middle income and promote the general welfare of all County residents. 3. The availability financing and the sources. of alternative sources effect of utilitizing of such 4. The credit instrument or guarantee instrument or other collateral being offered to secure the bonds. 5. The experience and financial condition of the applicant, the lending institution and any third party guarantee. 6. Marketability of the Bonds financing such a project with the guarantee or collateral being offered. 7. The proposed plans for the development. 8. The public purpose served by financing the project. 9. The project compliance with the tax-exemption provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. 10. The applicant must agree to comply with a minimum of two of the following six criteria: a. At least 10 percent of the units in the project must be three-bedroom units. b. At least 30 percent of the units occupied or reserved for occupancy moderate income persons or families. must be by low- c. At least for the occupied moderate 20 percent of each unit size, except three-bedroom unit size, must be or reserved for occupancy by low- income persons or families. d. The units in the project will have substantially lower rent rates than comparably sized new units in the area. e. The project rehabilitates existing construction or provides rental opportunities in urban areas where lower-income housing is needed. 9 ril:)~ 48.7 p~r;t 1!JU~ . . f. The project will meet or alleviate local specialized needs in the area where the project is located which needs have been verified by a recent rental market study. 11. All of the above will be considered by the Authority; however, in the event of competing projects, preference shall be given to projects meeting the greater number of the criteria set forth in the section above, and the Authority, in its discretion, will then adopt or reject the application. D. Application review 1. Staff report The application for multi-family revenue bonds will be reviewed by the County Administrator, County Finance Director, County Development Coordinator, County Planner, and County Attorney. The designated County staff shall report to the Housing Finance Authority on the following matters: a. The accuracy application. and completeness of the b. The financial soundness of the proposed project, the applicant, and any guarantor. c. Conformance of the proj ect and the proposed financing with applicable federal, state, and local statutes, policies, and guidelines. 2. Authority action a. Agenda Scheduling When the staff report is complete, the report and the application will be presented to the Housing Finance Authority for consideration at a regular meeting. (i) If the Authority accepts the application, it will authorize publishing notice of a public hearing to be scheduled in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Tax Equity and Fiscal Respons- ibility Act of 1982 as more fully described in Subsection c below. (ii) The Authority may decide, however, that it requires additional information. 10 . I dl A \J71UIl'~' GunK 'fO P~(;t .7\JtJ . . b. Inducement Resolution If the application is scheduled for a public hear ing, the appl icant, through bond counsel, shall be responsible for preparing the required notice of public hear ing and submitting the notice to the County Attorney for review and publication. In addition, the applicant, again through bond counsel, shall be responsbile for preparing the draft of an inducement resolution as described below and for submitting the draft to the County Attorney for review and circulation to the Housing Finance Author i ty. Following the public hearing, the Authority will decide whether the project is feasible, will assist in alleviating a housing shortage in St. Lucie County, and will meet all other criteria and requirements of Part Iv, Chapter 159, Florida Statutes. (i) After deliberation, the Authority may adopt an inducement resolution authorizing execution of a memorandum of agreement between the Authority and the applicant specifying the terms under which the Authority will issue mUlti-family revenue bonds and inducing the appl icant to proceed with the project. (ii) However, requires decline further. the Authority may decide that it more information, or it may to consider the application (iii) The official action of the Authority shall not be construed as indicating the marketability of the bonds or a guarantee that the bonds will be issued. Rather, it is an indication that the Authority will issue its bonds if a willing and suitable purchaser is found by applicant and all conditions precedent to issuance occur. c. TEFRA A~proval (i) Pursuant to the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 ("TEFRAtI) the County Commission of St. Lucie County, Florida (the "Commission") must approve the project and the issuance of the bonds. A notice setting forth the location of the project, the principal amount of the 11 '11:487 J'.~f;t19U4 . . bonds, the owner of the project, HUD project number, if any, and other relevant data about the proposed financing and citing the date, time, and location of a TEFRA public hearing must be published at least 14 days prior to the TEFRA public hearing. Upon due notice and unless otherwise provided, the TEFRA public hearing will be held by the Authority at a regularly scheduled meeting time. A TEFRA public hearing will be scheduled, upon the written request of the applicant, at such time as the applicant has provided all materials required in the Application Form, and has provided evidence that the Board of County Commissioners and applicable municipal government has been advised of the application to the Authority for tax-exempt bond financing for the project. At the TEFRA hearing the applicant will be required to make a brief presentation of the project, including site plan and architectual renderings of the buildings and the public will be invi ted to be heard with regard to the project. Other than providing an opportunity for the public to be heard, no Official Action is required to be taken at the TEFRA public hearing. (ii) Subsequent to the TEFRA public hearing and the final review of the entire proposed bond financing, the Authority shall, by memorandum, recommend to the Board the adoption of a resolution at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Commission, approving the project and issuance of the Bonds in accordance with TEFRA. (iii) The individual or entity named in the TEFRA notice must own the project at closing on the bonds and thereafter for such period as specified by the Authority. This requirement will be deemed complied with if the individual or entity named in the TEFRA notice is (i) the same individual or entity owing the project; (ii) a general partner of a subsequent formed partnership owing the project; (ii i) a related or subsidiary corporat ion owing the project or (iv) a principal owner (50% or more) of a corporation owning the project. ;n:,~ 487 P~(jt l~U~ 12 . . d. At such time as the applicant has obtained a binding financing commitment, but not later than six (6) months from the date of the inducement