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<article heading="Article I. In General.">
  <section heading="Sec. 56-1. Rehabilitation loan fund.">
    <paragraph indent="1">(a)   The county council is hereby empowered and authorized by resolution to establish and thereafter to maintain a special fund to be known as the "rehabilitation loan fund" for the purpose of making loans to:</paragraph>
    <paragraph indent="2">(1)   Homeowners of low income to finance rehabilitation required to make their homes or mobile homes conform to applicable County Code requirements, provided such loans are not available on reasonable terms and conditions from other sources; and</paragraph>
    <paragraph indent="2">(2)   Any organization, if the loan is recommended by the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission, to rehabilitate or refurbish any historic structure and property that is:</paragraph>
    <paragraph indent="2">(i)   Located in this county; and</paragraph>
    <paragraph indent="2">(ii)   Owned or operated by the organization.</paragraph>
    <paragraph indent="1">(b)   The county executive shall prescribe from time to time such regulations, adopted under method (2) of section 2A-15 of this Code, deemed appropriate for the making of such loans and the administration of the fund, including the right to contract with private organizations for the administration of such fund.</paragraph>
  </section>
  <section heading="Sec. 56-1A. Demolition Loan Program.">
    <paragraph indent="1">(a)   Subject to appropriation, the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (in this Section, the Department) may create and administer a Demolition Loan Program.  The purpose of the Program is to assist owners of commercial buildings which are:</paragraph>
    <paragraph indent="2">(1)   located in an urban renewal area, enterprise zone, commercial revitalization area, or other commercial area that the Director finds is blighted or threatened with blight;</paragraph>
    <paragraph indent="2">(2)   vacant or severely underutilized; and</paragraph>
    <paragraph indent="2">(3)   uneconomical to rehabilitate to meet current market demands or to maintain properly.</paragraph>
    <paragraph indent="1">(b)   Under lending guidelines and procedures and repayment terms approved by the Director of Finance, the Department may loan from the Economic Development Fund created under Section 20-73 to an owner of a commercial building which meets the standards of subsection (a) all or part of the cost of demolishing the building and clearing the land on which it is located.  The repayment terms for any loan made under this program may allow partial or full forgiveness of the loan when the Director finds that forgiveness would best accomplish the purposes of this program.</paragraph>
    <paragraph indent="1">(c)   Any loan greater than an amount set by Regulation must be approved by a lending committee composed of the Director of Finance, Economic Development, and Housing and Community Affairs.  Any loan greater than an amount set by Regulation must not be approved until the County Council has received notice of the loan and a reasonable opportunity to comment.</paragraph>
    <paragraph indent="1">(d)   The County Executive must adopt Regulations under method (2) to administer this program.</paragraph>
  </section>
</article>