Any housing authority may, during a national defense period, undertake the development or administration of projects to assure the availability of safe and sanitary dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities. In the ownership, development or administration of such projects, a housing authority shall have the rights, powers, privileges and immunities that such authority has under this chapter in respect to slum clearance and housing projects for persons of low income; provided any project developed or administered by such housing authority, or by any housing authority cooperating with it, pursuant to this part, shall not be subject to the provisions of this chapter relating to rentals of, preferences or eligibility for admission to, occupancy of, eviction from, payments in lieu of taxes with respect to, or equivalent elimination of substandard dwellings in connection with the provision of, such dwellings. During the national defense period, a housing authority may make payments, in such amounts as the housing authority and the governing body of the municipality find necessary or desirable, in lieu of taxes and for any services, facilities, works, privileges or improvements furnished for or in connection with any such projects. During periods other than national defense periods, any such projects owned by a housing authority shall be administered in accordance with the provisions of this chapter or other applicable federal or state laws and in accordance with any contracts with the federal government or with state public bodies relating to such projects, and any such projects owned by the federal government may be administered in accordance with federal law.

(1951, S. 473d.)