Section 36-41-5. Powers of authority generally; establishment of administrative guidelines for determination of eligibility

   (a) Except as otherwise limited by this chapter, each authority shall have the power:

   (1) To bring and defend actions;

   (2) To have a seal and alter the same at its pleasure;

   (3) To make and execute contracts and all other instruments necessary or convenient for the exercise of its powers and functions under this chapter, including contracts with any agency or authority or nonprofit housing corporation within this state;

   (4) To make and alter bylaws for its organization and internal management;

   (5) To acquire, hold, and dispose of real and personal property for its corporate purposes;

   (6) To appoint officers, agents, and employees, prescribe their duties and qualifications, and fix their compensation;

   (7) To borrow money and to issue bonds, the term of which shall not exceed 40 years, and to provide for the rights of the holders thereof;

   (8) To make loans pursuant to Code Section 36-41-6 for the financing, acquisition, or rehabilitation of residential housing, the repayment of which is secured by mortgages or security interests or other assets and funds of the authority or other security devices determined to be satisfactory by the authority; to participate in the making of loans secured by mortgages or security interests or other security devices determined to be satisfactory by the authority; to undertake commitments to make loans secured by mortgages or security interests or other security devices determined to be satisfactory by the authority; to acquire and, pursuant to Code Section 36-41-7, to contract to acquire mortgages or security interests or participations therein, owned by lending institutions, the Federal National Mortgage Association, or any federal or state agency; and to enter into advance commitments to such organizations for the purchase of such mortgages or security interests or participations;

   (9) To sell mortgages and security interests at public or private sale; to negotiate modifications or alterations in mortgages and security interests; to foreclose on any mortgage or security interest in default or commence any action to protect or enforce any right conferred upon it by any law, mortgage, security interest, contract, or other agreement; and to bid for and purchase property which was the subject of such mortgage or security interest, at any foreclosure or at any other sale, to acquire or take possession of any such property; and, in the event that the authority takes possession of any such property, to complete, administer, and pay the principal and interest of any obligations incurred in connection with such property and to operate, manage, lease, dispose of, and otherwise deal with such property in such manner as may be necessary or desirable to protect the interests of the authority and the holders of its bonds and other obligations;

   (10) To collect fees and charges in connection with its loans, commitments, and servicing, including, but not limited to, reimbursement of costs of financing as the authority shall determine to be reasonable and as shall be approved by the authority;

   (11) To make and execute contracts for the servicing of mortgages made or acquired by the authority pursuant to this chapter and to pay the reasonable value of services rendered to the authority pursuant to those contracts;

   (12) To accept gifts, grants, loans, or other aid from the federal government, the state or any county or municipality within the state or any persons or corporations and to agree and comply with any conditions attached to such financial assistance;

   (13) Subject to any agreement with bondholders, to invest moneys of the authority not required for immediate use to carry out the purposes of this chapter, including the proceeds from the sale of any bonds and any moneys held in reserve funds, in obligations which shall be limited to the following:

      (A) Bonds or other obligations of the state or bonds or other obligations, the principal and interest of which are guaranteed by the state;

      (B) Bonds or other obligations of the United States or of subsidiary corporations of the United States government fully guaranteed by such government;

      (C) Obligations of agencies of the United States government issued by the Federal Land Bank, the Federal Home Loan Bank, the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank, and the Bank for Cooperatives;

      (D) Bonds or other obligations issued by any public housing agency or municipality in the United States, which bonds or obligations are fully secured as to the payment of bond principal and interest by a pledge of annual contributions under an annual contributions contract or contracts with the United States government, or project notes issued by any public housing agency, urban renewal agency, or municipality in the United States and fully secured as to payment of both principal and interest by a requisition, loan, or payment agreement with the United States government;

      (E) Certificates of deposit of national or state banks which have deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Georgia Deposit Insurance Corporation and certificates of deposit of federal savings and loan associations and state building and loan associations which have deposits insured by the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation or the Georgia Deposit Insurance Corporation, including the certificates of deposit of any bank, savings and loan association, or building and loan association acting as depository, custodian, or trustee for any such bond proceeds; provided, however, that the portion of such certificates of deposit in excess of the amount insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation or the Georgia Deposit Insurance Corporation, if any such excess exists, shall be secured by deposit with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Georgia, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, Georgia, or with any national or state bank, of one or more of the following securities in an aggregate principal amount equal at least to the amount of such excess:

