State public bodies may help with housing and redevelopment projects, and they must provide replacement living quarters in one situation and give hearing notice to local legislators.
§573. Cooperation in undertaking housing projects For the purpose of aiding and cooperating in the planning, undertaking, construction, or operation of housing developments or redevelopment projects located within the area in which it is authorized to act, any state public body may, upon such terms as it determines: (1) Dedicate, sell, convey, or lease any of its interest in any property, or grant servitudes or other rights or privileges therein to a housing authority or to the federal government. (2) Cause parks or playgrounds or recreational, community, educational, water, sewer, or drainage facilities, or any other works which it is otherwise empowered to undertake to be furnished adjacent to or in connection with such developments or projects. (3) Furnish, dedicate, close, pave, install, grade, regrade, plan, or replan streets, roads, alleys, sidewalks or other places which it is otherwise empowered to construct. (4) Plan or replan, zone or rezone, any part of the state public body; or make exceptions to any of its building regulations and ordinances. Municipalities may also change their maps. (5) Cause any services to be furnished to the housing authority which it is empowered to furnish. (6) Enter into agreements with respect to the exercise by it of its powers relating to the repair, elimination, or closing of unsafe, insanitary, or unfit dwellings. (7) Employ any funds belonging to it or within its control, including funds derived from the sale or furnishing of property or facilities to a housing authority, in the purchase of the bonds or other obligations of a housing authority; and exercise all the rights of any holder of such bonds or other obligations. (8) Accept as security for its deposits any bonds or other obligations of any housing authority created under the Housing Authorities Law. (9) Do any and all things, necessary or convenient, to aid and cooperate in the planning, undertaking, construction, or operation of such developments or projects. (10) Incur the entire expense of any public improvements made by it in exercising the powers granted in this Part. However, it shall be the responsibility of the state public body to make available to those families who have been deprived of living accommodations through the removal of these structures as provided for in this Part, living quarters either in housing developments or through private enterprise at a comparable rate of rent as was previously paid. When a dwelling or business is condemned and demolished, the property owner shall retain his equity in the land, regardless of whether it is subsequently subdivided, unless the land is expropriated for a municipal use such as a playground, school, street, or municipal building. (11) Enter into agreements, which may extend over any period, with a housing authority respecting action to be taken by the state public body pursuant to any of the powers granted by this Part. If at any time title to, or possession of, any development is held by any public body or governmental agency authorized by law to engage in the development or administration of low rent housing or slum clearance projects, including any agency or instrumentality of the United States of America, the provisions of such agreements shall inure to the benefit of and may be enforced by such public body or governmental agency. (12) Conduct public hearings on a proposed housing development or redevelopment project for its planning, undertaking, construction, or operation. Notice of such public hearing shall be given to the legislators within whose district the development or redevelopment project is located. Acts 1997, No. 1188, §1; Acts 2003, No. 1095, §1, eff. July 2, 2003.