G.S. ch. 157, art. 4

in effect

G.S. 157-52 Purpose of Article.

§ 157-52. Purpose of Article. It is hereby found and declared that the National Defense Program involves large increases in the military forces and personnel in this State, a great increase in the number of workers in already established manufacturing centers and the bringing of a large number of workers and their families to new centers of defense industries in the State; that there is an acute shortage of safe and sanitary dwellings available to such persons and their families in this State which impedes the National Defense Program; that it is imperative that action be taken immediately to assure the availability of safe and sanitary dwellings for such persons to enable the rapid expansion of national defense activities in this State and to avoid a large labor turnover in defense industries which would seriously hamper their production; that the provisions hereinafter enacted are necessary to assure the availability of safe and sanitary dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities which otherwise would not be provided at this time, and that such provisions are for the public use and purpose of facilitating the National Defense Program in this State. It is further declared to be the purpose of this Article to authorize housing authorities to do any and all things necessary or desirable to secure the financial aid of the federal government, or to cooperate with or act as agent of the federal government, in the expeditious development and the administration of projects to assure the availability when needed of safe and sanitary dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities. (1941, c. 63, s. 1.)

G.S. 157-53 Definitions.

§ 157-53. Definitions. (a) "Administration," as used in this Article, shall mean any and all undertakings necessary for management, operation or maintenance, in connection with any project, and shall include the leasing of any project (in whole or in part) from the federal government. (b) "Development" as used in this Article, shall mean any and all undertakings necessary for the planning, land acquisition, demolition, financing, construction or equipment in connection with a project (including the negotiation or award of contracts therefor), and shall include the acquisition of any project (in whole or in part) from the federal government. (c) "Federal government," as used in this Article, shall mean the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States of America. (d) "Housing authority," as used in this Article, shall mean any housing authority established or hereafter established pursuant to Article 1 of this Chapter. (e) The development of a project shall be deemed to be "initiated," within the meaning of this Article, if a housing authority has issued any bonds, notes or other obligations with respect to financing the development of such project of the authority, or has contracted with the federal government with respect to the exercise of powers hereunder in the development of such project of the federal government for which an allocation of funds has been made prior to the termination of the present war. (f) "Persons engaged in national defense activities," as used in this Article shall include: enlisted personnel in the Armed Forces of the United States and employees of the Defense Department assigned to duty at reservations, posts or bases of the Armed Forces of the United States; and workers engaged or to be engaged in industries connected with and essential to the National Defense Program; and shall include the families of the aforesaid persons who are living with them. (g) "Persons of low income," as used in this Article, shall mean persons or families who lack the amount of income which is necessary (as determined by the housing authority undertaking the housing project) to enable them, without financial assistance, to live in decent, safe and sanitary dwellings, without overcrowding. (h) "State public body," as used in this Article, shall include the State, its subdivisions and agencies, and any county, city, town or incorporated village of the State. (1941, c. 63, s. 8; 1943, c. 90, s. 2; 1995, c. 379, s. 4; 2011-183, s. 108.)

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

§ 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. (1941, c. 63, s. 2; 1943, c. 90, s. 1.)

G.S. 157-55 Cooperation with federal government; sale to same.

§ 157-55. Cooperation with federal government; sale to same. A housing authority may exercise any or all of its powers for the purpose of cooperating with, or acting as agent for, the federal government in the development or administration of projects by the federal government to assure the availability of safe and sanitary dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities and may undertake the development or administration of any such project for the federal government. In order to assure the availability of safe and sanitary housing for persons engaged in national defense activities, a housing authority may sell (in whole or in part) to the federal government any housing projects developed for persons of low income but not yet occupied by such persons; such sale shall be at such price and upon such terms as the housing authority shall prescribe and shall include provision for the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities of the authority relating to such project. (1941, c. 63, s. 3.)

G.S. 157-56 Cooperation of State public bodies in developing projects.

§ 157-56. Cooperation of State public bodies in developing projects. Any State public body shall have the same rights and powers to cooperate with housing authorities, or with the federal government, with respect to the development or administration of projects to assure the availability of safe and sanitary dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities that such State public body has pursuant to Article 2 of this Chapter, for the purpose of assisting the development or administration of slum clearance or housing projects for persons of low income. (1941, c. 63, s. 4.)

G.S. 157-57 Obligations issued for projects made legal investments; security for public deposits.

§ 157-57. Obligations issued for projects made legal investments; security for public deposits. Bonds or other obligations issued by a housing authority for a project developed or administered pursuant to this Article shall be security for public deposits and legal investments to the same extent and for the same persons, institutions, associations, corporations, bodies and officers as bonds or other obligations issued pursuant to Article 1 of this Chapter for the development of a slum clearance or housing project for persons of low income. (1941, c. 63, s. 5.)

G.S. 157-58 Bonds, notes, etc., issued heretofore, validated.

§ 157-58. Bonds, notes, etc., issued heretofore, validated. All bonds, notes, contracts, agreements and obligations of housing authorities heretofore issued or entered into relating to financing or undertaking (including cooperating with or acting as agent of the federal government in) the development or administration of any project to assure the availability of safe and sanitary dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities, are hereby validated and declared legal in all respects, notwithstanding any defect or irregularity therein or any want of statutory authority. (1941, c. 63, s. 6.)

G.S. 157-59 Further declaration of powers granted housing authorities.

§ 157-59. Further declaration of powers granted housing authorities. This Article shall constitute an independent authorization for a housing authority to undertake the development or administration of projects to assure the availability of safe and sanitary dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities as provided in this Article and for a housing authority to cooperate with, or act as agent for, the federal government in the development or administration of similar projects by the federal government. A housing authority may do any and all things necessary or desirable to cooperate with, or act as agent for, the federal government, or to secure financial aid, in the expeditious development or in the administration of projects to assure the availability of safe and sanitary dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities and to effectuate the purposes of this Article. (1941, c. 63, s. 7.)

G.S. 157-60 Powers conferred by Article supplemental.

§ 157-60. Powers conferred by Article supplemental. The powers conferred by this Article shall be in addition and supplemental to the powers conferred by any other law, and nothing contained herein shall be construed as limiting any other powers of a housing authority. (1941, c. 63, s. 9.)

Source: North Carolina General Assembly (ncleg.gov)URL: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_157.htmlFetched: 10/19/2026