reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37 - Social Concerns-Housing Subsidy Program (§§ 1021 — 1034) › § 1029 - Restrictive conditions

The following conditions shall be stated in the deed as restrictive conditions and shall constitute a real lien on the property:
(a) The beneficiary shall be bound to reimburse the Housing Finance Authority of Puerto Rico the total or a portion of the subsidy received under this chapter, in the event he/she decides to sell, barter, bequest or otherwise convey the property within a period of six (6) years from the date the subsidy is granted, pursuant to the following table:
If the conveyance occurs Amount of subsidy to be during the: reimbursed: First and Second Year 100% Third Year 80% Fourth Year 69% Fifth Year 40% Sixth Year 20%
If the beneficiary of the Program dies, his forced heirs shall not be bound to comply with the stated reimbursement if the property had been legitimately conveyed to them by testamentary or intestate succession. If the heirs became owners of the property within the six (6)-year period mentioned above, and within said period, decide to sell, barter, bequest or otherwise convey the property, they shall be bound to make the reimbursement as stated above.
When a co-owner beneficiary of the Program decides to sell, barter or otherwise convey his/her share in the real property to another co-owner, he/she shall be bound to reimburse that portion of the subsidy corresponding to his/her share, applying the percentages indicated in this section. In case of divorce, the Secretary of Housing shall provide through regulations the criteria to be used to determine if the separated spouse will have to reimburse the subsidy.
If the subsidy reimbursement is required, it shall have to be made prior to, or simultaneously with the juridical procedure that will give rise to the transfer of ownership, it being essential and indispensable that the Housing Finance Authority of Puerto Rico appears in the documents conveying ownership, for the purpose of giving consent and releasing the property from the lien, once the reimbursement is made.
(b) The beneficiary shall not lease the property nor use it for any purpose other than as his permanent domicile.
(c) The property shall not be mortgaged without the prior written consent of the Housing Finance Authority of Puerto Rico, and shall be restricted to those financing or lending institutions approved by the Bank.
The restrictive conditions consigned herein shall exist as long as the mortgage is in force, subject to what is established in subsection (a) of this section.
History —Dec. 10, 1993, No. 124, § 11; Sept. 29, 2004, No. 498, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37 - Social Concerns-Housing Subsidy Program (§§ 1021 — 1034) › § 1030 - Noncompliance

Noncompliance of the restrictive conditions in § 1029 of this title will entail the suspension of the subsidy payments and the beneficiary shall be bound to reimburse the total amount of the subsidy received to the Housing Finance Authority of Puerto Rico, except as otherwise provided for the subsidy reimbursement in case of divorce, and when the property is conveyed within the six (6)-year period, in which case the stated percentages will apply.
History —Dec. 10, 1993, No. 124, § 12; Sept. 29, 2004, No. 498, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37 - Social Concerns-Housing Subsidy Program (§§ 1021 — 1034) › § 1031 - Evaluation

The Housing Finance Authority of Puerto Rico or the mortgagee participating in the Program shall evaluate subsequent buyers to determine if they qualify to receive the benefits provided in this chapter and in the regulations adopted for its implementation. The mortgage shall be assumed only when the subsequent buyer is eligible for a subsidy equal to or less than that of the original beneficiary.
History —Dec. 10, 1993, No. 124, § 13; Sept. 29, 2004, No. 498, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37 - Social Concerns-Housing Subsidy Program (§§ 1021 — 1034) › § 1032 - Registration

The deeds transferring ownership, as well as the deed creating the mortgage, originated from the first sale of the houses built under this chapter, shall be recordable in the Property Registry free from the payment of fees provided by the Notary Act and by the act that establishes the fees of the Property Registry.
History —Dec. 10, 1993, No. 124, § 14.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37 - Social Concerns-Housing Subsidy Program (§§ 1021 — 1034) › § 1033 - Exemption from taxes

The subsidized properties under this chapter shall be exempt from the payment of property taxes as long as they are occupied by the original beneficiary, his/her forced heirs or a subsequent occupant approved by the Housing Finance Authority of Puerto Rico.
History —Dec. 10, 1993, No. 124, § 15; Sept. 29, 2004, No. 498, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37A - Computerized Register of Beneficiaries of Affordable Housing Programs (§§ 1041 — 1041e) › § 1041 - Establishment

