---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 12722"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "12722"
heading: "Purposes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/12722"
units:
  - "Chapter 130 — National Affordable Housing"
  - "Subchapter II — Investment in Affordable Housing"
---

# §12722. Purposes


The purposes of this subchapter are—

- (1) to expand the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8), with primary attention to rental [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8), for very low-income and low-income Americans;
- (2) to mobilize and strengthen the abilities of [States](/usc/42/12704.md?p=2) and units of general local government throughout the United States to design and implement strategies for achieving an adequate supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8);
- (3) to provide [participating jurisdictions](/usc/42/12704.md?p=4), on a coordinated basis, with the various forms of Federal [housing assistance](/usc/42/13641.md?p=3), including capital investment, mortgage insurance, rental assistance, and other Federal assistance, needed—
  - (A) to expand the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8);
  - (B) to make new [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7), rehabilitation, [substantial rehabilitation](/usc/42/12704.md?p=17), and acquisition of such [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8) feasible; and
  - (C) to promote the development of partnerships among the Federal Government, [States](/usc/42/12704.md?p=2) and units of general local government, private industry, and [nonprofit organizations](/usc/42/12704.md?p=5) able to utilize effectively all available resources to provide more of such [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8);
- (4) to make [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8) more affordable for very low-income and [low-income families](/usc/42/12704.md?p=10) through the use of tenant-based rental assistance;
- (5) to develop and refine, on an ongoing basis, a selection of model programs incorporating the most effective methods for providing decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8), and accelerate the application of such methods where appropriate throughout the United States to achieve the prudent and efficient use of funds made available under this subchapter;
- (6) to expand the capacity of [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) [community housing development organizations](/usc/42/12704.md?p=6) to develop and manage decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8);
- (7) to ensure that Federal investment produces [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8) stock that is available and affordable to [low-income families](/usc/42/12704.md?p=10) for the property’s remaining useful life, is appropriate to the neighborhood surroundings, and, wherever appropriate, is mixed income [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8);
- (8) to increase the investment of private capital and the use of private sector resources in the provision of decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8);
- (9) to allocate Federal funds for investment in affordable [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8) among [participating jurisdictions](/usc/42/12704.md?p=4) by formula [allocation](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=2);
- (10) to leverage those funds insofar as practicable with [State](/usc/42/12704.md?p=2) and local matching contributions and private investment;
- (11) to establish for each [participating jurisdiction](/usc/42/12704.md?p=4) a HOME Investment Trust Fund with a line of credit for investment in affordable [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8), with repayments back to its HOME Investment Trust Fund being made available for reinvestment by the [jurisdiction](/usc/42/12704.md?p=3);
- (12) to provide credit enhancement for affordable [housing](/usc/42/12704.md?p=8) by utilizing the capacities of existing [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) and mortgage finance institutions when most efficient and supplementing their activities when appropriate; and
- (13) to assist very low-income and [low-income families](/usc/42/12704.md?p=10) to obtain the skills and knowledge necessary to become responsible homeowners and tenants.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 101–625, title II, § 203, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4095.)