SB 663

This bill authorizes a housing authority to undertake certain mixed

developments and increase the bidding threshold for housing authority projects.

Under current law, the common council of a city may create a housing authority.

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.