The Secretary of the Department of Housing is hereby authorized to establish a Computerized Register of Beneficiaries of Affordable Housing Programs in Puerto Rico.
History —July 18, 1998, No. 140, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37A - Computerized Register of Beneficiaries of Affordable Housing Programs (§§ 1041 — 1041e) › § 1041a - Register of beneficiaries

The inscription in said Register of every person who receives or has received benefits from any affordable housing program is hereby ordered so that the Department of Housing may have an updated Register of all these beneficiaries to determine in a more expeditious and efficient manner the eligibility of the applicants.
History —July 18, 1998, No. 140, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37A - Computerized Register of Beneficiaries of Affordable Housing Programs (§§ 1041 — 1041e) › § 1041b - Exchange of information

The Department of Housing is hereby directed to create, establish and coordinate the necessary mechanisms for the exchange of information between the municipal governments throughout the Island and said Department in order to include in said Register all the beneficiaries of affordable housing programs granted by said municipal entities.
History —July 18, 1998, No. 140, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37A - Computerized Register of Beneficiaries of Affordable Housing Programs (§§ 1041 — 1041e) › § 1041c - Responsibilities for maintaining Registry

The Secretary of the Department of Housing shall be responsible for preserving and updating the Computerized Register of Beneficiaries of Affordable Housing Projects in Puerto Rico.
History —July 18, 1998, No. 140, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37A - Computerized Register of Beneficiaries of Affordable Housing Programs (§§ 1041 — 1041e) › § 1041d - Information for Registry

The Computerized Register of Beneficiaries of Affordable Housing Projects in Puerto Rico shall include information about the beneficiary such as: full name, pseudonyms, date of birth, residential address, driver’s license number as well as such data and information which is essential to achieve the purposes of this chapter.
History —July 18, 1998, No. 140, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37A - Computerized Register of Beneficiaries of Affordable Housing Programs (§§ 1041 — 1041e) › § 1041e - Regulations

The Secretary of the Department of Housing shall adopt, within a term not to exceed six (6) months from the approval of this act, the rules and regulations needed for the implementation of this chapter, which should establish the specific information and procedures that shall be included in the Computerized Register of Beneficiaries of Affordable Housing Projects in Puerto Rico.
History —July 18, 1998, No. 140, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37B - Special Housing for the Handicapped and Elderly (§§ 1042 — 1046) › § 1042 - Definitions

The following terms shall have the meaning stated below for the purposes of this chapter:
(a) Developer. — Any natural or juridical person engaged in the construction of housing projects.
(b) Elderly person. — Any person age sixty (60) or older.
(c) Person with a disability. — Any person with a physical or mental disability which is a substantial limitation for him/her in one or more main activities of daily living; or a person who has a history of such disability; or a person who is considered and tended to as a person with such disability.
(d) Housing. — Any structure destined for individual or collective housing, of which the development or construction has begun after the approval of this act.
History —Aug. 29, 2000, No. 213, § 1; Aug. 7, 2004, No. 204, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37B - Special Housing for the Handicapped and Elderly (§§ 1042 — 1046) › § 1043 - Declaration of public policy

The Government known [sic] and addresses the reality that the elderly and persons with disabilities face in their daily living. At the time of searching for housing that is adequate for their conditions and responds to their needs, both the elderly and the persons with disabilities meet with the total nonexistence of adequate living quarters. At present, there are not enough housing projects directed to these groups, and consequently, the Commonwealth must comply with its duty to seek the welfare of these individuals.
To that effect, it is hereby proclaimed to be a compelling interest and the public policy of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to promote the planned development of housing facilities directed to the elderly and to persons with disabilities. The implementation of this and other related measures shall propel the Puerto Rico of today into a brighter tomorrow for the elderly and the persons with disabilities.
History —Aug. 29, 2000, No. 213, § 2, eff. 90 days after Aug. 29, 2000.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37B - Special Housing for the Handicapped and Elderly (§§ 1042 — 1046) › § 1044 - Housing units reserved

In affordable housing projects approved and subsidized totally or partially by the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, their developers shall, after the approval of this act, reserve five percent (5%) of the total housing units, in order for these to be used as residences for the elderly or for persons with disabilities who qualify to acquire the same. If at the time of completing the housing projects these units have not been sold, the developer shall be authorized to sell them to the general market.
Provided, That once the housing unit has been acquired, the developer may opt to receive the benefits of an exemption from payment of income taxes and licenses and construction excise taxes additional to the regular sales price which result from expenses incurred for adapting the housing unit to accommodate the elderly or persons with disabilities, as provided through regulations.
History —Aug. 29, 2000, No. 213, § 3, eff. 90 days after Aug. 29, 2000.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 37B - Special Housing for the Handicapped and Elderly (§§ 1042 — 1046) › § 1045 - Authorized exemptions

