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310 ILCS 10/ Housing Authorities Act.

(310 ILCS 10/1) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 1)     Sec. 1. This Act shall be known as the "Housing Authorities Act". (Source: Laws 1933‑34, Third Sp. Sess., p. 159.)

(310 ILCS 10/2) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 2)     Sec. 2. It is hereby declared as a matter of legislative determination that in order to promote and protect the health, safety, morals and welfare of the public, it is necessary in the public interest to provide for the creation of municipal corporations to be known as housing authorities, and to confer upon and vest in these housing authorities all powers necessary or appropriate in order that they may engage in low‑rent housing and slum clearance projects, and provide rental assistance, and undertake land assembly, clearance, rehabilitation, development, and redevelopment projects as will tend to relieve the shortage of decent, safe, affordable, and sanitary dwellings; and that the powers herein conferred upon the housing authorities including the power to acquire and dispose of improved or unimproved property, to remove unsanitary or substandard conditions, to construct and operate housing accommodations, to regulate the maintenance of housing projects and to borrow, expend, loan, invest, and repay monies for the purposes herein set forth, are public objects and governmental functions essential to the public interest.     It is further declared as a matter of legislative determination that the crucial affordable housing shortage which continues to prevail throughout the State has contributed and will continue to contribute materially toward an increase in crime, juvenile delinquency, infant mortality, drug abuse, drug disability and disease; that by reason thereof it has become a social and economic imperative to broaden the powers of housing authorities with respect to the acquisition of property, the construction of housing accommodations, the provision of rental assistance and the assembly, clearance and sale or other disposition of property acquired for development or redevelopment by persons, firms and corporations; that the provisions of this Act are grounded in public necessity and predicated upon serious emergency conditions requiring immediate consideration and action, and that this amendatory Act embraces public objects and governmental functions essential to the public interest.     It is further declared that in municipalities of less than 500,000 population further stimulus must be provided for the conservation of urban areas and the prevention of slums if the public interest objectives of the Urban Community Conservation Act, are to be secured; that in these municipalities housing authorities should be authorized to initiate, plan, study and execute urban conservation projects as an alternative mechanism to that provided in the Urban Community Conservation Act; that unless this authority is so delegated there is a serious and substantial risk that many urban areas will deteriorate into actual slum and blight areas; and that to prevent the occurrence of these conditions and the social evils attendant thereon, and to protect and conserve the public interest, the provisions of this amendatory Act are necessary. (Source: P.A. 87‑200.)

(310 ILCS 10/3) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 3)     Sec. 3. The governing body of any city, village or incorporated town having more than 25,000 inhabitants, or of any county of this State, may, by resolution, determine that there is need for a housing authority in the city, village, incorporated town or county. Upon adoption, the resolution shall be forwarded to the Department together with a statement of reasons or findings supporting the resolution. The Department shall thereupon issue a certificate to the presiding officer of the city, village, incorporated town or county for the creation of an authority if it shall find (a) that unsanitary or unsafe inhabited dwelling accommodations exist in the city, village, incorporated town or county, and (b) that there is a shortage of safe or sanitary and affordable dwelling accommodations in the city, village, incorporated town or county available to persons who lack the amount of income which is necessary (as determined by the Department) to enable them without financial assistance to live in decent, safe and sanitary and affordable dwellings without over‑crowding. In determining whether dwelling accommodations are unsafe or unsanitary the Department may take into consideration the degree of over‑crowding, the percentage of land coverage, the light, air, space and access available to the inhabitants of such dwelling accommodations, the size and arrangement of the rooms, the sanitary facilities and the extent to which conditions exist in the buildings which endanger life or property by fire or other causes. In making its determination, the Department may also consider whether or not the needs of the applicant are currently being met by an existing housing authority. The Department may also take into consideration whether or not the creation of a new housing authority would be an unnecessary duplication of services.     As soon as possible after the issuance of a certificate by the Department the presiding officer of the city, village, incorporated town or county shall appoint, with the approval of the governing body of the unit of local government, 5 commissioners with initial terms of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years, except as follows:         (i) for the Housing Authority in any municipality

having over 500,000 inhabitants, the presiding officer shall appoint 7 commissioners, with initial terms of 4 and 5 years for the 2 additional commissioners authorized and appointed under this amendatory Act of 1982, and the presiding officer shall designate one commissioner as Chairman of the Authority; and

