234.02
234.02
Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority: creation; membership; appointment and tenure; meetings; officers. 234.02(1)
(1) There is created a public body corporate and politic to be known as the "Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority." The members of the authority shall be the secretary of commerce or his or her designee and the secretary of administration or his or her designee, and 6 public members nominated by the governor, and with the advice and consent of the senate appointed, for staggered 4-year terms commencing on the dates their predecessors' terms expire. In addition, one senator of each party and one representative to the assembly of each party appointed as are the members of standing committees in their respective houses shall serve as members of the authority. A member of the authority shall receive no compensation for services but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the discharge of duties. Subject to the bylaws of the authority respecting resignations, each member shall hold office until a successor has been appointed and has qualified. A certificate of appointment or reappointment of any member shall be filed with the authority and the certificate shall be conclusive evidence of the due and proper appointment.
234.02(2)
(2) The powers of the authority shall be vested in the members thereof in office. A majority of the members of the authority constitutes a quorum for the purpose of conducting its business and exercising its powers and for all other purposes, notwithstanding the existence of any vacancies. Action may be taken by the authority upon a vote of a majority of the members present, unless the bylaws of the authority require a larger number. Meetings of the members of the authority may be held anywhere within or without the state.
234.02(3)
(3) The governor shall appoint a public member as the chairperson of the authority for a one-year term beginning on the expiration of the term of the chairperson's predecessor. The authority shall elect a vice chairperson. The governor shall nominate, and with the advice and consent of the senate appoint, the executive director of the authority, to serve a 2-year term. The authority shall employ the executive director so appointed, legal and technical experts and such other officers, agents and employees, permanent and temporary, as it may require, and shall determine their qualifications, duties and compensation, all notwithstanding
subch. II of ch. 230, except that
s. 230.40 shall apply, and except that the compensation of any employee of the authority shall not exceed the maximum of the executive salary group range established under
s. 20.923 (1) for positions assigned to executive salary group 6. The authority may delegate any of its powers or duties to its employees with the consent of the executive director or to its agents.
234.02(3m)(a)(a) The authority shall adhere to specifications prepared under
s. 16.72 (2), if applicable to the product or service to be purchased.
234.02(3m)(b)
(b) Members and employees of the authority are subject to uniform travel schedule amounts approved under
s. 20.916 (8).
234.02(3m)(c)
(c) The authority shall, with the advice of the ethics board, adopt and enforce ethics guidelines applicable to its paid consultants which are similar to
subch. III of ch. 19, except that the authority may not require its paid consultants to file financial disclosure statements.
234.02(4)
(4) The authority shall continue in existence until terminated by law, but no such law shall take effect while the authority has obligations outstanding.
234.02(5)
(5) No cause of action of any nature may arise against and no civil liability may be imposed upon a member of the authority, or other officer or employee of the authority appointed by the governor, for any act or omission in the performance of his or her powers and duties under this chapter, unless the person asserting liability proves that the act or omission constitutes willful misconduct.
234.02 Annotation
The Housing Authority Act, except for s. 234.15 (4), Stats. 1971, is constitutional. State ex rel. Warren v. Nusbaum,
59 Wis. 2d 391,
208 N.W.2d 780 (1973).
234.03
234.03
Powers of authority. The authority shall have all the powers necessary or convenient to implement this chapter, including the following powers in connection with its projects or programs, in addition to all other powers granted by this chapter:
234.03(1)
(1) To sue and be sued; to have a seal and to alter the same at pleasure; to have perpetual existence; to make and execute contracts and other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of the powers of the authority; and to make, amend and repeal bylaws and rules.
234.03(2)
(2) To accept gifts, loans or other aid.
234.03(3)
(3) To agree and comply with any conditions attached to federal financial assistance.
234.03(4)
(4) To employ such agents, employees and special advisers as it finds necessary and to fix their compensation.
234.03(5)
(5) To study and analyze housing needs within the state and ways of meeting such needs, including data with respect to population and family groups and the distribution thereof according to income groups, the amount and quality of available housing and its distribution according to rentals and sales prices, employment, wages and other factors affecting housing needs and the meeting thereof; to make the results of such studies and analyses available to the public and the housing and supply industries; and to engage in research and disseminate information on housing.