Gains made by the developer of new housing projects from the sale of housing units to the elderly or to persons with disabilities shall be exempt from the payment of income taxes, licenses fees, and construction excises, as well as from any other municipal levy or fee. Provided, That any claim of the exemptions authorized in this section shall be supported by attesting evidence of the sale in favor of an elderly person or a person with disabilities, as provided for such purposes by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Housing.
History —Aug. 29, 2000, No. 213, § 4, eff. 90 days after Aug. 29, 2000; Nov. 17, 2015, No. 187, § 65.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 38 - Aguadilla Punta Borinquen Property Liberation Act (§§ 1051 — 1052) › § 1051 - Power for mortgage, sell, barter or alienate

The properties in the Punta Borinquen Residential Project in the old Ramey Base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, may be mortgaged, sold, bartered or otherwise alienated without prior permission from the Urban Renewal and Housing Corporation, presently in receivership.
History —May 10, 1994, No. 18, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 38 - Aguadilla Punta Borinquen Property Liberation Act (§§ 1051 — 1052) › § 1052 - Exercise of acts of domain without restrictions from the Urban Renewal and Housing Corporation

The restrictive conditions imposed on the properties in the Punta Borinquen Residential Project in the old Ramey Base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, and specifically, those established in the purchase deed by the Urban Renewal and Housing Corporation, shall become ineffective, and the owners thereof shall be able to alienate and exercise acts of domain over them without any restriction by said agency, or the office of the Receiver.
History —May 10, 1994, No. 18, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 39 - Puerto Rico New Cooperative Housing Model Act (§§ 1061 — 1070) › § 1061 - Definitions

For purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meaning stated hereinbelow:
(a) Acquisition.— Means the process through which the title deed, ownership, and use and enjoyment of a real property is procured and obtained, be it through purchase, exchange, dation in payment, foreclosure, transfer, or donation.
(b) Monthly contribution.— Means the monthly payment made by each member to cover the proportional responsibility for operating expenses, reserve funds, mortgage payments, and service costs.
(c) Limited-equity cooperative.— Means a housing cooperative in which income parameters to qualify for admission are set so that persons with low- or moderate-income can be ensured access.
(d) Conversion.— Means the process through which a type of property regime is constituted or changed into another, including, but not limited to the horizontal property regime, the joint ownership cooperative regime, and the member-owner cooperative housing regime. It shall also apply to the conversion of public properties, including public housing projects subsidized with state and federal funds, into a joint ownership cooperative or member-owner housing cooperative regime.
(e) Occupancy rights.— Means the continuous and permanent right to live in a housing cooperative during the existence thereof; provided, that corresponding financial and regulatory obligations are met, the status as member is maintained, and the person continues to reside therein.
(f) Rehabilitation.— Means the process of substantially improving, renovating, or expanding an existing real property in which funds equal to at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the value of the property to be rehabilitated, renewed, or expanded, as established by a certified appraisal, have been invested to make it compliant with acceptable occupation parameters.
(g) Reserves.— Means the budget items of the cooperative involving funds that are saved and earmarked for a particular purpose. Some of these items include replacements, painting, and general operations. It constitutes one of the most important financial tools of the cooperative housing model.
History —July 27, 2011, No. 147, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 39 - Puerto Rico New Cooperative Housing Model Act (§§ 1061 — 1070) › § 1062 - New Cooperative Housing Model

The creation of new housing cooperatives is hereby directed under a development model that complies with the following ends and purposes:
(a) Begin construction, conversion, acquisition, and/or rehabilitation for the creation of housing cooperatives within an established (non-equity) timeframe.
(b) Create a development and operational model that addresses the distinctive elements of the cooperative housing model.
(c) Guarantee a housing alternative for families with low or moderate financial resources who do not own a home.
(d) Safeguard self-management, security, and community organization as mechanisms to resolve the existing problems that affect the development of a particular sector of our society.
(e) Guarantee the conversion to a member-owner cooperative regime upon payoff of the original mortgage so that persons may acquire the title deed of their housing unit.
(f) Develop financing and subsidy mechanisms that allow for reducing the cost of these types of projects and satisfy their intended public’s existing demand.
(g) Promote economic development in the construction and real estate industry, as well as the creation of new jobs to manage operations and services within the new coop entities.
Public agencies and instrumentalities are hereby authorized to participate by submitting proposals for the assignment, transfer, nominal sale, or rebate sale of land or real property that can be rehabilitated for the creation of new housing cooperatives.
History —July 27, 2011, No. 147, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 39 - Puerto Rico New Cooperative Housing Model Act (§§ 1061 — 1070) › § 1063 - New Cooperative Housing Model Strategic Plan

