(a) Subject to the requirements of Article 5 (commencing with Section 34350), for purposes of implementing a home financing program an authority has the following powers and duties:

1. (1) To acquire, contract, and enter into advance commitments to acquire, home mortgages made or owned by lending institutions at the purchase prices and upon the other terms and conditions as shall be determined by the authority or other person as it may designate as its agent, to make and execute contracts with lending institutions for the origination and servicing of home mortgages and to pay the reasonable value of services rendered under those contracts. Prior to executing any contract with a lending institution, an authority shall adopt regulations establishing criteria for qualification of lending institutions eligible to originate and service home mortgages under home financing programs authorized by this section and shall, with respect to each home financing program, permit each qualified lending institution which transacts business in the area of operation of the authority the opportunity to participate in the program on an equitable basis with other participating lending institutions.
2. (2) To make loans to lending institutions under terms and conditions which, in addition to other provisions as determined by the authority, shall require the lending institutions to use all of the net proceeds thereof, directly or indirectly, for the making of home mortgages in an aggregate principal amount equal to the amount of the net proceeds.

3. (3) To establish, by rules or regulations, in resolutions relating to any issuance of bonds or in any documents relating to the issuance, standards, and requirements applicable to the purchase of home mortgages or the making of loans to lending institutions the authority deems necessary or desirable to effectuate the purposes of this section, which may include without limitation any of the following:

   1. (A) The time within which lending institutions are required to make commitments and disbursements for home mortgages.
   2. (B) The location and other characteristics of homes to be financed by home mortgages.
   3. (C) The terms and conditions of home mortgages to be acquired.
   4. (D) The amounts and types of any insurance coverage required on homes, home mortgages, and bonds.
   5. (E) The representations and warranties of lending institutions confirming compliance with the standards and requirements.
   6. (F) Restrictions as to interest rate and other terms of home mortgages or the return realized therefrom by lending institutions.
   7. (G) The type and amount of collateral security to be provided to assure repayment of any loans from the authority and to ensure repayment of bonds.
   8. (H) Any other matters related to the purchase of home mortgages or the making of loans to lending institutions deemed relevant by the authority.
4. (4) To require from each lending institution from which home mortgages are purchased or to which loans are made the submission of evidence satisfactory to the authority of the ability and intention of the lending institution to make home mortgages, and the submission, within the time specified by the authority for making disbursements for home mortgages, of evidence satisfactory to the authority of the making of home mortgages and of compliance with any standards and requirements established by the authority.

(c) Each authority which finances housing pursuant to this section shall adopt regulations establishing criteria for the qualification of persons and families, which may differ among different areas of operation of authorities to reflect varying economic and housing conditions. In developing this criteria, factors similar to the following shall be taken into consideration:

1. (1) The amount of the income of the person or family that is available for housing needs.
2. (2) The size of the household.
3. (3) The costs and condition of available housing.
4. (4) The eligibility of the persons or families for federal housing assistance of any type.

(d) Criteria for qualification of persons and families pursuant to this section shall include a maximum household income, which maximum shall not exceed the following:

1. (1) One hundred twenty percent of the median household income for mortgages made for improving a home or for homes where the purchaser will be the first occupant. Upon the resale of a home for which financing was originally provided under this paragraph, the maximum income of persons and families shall also be 120 percent of the median household income.
2. (2) The median household income where the purchaser will not be the first occupant. However, the authority shall ensure that no less than one-half of the funds allocated for home mortgages where the purchaser will not be the first occupant shall be for households whose income does not exceed 80 percent of that median household income. However, the authority may, by resolution, increase this income limitation to 90 percent of median household income if the authority finds that there are insufficient numbers of creditworthy persons whose income does not exceed 80 percent of median household income. The resolution is final and conclusive as to the findings required by this paragraph.

3. (3) One hundred fifty percent of the median household income for mortgages made for improving a home or for homes where the purchaser will be the first occupant in any city, the entire area of which, or in any county in which a portion of the county, is designated by the United States Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration as a special impact area within a Title IV redevelopment area, pursuant to Section 401 of the federal Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965, as amended, and which is eligible for Urban Development Action Grant funds under the current distress standards established for cities and counties by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to Section 119 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, if the homes purchased or improved are situated within the boundaries of a special impact area as defined by the Economic Development Administration, and that designation is in effect on the date of sale of revenue bonds issued under this section.

   As used in this subdivision, “median household income” means the highest of (A) statewide median household income, (B) countywide median household income, or (C) median family income for area as determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, with respect to either a standard metropolitan statistical area or an area outside of a standard metropolitan statistical area.