Section 6 — Enforcement, Compliance, and Appeals

Purpose

To define enforcement mechanisms and ensure consistent compliance across all sectors affected by the Affordability Act.

Federal Office of Affordability Oversight (FOAO)

• The FOAO is a federally chartered agency responsible for:
  • Auditing affordability metrics, valuations, and wage compliance.
  • Managing the Certified Offer Registry (COR).
  • Conducting investigations and coordinating state-level enforcement.
• The FOAO must publish an annual Affordability Report detailing national progress, identified violations, and recommendations for amendment.

Penalties

• Civil penalties include fines up to 200% of the profit gained from violations.
• Repeat or deliberate offenses may escalate to criminal penalties including imprisonment or forfeiture of assets.
• Violators found guilty of manipulating valuations, suppressing listings, or wage evasion may be barred from property ownership or corporate leadership for up to 10 years.

Appeals Process

• Any individual or entity has the right to appeal enforcement actions within 60 days of notice.
• Appeals may be filed digitally or by mail through FOAO regional offices.
• An independent arbitration panel reviews all appeals, with final recourse through the federal judiciary.

Enforcement of Ownership and Maintenance

• FOAO and local governments have authority to enforce blight laws, ownership stewardship, and affordability compliance.
• Neglected or vacant properties under stewardship must be maintained until resold or reassigned.
• Owners must comply with upkeep standards or risk custodial transfer.

Transparency and Whistleblower Protection

• All FOAO investigations, outcomes, and appeals must be logged publicly except when privacy law prevents disclosure.
• Whistleblowers who report violations are legally protected against retaliation and entitled to up to 10% of recovered restitution.