157-39.6. Findings required for authority to operate in municipality.

No governing body of a city or other municipality shall adopt a resolution as provided in G.S. 157-39.1 declaring that there is a need for a housing authority (other than a housing authority established by such municipality) to exercise its powers within such municipality, unless a public hearing has first been held by such governing body and unless such governing body shall have found in substantially the following terms: (i) that insanitary or unsafe inhabited dwelling accommodations exist in such municipality or that there is a shortage of safe or sanitary dwelling accommodations in such municipality available to persons of low income at rentals they can afford; and (ii) that these conditions can be best remedied through the exercise of the aforesaid housing authority's powers within the territorial boundaries of such municipality: Provided, that such findings shall not have the effect of thereafter preventing such municipality from establishing a housing authority or joining in the creation of a consolidated housing authority or the increase of the area of operation of a consolidated housing authority. The clerk (or the officer with similar duties) of the city or other municipality shall give notice of the public hearing and such hearing shall be held in the manner provided in G.S. 157-4 for a public hearing by a council to determine the need for a housing authority in the city.

During the time that, pursuant to these findings, a housing authority has outstanding (or is under contract to issue) any evidences of indebtedness for a project within the city or other municipality, no other housing authority may undertake a project within such municipality without the consent of said housing authority which has such outstanding indebtedness or obligation.