972.230—Conversion plan components.

A conversion plan must:

(a) Describe the conversion and future use or disposition of the public housing development. If the future use of the development is demolition or disposition, the PHA is not required to submit a demolition or disposition application, so long as the PHA submits, and HUD approves, a conversion plan that includes a description of the future uses of the development.

(b) Include an impact analysis of the conversion on the affected community. This may include the description that is required as part of the conversion assessment.

(c) Include a description of how the conversion plan is consistent with the findings of the conversion assessment undertaken in accordance with § 972.218.

(d) Include a summary of the resident comments received when developing the conversion plan, and the PHA responses to the significant issues raised by the commenters (including a description of any actions taken by the PHA as a result of the comments).

(e) Confirm that any proceeds received from the conversion are subject to the limitations under section 18(a)(5) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437p(a)(5)) applicable to proceeds resulting from demolition or disposition.

(f) Summarize why the conversion assessment for the public housing project supports the three conditions necessary for conversion described in § 972.224.

(g) Include a relocation plan that incorporates all of the information identified in paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(4) of this section. In addition, if the required conversion is subject to the URA, the relocation plan must also contain the information identified in paragraph (g)(5) of this section. The relocation plan must incorporate the following:

(1) The number of households to be relocated, by bedroom size, by the number of accessible units.

(2) The relocation resources that will be necessary, including a request for any necessary Section 8 funding and a description of actual or potential public or other assisted housing vacancies that can be used as relocation housing and budget for carrying out relocation activities.

(3) A schedule for relocation and removal of units from the public housing inventory (including the schedule for providing actual and reasonable relocation expenses, as determined by the PHA, for families displaced by the conversion).

(4) Provide for issuance of a written notice to families residing in the development in accordance with the following requirements:

(i) Timing of notice. If the voluntary conversion is not subject to the URA, the notice shall be provided to families at least 90 days before displacement. If the voluntary conversion is subject to the URA the written notice shall be provided to families no later than the date the conversion plan is submitted to HUD. For purposes of a voluntary conversion subject to the URA, this written notice shall constitute the General Information Notice (GIN) required by the URA.

(ii) Contents of notice. The written notice shall include all of the following:

(A) The development will no longer be used as public housing and that the family may be displaced as a result of the conversion;

(B) The family will be offered comparable housing, which may include tenant-based or project-based assistance, or occupancy in a unit operated or assisted by the PHA (if tenant-based assistance is used, the comparable housing requirement is fulfilled only upon relocation of the family into such housing);

(C) Any necessary counseling with respect to the relocation will be provided, including any appropriate mobility counseling (the PHA may finance the mobility counseling using Operating Fund, Capital Fund, or Section 8 administrative fee funding);

(D) The family will be relocated to other decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing that is, to the maximum extent possible, housing of their choice;

(E) If the development is used as housing after conversion, the PHA must ensure that each resident may choose to remain in the housing, using tenant-based assistance towards rent;

(F) Where Section 8 voucher assistance is being used for relocation, the family will be provided with the vouchers at least 90 days before displacement;

(5) Additional information required for conversions subject to the URA. If the voluntary conversion is subject to the URA, the written notice described in paragraph (g)(4) must also provide that:

(i) The family will not be required to move without at least 90-days advance written notice of the earliest date by which the family may be required to move, and that the family will not be required to move permanently until the family is offered comparable housing as provided in paragraph (g)(4)(ii)(B) of this section;

(ii) Any person who is an alien not lawfully present in the United States is ineligible for relocation payments or assistance under the URA, unless such ineligibility would result in exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to a qualifying spouse, parent, or child, as provided in the URA regulations at 49 CFR 24.208.

(iii) The family has a right to appeal the PHA's determination as to the family's application for relocation assistance for which the family may be eligible under this subpart and URA.

(iv) Families residing in the development will be provided with the URA Notice of Relocation Eligibility or Notice of Non-displacement (as applicable) as of the date HUD approves the conversion plan (for purposes of this subpart, the date of HUD's approval of the conversion plan shall be the “date of initiation of negotiations” as that term is used in URA and the implementing regulations at 49 CFR part 24 ).

(v) Any family that moves into the development after submission of the conversion plan to HUD will also be eligible for relocation assistance, unless the PHA issues a written move-in notice to the family prior to leasing and occupancy of the unit advising the family of the development's possible conversion, the impact of the conversion on the family, and that the family will not be eligible for relocation assistance.