         (i) Direct or general obligations of the state or of any county or municipality in the state;

         (ii) Obligations of the United States or subsidiary corporations included in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph;

         (iii) Obligations of agencies of the United States government included in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph; or

         (iv) Bonds, obligations, or project notes of public housing agencies, urban renewal agencies, or municipalities included in subparagraph (D) of this paragraph;

      (F) Interest-bearing time deposits, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, rate guarantee agreements, or other similar banking arrangements with a bank or trust company having capital and surplus aggregating at least $50 million or with any government bond dealer reporting to, trading with, and recognized as a primary dealer by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York having capital aggregating at least $50 million or with any corporation which is subject to registration with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System pursuant to the requirements of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, provided that each such interest-bearing time deposit, repurchase agreement, reverse repurchase agreement, rate guarantee agreement, or other similar banking arrangement shall permit the moneys so placed to be available for use at the time provided with respect to the investment or reinvestment of such moneys; and

      (G) Any and all other obligations of investment grade and having a national recognized market including, but not limited to, rate guarantee agreements, guaranteed investment contracts, or other similar arrangements offered by any firm, agency, business, governmental unit, bank, insurance company, or other entity, provided that each such obligation shall permit moneys so placed to be available for use at the time provided with respect to the investment or reinvestment of such moneys;

   (14) To make and contract to make loans to lending institutions on such terms and conditions as it shall determine. All lending institutions are authorized to borrow from the authority in accordance with subsection (d) of Code Section 36-41-6 and the administrative guidelines established by the authority pursuant to criteria set forth in this chapter;

   (15) To procure insurance against any loss in connection with its property and other assets;

   (16) To do any and all things necessary or convenient to carry out its purposes and exercise the powers given and granted in this chapter;

   (17) To make loans pursuant to Code Section 36-41-6 to finance the construction of residential housing;

   (18) To engage in and assist in the development and operation of low and moderate income housing pursuant to Code Section 8-3-30;

   (19) To participate in or administer federal programs for the issuance of mortgage credit and to do all things necessary or convenient to qualify as an issuer of mortgage credit certificates;

   (20) To participate in or administer or participate in and administer any federal, state, county, or municipal program designed to assist in lowering the cost of housing for eligible households;

   (21) To provide financing for housing projects, without regard to targeting for eligible households, which encourages the development of housing in accordance with the comprehensive development plan of the municipality activating the authority;

   (22) To participate, own, lease, develop, operate, or manage residential housing or other real and personal property in cooperation, joint venture, partnership, or other contractual obligations with the federal government, state, or any county or municipality within the state, or any qualified housing sponsor; and

   (23) To participate in, issue on behalf of, or jointly issue any bonds, notes, or other obligations with any public housing authority, downtown development authority, or development authority within the state or the Georgia Housing and Finance Authority.

(b) No authority shall have the power of eminent domain.

(c) Each authority shall establish administrative guidelines as to income limitations for eligible households for the purposes of paragraph (3) of Code Section 36-41-3 by taking into account the following considerations, among others determined by the authority to be appropriate:

   (1) The size of the family or number of persons who intend to reside together;

   (2) The conditions and costs of obtaining and maintaining existing and available housing within the geographic boundaries of the municipality activating the authority;

   (3) The costs of obtaining and maintaining newly constructed or rehabilitated housing within the geographic boundaries of the municipality activating the authority, including considerations of the total rehabilitation costs of such housing and the costs of financing such housing as affected by prevailing and available financing terms and conditions relating to nonfederally aided and nonstate aided mortgages; and

   (4) The age or physical condition of the persons who intend to reside in the residential housing.

(d) The administrative guidelines established by each authority pursuant to subsection (c) of this Code section may differ in order to reflect the varying tenant composition and economic and housing conditions within the jurisdiction of each authority.

Ga. L. 1979, p. 4662, § 5; Ga. L. 1980, p. 556, §§ 4-6; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 36; Ga. L. 1985, p. 391, §§ 2, 3; Ga. L. 1986, p. 947, §§ 2-4; Ga. L. 1987, p. 150, §§ 2-4; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1530, §§ 4, 5; Ga. L. 1989, p. 14, § 36; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1653, § 2-3.