resolution, the applicant, lender and investment banker shall make a presentation to the Authority setting forth certain details of the project financing which shall include but not limited to: (i) terms of the financing commitment (ii) description of syndication, if applicable, (iii) structure of the proposed bond financing including credit facility, and (iv) a proforma financial statement based upon the terms of the financing commitment and the particular bond financing structure. The Authority shall then, upon such terms as agreed to between the Author i ty and the appl icant, authorize Bond Counsel to begin drafting bond documents for applicant's project. E. Proposed Method of Sale of Bonds There are a var iety of bond financing structures and credit enhancements that may be utilized by the applicant such as loans-to-lenders, letters of credit, mortgage insurance, surety bonds, etc. 1. If the obligations are to be publicly sold, whether by competitive bid or negotiated sale, the bond issue must be structured so as to receive an investment grade rating by Standard & Poor's Corporation and/or Moody's Investors Service. In such case, the application must indicate the type and nature of the proposed credit support or surety and the name and telephone number of a contact person (if known at time of application) at the approporate institution. If the project mortgage is to be insured by the United States Federal Housing Administration ("FHA"), the applicant must provide evidence that the applicant has applied for a conditional commitment from FHA, including United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") Form 2013. 2. If the bonds are to be privately placed, the Authority may require a different rating or permit the issuance of the bonds without a rating. In the case of a private placement transaction, the applicant, upon delivery of the investor purchasing the obligations substantially to the effect that: (1) it is engaged in the business, among others, of investing in tax-exempt securities or is an "accredited investor" as defined in Regulation D, Rule 501 (a) promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act 13 - !11: AI f..)'7 ion}; ~,(Yl, ~Q f'~l;( t:JU\~ . . of 1933; (2) it has made an independent investigation into the financial position and business condition of the applicant and therefore waives any right to receive such information; (3) it has received copies of the financing and secur i ties documents pursuant to which such obligations are issued and secured and has had the opportunity to review such documents to its satisfaction; and (4) it is purchasing such obligations for its own account, with the purpose of investment and not with a view to the distribution or resale thereof (subject, however, to its rights to sell, pledge, transfer or otherwise dispose of such obligations at some future date in accordance with the provisions of this section). A form of such investment letter will be provided by the Authority. F. Bond Preparation and Closing 1. Preparation of Bond Documents a. Prior to prepartion of bond sale documents the applicant shall execute a commitment agreement with the Authority including a committment fee or irrevocable letter of credit of 1/2% of the pr incipal amount of the bonds. This fee will be used as a credit against the cost of bond issuance and is not an additional fee. If the sale and closing does not take place the fee will be refunded, less the Authority's out of pocket expenses and any fees of bond counsel. Such expenses include but are not limited to the cost of printing the bonds and official statement, travel and rating agency fees. b. Following execution of the inducement agreement it is applicant's responsibility to contact Bond Counsel and the Author i ty I S Counsel and arrange for preparation of the bond documents. 2. Bond Closing a. After authorization of the issuance by the Authority, adoption of the approving resolution by the Commission and expiration of any appeal period relating to a validation proceeding, the bond closing may be scheduled at any time and in any location which is acceptable to Bond Counsel and to the Authority. b. A preclosing session and a closing session are generally scheduled for consecutive days. The preclosing is designated t? ;:llOW the ~arties Bn!lK 487 p~l;f 1~07 14 . . to review all final documentation and ensure that all is in order for the transfer of funds. c. All bond documents shall be submitted for review by the Authority and the County Attorney at least seven (7) working days prior to the meeting at which the Author ity will consider approval of such documents. The Authority shall also approve a trustee for each bond issue. d. Upon the Authority's approval of the Bond documents the Authority shall authorize the bond closing at a time and place mutually agreed upon by the parties. 3. Bond Validation The Authority's bonds shall be validated as required by Section 159.615, Florida Statutes (1983), and Chapter 75, Florida Statutes, as from time to time amended and suplemented. Bond Counsel shall prepare all validation pleadings for filing in St. Lucie County Circuit Court by the Authority's Attorney. Bond Counsel shall participate in such proceedings upon request of the Authority's attorney. 4. Bonds The Housing Finance Author i ty generally will require that prospective bond issues not rated by Moodys as AA or the Standard and Poor's equivalent be sold only by private placement or limited public offering. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "limited public offering" shall mean an offering made only to institutional investors of not more than 35 in number who agree to purchase for investment for thei r own accounts and who do not purchase with a view toward distribution. This limitation is applicable not only to the initial sale of the bonds, but to resales, if any, in secondary markets, and shall be incorporated in the bond sale documents. 5. Disposition of Proceeds of Bond Sale Following the sale of the bonds, the proceeds will be deposited with the Trustee in a trust account to be disbursed for the acquisition and/or construction of the project and other related costs. The Authority shall require that the Trustee and applicant ensure that the proceeds be used in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and the bond documents. 15 f( 4'~7 f'~!;~ 1~U8 . . 6. Program Compliance Agent In order to insure compliance with the income targeting requi red by State and Federal law, the developer shall retain an independent program compliance agent approved by the Authority. The compliance agent must have experiennce in compliance work with similar bond issues. The compliance agent shall be responsible for monitoring the tenant income certification forms and periodic on site inspections of the project's records and books in order to insure compliance with Federal and State requirements. The Authority reserves the right, upon good cause shown to waive any of these Guidelines and Procedures except the provision requiring a public hearing. .86 J~N -3 P\2 :04 ;1 Fk ROG:': ST. L\,,:' 740482 16 BO;l~ 48'7 P~Gf: 19U.Y