Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

NOTE 1 - ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

General

The information contained in the following notes to the unaudited financial statements is condensed from that which would appear in the annual audited financial statements; accordingly, the financial statements included herein should be reviewed in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes thereto contained in the annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 filed by Housing Programs Limited (the “Partnership”). Accounting measurements at interim dates inherently involve greater reliance on estimates than at year end. The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year.

In the opinion of the Partnership, the accompanying unaudited financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting primarily of normal recurring items) necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Partnership at June 30, 2011 and the results of operations and changes in cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010.

The balance sheet at December 31, 2010 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.

Organization

The Partnership was organized under the California Uniform Limited Partnership Act on May 15, 1984. The Partnership was formed to invest primarily in other limited partnerships which own or lease and operate Federal, state or local government-assisted housing projects. The general partners of the Partnership are National Partnership Investments Corp. ("NAPICO" or the "Corporate General Partner"), Housing Programs Corporation II and National Partnership Investment Associates (collectively, the "General Partners"). The Corporate General Partner and Housing Programs Corporation II are subsidiaries of Apartment Investment and Management Company ("Aimco"), a publicly traded real estate investment trust. 

The General Partners have a one percent interest in profits and losses of the Partnership. The limited partners have the remaining 99 percent interest which is allocated in proportion to their respective individual investments.

At June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, there were 12,070 limited partnership interests outstanding in the Partnership.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

The Partnership’s management evaluated subsequent events through the time this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q was filed.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Method of Accounting for Investments in Local Limited Partnerships

The investments in local limited partnerships (the “Local Limited Partnerships”) are accounted for using the equity method. 

Net Loss Per Limited Partnership Interest

Net loss per limited partnership interest was computed by dividing the limited partners' share of net loss by the number of limited partnership interests outstanding at the beginning of the year. The number of limited partnership interests used was 12,070 and 12,084 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Variable Interest Entities

The Partnership consolidates any variable interest entities in which the Partnership holds a variable interest and is the primary beneficiary. Generally, a variable interest entity, or VIE, is an entity with one or more of the following characteristics: (a) the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support; (b) as a group the holders of the equity investment at risk lack (i) the ability to make decisions about an entity’s activities through voting or similar rights, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity; or (c) the equity investors have voting rights that are not proportional to their economic interests and substantially all of the entity’s activities either involve, or are conducted on behalf of, an investor that has disproportionately few voting rights. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is generally the entity that has (a) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, and (b) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

In determining whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE, the Partnership considers qualitative and quantitative factors, including, but not limited to: which activities most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and which party controls such activities; the amount and characteristics of the Partnership’s investment; the obligation or likelihood for the Partnership or other investors to provide financial support; and the similarity with and significance to the business activities of the Partnership and the other investors.  Significant judgments related to these determinations include estimates about the current and future fair values and performance of real estate held by these VIEs and general market conditions.

At June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Partnership holds variable interests in two VIEs for which the Partnership is not the primary beneficiary.  The Partnership has concluded, based on its qualitative consideration of the partnership agreement, the partnership structure and the role of the general partner in each of the Local Limited Partnerships, that the general partner of each of the Local Limited Partnerships is the primary beneficiary of the respective Local Limited Partnership.   In making this determination, the Partnership considered the following factors:

·the general partners conduct and manage the business of the Local Limited Partnerships;

·the general partners have the responsibility for and sole discretion over selecting a property management agent for the Local Limited Partnerships’ underlying real estate properties;

·the general partners are responsible for approving operating and capital budgets for the properties owned by the Local Limited Partnerships;

·the general partners are obligated to fund any recourse obligations of the Local Limited Partnerships;

·the general partners are authorized to borrow funds on behalf of the Local Limited Partnerships; and

·the Partnership, as a limited partner in each of the Local Limited Partnerships, does not have the ability to direct or otherwise significantly influence the activities of the Local Limited Partnerships that most significantly impact such entities’ economic performance.

The two VIEs consist of Local Limited Partnerships that are directly engaged in the ownership and management of two apartment properties with a total of 408 units.  The Partnership is involved with those VIEs as a non-controlling limited partner equity holder. The Partnership’s maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the unconsolidated VIEs is limited to the Partnership’s recorded investments in and receivables from these VIEs, which were zero at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010. The Partnership may be subject to additional losses to the extent of any financial support that the Partnership voluntarily provides in the future.