The following terms, wherever used or referred to in this article, shall have the following respective meanings, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:

(1) AUTHORITY or HOUSING AUTHORITY. A public body organized as a body corporate and politic in accordance with the provisions of this article for the purposes, with the powers and subject to the restrictions set forth.

(2) CITY. Any city or incorporated town in the State of Alabama.

(3) COUNCIL. The legislative body, council, board of commissioners or other body charged with governing the city.

(4) CITY CLERK and MAYOR. The clerk, and the mayor or president of the board of commissioners, respectively, of the city or the officers thereof charged with the duties customarily imposed on the clerk and mayor respectively.

(5) COMMISSIONER. One of the members of an authority appointed in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(6) GOVERNMENT. Such term shall include the state and federal governments and any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of either of them.

(7) STATE. The State of Alabama.

(8) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. Such term shall include the United States of America, the federal Secretary of Housing and Urban Development or any agency, instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States of America.

(9) HOUSING PROJECT. Such term shall include all real and personal property, buildings and improvements, stores, offices, public school buildings, lands for farming and gardening and community facilities acquired or constructed or to be acquired or constructed pursuant to a single plan of undertaking to demolish, clear, remove, alter or repair unsanitary or unsafe housing or to provide dwelling accommodations at rentals within the means of persons of low income. This term may also be applied to 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.

(10) COMMUNITY FACILITIES. Such term shall include real and personal property and buildings and equipment for recreational or social assemblies, for educational, health or welfare purposes, and necessary utilities, when designed primarily for the benefit and use of the occupants of the dwelling accommodations.

(11) PERSONS OF LOW INCOME. Persons receiving less than the income determined by the authority as the amount persons must receive to enable them to pay the rent necessary to secure safe, sanitary, and uncongested dwelling accommodations, other than dwelling accommodations provided by the authority or any cities, within the boundaries of the authority. Such determinations by the authority from time to time shall be binding and conclusive for all purposes of this article.

(12) BONDS. Any bonds, interim certificates, notes, debentures, warrants, or other obligations of the authority issued pursuant to this article.

(13) MORTGAGES. Such term shall include deeds of trust, mortgages, building and loan contracts or other instruments conveying real or personal property as security for bonds and conferring a right to foreclose and cause a sale thereof.

(14) TRUST INDENTURE. Such term shall include instruments pledging the revenues of real or personal properties but not conveying such properties conferring a right to foreclose and cause a sale thereof.

(15) CONTRACT. Any agreement of an authority with or for the benefit of an obligee whether contained in a resolution, trust indenture, mortgage, lease, bond, or other instrument.

(16) REAL PROPERTY. Such term shall include lands, lands under water, structures and any and all easements, franchises and incorporeal hereditaments and every estate and right therein, legal and equitable, including terms for years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage or otherwise.

(17) OBLIGEE OF THE AUTHORITY or OBLIGEE. Such term shall include any bondholder, trustee or trustees for any bondholders, any lessor demising property to the authority used in connection with a housing project or any assignee or assignees of such lessor's interest, or any part thereof, and the United States of America, when it is a party to any contract with the authority.