157-54. Rights, powers, etc., of housing authorities relative to national defense projects.

Any housing authority may undertake the development and administration of projects to assure the availability of safe and sanitary dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities whom the housing authority determines would not otherwise be able to secure safe and sanitary dwellings within the vicinity thereof, but no housing authority shall initiate the development of any such project pursuant to this Article after the termination of the present war.

In the ownership, development or administration of such projects, a housing authority shall have all the rights, powers, privileges and immunities that such authority has under any provision of law relating to the ownership, development or administration of slum clearance and housing projects for persons of low income, in the same manner as though all the provisions of law applicable to slum clearance and housing projects for persons of low income were applicable to projects developed or administered to assure the availability of safe and sanitary dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities as provided in this Article, and housing projects developed or administered hereunder shall constitute "housing projects" under Article 1 of this Chapter, as that term is used therein: Provided, that during the period (herein called the "national defense period") that a housing authority finds (which finding shall be conclusive in any suit, action or proceeding) that within its authorized area of operation, or any part thereof, there is an acute shortage of safe and sanitary dwellings which impedes the National Defense Program in this State and that the necessary safe and sanitary dwellings would not otherwise be provided when needed for persons engaged in national defense activities, any project developed or administered by such housing authority (or by any housing authority cooperating with it) in such area pursuant to this Article, with the financial aid of the federal government (or as agent for the federal government as hereinafter provided), shall not be subject to the limitations provided in G.S. 157-29; and provided further, that, during the national defense period, a housing authority may make payments in such amounts as it finds necessary or desirable for any services, facilities, works, privileges or improvements furnished for or in connection with any such projects. After the national defense period, any such projects owned and administered by a housing authority shall be administered for the purposes and in accordance with the provisions of Article 1 of this Chapter.