Section 50-26-2. Legislative findings and declaration of necessity

   (a) The General Assembly finds that:

   (1) There exists an inadequate supply of, and a pressing need for, financing and financial assistance to ensure the provision or preservation of safe, decent, energy efficient, and affordable housing and an adequate system of housing finance for housing and housing related concerns within this state;

   (2) There exists an inadequate supply of, and a pressing need for, financing and financial assistance to enterprises which desire to locate or improve or expand in the state, particularly those enterprises which desire to locate in the more rural areas of the state; and

   (3) There exists an inadequate supply of, and a pressing need for, financing and financial assistance for health equipment and facilities and for health care services at lower than prevailing costs and a need to make this financing available to the largest number of hospitals feasible, including, but not limited to, those hospitals which serve disproportionately high numbers of indigent patients.

(b) It is declared to be the public policy of this state to promote the health, welfare, safety, morals, and economic security of its citizens through the retention of existing employment and alleviation of unemployment in all phases of enterprise; housing and health care; the elimination of the shortage of and the preservation of safe, decent, energy efficient, and affordable housing; and the elimination of the shortage of and the preservation of capital for housing finance.

(c) The General Assembly finds that the public policies of the state as set forth in this Code section cannot be fully attained without the use of public financing and financial assistance, either direct or indirect; that such public financing can best be provided by the creation of a state housing and finance authority with comprehensive and extensive powers therein, which powers shall include, but not be limited to, the power to issue bonds or revenue bonds to provide financing for enterprises, for housing, for housing finance, and for health facilities; and that all of the foregoing are public purposes and uses for which public moneys may be borrowed, expended, advanced, loaned, and granted.

(d) It is the intent of the General Assembly to create an instrumentality that can facilitate economic development, housing and housing finance, and financing for health facilities and health care services throughout the state through its ability to access global capital markets and thereby provide credit to worthy businesses engaged in enterprises and located in or desiring to locate in this state or to provide housing or housing finance or financing for health facilities and health care services in this state on terms competitive with those available to businesses engaged in enterprises or available to those involved in housing or housing finance or the financing of health facilities that are able to access directly such capital markets.

(e) It is further the intent of the General Assembly that the authority created by this chapter work directly with and assist financial institutions and local development authorities in this state in creating, offering, delivering, and servicing such additional financing alternatives to businesses engaged in enterprises and to businesses and individuals involved in housing or housing finance or the financing of health facilities and health care services.

Code 1981, § 50-26-2, enacted by Ga. L. 1991, p. 1653, § 1-2; Ga. L. 1993, p. 738, § 1.