(ii) if a county has at least 80,000 but fewer than

90,000 inhabitants according to the 1990 federal decennial census, then the Housing Authority in any municipality in the county may have 7 commissioners appointed by the presiding officer of the municipality, with initial terms of 4 and 5 years for the 2 additional commissioners authorized and appointed in accordance with this amendatory Act of 1993;

(iii) if a county has at least 170,000 but fewer

than 500,000 inhabitants, according to the 1990 Federal decennial census, then the county board may, with respect to one or more commissioners, cede powers of appointment, confirmation, and removal of those commissioners to one or more municipalities within the county by intergovernmental agreement; and

(iv) for any Housing Authority the presiding officer

may appoint 7 commissioners, with initial terms of 4 and 5 years for the 2 additional commissioners authorized and appointed under this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.

In cases where a county of more than 500,000 but less than 3 million population is the area of operation of an Authority, the presiding officer of the county board of the county shall appoint 7 commissioners to the housing authority, 2 of whom may be members of that county board. The county members appointed to the Authority under this Section shall serve such term or until termination of their county board service, whichever first occurs. Upon the approval by the governing body of the appointments, the presiding officer shall cause a certificate of such appointments and of its approval thereof to be filed in the office in which deeds of property in the area of operation are recorded, and upon filing the persons so appointed and approved shall be fully constituted an Authority.     At the expiration of the term of each commissioner, and of each succeeding commissioner, or in the event of a vacancy, the presiding officer shall appoint a commissioner, subject to the approval of the governing body as aforesaid, to hold office, in the case of a vacancy for the unexpired term, or in the case of expiration for a term of five years, or until his successor shall have been appointed and qualified. Each appointment shall be effective upon the filing by the presiding officer of a certificate of appointment in the office of the Recorder of Deeds in the County where the Authority is located.     In case a county is the area of operation of an Authority, the area shall not be deemed to include any city, village, or incorporated town within the county within which an Authority at that time exists. If thereafter an Authority is organized with respect to any city, village, or incorporated town within the county, the county Authority shall have no power to initiate any further project within the city, village, or incorporated town. However, if there are any existing projects within the city, village or incorporated town currently owned and operated by the county Authority they shall remain in the county Authority's ownership, custody and control.     Every commissioner shall be a resident of the area of operation of the Authority; provided, that in respect to an Authority created for a county, residence in any city, village or incorporated town within such county shall not be a disqualification for appointment as a Commissioner for such county Authority notwithstanding that such city, village or incorporated town may be excluded from the area of operation of such Authority. Any public officer shall be eligible to serve as a commissioner, and the acceptance of appointment as such shall not terminate nor impair his public office, the provision of any statute to the contrary notwithstanding; but no member of the Department shall be eligible to serve as a commissioner, nor shall more than two public officers be commissioners of the same Authority at one time; Provided, that membership on any Authority at the same time of more than two public officers shall not affect or impair the validity of any Act undertaken or power exercised by the Authority pursuant to Law. The term "public officer" as herein used means a person holding a state or local governmental office required to be filled by the vote of electors, and for which provision is made by law for the payment of annual compensation from public funds.     Except as otherwise provided, all provisions of this Act shall apply to a Housing Authority established for more than one county, and, unless the context shall otherwise indicate, the word county shall be construed also to mean counties. An Authority may subsequently be established separately for any one or more counties, by compliance with the terms of this Act, and, if an Authority is established, it shall take over all property and obligations, within the county or counties, of the Authority previously including it or them within its area of operation, and the Authority shall have no further jurisdiction within the territory of the county or counties, but nothing herein shall affect the power of a Housing Authority to operate outside its area of operation, as provided by Section 30. Subsection (b) of Section 17 shall apply to a Housing Authority created under the provisions of this Section. In all cases in which a Housing Authority embraces the territory of more than one county, each county shall have, within its territory, the powers conferred by Section 29, and by the Housing Cooperation Law.     In addition to the commissioners provided for in this Section, there are created 3 additional commissioner positions for each housing authority of a municipality of more than 1,000,000 inhabitants. Two of these new commissioners, with initial terms of 5 years, shall be appointed from current residents of the housing authority and shall be appointed from a list presented to the appointing authority by official tenants' associations of residents of the housing authority. A tenants' association is "official" if it satisfies the requirements of a Resident Council/Resident Organization/Resident Management Organization established by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The third new commissioner shall be appointed by the appointing authority from the officers of the official tenants' associations of residents of the housing authority. The term of this new commissioner shall commence no later than 90 days after the election of the officers of the official tenants' associations of residents and after appointment by the appointing authority and shall terminate after the appointment of a new commissioner by the appointing authority. This paragraph shall not apply to housing authorities in jurisdictions where no official tenants' associations exist. However, upon the creation of an official association, the new commissioner positions shall be created 6 months thereafter.     Each tenants' association shall determine the method of choosing residents to be recommended for appointment. Tenants' associations may act in unison in recommending residents for appointment.     In units of local government of more than 1,000,000 inhabitants, each tenants' association shall submit not more than 2 residents for consideration. If associations act in unison, they may submit a number representing 2 names for each association. The appointing authority shall make the appointments within 45 days of receiving the recommendations.     A Housing Authority created under the preceding terms of this Section shall be designated as the Housing Authority of the city, village, incorporated town, county, or of the several counties within its area of operation.     Any 2 or more home rule municipalities within the same county may create a housing authority by intergovernmental agreement. The agreement shall be for an indefinite duration. If a housing authority is created by 2 or more home rule municipalities under this paragraph, appointments and confirmation of commissioners to the board and removal of commissioners from the board shall be made as set forth in the agreement. The agreement may include, in addition to other terms and conditions governing the operation of the board, provisions that increase the number of commissioners otherwise authorized by this Act to a number no greater than 9. The agreement also may provide for staggered terms for the commissioners and for the length of the commissioners' initial terms. An intergovernmental agreement between 2 or more home rule municipalities creating a housing authority may include other terms the municipalities deem desirable. The terms may include reporting and oversight requirements binding on the housing authority board agreed upon by the parties. This paragraph shall not be construed as a limitation on home rule municipalities. (Source: P.A. 93‑323, eff. 1‑1‑04.)

