24 C.F.R. § 115.210 Procedure for certification.
Title 24 - Housing and Urban Development
(a) Certification. (1) If the Assistant Secretary determines, after application of the criteria set forth in §§115.202, 115.203 and this section, that the State or local law or ordinance, both “on its face” and “in operation,” provides substantive rights, procedures, remedies, and judicial review procedures for alleged discriminatory housing practices that are substantially equivalent to those provided in the Act, the Assistant Secretary may enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the agency. (2) The MOU is a written agreement providing for the referral of complaints to the agency and for communication procedures between the agency and HUD that are adequate to permit the Assistant Secretary to monitor the agency's continuing substantial equivalency certification. (3) A MOU, after it is signed by all appropriate signatories, may authorize an agency to be a certified agency for a period of not more than five years. (b) Performance Improvement Plan. (1) If the agency is not administering its law or ordinance in a manner that is substantially equivalent, the Assistant Secretary, may, but need not, offer a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) to the agency. The PIP will outline the agency's deficiencies, identify necessary corrective actions, and include a timetable for completion. (2) If the agency receives a PIP, funding under the FHAP may be suspended for the duration of the PIP. Once the agency has implemented corrective actions to eliminate the deficiencies, and such corrective actions are accepted by the Assistant Secretary, funding may be reinstated. (c) Annual assessments. The Assistant Secretary shall annually assess the performance of an agency to determine whether it continues to qualify for certification under this part. If the Assistant Secretary affirmatively concludes that the agency's law and performance have complied with the requirements of this part in each of the five years, the Assistant Secretary may offer the agency an updated Memorandum of Understanding. (d) Interim certification required prior to certification. An agency shall receive interim certification prior to receiving certification.
Title 24: Housing and Urban Development
PART 115—CERTIFICATION AND FUNDING OF STATE AND LOCAL FAIR HOUSING ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
Subpart B—Certification of Substantially Equivalent Agencies
§ 115.210 Procedure for certification.