The Department of Housing and the Cooperative Development Commission shall develop a strategic plan to create a new cooperative housing model. The size of the projects and the number of members whose accumulated contributions shall provide the financial capacity needed for a balanced operation shall be determined.
The Strategic Plan shall contain a Construction, Conversion, Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Interim Financing Coordination Plan to be developed by the Department of Housing, together with an Operational and Economic Plan to be established by the Cooperative Development Commission. For each cooperative to be built, converted, acquired, and/or rehabilitated, the plans shall be adapted to the characteristics and particular needs of the project according to the applicable regulations.
The Strategic Plan shall include goals, objectives, and schedules in order to comply with the provisions of this chapter according to the results of the integration discussions and measures taken by the entities and persons participating in the development of the new cooperative housing model.
One or several pilot projects shall be identified to begin the implementation of this chapter; facilitate the development, adjustment, and validation of the new model; and allow for the practical integration of the concerned agencies, entities, and persons. Upon effective operation of the pilot projects, the scale of creation of new projects shall be increased until the demand to be covered is effectively addressed.
The first report of the agencies on the drafting of the Strategic Plan shall be presented to the Legislative Assembly in the annual budget report for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2010.
It is hereby provided that the Department of Housing shall include and give continuity to the projects initiated under the Strategic Plan approved by virtue of Act No. 229 of 2002, and particularly to the Public Housing Conversion Pilot Plan.
History —July 27, 2011, No. 147, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 39 - Puerto Rico New Cooperative Housing Model Act (§§ 1061 — 1070) › § 1064 - Functions of the Department of Housing

The Department of Housing shall develop the part of the Strategic Plan corresponding to its duty to develop cooperative housing, including the design, planning, acquisition, management, conversion, rehabilitation, construction, and contracting phases. It shall create the Construction, Conversion, Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Interim Financing Coordination Plan, which shall serve as reference for the development of new housing cooperatives created under this chapter. The physical and structural design elements shall be defined in the plan, including the following:
(a) Dimensions of the housing units and space distribution.
(b) Number of housing units and number of bedrooms.
(c) Type and size of the common facilities (including laundry rooms, activity hall, library, sports facilities, and recreational leisure areas).
(d) Number of parking spaces.
(e) Commercial spaces and facilities for leasing.
(f) Emergency generators and drinking water storage tank systems.
(g) Type of controlled access and security systems.
(h) Common telecommunications and television programming services.
The physical and structural design of the real property and common facilities shall comply with the characteristics of this type of housing, where quality of life and community living play an important role. It shall also take into consideration the financial capacity of cooperatives, which is different from other types of public projects.
Likewise, the Strategic Plan shall also include alternatives for the conversion, acquisition, and rehabilitation of existing housing or properties using the cooperative model, including the combination of more than one alternative.
The requirements to carry out the conversion, acquisition, and rehabilitation of existing housing or properties shall be included in the Plan, and the incentives and financing methods for using strategies, whether individually or combined, shall also be established.
In addition to the foregoing, the Department of Housing shall have the obligation to periodically inspect the facilities where construction and/or rehabilitation of the different housing cooperatives is taking place until the inauguration thereof.
History —July 27, 2011, No. 147, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 39 - Puerto Rico New Cooperative Housing Model Act (§§ 1061 — 1070) › § 1065 - Functions of the Cooperative Development Commission

