(a) Minimizing displacement. Consistent with the other goals and objectives of this part, owners shall assure that they have taken all reasonable steps to minimize the displacement of persons (families, individuals, businesses, nonprofit organization, and farms) as a result of a project assisted under this part.

(b) Temporary relocation. The following policies cover residential tenants who will not be required to move permanently but who must relocate temporarily for the project. Such tenants must be provided;

(1) Reimbursement for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the temporary relocation, including the cost of moving to and from the temporary housing and any increase in monthly rent/utility costs; and

(2) Appropriate advisory services, including reasonable advance written notice of:

(i) The date and approximate duration of the temporary relocation;

(ii) The location of the suitable, decent, safe, and sanitary dwelling to be made available for the temporary period;

(iii) The terms and conditions under which the tenant may lease and occupy a suitable, decent, safe, and sanitary dwelling in the building/complex following completion of the rehabilitation; and

(iv) The provisions of paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

(c) Relocation assistance for displaced persons. A “displaced person” (as defined in paragraph (g) of this section) must be provided relocation assistance at the levels described in, and in accordance with the requirements of, the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (URA) (42 U.S.C. 4601-4655) and implementing regulations at 49 CFR part 24. A “displaced person” shall be advised of his or her rights under the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601-19), and, if the representative comparable replacement dwelling used to establish the amount of the replacement housing payment to be provided to a minority person is located in an area of minority concentration, such person also shall be given, if possible, referrals to comparable and suitable, decent, safe, and sanitary replacement dwellings not located in such areas.

(d) Real property acquisition requirements. The acquisition of real property for a project is subject to the URA and the requirements described in 49 CFR part 24, subpart B.

(e) Appeals. A person who disagrees with the Owner's determination concerning whether the person qualifies as a “displaced person,” or the amount of relocation assistance for which the person is found to be eligible, may file a written appeal of that determination with the owner. A low-income person who is dissatisfied with the owner's determination on such appeal may submit a written request for review of that determination to the HUD Field Office.

(f) Responsibility of owner.

(1) The owner shall certify (i.e., provide assurance of compliance, as required by 49 CFR part 24) that he or she will comply with the URA, the regulations at 49 CFR part 24, and the requirements of this section. The owner is responsible for such compliance notwithstanding and third party's contractual obligation to the owner to comply with these provisions.

(2) The cost of providing required relocation assistance is an eligible project cost to the same extent and in the same manner as other project costs. Such costs also may be paid for with funds available from other sources.

(3) The owner shall maintain records in sufficient detail to demonstrate compliance with the provisions of this section. The owner shall maintain data on the race, ethnic, gender, and handicap status of displaced persons.

(g) Definition of displaced person.

(1) for purposes of this section, the term displaced person means a person (family, individual, business, nonprofit organization, or farm) that moves from real property, or moves personal property from real property, permanently, as a direct result of acquisition, rehabilitation, or demolition for a project assisted under this part. This includes any permanent, involuntary move for an assisted project, including any permanent move from the real property that is made:

(i) After notice by the owner to move permanently from the property, if the move occurs on or after the date of the submission of the application to HUD;

(ii) Before submission of the application to HUD, if HUD determines that the displacement resulted directly from acquisition, rehabilitation, or demolition for the assisted project; or

(iii) By a tenant-occupant of a dwelling unit, if any one of the following three situations occurs;

(A) The tenant moves after execution of the Housing Assistance Payments Contract, and the move occurs before the tenant is provided written notice offering him or her the opportunity to lease and occupy a suitable, decent, safe, and sanitary dwelling in the same building/complex, under reasonable terms and conditions, upon completion of the project. Such reasonable terms and conditions include a monthly rent and estimated average monthly utility costs that do not exceed the greater of:

(1) The tenant's monthly rent before execution of the Housing Assistance Payments Contract and estimated average monthly utility costs; or

(2) The total tenant payment, as determined under part 5 of this title, if the tenant is low-income, or 30 percent of gross household income, if the tenant is not low-income;

(B) The tenant is required to relocate temporarily, does not return to the building/complex, and either:

(1) The tenant is not offered payment for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the temporary relocation, or

(2) Other conditions of the temporary relocation are not reasonable; or

(C) The tenant is required to move to another dwelling unit in the same building/complex but is not offered reimbursement for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the move, or other conditions of the move are not reasonable.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (g)(1) of this section, a person does not qualify as a “displaced person” (and is not eligible for relocation assistance under the URA or this section), if:

(i) The person has been evicted for serious or repeated violation of the terms and conditions of the lease or occupancy agreement, violation of applicable Federal, State or local law, or other good cause, and HUD determines that the eviction was not undertaken for the purpose of evading the obligation to provide relocation assistance;

(ii) The person moved into the property after the submission of the application and, before signing a lease and commencing occupancy, received written notice of the project, its possible impact on the person (e.g., the person may be displaced, temporarily relocated, or suffer a rent increase) and the fact that he or she would not qualify as a “displaced person” (or for assistance under this section) as a result of the project;

(iii) The person is ineligible under 49 CFR 24.2(g)(2); or

(iv) HUD determines that the person was not displaced as a direct result of acquisition, rehabilitation, or demolition for the project.

(3) The owner may ask HUD, at any time, to determine whether a displacement is or would be covered by this section.

(h) Definition of initiation of negotiations. For purposes of determining the formula for computing the replacement housing assistance to be provided to a residential tenant displaced as a direct result of private-owner rehabilitation, demolition or acquisition of the real property, the term “initiation of negotiations” means the owner's execution of the Housing Assistance Payments Contract.

(Approved by Office of Management and Budget under OMB Control Number 2506-0121)

[58 FR 43721, Aug. 17, 1993. Redesignated at 59 FR 36643, July 18, 1994, as amended at 65 FR 16724, Mar. 29, 2000]