(310 ILCS 10/3.1) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 3.1)     Sec. 3.1. In any municipality having over 500,000 inhabitants, there shall be created a Housing Authority City Wide Residents' Advisory Board which shall be composed of each Local Advisory Council member who represents a development unit within the municipality. The Board shall advise the Housing Authority on residents' concerns over housing development operations and program services. The Board shall also recommend new programs to the Housing Authority and evaluate existing programs. The Board shall report to the Housing Authority on a quarterly basis. (Source: P.A. 86‑644.)

(310 ILCS 10/4) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 4)     Sec. 4. Whenever it shall appear to the presiding officer having appointment authority that a commissioner of a Housing Authority is incompetent or guilty of neglect of duty or malfeasance, the presiding officer shall require such commissioner to appear before the presiding officer or his designee to show cause why he should not be removed from office. At least fifteen days' written notice of such a hearing shall be given to the commissioner whose conduct is in question and to all other members of the Authority. At the hearing the commissioner may be represented by counsel and may appear personally and present such pertinent evidence as he wishes or as the presiding officer or his designee may request.     If after a hearing the presiding officer determines that a commissioner has been incompetent or has been guilty of neglect of duty or malfeasance, he shall remove such commissioner from the Authority within seven days, and there shall thereupon be deemed to be a vacancy of such office. (Source: P.A. 82‑780.)

(310 ILCS 10/5) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 5)     Sec. 5. No commissioner or employee of an Authority shall acquire any interest direct or indirect in any project or in any property included or planned to be included in any project, nor shall he have any interest direct or indirect in any contract or proposed contract for materials or services to be furnished or used in connection with any project. If any commissioner or employee of any Authority owns or controls an interest direct or indirect in any property included in any project, which was acquired prior to his appointment or employment, he shall disclose the same in writing to the Authority and such disclosure shall be entered upon the minutes of the Authority.     Nothing contained in this Act or in any other law shall be construed to preclude a tenant of an Authority from serving as an appointed commissioner of that Authority. No part of this Act or any other law shall be construed in such a way as to inhibit the tenant commissioner in the lawful exercise of the powers and duties of his or her office. (Source: P.A. 87‑657.)

(310 ILCS 10/6) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 6)     Sec. 6. As soon as possible after the creation of an Authority the commissioners shall organize for the transaction of business by choosing from among their number a chairman and a vice‑chairman and by adopting by‑laws and rules and regulations suitable to the purposes of this Act. Three commissioners shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of an Authority that has 5 commissioners, 4 commissioners shall constitute a quorum for an Authority that has 7 commissioners, and 6 commissioners shall constitute a quorum for an Authority that has 10 commissioners. The commissioners shall, from time to time, select and appoint a chief executive officer and officers and employees, including engineering, architectural and legal assistants, as they may require for the performance of their duties, and may prescribe the duties and compensation of each officer and employee or expressly delegate that authority to the chief executive officer. (Source: P.A. 87‑200; 87‑657; 87‑895; 88‑214.)

