Title 8

(a) The great increase in population in the State of Georgia which has taken place in recent years has created a serious shortage in dormitory housing accommodations at the various units of the University System of Georgia, causing overcrowded and congested conditions which are u…

It is declared that there exist in the state unsanitary and unsafe dwelling accommodations; that persons of low income are forced to reside in such accommodations; that within the state there is a shortage of safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations available at rents which pers…

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Area of operation,” in the case of a housing authority of a city, means such city and any area which lies within the territorial boundaries of any other city, provided that a resolution shall have been adopted by the governing body of such …

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Community facilities” means the land, buildings, improvements, and equipment for such recreational, community, educational, and commercial facilities as the authority determines improve the quality of an eligible housing unit. (2) “Eligible…

(a) An authority shall constitute a public body corporate and politic exercising public and essential governmental functions and having all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this article, including the following powers i…

An authority shall have the right to acquire by the exercise of the power of eminent domain any real property which it may deem necessary for its purposes under this article after the adoption by it of a resolution declaring that the acquisition of the real property described the…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term “public use” shall have the meaning specified in Code Section 22-1-1. (b) Any exercise of the power of eminent domain under this chapter or Chapter 4 of this title must: (1) Be for a public use; and (2) Be approved by resolution of the go…

An authority is empowered to borrow money or accept grants or other financial assistance from the federal government for, or in aid of, any housing project within its area of operation; to take over or lease or manage any housing project or undertaking constructed or owned by the …

(a) In any contract or amendatory or superseding contract for a loan and annual contributions heretofore or hereafter entered into between a housing authority and the federal government with respect to any housing project undertaken by said housing authority, the authority is aut…

(a) Any housing authority may, within its area of operation, undertake studies and analyses of housing needs and of the measures required to meet such needs, including the gathering of data with respect to population and family groups, and the distribution of such groups accordin…

(a) It is found and declared that from time to time there has existed and at the present time there exists an inadequate supply of funds at interest rates sufficiently low to enable the financing of safe and sanitary single and multifamily dwelling units for citizens of the state …

Any housing authority created pursuant to this article, acting through its director or his or her designee, is authorized to prohibit, without breaching the peace, any person who is reasonably suspected of committing a criminal act on the premises of a housing project and who is …

In each city and in each county of the state there is created a public body corporate and politic to be known as the “housing authority” of the city or county; provided, however, that such authority shall not transact any business or exercise its powers under this article until o…

(a) A governing body shall adopt a resolution declaring that there is need for a housing authority in the city or county, as the case may be, if it shall find that insanitary or unsafe inhabited dwelling accommodations exist in such city or county or that there is a shortage of sa…

(a)(1) When the governing body of a city adopts a resolution as provided in Code Section 8-3-5, it shall promptly notify the mayor of such adoption. Upon receiving such notice, the mayor shall appoint five persons as commissioners of the authority created for such city. In the eve…

(a) The powers of each authority shall be vested in the commissioners thereof in office from time to time. Three commissioners shall constitute a quorum of the authority for the purpose of conducting its business and exercising its powers and for all other purposes. Action may be…

(a) No commissioner or employee of the authority shall voluntarily acquire any interest, direct or indirect, in any project or in any property included or planned to be included in any project, or in any contract or proposed contract in connection with any project. Where the acqu…

For inefficiency or neglect of duty or misconduct in office, a commissioner of an authority may be removed by the mayor or, in the case of an authority for a county, by the governing body of said county, provided that a commissioner shall be removed only after he shall have been …

In any action or proceeding involving the validity or enforcement of, or otherwise relating to, any contract of an authority, the authority shall be conclusively deemed to have become established and autho959 rized to transact business and exercise its powers under this article u…

All housing projects of an authority shall be subject to the planning, zoning, sanitary, and building laws, ordinances, and regulations applicable to the locality in which the housing project is situated. History. Ga. L. 1937, p. 210, § 13.