The Cooperative Development Commission shall develop the part of the strategic plan corresponding to its duty to promote, develop, educate, organize, and qualify co-op housing members.
The Commission shall create the Operating and Economic Plan that shall serve as reference for the development of new housing cooperatives created under this chapter. This plan shall establish a process to carry out the Commission’s duties to promote, develop, educate, organize, and qualify members. It shall define the operations and services to be provided by cooperatives to its members concerning all administrative, economic, community, social, educational, and recreational aspects.
The financial operating plan shall contain a projected budget to be computed as of the inauguration of each project until its conversion to a member-owner regime. Said budget shall include the items and financial reserves that are typical in housing cooperatives, including sources of income, operating expenses payment, service expenses, reserve funds, and the mortgage expenses of the project.
The budget shall provide a gradual adjustment increase for cost of living and inflation, and be divided into two different periods:
(1) From the inauguration of the cooperative until the mortgage payoff.
(2) From its conversion to a member-owner regime on. During this second period, a considerable reduction in the monthly contribution of members shall take effect as a result of the mortgage payoff, and the reserves required in the conversion plan to a member-owner regime shall be created in order to defray new improvements, facilities, or services.
Projects that enjoy federal subsidies shall comply with the applicable regulatory requirements.
The Commission may consult with or delegate on entities or persons with the necessary expertise and knowledge in order to achieve this new cooperative housing model.
History —July 27, 2011, No. 147, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 39 - Puerto Rico New Cooperative Housing Model Act (§§ 1061 — 1070) › § 1066 - Transfer from occupancy rights to ownership rights

Active members who are exercising their occupancy rights on the date of the mortgage payoff may acquire ownership rights over the housing unit after the corresponding conversion to a member-owner regime as established in the General Cooperative Partnerships Act. In the new cooperative housing model set forth in this chapter, the conversion shall be guaranteed and integrated as an automatic procedure in the articles of incorporation, and thus be established in the Strategic Plan; the Construction, Conversion, Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Interim Financing Coordination Plan; and the Operational and Economic Plan.
Individual ownership shall be created and take effect only as a consequence of the mortgage payoff and upon the conclusion of the conversion plan. No member, officer, entity, agency, or person may enter into agreements, transactions, or contracts regarding individual ownership prior to this conversion.
History —July 27, 2011, No. 147, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 39 - Puerto Rico New Cooperative Housing Model Act (§§ 1061 — 1070) › § 1067 - Integration of agencies and entities

In establishing and enforcing the strategic plan, the Department of Housing and the Cooperative Development Commission shall develop the mechanisms needed to ensure that they work in an integrated and effective manner. They shall consult with and involve federal, state, and municipal entities concerned with affordable housing and the financing of these types of projects in order to include federal multi-family housing subsidy programs and municipal housing development plans. Financing shall be obtained through the applicable assured guaranties, and financial cooperative entities, the Cooperative Investment and Development Fund (FIDECOOP), and the Housing Finance Authority (AFV) may also participate.
History —July 27, 2011, No. 147, § 9.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 39 - Puerto Rico New Cooperative Housing Model Act (§§ 1061 — 1070) › § 1068 - Cooperative development of the projects

In order to ensure the bona fide nature of the cooperative and the adequate establishment of cooperative housing projects, every project shall assign personnel to work in coordination and cooperative development. These cooperative coordinators shall be designated and answer directly to the Commission pursuant to the core functions granted thereto by law. The Commission shall make sure that said personnel has the qualifications needed to carry out the duties and purposes of this chapter.
No person shall be offered employment in public service to perform these duties. They shall rather be private employees subject to the availability of funds in these housing projects. The administrative management budget of each project shall be used to defray these positions and the designation of personnel shall depend on the targeted number of members and the type and size of the project. They may also be financed, subsidized, and supported by other entities, including cooperatives.
History —July 27, 2011, No. 147, § 10.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 39 - Puerto Rico New Cooperative Housing Model Act (§§ 1061 — 1070) › § 1069 - Special independent projects

The Commission may coordinate special housing projects with federal or municipal agencies and with private entities or persons not involved with the plan, together with the Department of Housing. For these cases, special development and construction, conversion, acquisition, and/or rehabilitation plans shall be prepared. Rather than Central Government funds, federal, municipal, or private funds shall be requested, especially from cooperative entities.
History —July 27, 2011, No. 147, § 11.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 39 - Puerto Rico New Cooperative Housing Model Act (§§ 1061 — 1070) › § 1070 - General provisions

(a) In the event that the provisions of this chapter come into conflict with the provisions of any other act, the provisions herein set forth shall prevail.
(b) None of the provisions of this chapter shall affect the vested rights of already constituted housing cooperatives.
(c) The General Cooperative Partnerships Act shall apply to the cooperatives established pursuant to the model implemented by this chapter.
History —July 27, 2011, No. 147, § 12.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 45 - Community Revitalization Administration Organic Act (§§ 1451 — 1462) › § 1451 - Public policy