(310 ILCS 10/6.1)     Sec. 6.1. Power to deduct wages for debts.     (a) Upon receipt of notice from the comptroller of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the Chicago Board of Education that a debt is due and owing the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the Chicago Board of Education by an employee of the housing authority of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more, that authority may withhold, from the compensation of that employee, the amount of the debt that is due and owing and pay the amount withheld to the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the Chicago Board of Education; provided, however, that the amount deducted from any one salary or wage payment shall not exceed 25% of the net amount of the payment.     (b) Before the housing authority of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more deducts any amount from any salary or wage of an employee under this Section, the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the Chicago Board of Education shall certify that (i) the employee has been afforded an opportunity for a hearing to dispute the debt that is due and owing the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the Chicago Board of Education and (ii) the employee has received notice of a wage deduction order and has been afforded an opportunity for a hearing to object to the order.     (c) For purposes of this Section:         (1) "Net amount" means that part of the salary or

wage payment remaining after the deduction of any amounts required by law to be deducted.

(2) "Debt due and owing" means (i) a specified sum

of money owed to the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the Chicago Board of Education for services, work, or goods, after the period granted for payment has expired, or (ii) a specified sum of money owed to the municipality, the county, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Chicago Park District, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Chicago Transit Authority, or the Chicago Board of Education pursuant to a court order or order of an administrative hearing officer after the exhaustion of, or the failure to exhaust, judicial review.

(Source: P.A. 92‑109, eff. 7‑20‑01.)

(310 ILCS 10/7) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 7)     Sec. 7. No commissioner shall receive any compensation, whether in form of salary, per diem allowances or otherwise, for or in connection with his services as a commissioner, except that the Housing Authority in any municipality having over 500,000 inhabitants may establish by resolution a reasonable salary or per diem allowance for the services of the commissioner who serves as chairman, and except that in an Authority created by a municipality or a county having over 25,000 inhabitants the corporate authorities of the municipality or county may establish a reasonable per diem allowance for the services of commissioners, to be paid by the municipality or county from funds budgeted by the corporate or county authorities for that purpose. Each commissioner shall, however, be entitled to reimbursement out of funds available therefor, for any necessary expenditures in connection with the performance of his general duties or in connection with the construction or operation of any project. The Authority may allocate such expenses among its projects in a manner as it may consider proper. An Authority created by a municipality or county having over 25,000 inhabitants may also provide for the reimbursement, from funds of the Authority, of any travel expenses incurred by the commissioners for travel in connection with their duties. (Source: P.A. 87‑200; 87‑657.)

(310 ILCS 10/8) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 8)     Sec. 8. An Authority shall be a municipal corporation and shall constitute a body both corporate and politic, exercising public and essential governmental functions, and having all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this Act, including, in addition to others herein granted, the powers enumerated in Sections 8.1 through 8.8, inclusive. (Source: Laws 1955, p. 1772.)

(310 ILCS 10/8.1) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 8.1)     Sec. 8.1. An Authority has power to investigate living and housing conditions, housing needs and markets in its area of operation and the means and methods of improving conditions and meeting needs through private and public means; to determine where unsanitary or substandard housing conditions exist; to ascertain which dwellings in its area of operation do not meet such standards as it may determine are necessary for safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations and to report its findings to the appropriate government in the territory in which the dwellings are located; to study and make recommendations concerning the plan of the area of operation in relation to the problems of acquisition, clearing, replanning, and reconstruction of areas in which unsanitary or substandard conditions exist or which are needed for increasing the supply of decent, safe and sanitary and affordable dwellings and for related community development, and the providing of housing accommodations and subsidies for persons of low income, and to cooperate with any regional or State planning agencies or the planning agency of any city, village or incorporated town wholly or partly within its area of operation. (Source: P.A. 87‑200.)

