66.1213 Housing authorities for elderly persons.

(1) Short title. This section may be referred to as the “housing authority for elderly persons law".

(2) Declaration of necessity. It is declared that the lack of housing facilities for elderly persons provided by private enterprise in certain areas creates a public necessity to establish safe and sanitary facilities for which public moneys may be spent and private property acquired. The legislature declares that to provide public housing for elderly persons is the performance of a governmental function of state concern.

(3) Discrimination. Persons otherwise entitled to any right, benefit, facility, or privilege under this section may not be denied the right, benefit, facility, or privilege in any manner for any purpose nor be discriminated against because of sex, race, color, creed, sexual orientation, status as a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, as defined in s. 106.50 (1m) (u), or national origin.

(4) Definitions. As used in this section unless the text clearly indicates otherwise:

(a) “Authority" or “housing authority" means any of the public corporations established pursuant to sub. (5).

(b) “Bonds" mean any bonds, interim certificates, notes, debentures or other obligations of the authority issued pursuant to this section.

(e) “Commissioner" means one of the members of an authority appointed in accordance with this section.

(f) “Community facilities" include real and personal property, and buildings and equipment for recreational or social assemblies, for educational, health or welfare purposes and necessary utilities, when designed primarily for the benefit and use of the housing authority or the occupants of the dwelling accommodations, or for both.

(h) “Council" means the common council of a city.

(i) “Elderly person" means a person who is 62 years of age or older on the date on which the person intends to occupy the premises, or a family, the head of which, or that person's spouse, is a person who is 62 years of age or older on the date of the intent to occupy the premises.

(j) “Federal government" includes the United States of America and any agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States of America.

(k) “Government" includes the state and federal governments and any subdivision, agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of either of them.

(L)

1. “Housing projects" includes all real property and personal property, building and improvements, and community facilities acquired or constructed pursuant to a single plan or undertaking to do any of the following:

a. Demolish, clear, remove, alter or repair insanitary or unsafe housing for elderly persons.

b. Provide safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations for elderly persons.

c. Fulfill a combination of the purposes under subd. 1. a. and b.

2. “Housing project" includes the planning of buildings and improvements, the acquisition of property, the demolition of existing structures and the construction, reconstruction, alteration and repair of the improvements for the purpose of providing safe and sanitary housing for elderly persons and all other work in connection with housing for elderly persons. A project shall not be considered housing for the elderly unless it contains at least 8 new or rehabilitated living units which are specifically designed for the use and occupancy of persons 62 years of age or over.

(m) “Mortgage" includes deeds of trust, mortgages, building and loan contracts, land contracts or other instruments conveying real or personal property as security for bonds and conferring a right to foreclose and cause a sale of the real property or personal property.

(n) “Obligee of the authority" or “obligee" includes any bondholder, trustee or trustees for any bondholders, any lessor demising property to the authority used in connection with a housing project or any assignee of the lessor's interest or any part of the lessor's interest, and the United States of America, when it is a party to any contract with the authority.

(o) “Real property" includes lands, lands under water, structures, and any easements, franchises and incorporeal hereditaments and every estate and right in an estate, legal and equitable, including terms for years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage or otherwise.

(p) “Slum" means any area where dwellings predominate which, by reason of dilapidation, overcrowding, faulty arrangement or design, lack of ventilation, light or sanitary facilities, or any combination of these factors, are detrimental to safety, health and morals.

(q) “State public body" means any city, town, village, county, municipal corporation, commission, district, authority, other subdivision or public body of the state.

(r) “Trust indenture" includes instruments pledging the revenues of real or personal properties.

(5) Creation of housing authorities.

(a) When the council declares by resolution that there is need for an authority to function in the city, a public body corporate and politic shall then exist in the city and be known as the “housing authority" of the city. The authority may transact business and exercise any powers granted to it under this section.

(b) The council shall adopt a resolution declaring that there is need for a housing authority in the city if it finds that there is a shortage of dwelling accommodations in the city available to elderly persons.

(c) In any suit, action or proceeding involving the validity or enforcement of or relating to any contract of the authority, the authority shall be conclusively deemed to have become established and authorized to transact business and exercise its powers under this section upon proof of the adoption of a resolution by the council declaring the need for the authority. The resolution is sufficient if it declares the need for an authority and finds that the condition described in par. (b) exists in the city. A copy of the resolution duly certified by the city clerk is admissible evidence in any suit, action or proceeding.

(6) Section 66.1201 applies. The provisions of s. 66.1201 (5) to (24) (ag), (25) and (26) apply to housing authorities and providing housing for elderly persons under this section without reference to the income of those persons.

(7) Sections 66.1203 to 66.1211 apply. The provisions of ss. 66.1203 to 66.1211 apply to housing authorities and providing housing for elderly persons under this section without reference to the income of those persons, except as follows:

(a) As set down by the federal housing authority in the case of housing projects to the financing or subsidizing of which it is a party.

(b) As set down by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority in accordance with ch. 234 in the case of housing projects to the financing of which it is a party.

(8) Not applicable to low-rental housing projects. This section does not apply to projects required to provide low-rental housing only.

History: 1975 c. 94, 221; 1977 c. 418 s. 929 (55); 1981 c. 112; 1983 a. 81 s. 11; 1983 a. 83 s. 20; 1983 a. 189; 1983 a. 444 s. 3; 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 213, 246; 1999 a. 150 ss. 380, 382; Stats. 1999 s. 66.1213; 2001 a. 30 s. 44; 2001 a. 104; 2009 a. 95.