This chapter may be cited as the Housing Authorities Law.

It is hereby declared:

Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions contained in this article govern the construction of this chapter.

“Authority” means a public corporation created pursuant to this chapter.

“City” means any city or city and county. “County” means any county.

“Governing body” means the city council in the case of a city or the board of supervisors in the case of a county.

“Mayor” means the mayor of the city or the officer charged with the duties customarily imposed on the executive head of the city.

“Clerk” means the clerk of the city or of the county.

“Area of operation,” in the case of a city authority, includes the city and the area within five miles of its territorial boundaries. It does not include any area which lies within the territorial boundaries of another city unless the governing body of such other city has consented by resolution. It does not include any area which lies within the unincorporated area of any county for which an authority has been authorized to transact business. If a county authority becomes empowered to transact business and exercise its powers, a city authority empowered to transact business and exercise its powers in any of the unincorporated area of the county shall not initiate any further project within such unincorporated territory.

“Area of operation,” in the case of a county authority includes all of the county except the area within the territorial boundaries of any city for which an authority has been authorized to transact business. Except as authorized by Section 34312.5, a county authority shall not operate in any city located in the county and in which an authority has not been authorized to transact business unless the consent of the city governing body has been obtained. If an authority of a city within a county becomes empowered to transact business and exercise its powers, a county authority empowered to transact business and exercise its powers has no power to initiate any further project or leased housing within the territorial boundaries of the city, except as provided in Section 34312.5.

“Federal Government” means the United States, the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, or any other agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States.

“Slum” means any area where dwellings predominate which, by reason of dilapidation, overcrowding, faulty arrangement, or design, lack of ventilation, light, or sanitary facilities, or any combination of these factors, are detrimental to safety, health, and morals.

“Housing project” means any work or undertaking to be financed in whole or in part by the federal government or a state public body or to which the federal government or a state public body extends assistance by supplying all or part of the labor, by guaranteeing the payment of liens, by providing financing through the issuance of its debt obligations, or otherwise, for any one or a combination of the following purposes:

“Housing projects” also includes the planning of the buildings and improvements, the acquisition of property, the demolition of existing structures, the construction, reconstruction, alteration, and repair of the improvements, and all other work in connection therewith.

For the purposes of this section, “state public body” means the state, any city, county, city and county, borough, commission, district, authority, or other subdivision or public body of the state, including any housing authority.

“Persons of low income” means persons or families whose income does not exceed that permitted by Section 50079.5, or persons or families eligible as lower-income households for assistance provided by state or federal housing programs intended primarily to assist lower-income households, as defined by Section 50079.5.

“Construction loan” means a short-term loan secured by real property, made for costs incurred in construction or rehabilitation of a housing project.

“Tenant” means a person lawfully residing in rental housing provided by or through an authority, including persons residing in leased housing.

A person residing in leased housing is not a tenant of any authority other than the authority contracting with the owner, or the owner if the owner is an authority.

“Mortgage loan” means a long-term loan which is secured by a mortgage and is made for permanent financing, including refinancing of existing mortgage obligations as authorized by a resolution of the authority of a housing project.

“Bonds” means any bonds, notes, interim certificates, debentures, or other obligations issued by the authority pursuant to this chapter.

“Real property” includes all land, including improvements and fixtures on it, and property of any nature appurtenant to it, or used in connection with it, and every estate, interest, and right in it, including terms for years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage, or otherwise, and the indebtedness secured by such liens.

“Obligee” includes any bondholder, trustee for any bondholders, or lessor demising to the authority property used in connection with a housing project, or any assignee of all or part of such lessor’s interest, and the Federal Government when it is a party to any contract with the authority.

A housing authority created pursuant to this part may, without the need to provide written documentation that consent has been obtained from a client, provide information to a county welfare department in order to aid that department in the administration of public social services programs provided for pursuant to Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code. This section may be implemented either through an automated data exchange system or through a manual system. Any housing authority maintaining and providing information pursuant to this section shall comply with confidentiality and privacy laws concerning the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of information, as contained in Section 10850 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 contained in Section 552a of Title 5 of the United States Code. The authority shall provide a written form to each person about whom information is to be provided to a county welfare department pursuant to this section. The form shall notify the person that the information exchanges may occur. A copy of the form may be retained by the person and the authority. The form shall specify the purpose for which the information has been solicited, the entities to which the information may be provided, the uses that may be made of the information, as set forth in Section 552a(e)(3) of Title 5 of the United States Code, and the right of the client to request review of the information that has been provided to the county welfare department. The authority may provide only information that is necessary to determine eligibility for county welfare department programs or services for which the client has applied or which he or she is receiving. The authority shall allow the client to review the information it has provided to a county welfare department, upon request of the client. This section is not intended to eliminate any other legal obligation of the authority to obtain consent from a client before releasing information to another entity.

Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 9550) of Title 3 of Part 6 of Division 4 of the Civil Code applies to any housing project constructed under this chapter. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a housing authority may require a 20 percent cash escrow or a 25 percent irrevocable letter of credit or the payment bond required by this section if the contract is for work undertaken pursuant to the Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Program established by Section 14 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended (42 U.S.C.A. Secs. 1437d and 1437l), or the Public Housing Modernization Act established by Section 5(c)(3)(C) of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended (42 U.S.C.A. Secs. 1437d and

1437l).

“Leased housing” includes, but is not limited to, low-rent housing in private accommodations for which the federal government or a state public body extends assistance by (1) leasing from the owner at a higher rent than is charged to the tenant or (2) contracting with the owner to make monthly payments in addition to rent paid by the tenant.