    (310 ILCS 10/8.1a)(from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 8.1a)
    Sec. 8.1a. Police powers.
    (a) A Housing Authority in any municipality having over 500,000 inhabitants has power to police its property and to exercise police powers for the protection of the persons and property of its residents, employees and visitors, for the enforcement of any rule or regulation adopted by the Authority, and in furtherance of the purposes for which such Authority was organized. In particular, and subject to amounts appropriated for that purpose, the Housing Authority in exercising its police powers shall strive to eliminate or reduce the following activities within the property or facilities of the Authority: streetgang‑related activities (as defined in the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act), illegal activities involving controlled substances (as defined in the Illinois Controlled Substances Act), illegal activities involving cannabis (as defined in the Cannabis Control Act), illegal activities involving methamphetamine (as defined in the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act), and illegal activities involving firearms. Such Authority has power to establish, appoint and support a police force for such purposes.
    (b) A Housing Authority in a municipality having 500,000 or fewer inhabitants may establish, appoint, and support a police force to police the Authority's property, to protect the persons and property of the Authority's residents, employees, and visitors, to enforce the Authority's adopted rules and regulations, and to otherwise further the purposes for which the Authority was organized. A police force may be established under this subsection only with the approval of the mayor or president of the municipality and only if, in the opinion of the Authority and the mayor or president, the severity of streetgang‑related activities (as defined in the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act), illegal activities involving controlled substances (as defined in the Illinois Controlled Substances Act), illegal activities involving cannabis (as defined in the Cannabis Control Act), illegal activities involving methamphetamine (as defined in the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act), or illegal activities involving firearms makes the establishment of a police force desirable.
    (c) Members of a Housing Authority police force shall be conservators of the peace and shall have all powers possessed by the police of cities, and sheriffs, including the power to make arrests for violations of federal and state statutes, city and county ordinances, and rules and regulations of the Authority and governing federal agencies; provided, that they may exercise such powers only within the property or facilities of such Authority, and only (i) when such exercise is appropriate for the protection of Authority properties and interests, or its residents, employees and visitors, or (ii) otherwise, within the municipality in which the Authority operates, when specifically requested by appropriate federal, state and local law enforcement officials. Unless expressly limited by the Authority, when outside the property or facilities of the Authority, the members of the police force shall have the same powers as those conferred on the police of organized cities and villages when acting outside of the territorial limits of their city or village. "Property or facilities of the Authority" means property owned or leased by the Authority and property over which the Authority has easement rights. The Authority shall establish minimum standards for selection and training of members of such police force, provided that the members of such police force shall be certified and trained under the provisions of the Illinois Police Training Act, as now or hereafter amended. The members of such police force may serve and execute civil process. The establishment of such a police force shall not affect the power of the Authority to use or employ other security personnel as permitted by law. Neither the Authority, the members of its Board nor its officers or employees shall be held liable for failure to provide a security or police force or, if a security or police force is provided, for failure to provide adequate police protection or security, failure to prevent the commission of crimes or failure to apprehend criminals.
(Source: P.A. 94‑556, eff. 9‑11‑05.)

(310 ILCS 10/8.1b) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 8.1b)     Sec. 8.1b. (a) The Authority shall establish and maintain an affirmative action program consistent with state and federal law, designed to promote equal employment opportunity within the police force and give preference to the recruitment of applicants for the police force from the specific communities in which the Authority operates housing developments and administers housing assistance programs.     (b) In establishing the selection standards, the Authority shall provide that sworn officer positions at the rank of sergeant or below shall first be filled by persons otherwise qualified for selection who are residents of facilities under the jurisdiction of the Authority. (Source: P.A. 86‑457.)

(310 ILCS 10/8.1c)     Sec. 8.1c. Citizens Review Board. A Citizens Review Board is established for the housing authority in any municipality having over 500,000 inhabitants to monitor the housing authority police force.     The Board shall consist of 9 members with 5 appointed by the executive director of the housing authority, 2 appointed by the housing authority's Central Advisory Council, and 2 appointed by the housing authority's Senior Advisory Council. The initial terms of the members shall be one, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years for the members appointed by the executive director, one and 2 years for the members appointed by the Central Advisory Council, and one and 2 years for the members appointed by the Senior Advisory Council. The appointing authority shall determine which initial term each appointee shall serve. Each successor of the initial members shall serve for a term of 4 years. The initial appointments to the Board shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997. The Board shall select one of its members to serve as chairperson. The Board may, after notice and a hearing, remove by majority vote a member of the Board who has been found guilty of neglect of duty or malfeasance. If a member of the Board resigns or is removed, the official or body that would appoint the member's successor shall appoint a person to serve the remainder of the member's term. After a member's term expires, the member shall continue to serve until a successor is appointed and qualified.     Subject to collective bargaining agreements, the Board has the authority, after holding a hearing, to suspend, terminate, or take other disciplinary action against a housing authority police officer if:         (1) the officer is found by the Board to have

physically abused a tenant or his or her guest while the officer was on duty;

(2) the officer is found by the Board to have

entered the residence of a housing authority tenant and was neither (i) executing a legally issued arrest warrant or search warrant for that residence nor (ii) otherwise lawfully present in the residence; or

(3) the officer is found by the Board to have

physically abused a person on or off housing authority property while performing his or her duty as a housing authority police officer.

