(1) The area of operation of a regional housing authority shall include all of the counties for which such regional housing authority is created and established except such portions of the counties which lie within the territorial boundaries of cities, as defined in the Housing Authorities Law, as amended.

(2) The area of operation of a regional housing authority shall be increased from time to time to include one or more additional counties not already within a regional housing authority, except such portion or portions of such additional county or counties which lie within the territorial boundaries of any city, as defined, if the governing body of each of the counties then included in the area of operation of such regional housing authority, the commissioners of the regional housing authority and the governing body of each such additional county or counties each adopt a resolution declaring that there is a need for the inclusion of such additional county or counties in the area of operation of such regional housing authority. Upon the adoption of such resolutions, the county housing authority created by s. 421.27 for each such additional county shall cease to exist except for the purpose of winding up its affairs and executing a deed to the regional housing authority as hereinafter provided; provided, however, that such resolutions shall not be adopted if there is a county housing authority created for any such additional county which has any obligations outstanding unless first:

(a) All obligees of any such county housing authority and parties to the contracts, bonds, notes and other obligations of any such county housing authority agree with such county housing authority and the regional housing authority to the substitution of such regional housing authority in lieu of such county housing authority on all such contracts, bonds, notes or other obligations, and second:

(b) The commissioners of such county housing authority and the commissioners of such regional housing authority adopt resolutions consenting to the transfer of all the rights, contracts, obligations and property, real and personal, of such county housing authority to such regional housing authority as hereinafter provided, and provided further, that when the above two conditions are complied with and the area of operation of such regional housing authority is increased to include such additional county, as hereinabove provided, all rights, contracts, agreements, obligations and property of such county housing authority shall be in the name of and vest in such regional housing authority, all obligations of such county housing authority shall be the obligations of such regional housing authority and all rights and remedies of any person against such county housing authority may be asserted, enforced and prosecuted against such regional housing authority to the same extent as they may have been asserted, enforced and prosecuted against such county housing authority.

(3) When any real property of a county housing authority vests in a regional housing authority as provided above, the county housing authority shall execute a deed of such property to the regional housing authority which thereupon shall file such deed with the recorder of deeds of the county where such real property is, provided that nothing contained in this sentence shall affect the vesting of property in the regional housing authority as provided above.

(4) The governing body of each of the counties in the regional housing authority, the commissioners of the regional housing authority and the governing body of each such additional county or counties shall by resolution declare that there is a need for the addition of such county or counties to the regional housing authority, if:

(a) The governing body of each of such additional county or counties finds that insanitary or unsafe inhabited dwelling accommodations exist in such county or there is a shortage of safe or sanitary dwelling accommodations in such county available to persons of low income at rentals they can afford; and

(b) The governing body of each of the counties then included in the area of operation of the regional housing authority, the commissioners of the regional housing authority and the governing body of each such additional county or counties find that the regional housing authority would be a more efficient or economical administrative unit to carry out the purposes of this Housing Authorities Law if the area of operation of the regional housing authority shall be increased to include such additional county or counties.

(5) In determining whether dwelling accommodations are unsafe or insanitary under this or s. 421.28, the governing body of a county shall take into consideration the safety and sanitation of the dwellings, the light and airspace available to the inhabitants of such dwellings, the degree of overcrowding, the size and arrangement of the rooms and the extent to which conditions exist in such buildings which endanger life or property by fire or other causes.

(6) In connection with the issuance of bonds or the incurring of other obligations a regional housing authority may covenant as to limitations on its right to adopt resolutions relating to the increase of its area of operation.

(7) No governing body of a county shall adopt any resolution authorized by this or s. 421.28 unless a public hearing has first been held. The clerk of such county shall give notice of the time, place and purpose of the public hearing at least 10 days prior to the day on which the hearing is to be held, in a newspaper published in such county, or if there is no newspaper published in such county, then in a newspaper published in the state and having a general circulation in such county. Upon the date fixed for such public hearing an opportunity to be heard shall be granted to all residents of such county and to all other interested persons.

History.—s. 1, ch. 20220, 1941; s. 150, ch. 77-104.