Florida · statute · Fla. Stat. ch. 421 · 48 active provisions
The role of state government required by part I of chapter 421 (Housing Authorities Law), chapter 422 (Housing Cooperation Law), and chapter 423 (Tax Exemption of Housing Authorities) is the responsibility of the Department of Commerce; and the department is the agency of state government responsible for the state’s ro…
Part I of this chapter may be referred to as the “Housing Authorities Law.”
It is hereby declared that:(1) There exist in the state insanitary or unsafe dwelling accommodations and that persons of low income are forced to reside in such insanitary or unsafe accommodations; that within the state there is a shortage of safe or sanitary dwelling accommodations available at rents which persons of…
The following terms, wherever used or referred to in this part, shall have the following respective meanings for the purposes of this part, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:(1) “Authority” or “housing authority” shall mean any of the public corporations created by s. 421.04.(2) “City” shall m…
(1) In each city, as herein defined, there is hereby created a public body corporate and politic to be known as the “Housing Authority” of the city; provided, however, that such authority shall not transact any business or exercise its powers hereunder until or unless the governing body of the city by proper resolution…
(1) When the governing body of a city adopts a resolution as aforesaid, the mayor, with the approval of the governing body, shall promptly appoint no fewer than five persons, and no more than seven persons, as commissioners of the authority created for such city. Three of the commissioners who are first appointed shall…
Except for the leasehold interest held by a tenant-commissioner in the housing project in which he or she is a tenant, no commissioner or employee of an authority shall acquire any interest, direct or indirect, in any housing project or in any property included or planned to be included in any project, nor shall he or…
For inefficiency or neglect of duty or misconduct in office, a commissioner of an authority may be removed by the mayor with the concurrence of the governing body, but a commissioner shall be removed only after he or she shall have been given a copy of the charges at least 10 days prior to the hearing thereon and had a…
An authority shall constitute a public body corporate and politic, exercising the public and essential governmental functions set forth in this chapter, and having all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purpose and provisions of this chapter, including the following powers in addition to…
(1) It is the policy of this state that each housing authority shall manage and operate its housing projects in an efficient manner so as to enable it to fix the rentals for dwelling accommodations at the lowest possible rates consistent with its providing decent, safe, and sanitary dwelling accommodations, and that a…
(1) A complete and full financial accounting and audit in accordance with federal audit standards of public housing agencies shall be made biennially by a certified public accountant and submitted to the Federal Government in accordance with its policies. Housing authorities are otherwise exempt from the reporting requ…
(1) In the operation or management of housing projects an authority shall at all times observe the following duties with respect to rentals and tenant selection:(a) It may rent or lease the dwelling accommodations therein only to persons of low income and at rentals within the financial reach of such persons of low inc…
Whoever makes a false statement or representation, knowing it to be false, or knowingly fails to disclose a material fact in order to obtain a lower rent for housing accommodations in a low-rent housing development operated pursuant to this chapter, than the rental such person is required to pay pursuant to federal or…
(1) Any two or more housing authorities may join or cooperate with one another in the exercise, either jointly or otherwise, of any or all of their powers for the purpose of financing, including the issuance of bonds, debentures, notes or other obligations and giving security therefor; planning; undertaking; owning; co…
An authority shall have the right to acquire by the exercise of the power of eminent domain any real property which it may deem necessary for its purposes under this chapter after the adoption by it of a resolution declaring that the acquisition of the real property described therein is necessary for such purposes. An…
All housing projects of an authority shall be subject to the planning, zoning, sanitary and building laws, ordinances and regulations applicable to the locality in which the housing project is situated. In the planning and location of any housing project, an authority shall take into consideration the relationship of t…
(1) An authority may issue debentures from time to time in its discretion, for any of its corporate purposes. An authority may also issue refunding debentures for the purpose of paying or retiring debentures previously issued by it. An authority may issue such types of debentures as it may determine, including debentur…
(1) Debentures of an authority shall be authorized by its resolution and may be issued in one or more series and shall bear such dates, mature at such times, bear an average interest cost rate net of federal subsidies not exceeding the rate established according to s. 215.84, be in such denominations, be in such form,…
In connection with the issuance of debentures or the incurring of obligations under leases and in order to secure the payment of such indentures or obligations, an authority, in addition to its other powers, shall have power:(1) To pledge all or any part of its gross or net rents, gross or net fees or gross or net reve…
(1) A housing authority shall have the right, if it deems it expedient, to determine its authority to issue any debentures, and the legality of all proceedings had or taken in connection therewith, in the same manner and to the same extent, except as otherwise provided in this section, as provided in chapter 75 for the…
An obligee of an authority shall have the right in addition to all other rights which may be conferred on such obligee, subject only to any contractual restrictions binding upon such obligee:(1) By mandamus, suit, action or proceeding at law or in equity to compel said authority and the commissioners, officers, agents…
An authority shall have power by its resolution, trust indenture, lease or other contract to confer upon any obligee holding or representing a specified amount in debentures, or holding a lease, the right, in addition to all rights that may otherwise be conferred, upon the happening of an event of default as defined in…
(1) In addition to the powers conferred upon an authority by other provisions of this chapter, an authority is empowered to borrow money or accept grants or other financial assistance from the Federal Government for or in aid of any housing project within its area of operation, to take over or lease or manage any housi…
At least once a year, an authority shall file with the clerk a report of its activities for the preceding year, and shall make recommendations with reference to such additional legislation or other action as it deems necessary in order to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
The liabilities, whether ex contractu or ex delicto, of an authority arising from the operation of its housing projects, may not be paid from any funds other than the rents, fees, or revenues of such projects and any grants or subsidies paid to such authority by the Federal Government, unless other funds are lawfully p…