(Source: P.A. 90‑478, eff. 8‑17‑97.)

    (310 ILCS 10/8.2)(from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 8.2)
    Sec. 8.2. Projects; competitive bidding; arrangement with for‑profit developer. An Authority has power to prepare, carry out and operate projects; to provide for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, alteration or repair of any project or any part thereof; to take over by purchase, lease, or otherwise any project undertaken by any government; to act as agent for the Federal government in connection with the acquisition, construction, operation, or management of a project or any part thereof; to arrange with any government within the area of operation for the furnishing, planning, replanning, opening or closing of streets, roads, roadways, alleys, parks, or other places of public facilities or for the acquisition by any government or any agency, instrumentality or subdivision thereof, of property, options or property rights or for the furnishing of property or services in connection with a project; to function as an agency of the city, village, incorporated town or county for which it is constituted an Authority and to act as an agent (when so designated) for any government, with respect to matters relating to housing and the purposes of this Act, including action for the elimination of unsafe and unsanitary dwellings, the provision of rental assistance, the clearing and redevelopment of blighted or slum areas, the assembly of improved and unimproved land for development or redevelopment purposes, the conservation and rehabilitation of existing housing, and the provision of decent, safe and sanitary and affordable housing accommodations, and to utilize any and all of its powers to assist governments in any manner which will tend to further the objectives of this Act; to assist through the exercise of the powers herein conferred any individual, association, corporation or organization which presents a plan for developing or redeveloping any property within the area of operation of the Authority which will tend to provide decent, safe and sanitary and affordable housing, or promote other uses essential to sound community growth.
    In counties having a population of less than 1,000,000, any contract in which State funds are used for repair, improvement or rehabilitation of existing improvements that involves expenditures that meet the requirements applicable to either federal or State programs shall be let by free and competitive bidding to the lowest responsible bidder upon bond and subject to regulations as may be set by the Department and with the written approval of the Department. In the case of an emergency affecting the public health or safety declared by a majority vote of the commissioners of the Housing Authority, contracts may be let, to the extent necessary to resolve an emergency, without public advertisement or competitive bidding.
    In addition to the powers conferred by this Act and other laws concerning housing authorities, a Housing Authority in any municipality having a population in excess of 1,000,000 shall be authorized to participate as a partner or member of a partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, or other form of a business arrangement with a for‑profit developer or non‑profit developer and shall have all powers deemed necessary and appropriate to engage in the rehabilitation and development or ownership, or both development and ownership, of low‑income and mixed‑income rental and for‑sale housing as a partner or member of a partnership, limited liability company, or joint venture.
(Source: P.A. 95‑887, eff. 8‑22‑08.)

(310 ILCS 10/8.3) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 8.3)     Sec. 8.3. An Authority has power to lease or rent any of the housing or other accommodations or any of the lands, buildings, structures, or facilities embraced in any project and to establish and revise the rents or charges therefor; to purchase, lease, obtain options upon, acquire by eminent domain or otherwise, sell, exchange, transfer or assign, any property, real or personal, or any interest therein; to acquire any property, real or personal, or any interest therein from any firm, corporation or any municipal, State or Federal government or any agency, instrumentality or subdivision thereof by gift, grant, or legacy; to own, hold, clear and improve property; in its discretion to insure or provide for the insurance of the property or operations of the Authority against such risks as the Authority may deem advisable. (Source: P.A. 83‑388.)

(310 ILCS 10/8.3a) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 8.3a)     Sec. 8.3a. Hearing ‑ Notice. Before any construction contract for a proposed new construction of a specific project or proposed rehabilitation project is entered into by a local Housing Authority in a county having a population of less than 1,000,000, a public hearing must be held by the local Housing Authority affording interested persons residing in the area an opportunity to be heard. There shall be a notice of the time and place of the hearing published at least once, not more than 30 nor less than 15 days before the hearing, in one or more newspapers published in the municipality of the project; where there is no newspaper which is published in the municipality, such notice shall be given in one or more newspapers published in the county in which the municipality is located and having general circulation within such municipality. The notice shall contain the particular site and location to be affected as well as a brief statement of what is proposed in the project. (Source: P.A. 82‑723.)