,As 1949r CONTENTS Page H. R. 4491. A bill to encourage construction of rental housing on or in Statement of Davies, Hon. John C., a Representative in Congress from the Thirty- Donaldson, Scott, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Foley, Raymond M., Housing and Home Finance Administrator__ 1 Lapsley, Lt. Col. William, Logistics Division of the General Staff, 39 Reeder, Maj. Gen. W. O., Director of Logistics, United States Army. 17 24 Symington, Hon. W. Stuart, Secretary of the Air Force_ Van Metre, Capt. Merle, U. S. N., Assistant Chief, Home Base Sec- 19 39 30 8 Zuckert, Hon. Eugene M., Assistant Secretary of the Air Force... Deane, Hon. Charles B.: Brown, Jack H., letter of May 19, 1949, from D'Ewart, Hon. Wesley A., letter of June 6, 1949, to Hon. Brent III MILITARY RENTAL HOUSING FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1949 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON BANKING AND CURRENCY, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a. m., Hon. Brent Spence (chairman) presiding. Present: Messrs. Spence, Brown, Monroney, Buchanan, Deane, O'Brien, McKinnon, Addonizio, Mitchell, O'Hara, Gamble, Talle, Kilburn, and Cole. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. The House convenes at 11 o'clock this morning, so we will not have very much time for the consideration of H. R. 4491. (The bill referred to is as follows:) [H. R. 4491, 81st Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To encourage construction of rental housing on or in areas adjacent to Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force installations, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the National Housing Act, as amended, is amended by adding at the end thereof a new title as follows: "TITLE VIII-MILITARY HOUSING INSURANCE "SEC. 801. As used in this title "(a) The term 'mortgage' means a first mortgage on real estate, in fee simple, or on a leasehold (1) under a lease for not less than ninety-nine years which is renewable; or (2) under a lease for a period of not less than fifty years to run from the date the mortgage was executed; and the term 'first mortgage' means such classes of first liens as are commonly given to secure advances on, or the unpaid purchase price of, real estate, under the laws of the State in which the real estate is located, together with the credit instruments, if any, secured thereby. "(b) The term 'mortgagee' includes the original lender under a mortgage, and his successors and assigns approved by the Commissioner; and the term 'mortgagor' includes the original borrower under a mortgage, his successors and assigns. (c) The term 'maturity date' means the date on which the mortgage indebtedness would be extinguished if paid in accordance with periodic payments provided for in the mortgage. "(d) The term 'rental housing' meaning housing, the occupancy of which is permitted by the owner thereof in consideration of the payment of agreed charges, whether or not by the termination of the agreement, such payment over a period of time will entitle the occupant to the ownership of the premises. "(e) The term 'military' includes Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. "(f) The term 'State' includes the several States and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. "SEC. 802. There is hereby created a Military Housing Insurance Fund, which shall be used by the Commissioner as a revolving fund for carrying out the provisions of this title, and mortgages insured under this title shall be known and referred to as 'military housing insured mortgages.' For the purposes of this fund there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any, money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $10,000,000. For immediate needs pending such appropriation, the Commissioner is directed to transfer the 1 sum of $1,000,000 to such fund from the War Housing Insurance Fund created by section 602 of this Act, such amount to be reimbursed to the War Housing Insurance Fund upon the availability of the appropriations authorized by this section. General expenses of operation of the Federal Housing Administration under this title may be charged to the Military Housing Insurance Fund. "SEC. 803. (a) In order to assist in relieving the acute shortage of housing which now exists at or in areas adjacent to military installations because of uncertainty as to the permanency of such installations and to increase the supply of rental housing accommodations available to military and civilian personnel at such installations, the Commissioner is authorized, upon application of the mortgagee, to insure mortgages (including advances on such mortgages during construction) which are eligible for insurance as hereinafter provided, and, upon such terms as the Commissioner may prescribe, to make commitments for so insuring such mortgages prior to the date of their execution or disbursement thereon: Provided, That the aggregate amount of principal obligations of all mortgages insured under this title shall not exceed $500,000,000, except that with the approval of the President such aggregate amount may be increased to not to exceed $1,000,000,000: And provided further, That no mortgage shall be insured under this title after July 1, 1951, except (A) pursuant to a commitment to insure issued on or before such date, or (B) a mortgage given to refinance an existing mortgage insured under this title and which does not exceed the original principal amount and unexpired term of such existing mortgage. (b) To be eligible for insurance under this title a mortgage shall meet the following conditions: "(1) The mortgaged property shall be held by a mortgagor approved by the Commissioner. The Commissioner may in his discretion require such mortgagor to be regulated or restricted as to rents or sales, charges, capital structure, rate of return, and methods of operation. The Commissioner may make such contracts with, and acquire for not to exceed $100 stock or interest in, any such mortgagor as the Commissioner may deem necessary to render effective such restriction or regulation. Such stock or interest shall be paid for out of the Military Housing Insurance Fund, and shall be redeemed by the mortgagor at par upon the termination of all obligations of the Commissioner under the insurance. "(2) The mortgaged property shall be designed for rent for residential use by civilian or military personnel of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Air Force (including Government contractors' employees) assigned to duty at the military installations at or in the area of which such property is constructed. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, preference or priority of opportunity in the occupancy of the mortgaged property for such personnel and their immediate families shall be provided under such regulations and procedures as may be prescribed by the Commissioner. No mortgage shall be insured under this title unless the Secretary of Defense or his designee shall have certified to the Commissioner that the housing with respect to which the mortgage is made is necessary to provide adequate housing for such personnel, that such installation is deemed to be a permanent part of the Military Establishment, and that there is no present intention to substantially curtail activities at such installation. (3) The mortgage shall involve a principal obligation in an amount"(A) not to exceed $5,000,000; and "(B) not to exceed 90 per centum of the amount which the Commissioner estimates will be the replacement cost of the property or project when the proposed improvements are completed; and "(C) not to exceed an average of $8,100 per family unit for such part of such property or project as may be attributable to dwelling use. The mortgage shall provide for complete amortization by periodic payment within such terms as the Commissioner shall prescribe, and shall bear interest (exclusive of premium charges for insurance) at not to exceed 4 per centum per annum of the amount of the principal obligation outstanding at any time. The Commissioner may consent to the release of a part or parts of the mortgaged property from the lien of the mortgage upon such terms and conditions as he may prescribe and the mortgage may provide for such release. "(c) The Commissioner is authorized to fix a premium charge for the insurance of mortgages under this title but in the case of any mortgage such charge shall not be less than an amount equivalent to one-half of 1 per centum per annum nor more than an amount equivalent to 12 per centum per annum of the amount of the principal obligation of the mortgage outstanding at any time, without taking into account delinquent payments or prepayments. Such premium charges shall be payable by the mortgagee, either in cash, or in debentures issued by the Com missioner under this title at par plus accrued interest, in such manner as may be prescribed by the Commissioner: Provided, That the Commissioner may require the payment of one or more such premium charges at the time the mortgage is insured, at such discount rate as he may prescribe not in excess of the interest rate specified in the mortgage. If the Commissioner finds, upon the presentation of a mortgage for insurance and the tender of the initial premium charge and such other charges as the Commissioner may require that the mortgage complies with the provisions of this title, such mortgage may be accepted for insurance by endorsement or otherwise as the Commissioner may prescribe. In the event that the principal obligation of any mortgage accepted for insurance under this title is paid in full prior to the maturity date, the Commissioner is further authorized in his discretion to require the payment by the mortgagee of an adjusted premium charge in such amount as the Commissioner determines to be equitable but not in excess of the aggregate amount of the premium charges that the mortgagee would otherwise have been required to pay if the mortgage had continued to be insured under this title until such maturity date; and in the event that the principal obligation is paid in full as herein set forth, the Commissioner is authorized to refund to the mortgagee for the account of the mortgagor all, or such portion as he shall determine to be equitable, of the current unearned premium charges theretofore paid. "(d) The failure of the mortgagor to make any payment due under or provided to be paid by the terms of a mortgage insured under this title shall be considered a default under such mortgage, and if such default continues for a period of thirty days, the mortgagee shall be entitled to receive the benefits of the insurance as hereinafter provided, upon assignnient, transfer, and delivery to the Commissioner, within a period and in accordance with rules and regulations to be prescribed by the Commissioner of (1) all rights and interest arising under the mortgage so in default; (2) all claims of the mortgagee against the mortgagors or others, arising out of the mortgage transaction; (3) all policies of title or other insurance or surety bonds or other guaranties and any and all claims thereunder; (4) any balance of the mortgage loan not advanced to the mortgagor; (5) any cash or property held by the mortgagee, or to which it is entitled, as deposits made for the account of the mortgagor and which have not been applied in reduction of the principal of the mortgage indebtedness; and (6) all records, documents, books, papers, and accounts, relating to the mortgage transaction. Upon such assignment, transfer, and delivery, the obligation of the mortgagee to pay the premium charges for mortgage insurance shall cease, and the Commissioner shall, subject to the cash adjustment provided for in subsection (e) of this section, issue to the mortgagee debentures having a total face value equal to the value of the mortgage, and a certificate of claim as hereinafter provided. For the purposes of this subsection, the value of the mortgage shall be determined in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the Commissioner, by adding to the amount of the original principal obligation of the mortgage which was unpaid on the date of default, the amount the mortgagee may have paid for (A) taxes, special assessments, and water rates, which are liens prior to the mortgage; (B) insurance on the property; and (C) reasonable expenses for the completion and preservation of the property and any mortgage-insurance premiums paid after default; less the sum of (i) an amount equivalent to 1 per centum of the unpaid amount of such principal obligation on the date of default; (ii) any amount received on account of the mortgage after such date; and (iii) any net income received by the mortgagee from the property after such date: Provided, That the mortgagee in the event of a default under the mortgage may, at its option and in accordance with regulations of, and in a period to be determined by the Commissioner, proceed to foreclose on and obtain possession of or otherwise acquire such property from the mortgagor after default, and receive the benefits of the insurance as hereinafter provided, upon (1) the prompt conveyance to the Commissioner of title to the property which meets the requirements of the rules and regulations of the Commissioner in force at the time the mortgage was insured, and which is evidenced in the manner prescribed by such rules and regulations; and (2) the assignment to him of all claims of the mortgagee against the mortgagor or others, arising out of the mortgage transaction or foreclosure proceedings, except such claims that may have been released with the consent of the Commissioner. Upon such conveyance and assignment, the obligation of the mortgagee to pay the premium charges for insurance shall cease and the mortgagee shall be entitled to receive the benefits of the insurance as provided in this subsection, except that in such event the 1 per centum deduction, set out in (i) hereof, shall not apply. |