An authority shall have power to issue bonds from time to time, in its discretion, for any of its corporate purposes. An authority shall also have power to issue refunding bonds for the purpose of paying or retiring bonds previously issued by it. An authority may issue such types…

(a) Neither the commissioners of an authority nor any person executing the bonds shall be liable personally on the bonds by reason of the issuance thereof. (b) The bonds and other obligations of an authority shall not be a debt of the city, the county, the state, or any political…

Bonds of an authority are declared to be issued for an essential public and governmental purpose and to be public instrumentalities. All such bonds shall be exempt from state, county, municipal, or other taxation in the State of Georgia; and interest on such bonds shall be exempt…

Bonds of an authority shall be authorized by its resolution and may be issued in one or more series and shall bear such date or dates; mature at such time or times; bear interest at such rate or rates; be in such denomination or denominations; be in such form, either coupon or re…

The bonds of an authority may be sold at public or private sale in such a manner and for such price as the authority may determine to be in the best interest of the authority. History. Ga. L. 1937, p. 210, § 15; Ga. L. 1939, p. 126, § 3; Ga. L. 1951, p. 127, § 3; Ga. L. 1959, p. …

In case any of the commissioners or officers of the authority whose signatures appear on any bonds or coupons shall cease to be such commissioners or officers before the delivery of such bonds, such signatures shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes, the same …

Any bond reciting in substance that it has been issued by an authority to aid in financing a housing project to provide dwelling accommodations for persons of low income shall be conclusively deemed, in any action or proceeding involving the validity or enforceability of such bond…

In connection with the issuance of bonds or the incurring of obligations under leases and in order to secure the payment of such bonds or obligations, an authority shall have power: (1) To pledge all or any part of its gross or net rents, fees, or revenues to which its right then…

An obligee of an authority shall have the right, in addition to all other rights which may be conferred on such obligee, subject only to any contractual restrictions binding upon such obligee: (1) By mandamus, suit, action, or proceeding at law or in equity, to compel said author…

An authority shall have power by its resolution, trust indenture, mortgage, lease, or other contract to confer upon any obligee holding or representing a specified amount in bonds, or holding a lease, the right, in addition to all rights that may otherwise be conferred, upon the h…

The property of an authority is declared to be public property used for essential public and governmental purposes and not for purposes of private or corporate benefit and income. That portion of any housing project subject to a private enterprise agreement contemplated by subpara…

All real property of an authority shall be exempt from levy and sale by virtue of an execution; and no execution or other judicial process shall issue against the same nor shall any judgment against an authority be a charge or lien upon its real property, provided that this Code …

Notwithstanding any restrictions on investments contained in any laws of this state, the state and all public officers, municipal corporations, political subdivisions, and public bodies; all banks, bankers, trust companies, savings banks and institutions, building and loan associ…

At least once a year, an authority shall file with the clerk a report of its activities for the preceding year and shall make recommendations with reference to such additional legislation or other action as it deems necessary in order to carry out the purposes of this article. His…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the “Housing Cooperation Law.” History. Ga. L. 1937, p. 697, § 1; Ga. L. 2020, p. 493, § 8/SB 429.

It has been found and declared in Article 1 of this chapter, the “Housing Authorities Law,” that there exist in the state unsafe and insanitary housing conditions and a shortage of safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations for persons of low income; that these conditions necessit…

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Federal government” means the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States of America. (2) “Housing authority” means any housing authority created pursuant to Article 1 of this chap…

(a) For the purpose of aiding and cooperating in the planning, undertaking, construction, or operation of housing projects located within the area in which it is authorized to act, any state public body may, upon such terms, with or without consideration, as it may determine: (1)…

In connection with any housing project located wholly or partly within the area in which it is authorized to act, any state public body may contract with a housing authority or the federal government with respect to the sum or sums, if any, which the housing authority or the fede…

(a) When any housing authority which is created for any city or county becomes authorized to transact business and exercises its powers therein, the city council or the county commissioners, as the case may be, shall immediately make an estimate of the amount of money necessary f…

The exercise by a state public body of the powers granted by this article may be authorized by resolution of the governing body of such state public body. The resolution shall be adopted by a majority of the members of the governing body present at a meeting of said governing bod…

The General Assembly finds and declares that housing is an issue of paramount concern to this state which affects the health, welfare, and safety of the citizens of this state and the economic viability and planned growth of its communities. The General Assembly further finds and d…

The General Assembly affirms the state’s policy to provide decent, safe, and affordable housing to all segments of the population of this state. The State Office of Housing is authorized and directed to develop a state housing goal and shall prepare a state housing goal report fo…

(a) The State Office of Housing shall award state or federal funds to construct single-family affordable housing for individuals and families of low and very low income only to persons whose application indicates that the affordable housing that is the subject of the application …

(a) It is the policy of the State of Georgia to provide, within constitutional limitations, for fair housing throughout this state. (b) The general purposes of this article are: (1) To provide for execution in the state of policies embodied in Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act o…

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Administrator” means the administrator of the Commission on Equal Opportunity created under Article 2 of Chapter 19 of Title 45. (2) “Aggrieved person” means any person who claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice or…