Except as otherwise provided in this article, the Authority and its commissioners have the same functions, rights, powers, duties, privileges, immunities, and limitations as those provided for housing authorities created for cities, counties or groups of counties, and the commissioners of the housing authorities. The Authority also may make home equity conversion mortgages to any person who is a member of a beneficiary class of the Authority as provided in Section 31-13-170(b), (o), and (p) and who is over sixty-five years of age. The Authority may prepare and administer a program for the home equity conversion mortgages and may coordinate any available funding for the program with the federal government and the private sector. Money received as a result of obtaining a home equity conversion mortgage must not be counted as income in a determination of entitlement to any public assistance. The term "home conversion mortgage" means a first mortgage which provides for future payments to the homeowner based on accumulated equity.

The provisions of this chapter and Chapter 11 apply to the Authority in the same manner and to the same extent as the provisions are applicable to a housing authority created for a city or a county, and the term "Authority" or "Housing Authority" as used in the provisions includes the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 36-294; 1971 (57) 927; 1988 Act No. 538, Section 2; 1988 Act No. 575, Section 1; redesignated from Section 31-3-140 by 1992 Act No. 410, Section 3.