The Department of Housing is the body responsible for formulating and executing public policy and contributing to the social development of Puerto Rican communities, through the development of housing programs and structural improvement of communities. As part of said responsibility, the Department has among its functions, the planning of the Government’s efforts addressed to housing development and community services that are complementary to housing, as well as to anticipate and attend to related problems, and carry out activities and programs to improve living standards in communities.
Likewise, both the Government of Puerto Rico and the federal government public policies establish that housing programs have to address the empowerment of neighborhood entities and organizations. In this context, addressing the housing issue is not simply about physical structures, but also involves the social organization.
On the other hand, § 521 of Title 28, granted authority to the Secretary of Housing to reorganize the Department, specifying that his/her main role would be that of facilitator for the construction of homes, the revitalization of communities, as well as the promotion of their social function, especially in low-income communities, and fostering mutual aid programs in coordination with the other agencies that have functions for the social development of communities.
Through this chapter, the above-stated public policy is reaffirmed, and the Community Revitalization Administration, created below as a body attached to the Department of Housing, assumes the responsibility to execute the Department’s public policy in the area of complementary community services for affordable housing, and the improvement of the quality of life of the communities. Likewise, it shall coordinate with other social and community development government bodies to offer those services that are needed by low income public housing and residential communities served by the Department and its components.
As part of said mission, the Administration shall be empowered to combine the effort of persons and private and public entities addressed to the improvement of those communities served by the Department and its components; to educate, promote and facilitate the creation of new community, civic, charitable, sports, recreational, educational and cultural entities, in coordination with other public and private profit or nonprofit bodies; to coordinate and support the existing ones for constructive joint activities, safety and the improvement of the quality of life.
It is the intention of this chapter for all bodies attached to the Department of Housing with a social development content to be under the Administration created herein. This also includes those created by Executive Order. This is the case of the Office for the Coordination of Aid and Services to Public Housing Residents (OCASCIR, Spanish acronym).
History —Sept. 30, 1995, No. 211, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 45 - Community Revitalization Administration Organic Act (§§ 1451 — 1462) › § 1452 - Creation

The Administration for Community Revitalization is hereby created, attached to the Department of Housing.
History —Sept. 30, 1995, No. 211, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 45 - Community Revitalization Administration Organic Act (§§ 1451 — 1462) › § 1453 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the terms listed below shall have the following meaning:
(a) Administration. — The Community Revitalization Administration.
(b) Administrator. — The Administrator of Community Revitalization.
(c) Agency. — Any department, office, bureau, division, board, commission, administration, public corporation or subsidiary thereof, instrumentality of the Government of Puerto Rico and the Government of the United States of America, excluding the municipalities, the Judiciary Branch and the Legislative Branch.
[(ch)] [Department. — The Department of Housing of Puerto Rico, as created by §§ 441 et seq. of Title 3.]
(d) Persons. — Every natural or juridical for profit or nonprofit person, including, but not limited to, a partnership, association, firm, federation, confederation, institution, entity, consortium, foundation, cooperative or groups of persons.
(e) Secretary. — The Secretary of Housing of Puerto Rico.
History —Sept. 30, 1995, No. 211, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 45 - Community Revitalization Administration Organic Act (§§ 1451 — 1462) › § 1455 - Administrator

The Administration shall be directed by an Administrator appointed by the Secretary, with the consent of the Governor, who shall be responsible for the organization, direction and execution of all the duties of the Administration. The Administrator shall perform the duties of his/her office at the Secretary’s volition, and shall have professional training in the management or public administration field, and shall be committed to the pursuit of the objectives of this chapter.
The Secretary shall fix the salary of the Administrator, with the counsel of the Central Personnel Administration Office in accordance with the customary standards of the Government of Puerto Rico, for positions of equal or similar level functions and responsibilities.
The Administrator may appoint a Deputy Administrator, who shall act as Acting Administrator in case of absence or temporary disability of the Administrator. In case of death or dismissal of the Administrator, the Deputy Administrator shall assume his/her duties.
History —Sept. 30, 1995, No. 211, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 45 - Community Revitalization Administration Organic Act (§§ 1451 — 1462) › § 1458 - Organization of programs, services, etc

The Administrator shall organize the programs, services, utilities, divisions and dependencies that are hereby transferred to the Administration, and any others that may be transferred in the future, in such a way that the services are not affected and the goals of this chapter for purposes of this restructuring are met.
History —Sept. 30, 1995, No. 211, § 9.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 45 - Community Revitalization Administration Organic Act (§§ 1451 — 1462) › § 1459 - Adoption of rules and regulations

