Housing authorities. (FE)

A housing authority may exercise a variety of powers generally related to increasing the availability of safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations for persons of low income. Among these powers is the authority of a housing authority to acquire, construct, and operate housing projects. Under current law, the term “housing projects” is defined to include “all real and personal property, building and improvements, and community facilities acquired or constructed pursuant to a single plan either to demolish, clear, remove, alter or repair insanitary or unsafe housing or to provide safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations for persons of low income, or both.” This bill specifies that a housing authority also has the authority to acquire, construct, and operate mixed developments. The term “mixed development” means “all real and personal property, buildings and improvements, and community facilities acquired, rehabilitated, or constructed pursuant to a single plan to revitalize, redevelop, or transfer one or more properties into a mixed-use or mixed-income development primarily to serve persons of low income or persons of low income and persons of moderate income with housing, commercial, and neighborhood amenities or other support services.” Under current law, if the estimated cost of a housing authority project exceeds $25,000, the authority must solicit bids and award the contract to the lowest qualified and competent bidder. This bill increases the threshold that is applicable to a housing authority to the federal simplified acquisition threshold amount. This amount reflects the threshold beneath which certain federal grant recipients may use simplified purchasing procedures. Currently, this amount is $250,000.

Because this bill directly or substantially affects the development, construction, cost or availability of housing in this state, the Department of Administration, as required by law, will prepare a report to be printed as an appendix to this bill.