Sec 36-1402. Legislative finding and declaration of necessity

A. It is declared that:

1. Unsanitary or unsafe dwelling accommodations exist in the various cities, towns and counties of the state and that persons of low income are required to reside in such unsanitary or unsafe accommodations.

2. Within these cities, towns and counties there is a shortage of safe or sanitary dwelling accommodations available at rents which persons of low income can afford and that they are forced to occupy overcrowded and congested dwelling accommodations.

3. The conditions specified by paragraphs 1 and 2 cause an increase in and spread of disease and crime and constitute a menace to the health, safety, morals and welfare of the residents of the state and impair economic values.

4. These conditions necessitate excessive and disproportionate expenditures of public funds for crime prevention and punishment, public health and safety, fire and accident protection and other public services and facilities.

5. These areas cannot be cleared, developed or rehabilitated and the shortage of safe and sanitary dwellings for persons of low income cannot be relieved solely through the operation of private enterprise, and that development of housing projects for persons of low income as provided by this article will therefore not be competitive with private enterprise.

6. The clearance, planning, design and reconstruction of areas in which unsanitary or unsafe housing conditions exist and the providing of safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations for persons of low income are public uses and purposes for which public money may be spent and private property acquired by purchase, condemnation or other legal means, and that such activities are governmental functions of state concern.

7. It is in the public interest that work on projects for such purposes be commenced as soon as possible to relieve the affordable housing shortage that now constitutes an emergency.

B. The necessity in the public interest for the provisions of this article is declared as a matter of legislative determination.