234.03(6)
(6) To survey and investigate the housing conditions and needs, both rural and urban, throughout the state and make recommendations to the governor and the legislature as to legislation and other measures necessary or advisable to alleviate any existing housing shortage in the state.
234.03(7)
(7) To encourage research in, and demonstration projects to develop, new and better techniques and methods for increasing the supply of housing for families and persons of low and moderate income.
234.03(8)
(8) To cooperate with and encourage cooperation among all federal, state and municipal agencies, sponsors and local authorities in the planning for and financing and construction of housing for persons and families of low and moderate income.
234.03(9)
(9) To encourage community organizations to assist in initiating housing projects for persons and families of low and moderate income as provided in this chapter.
234.03(10)
(10) To provide technical assistance in the development of housing projects for persons and families of low and moderate income, and for programs to improve the quality of rural and urban life for all the people of the state.
234.03(11)
(11) To collect fees and charges on mortgage loans and economic development loans for the purpose of paying all or a portion of authority costs as the authority determines are reasonable and as approved by the authority.
234.03(12)
(12) To set standards for housing projects which receive loans under this chapter and to provide for inspections to determine compliance with such standards.
234.03(13)
(13) To purchase and enter into commitments for the purchase of mortgages and securities if the authority shall first determine that the proceeds of the sale of such mortgages and securities to the authority will be utilized for the purpose of residential housing for occupancy by persons or families of low and moderate income and to enter into agreements with sponsors of residential facilities, as defined in
s. 46.28 (1) (d) and
(e), and with eligible sponsors, mortgagors or issuers of securities for the purpose of regulating the planning, development and management of housing projects financed in whole or in part by the proceeds of the mortgages or securities purchased by the authority.
234.03(13m)
(13m) To purchase and enter into commitments for the purchase of veterans housing loans made pursuant to
s. 45.79.
234.03(13s)
(13s) To purchase and enter into commitments for the purchase of housing rehabilitation loans.
234.03(14)
(14) To sell collateral, mortgages and security interests at public or private sale, to modify or alter collateral, mortgages and security interests, to foreclose on any such collateral, mortgage or security interest or commence any action to protect or enforce any right conferred upon it by any law, mortgage, security agreement, contract or other agreement, and to bid for and purchase property which was the subject of such collateral, mortgage or security interest, at any foreclosure or at any other sale, to acquire and to take possession of any such property; and in such event the authority may complete, administer, pay the principal and interest on any obligations incurred in connection with such property, and dispose of and otherwise deal with such property in such manner as may be necessary or desirable to protect the interests of the authority therein.
234.03(15)
(15) To acquire or contract to acquire from any person by grant, purchase or otherwise, leaseholds, real or personal property or any interest therein, only when the authority finds that low- or moderate-income housing cannot be developed privately without an acquisition by the authority, or when the authority acquires property by reason of default by a sponsor of a residential facility, as defined in
s. 46.28 (1) (d) and
(e), or by an eligible sponsor; to own, hold, clear, improve and rehabilitate and to sell, assign, exchange, transfer, convey, lease, mortgage or otherwise dispose of or encumber the same. Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to impede the operation and effect of local zoning, building and housing ordinances or ordinances relating to subdivision control, land development, fire prevention or other ordinances having to do with housing or housing development.
234.03(15m)
(15m) To establish and administer programs of grants to counties, municipalities and eligible sponsors of housing projects for persons of low and moderate income, to pay organizational expenses, administrative costs, social services, technical services, training expenses or costs incurred or expected to be incurred by counties, municipalities or sponsors for land and building acquisition, construction, improvements, renewal, rehabilitation, relocation or conservation under a plan to provide housing or related facilities, if the costs are not reimbursable from other private or public loan, grant or mortgage sources.
234.03(16)
(16) To lease real or personal property and to accept federal funds for and participate in such federal housing programs as are enacted on May 4, 1976 or at any future time, except that the authority may not accept without the consent of the governor federal funds under federal housing programs enacted after May 8, 1982 if issuance of the authority's bonds or notes is not required to participate in the programs.