The Administrator shall adopt those rules and regulations that are needed for the implementation of this chapter and for the operation of the Administration and of the programs transferred hereby. Said regulations shall not take effect until they are approved by the Secretary. Such regulations, except for the Administration’s internal operating standards, shall be subject to the provisions of §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3, as amended, known as “Uniform Administrative Procedures Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”.
History —Sept. 30, 1995, No. 211, § 10.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 45 - Community Revitalization Administration Organic Act (§§ 1451 — 1462) › § 1460 - Administrator—Contracting services, personnel, etc

In order to attain the purposes of this chapter, the Administrator may request the services, facilities and personnel of any public, Commonwealth, federal or municipal government agency, and they shall render and offer their services. Any employee or official from a public agency who is temporarily assigned to the Administration as provided in this section, shall retain all the rights, benefits, classification and position which he/she currently holds at the public agency, subject to the provisions of §§ 704 et seq. of Title 3.
Likewise, the Administrator may request or contract with any public, municipal or federal agency to carry out any study or investigation that is necessary to comply with the purposes of this title.
History —Sept. 30, 1995, No. 211, § 11.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 45 - Community Revitalization Administration Organic Act (§§ 1451 — 1462) › § 1461 - Transference of functions

All the functions, duties, powers and faculties of the Division for Community Organization of the Housing Development and Improvement Administration, and the Council for the Improvement of Urban Area Quality of Life, and its programs from the Comprehensive Resources Network (RED, Spanish acronym), and the Office for Coordinating Aid and Services to Public Housing Residents (OCASCIR, Spanish acronym), are hereby transferred to the Administration. Likewise, the funds, properties, personnel, files, contracts, agreements, obligations and all the assets or active capital of any type, nature or description, rights and privileges, licenses, permits and authorizations inherent or related to the activities of these organizations transferred by virtue of this chapter, are hereby transferred to the Administration to be used for the ends and purposes of this chapter.
History —Sept. 30, 1995, No. 211, § 12.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 45 - Community Revitalization Administration Organic Act (§§ 1451 — 1462) › § 1462 - Guarantee of acquired rights

The provisions of this chapter shall not affect the vested rights of the personnel attached to the programs, services, divisions and dependencies of the Department which are transferred to the Administration.
No provision of this chapter shall be understood to modify, alter or invalidate any agreement, contract, covenant, claim or obligation that has been granted or contracted pursuant to applicable laws and which are in effect as of the date of approval of this act. The regulations currently governing the programs, services, units, divisions and dependencies of the Department, which are transferred to the Administration, shall continue in full force and effect until amended or repealed by the Administration, pursuant to the purposes of this chapter.
Every procedure, action or claim pending before the Department or any court as of the date of approval of this act, shall continue to be processed until a final determination has been made, pursuant to the laws and regulations in force on the date on which such procedures, actions or claims were filed or initiated.
The Secretary is hereby empowered to adopt those transitional measures that may be necessary in order to implement the provisions of this chapter without interrupting public services and other administrative processes of the bodies that shall constitute the Administration. The necessary actions to comply with the purposes of this chapter shall be initiated within a term that shall not exceed thirty (30) days after its approval, in coordination and with the advice of the Office of Management and Budget.
History —Sept. 30, 1995, No. 211, § 13.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 47 - Rental Housing Program for Low Income Elderly Persons (§§ 1470 — 1475) › § 1471 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms and phrases shall have the meaning stated below:
(a) Elderly person. — Refers to every person sixty (60) years or older, who does not own a house, and whose income is within the limits to participate in the program established through regulations by the Secretary of Housing, which shall be equal to or more liberal than but never more restrictive, the limits established by the federal government.
(b) Housing for the elderly. — Means simple ground or multi-level row structures, destined to be used dwellings for the elderly, when they are promoted or developed by the Department of Housing or its operating bodies, or by private entities.
(c) Housing unit. — Means every structure that is apt for family dwelling of one or more elderly persons, which meets the building requirements of an adequate dwelling, and which shall need all the endorsements, approval and permits required by the applicable laws and regulations for its construction or refurbishing.
History —Aug. 23, 1996, No. 165, § 2; Sept. 2, 2000, No. 331, §§ 9, 10; Nov. 17, 2015, No. 187, renumbered as § 3 on Nov. 17, 2015, No. 187, art. 57.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 47 - Rental Housing Program for Low Income Elderly Persons (§§ 1470 — 1475) › § 1472 - Exemption—Construction of rental housing

