§383. Purposes

The purposes of this Chapter are:

(1) To remedy the shortage of decent, safe, and sanitary housing affordable to persons of low and moderate income, to provide opportunities to secure such housing to all such persons, to preserve existing supplies of such housing, and to create, administer, and operate programs to increase and maintain access to decent, safe, and sanitary rental housing and home ownership, upon terms affordable to such persons.

(2) To encourage the development, redevelopment, rehabilitation, and preservation of safe, livable neighborhoods containing housing that is affordable to persons of low and moderate income, including mixed-use and mixed-income developments, and to reduce where feasible high residential concentrations of impoverished persons.

(3) In connection with the provision of affordable housing and related activities authorized under this Chapter, to eliminate or ameliorate conditions of blight and physical deterioration in public facilities and the commercial and residential infrastructure.

(4) To provide housing, rental, and other assistance to persons of low and moderate income, and assistance to properties and entities, in accordance with this Chapter, and, subject to standards and procedures adopted by the local housing authority, to authorize the provision by local housing authorities of supportive services and programs of every kind and description to advance the social, educational, and economic well-being and the economic and social self-sufficiency, of persons receiving housing assistance under this Chapter, so as to create wholesome living environments, eliminate long-term poverty, encourage gainful employment, develop social and economic self-sufficiency, including living independently of housing assistance, and enhance personal responsibility on the part of such persons.

(5) To increase intergovernmental cooperation and the use of consortia and intergovernmental partnerships for the development of affordable housing and suitable neighborhoods.

(6) To encourage the use of entrepreneurial methods and approaches and to stimulate and increase private sector initiatives and joint public-private sector initiatives by local housing authorities in carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Chapter.

(7) To increase the availability, from both public and private sector sources, of financing for the purchase of dwellings and the financing for home improvements, repairs, and rehabilitation at rates and upon terms that are affordable to persons of low or moderate income; further, to increase the availability of sources of equity and other financing for the development and operation by local housing authorities and private sector entities of decent, safe, and sanitary rental housing that is affordable to persons of low and moderate income.

(8) In carrying out the foregoing purposes, to vest in local housing authorities the maximum feasible responsibility, authority, and discretion. Except where clearly prohibited by applicable law, such authorities shall also possess the powers and legal prerogatives of private sector entities.

Acts 1997, No. 1188, §1.