§ 17 — Definitions

The following terms, wherever used or referred to in this Act shall have the following respective meanings, unless in any case a different meaning clearly appears from the context: (a) "Authority" or "housing authority" shall mean a municipal corporation organized in accordance with the provisions of this Act for the purposes, with the powers and subject to the restrictions herein set forth. (b) "Area" or "area of operation" shall mean: (1) in the case of an authority which is created hereunder for a city, village, or incorporated town, the area within the territorial boundaries of said city, village, or incorporated town, and so long as no county housing authority has jurisdiction therein, the area within three miles from such territorial boundaries, except any part of such area located within the territorial boundaries of any other city, village, or incorporated town; and (2) in the case of a county shall include all of the county except the area of any city, village or incorporated town located therein in which there is an Authority. When an authority is created for a county subsequent to the creation of an authority for a city, village or incorporated town within the same county, the area of operation of the authority for such city, village or incorporated town shall thereafter be limited to the territory of such city, village or incorporated town, but the authority for such city, village or incorporated town may continue to operate any project developed in whole or in part in an area previously a part of its area of operation, or may contract with the county housing authority with respect to the sale, lease, development or administration of such project. When an authority is created for a city, village or incorporated town subsequent to the creation of a county housing authority which previously included such city, village or incorporated town within its area of operation, such county housing authority shall have no power to create any additional project within the city, village or incorporated town, but any existing project in the city, village or incorporated town currently owned and operated by the county housing authority shall remain in the ownership, operation, custody and control of the county housing authority. (b-5) "Criminal history record" means a record of arrest, complaint, indictment, or any disposition arising therefrom. (b-6) "Criminal history report" means any written, oral, or other communication of information that includes criminal history record information about a natural person that is produced by a law enforcement agency, a court, a consumer reporting agency, or a housing screening agency or business. (c) "Presiding officer" shall mean the presiding officer of the board of a county, or the mayor or president of a city, village or incorporated town, as the case may be, for which an Authority is created hereunder. (d) "Commissioner" shall mean one of the members of an Authority appointed in accordance with the provisions of this Act. (e) "Government" shall include the State and Federal governments and the governments of any subdivisions, agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of either of them. (f) "Department" shall mean the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. (g) "Project" shall include all lands, buildings, and improvements, acquired, owned, leased, managed or operated by a housing authority, and all buildings and improvements constructed, reconstructed or repaired by a housing authority, designed to provide housing accommodations and facilities appurtenant thereto (including community facilities and stores) which are planned as a unit, whether or not acquired or constructed at one time even though all or a portion of the buildings are not contiguous or adjacent to one another; and the planning of buildings and improvements, the acquisition of property, the demolition of existing structures, the clearing of land, the construction, reconstruction, and repair of buildings or improvements and all other work in connection therewith. As provided in Sections 8.14 to 8.18, inclusive, "project" also means, for Housing Authorities for municipalities of less than 500,000 population and for counties, the conservation of urban areas in accordance with an approved conservation plan. "Project" shall also include: (1) acquisition of: (i) a slum or blighted area or a deteriorated or deteriorating area which is predominantly residential in character, or (ii) any other deteriorated or deteriorating area which is to be developed or redeveloped for predominantly residential uses, or (iii) platted urban or suburban land which is predominantly open and which because of obsolete platting, diversity of ownership, deterioration of structures or of site improvements, or otherwise substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of the community and which is to be developed for predominantly residential uses, or (iv) open unplatted urban or suburban land necessary for sound community growth which is to be developed for predominantly residential uses, or (v) any other area where parcels of land remain undeveloped because of improper platting, delinquent taxes or special assessments, scattered or uncertain ownerships, clouds on title, artificial values due to excessive utility costs, or any other impediments to the use of such area for predominantly residential uses; (2) installation, construction, or reconstruction of streets, utilities, and other site improvements essential to the preparation of sites for uses in accordance with the development or redevelopment plan; and (3) making the land available for development or redevelopment by private enterprise or public agencies (including sale, initial leasing, or retention by the local public agency itself). If, in any city, village, or incorporated town, there exists a land clearance commission created under the Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act of 1947 (repealed) prior to August 20, 2021 (the effective date of Public Act 102-510) having the same area of operation as a housing authority created in and for any such municipality, such housing authority shall have no power to acquire land of the character described in subparagraph (iii), (iv), or (v) of paragraph (1) of the definition of "project" for the purpose of development or redevelopment by private enterprise. (h) "Community facilities" shall include lands, buildings, and equipment for recreation or social assembly, for education, health or welfare activities and other necessary utilities primarily for use and benefit of the occupants of housing accommodations to be constructed, reconstructed, repaired or operated hereunder. (i) "Real property" shall include lands, lands under water, structures, and any and all easements, franchises and incorporeal hereditaments and estates, and rights, legal and equitable, including terms for years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage or otherwise. (j) The term "governing body" shall include the city council of any city, the president and board of trustees of any village or incorporated town, the council of any city or village, and the county board of any county. (k) The phrase "individual, association, corporation or organization" shall include any individual, private corporation, limited or general partnership, limited liability company, insurance company, housing corporation, neighborhood redevelopment corporation, non-profit corporation, incorporated or unincorporated group or association, educational institution, hospital, or charitable organization, and any mutual ownership or cooperative organization. (l) "Conservation area", for the purpose of the exercise of the powers granted in Sections 8.14 to 8.18, inclusive, for housing authorities for municipalities of less than 500,000 population and for counties, means an area of not less than 2 acres in which the structures in 50% or more of the area are residential having an average age of 35 years or more. Such an area by reason of dilapidation, obsolescence, deterioration or illegal use of individual structures, overcrowding of structures and community facilities, conversion of residential units into non-residential use, deleterious land use or layout, decline of physical maintenance, lack of community planning, or any combination of these factors may become a slum and blighted area. (m) "Conservation plan" means the comprehensive program for the physical development and replanning of a "Conservation Area" as defined in paragraph (l) embodying the steps required to prevent such Conservation Area from becoming a slum and blighted area. (n) "Fair use value" means the fair cash market value of real property when employed for the use contemplated by a "Conservation Plan" in municipalities of less than 500,000 population and in counties. (o) "Community facilities" means, in relation to a "Conservation Plan", those physical plants which implement, support and facilitate the activities, services and interests of education, recreation, shopping, health, welfare, religion and general culture. (p) "Loan agreement" means any agreement pursuant to which an Authority agrees to loan the proceeds of its revenue bonds issued with respect to a multifamily rental housing project or other funds of the Authority to any person upon terms providing for loan repayment installments at least sufficient to pay when due all principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the revenue bonds of the Authority issued with respect to the multifamily rental housing project, and providing for maintenance, insurance, and other matters as may be deemed desirable by the Authority. (q) "Multifamily rental housing" means any rental project designed for mixed-income or low-income occupancy. (r) "Federally assisted housing" means any housing units or subsidized housing programs funded in whole or in part by the federal government including all properties owned or financed by a housing authority, or a subsidiary or partnership in which the housing authority is a member. (Source: P.A. 102-510, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-215, eff. 4-30-24 (See Section 900 of P.A. 103-563 for effective date of P.A. 103-215) .)