reduce the overall housing costs to the borrower and make the housing more affordable and if the rehabilitation cost is greater than the amount of debt that is refinanced.
(2) For single family or multifamily projects, when loaning HOME funds to rehabilitate the units if refinancing is necessary to permit or continue affordability under § 92.252. The participating jurisdiction must establish refinancing guidelines and state them in its consolidated plan described in 24 CFR part 91. Regardless of the amount of HOME funds invested, the minimum period of affordability shall be 15 years. The guidelines shall describe the conditions under which the participating jurisdictions will refinance existing debt. At minimum, the guidelines must:
(i) Demonstrate that rehabilitation is the primary eligible activity and ensure that this requirement is met by establishing a minimum level of rehabilitation per unit or a required ratio between rehabilitation and refinancing;
(ii) Require a review of management practices to demonstrate that disinvestment in the property has not occurred, that the long-term needs of the project can be met, and that the feasibility of serving the targeted population over the minimum period of affordability of 15 years can be demonstrated;
(iii) State whether the new investment is being made to maintain current affordable units, create additional affordable units, or both;
(iv) Specify the required period of affordability, whether it is the minimum 15 years or longer;
(v) Specify whether the investment of HOME funds may be jurisdiction-wide or limited to a specific geographic area, such as a neighborhood identified in a neighborhood revitalization strategy under 24 CFR 91.215(e)(2) or a Federally designated Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community; and
(vi)