234.03(17)
(17) To procure insurance against any loss in connection with its property and other assets and to procure insurance on its debt obligations.
234.03(18)
(18) Except as provided in
sub. (18m), to invest any funds held in reserve or sinking funds or any moneys not required for immediate use or disbursement at the discretion of the authority in such investments as may be lawful for fiduciaries in the state, if at least 50% of any funds held in any reserve or sinking fund be invested in obligations of the state or of the United States or agencies or instrumentalities of the United States or obligations, the principal and interest of which are guaranteed by the United States or agencies or instrumentalities of the United States.
234.03(18m)(a)(a) From the funds described under
sub. (18), to invest directly or through a financial intermediary a total of not more than $1,000,000 of its general funds in business entities having their principal places of business in this state, including their affiliates, which are independently owned and operated and which employ fewer than 25 full-time employees or have gross annual sales of less than $2,500,000, to enable those business entities to do any of the following:
234.03(18m)(a)4.
4. Any other activity, relating to research or development or both, to help the business entity develop new products.
234.03(18m)(b)
(b) To enter into an agreement with a business in which funds are invested under
par. (a). Under that agreement, if the business earns a profit as a result of the investment it shall repay the authority, in the form of a royalty or otherwise, all or part of the amount invested plus interest.
234.03(18m)(c)
(c) To give a preference, when investing in a business entity under
par. (a), to a business entity engaging in the sale of a product with a demonstrated potential to be marketed outside this state.
234.03(19)
(19) To consent, whenever it deems it necessary or desirable in the fulfillment of its corporate purpose, to the modification of any loan, contract or agreement of any kind to which the authority is a party.
234.03(20)
(20) To adopt such rules and set such standards as are necessary to effectuate its corporate purpose with respect to financing economic development lending, mortgage lending, construction lending and temporary lending.
234.03(21)
(21) To purchase and enter into commitments to purchase all or part of economic development loans and to lend funds to financial institutions agreeing to use the funds immediately to make economic development loans, if the authority determines that a conventional loan is unavailable on reasonably equivalent terms and conditions.
234.03(22)
(22) To require and hold collateral to secure economic development loans and to require participating financial institutions to attest to the best of their ability to the value of the collateral.
234.03(23)
(23) To establish other terms and conditions of economic development loans, including providing for prepayment penalties and providing for full repayment of principal and interest upon movement out of state of that part of the business operation financed by the economic development programs of the authority.
234.03(25)
(25) To require certification from the local unit of government having jurisdiction over the location of an economic development project that the economic development project serves a public purpose and conventional financing is unavailable on reasonably equivalent terms and conditions.
234.03(26)
(26) To establish and maintain a program within the authority, or to establish and maintain a corporation organized under
ch. 180 or
181, to insure or guarantee economic development loans, collateral or bonds or notes issued under
s. 234.65.
234.03(28)
(28) To cooperate and enter into agreements with state agencies, partnerships and corporations organized under
chs. 178 to
181 or limited liability companies organized under
ch. 183 to promote economic development activity within this state.
234.03(28m)
(28m) To apply for and receive grants from the department of transportation for the purpose of guaranteeing loans to disadvantaged businesses as specified in the disadvantaged business mobilization assistance program under
s. 85.25.
234.03(30)
(30) To provide administrative services for and use and pay for the use of the facilities and services of any corporation established and maintained by the authority.
234.03(31)
(31) To purchase, sell or contribute voting stock or partnership interests from the community development finance company under
s. 234.95.
234.03(32)
(32) To accept gifts, contributions and grants made to the authority in connection with the community development finance company, as defined in
s. 234.94 (3).
234.034
234.034
Consistency with state housing strategy plan. Subject to agreements with bondholders or noteholders, the authority shall exercise its powers and perform its duties related to housing consistent with the state housing strategy plan under
s. 16.31.
234.04
234.04
Loans to eligible sponsors of housing projects and to or for persons and families of low and moderate income. 234.04(1)(1) The authority may make or participate in the making of construction loans to eligible sponsors of housing projects for the construction or rehabilitation of housing for persons and families of low and moderate income. Such loans shall be made only upon the determination by the authority that construction loans are not otherwise available from private lenders upon reasonably equivalent terms and conditions.