A ninety percent (90%)-exemption from the payment of income taxes, municipal licenses, construction excise taxes, and any other municipal tax or fee shall be granted to every housing construction or rehabilitation projects to be leased to elderly persons, provided that:
(a) The construction or refurbishing of the rental housing units begins after the effective date of this act;
(b) the owner submits an itemized list of cost approved by the Secretary of Housing prior to starting the construction or refurbishing works;
(c) the tenant of the housing unit is an elderly person certified as eligible on the basis of the criteria issued by the Secretary of Housing through regulations, and
(d) the owner submits a certification from the Municipal Revenues Collection Center to the Secretary of the Department of Housing stating that upon completion of the project, the housing units did not have any tax lien or encumbrance.
History —Aug. 23, 1996, No. 165, § 3; Nov. 17, 2015, No. 187, renumbered as § 4 by § 57 and amended by § 58 on Nov. 17, 2015, No. 187.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 47 - Rental Housing Program for Low Income Elderly Persons (§§ 1470 — 1475) › § 1473 - Exemption—Leasing of housing units

The revenues received by the owner of a rental housing project for the elderly, whether newly constructed or refurbished, shall be ninety percent (90%) exempt from the payment of income taxes, license fees, real and personal property taxes and any other municipal tax or fee, provided that:
(a) The construction or refurbishing of the rental housing units begins after the effective date of this act.
(b) The rental fee of the rented housing units does not exceed the amount determined by the Secretary of Housing as adequate for the titleholders of the housing units to cover administration and maintenance expenses of the rented property, receive a return of his capital investment and cover any other obligations as titleholder, pursuant to the parameters established by regulations.
(c) The revenue on which tax exemption is claimed are derived from the rents paid by the elderly.
The tax exemption granted in this section shall be effective as long as the housing units for which the same is claimed are occupied by elderly persons for a term not to exceed twenty (20) years, as of January 1, of the year following the date of occupancy of the housing unit by an elderly person.
The Secretary of Housing shall annually certify to the Secretary of the Treasury, the Municipal Revenues Collection Center and the municipalities, whether the persons dwelling in the housing units on which the tax exemptions established in this section are claimed, qualify to obtain the benefits of this chapter.
History —Aug. 23, 1996, No. 165, § 4; Nov. 17, 2015, No. 187, renumbered as § 5on Nov. 17, 2015, No. 187, art. 57.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 47 - Rental Housing Program for Low Income Elderly Persons (§§ 1470 — 1475) › § 1474 - Requirements

Every owner who builds or rehabilitates housing units to be leased to the elderly and wishes to avail himself of the tax exemptions established in §§ 1472 and 1475 of this title shall:
(a) File a tax exemption application with the Secretary of Housing and the Secretary of the Treasury including the following information: the name of the business or company, the cadastre number of the property or properties connected to the business; the merchant registration number; the account connected to the business as required in the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code; the employer identification number; and the information required by §§ 1141 et seq. of Title 23, better known as the “Fiscal Information and Permit Control Act”, in addition to the documents and information required by regulations. The Secretary of the Department of Housing shall act on such application within sixty (60) days from the filing date thereof. Every owner who applies for the benefits of this chapter shall be up to date in the payment of all taxes imposed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, including those in which he acts as a withholding agent, and shall likewise keep current on the payment of such taxes for the term that he enjoys the benefits granted herein, and
(b) keep full detailed accounting, by housing unit, of all the revenues derived from the rental of such units and the expenses incurred therefor.
History —Aug. 23, 1996, No. 165, § 5; Nov. 17, 2015, No. 187, renumbered as § 6 by § 57 and amended by § 59 on Nov. 17, 2015, No. 187.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SEVENTEEN - Housing (§§ 1 — 1546) › Chapter 48 - Assisted Living Housing Projects (§§ 1481 — 1481q) › § 1481a - Construction

This chapter shall be interpreted in favor of the elderly person in such a manner that the guarantees and rights provided in the Bill of Rights of Elderly Persons [sic].
This chapter shall be interpreted liberally regarding all matters leaning toward respect toward the individuality and autonomy of elderly persons.
History —Sept. 3, 2003, No. 244, § 4.