AB 526

This bill authorizes a housing authority to undertake certain mixed

developments and increases 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 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.”

The 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. The bill increases the threshold to $50,000.

Because this bill may increase or decrease, directly or indirectly, the cost of the

development, construction, financing, purchasing, sale, ownership, 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.