234.04(2)
(2) The authority may make or participate in the making and enter into commitments for the making of long-term mortgage loans to eligible sponsors of housing projects for occupancy by persons and families of low and moderate income, or for the making of homeownership mortgage loans or housing rehabilitation loans to persons and families of low and moderate income, an applicant under
s. 234.59 or other eligible beneficiaries as defined in
s. 234.49. The loans may be made only upon the determination by the authority that they are not otherwise available from private lenders upon reasonably equivalent terms and conditions. The authority may not make a loan to a person whose name appears on the statewide support lien docket under
s. 49.854 (2) (b), unless the person provides to the authority a payment agreement that has been approved by the county child support agency under
s. 59.53 (5) and that is consistent with rules promulgated under
s. 49.858 (2) (a). The authority may employ, for such compensation as it determines, the services of any financial institution in connection with any loan.
234.04(3)
(3) The authority may make or participate in the making and enter into commitments for the making of loans to any banking institution, savings bank, savings and loan association or credit union organized under the laws of this or any other state or of the United States having an office in this state, if the authority first determines that the proceeds of such loans will be utilized for the purpose of making long-term mortgage loans to persons or families of low and moderate income, or for the purpose of providing residential housing for occupancy by persons or families of low and moderate income, or for the purpose of making housing rehabilitation loans.
234.04(4)
(4) A loan shall be secured in such manner and be repaid in such a period, not exceeding 50 years, as may be determined by the authority; and shall bear interest at a rate determined by the authority.
234.05
234.05
Housing development fund; establishment; payments into fund. 234.05(1)(1) There is established under the jurisdiction and control of the authority a revolving fund to be known as the "housing development fund".
234.05(2)
(2) There shall be paid into the housing development fund:
234.05(2)(a)
(a) Any moneys which the authority receives as interest on or in repayment of temporary loans made from the housing development fund;
234.05(2)(b)
(b) Any moneys transferred by the authority to the housing development fund from other funds or sources; and
234.05(2)(c)
(c) Any other moneys which may be made available to the authority for the purpose of the housing development fund from any other source.
234.05 History
History: 1971 c. 287.
234.06
234.06
Use of moneys held in housing development fund; temporary loans; grants. 234.06(1)
(1) The authority may, as authorized in the state housing strategy plan under
s. 16.31, use the moneys held in the housing development fund to make temporary loans to eligible sponsors, with or without interest, and with such security for repayment, if any, as the authority determines reasonably necessary and practicable, solely from the housing development fund, to defray development costs for the construction of proposed housing projects for occupancy by persons and families of low and moderate income. No temporary loan may be made unless the authority may reasonably anticipate that satisfactory financing may be obtained by the eligible sponsor for the permanent financing of the housing project.
234.06(2)
(2) The proceeds of the temporary loan may be used only to defray the development costs of the housing project. Each temporary loan shall be repaid in full by the eligible sponsor to the authority concurrent with the receipt by the eligible sponsor of the proceeds of the permanent financing.
234.06(3)
(3) The authority may, as authorized in the state housing strategy plan under
s. 16.31, use the moneys held in the housing development fund to establish and administer programs of grants to counties, municipalities and eligible sponsors of housing projects for persons of low and moderate income, to pay organizational expenses, administrative costs, social services, technical services, training expenses or costs incurred or expected to be incurred by counties, municipalities or sponsors for land and building acquisition, construction, improvements, renewal, rehabilitation, relocation or conservation under a plan to provide housing or related facilities, if the costs are not reimbursable from other private or public loan, grant or mortgage sources.
