(a) A portion of the budget authority available for the housing programs listed in § 791.101(a), not to exceed an amount equal to five percent of the total amount of budget authority available for the fiscal year for programs under the United States Housing Act of 1937 listed in § 791.101(a), may be retained by the Assistant Secretary for subsequent allocation to specific areas and communities, and may only be used for:

(1) Unforeseen housing needs resulting from natural and other disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, high water, wind driven water, tidal waves, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, mudslides, snowstorms, drought, fires, floods, or explosions, which in the determination of the Secretary cause damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant Federal housing assistance;

(2) Housing needs resulting from emergencies, as certified by the Secretary, other than disasters described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section. Emergency housing needs that can be certified are only those that result from unpredictable and sudden circumstances causing housing deprivation (such as physical displacement, loss of Federal rental assistance, or substandard housing conditions) or causing an unforeseen and significant increase in low-income housing demand in a housing market (such as influx of refugees or plant closings);

(3) Housing needs resulting from the settlement of litigation; and

(4) Housing in support of desegregation efforts.

(b) Applications for funds retained under paragraph (a) of this section shall be made to the field office, which will make recommendations to Headquarters for approval or rejection of the application. Applications generally will be considered for funding on a first-come, first-served basis. Specific instructions governing access to the Headquarters Reserve shall be published by notice in the Federal Register, as necessary.

(c) Any amounts retained in any fiscal year under paragraph (a) of this section that are not reserved by the end of such fiscal year shall remain available for the following fiscal year in the program under § 791.101(a) from which the amount was retained. Such amounts shall be allocated pursuant to § 791.403(b)(2).