234.07
234.07
Limited-profit entity; distributions. 234.07(1)
(1) Except as provided in
sub. (2), a limited-profit entity which receives loans from the authority may not make distributions, other than from funds contributed to the limited-profit entity by stockholders, partners, members or holders of beneficial interest in the limited-profit entity, in any one year with respect to a project financed by the authority in excess of 6% of its equity in such project on a cumulative basis. The equity in a project shall consist of the difference between the amount of the mortgage loan and the total project cost. Total project cost shall include construction or rehabilitation costs including job overhead and a builder's and sponsor's profit and risk fee, architectural, engineering, legal and accounting costs, organizational expenses, land value, interest and financing charges paid during construction, the cost of landscaping and off-site improvements, whether or not such costs have been paid in cash or in a form other than cash. With respect to every project the authority shall, pursuant to rules adopted by it, establish the entity's equity at the time of making of the final mortgage advance and, for purposes of this section, that figure shall remain constant during the life of the authority's loan with respect to such project. Upon the dissolution of the limited-profit entity any surplus in excess of the distributions allowed by this section shall be paid to the authority. For this purpose surplus shall not be deemed to include any increase in net worth of any limited-profit entity by reason of a reduction of mortgage indebtedness, by amortization or similar payments or by reason of the sale or disposition of any assets of a limited-profit entity to the extent such surplus can be attributed to any increase in market value of any real or tangible personal property accruing during the period the assets were owned and held by the limited-profit entity.
234.07(2)
(2) If a limited-profit entity agrees to provide housing for low-income and moderate-income persons until the end of the maximum term of a mortgage that the limited-profit entity gives the authority, a limited-profit entity that receives a loan from the authority may not make distributions, other than from funds contributed to the limited-profit entity by stockholders, partners, members or holders of a beneficial interest in the limited-profit entity, in any one year with respect to a project financed by the authority in excess of 12% of its equity in the project on a cumulative basis.
234.07 History
History: 1971 c. 287;
1989 a. 346.
234.07 Annotation
"Limited-profit entity" has meaning only with reference to WHEDA's loan to it. The entity terminates when the loan is satisfied and nothing remains to be done except to dispose of what remains in the hands of the entity, the surplus in excess of allowed distributions under sub. (1), which must be returned to WHEDA. WHEDA v. Bay Shore Apartments,
200 Wis. 2d 129,
546 N.W.2d 480 (Ct. App. 1996).
234.07 Annotation
The determination of the mortgagor's equity under sub. (1) is set at closing and may not be changed subsequently if additional costs to the owner are discovered. The limitation of distributions beyond 6% of equity prevents distribution of interest on escrowed funds where the limit would be exceeded. Messner Manor Associates v. WHEDA,
204 Wis. 2d 492,
555 N.W.2d 156 (Ct. App. 1996).
234.08
234.08
Notes and bonds; issuance; status. 234.08(1)
(1) The authority may issue its negotiable notes and bonds in such principal amount, as, in the opinion of the authority, is necessary to provide sufficient funds for achieving its corporate purposes, including the purchase of certain mortgages and securities and the making of secured loans for low- and moderate-income housing, for the rehabilitation of existing structures and for the construction of facilities appurtenant thereto as provided in this chapter; for the making of secured loans to assist eligible elderly homeowners in paying property taxes and special assessments; for the payment of interest on notes and bonds of the authority during construction; for the establishment of reserves to secure such notes and bonds; for the provision of moneys for the housing development fund in order to make temporary loans to sponsors of housing projects as provided in this chapter; and for all other expenditures of the authority incident to and necessary or convenient to carry out its corporate purposes and powers.
234.08(2)
(2) The authority may issue renewal notes, issue bonds to pay notes and whenever it deems refunding expedient, refund any bonds by the issuance of new bonds, whether the bonds to be refunded have or have not matured, and issue bonds partly to refund bonds then outstanding and partly for any other purpose. The refunding bonds shall be sold and the proceeds applied to the purchase, redemption or payment of the bonds to be refunded.
234.08(3)
(3) Except as may otherwise be expressly provided by the authority, every issue of its notes or bonds shall be general obligations of the authority payable out of any revenues or moneys of the authority, subject only to any agreements with the holders of particular notes or bonds pledging any particular receipts or revenues.
234.08(4)
(4) All notes or bonds shall be negotiable investment securities under
ch. 408.
234.08(5)
(5) This section does not supersede or impair the power of the department of commerce to carry out its program responsibilities relating to economic development which are funded by bonds or notes issued under this section.
234.08(6)
(6) The authority may reimburse the department of commerce its operating costs to carry out its program responsibilities relating to economic development which are funded by bonds or notes issued under this section.
