99.080.  Authority to constitute municipal corporation — powers — profits — profits to be applied, how — agents of authority, restrictions. — 1.  An authority shall constitute a municipal corporation, exercising public and essential governmental functions, and having all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of sections 99.010 to 99.230, including the following powers in addition to others herein granted:

  (1)  To sue and be sued; to have a seal and to alter the same at pleasure; to have perpetual succession; to make and execute contracts and other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of the powers of the authority; and to make and from time to time amend and repeal bylaws, rules and regulations, not inconsistent with sections 99.010 to 99.230, to carry into effect the powers and purposes of the authority;

  (2)  Within its area of operation:  To prepare, carry out, acquire, lease and operate housing projects; to provide for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, alteration or repair of any housing project or any part thereof; except that, when the authority shall lie within an unincorporated area of a first class county having a charter form of government and that unincorporated area is bordered by a city or cities of the third class which may provide services to that authority, the city or cities shall give its approval before said construction, reconstruction, improvement, alteration or repair takes place;

  (3)  To arrange or contract for the furnishing by any person or agency, public or private, of services, privileges, works, or facilities for, or in connection with, a housing project or the occupants thereof; and (notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in sections 99.010 to 99.230 or any other provision of law) to include in any contract let in connection with a project, stipulations requiring that the contractor and any subcontractors comply with requirements as to minimum wages and maximum hours of labor, and comply with any conditions which the federal government may have attached to its financial aid of the project;

  (4)  To lease or rent any dwellings, houses, accommodations, lands, buildings, structures or facilities embraced in any housing project and (subject to the limitations contained in sections 99.010 to 99.230) to establish and revise the rents or charges therefor; to own, hold, and improve real or personal property; to purchase, lease, obtain options upon, acquire by gift, grant, bequest, devise, or otherwise any real or personal property or any interest therein; to acquire by the exercise of the power of eminent domain any real property in fee simple or other estate; to sell, lease, exchange, transfer, assign, pledge, or dispose of any real or personal property or any interest therein; to insure or provide for the insurance of any real or personal property or operations of the authority against any risks or hazards; to procure or agree to the procurement of insurance or guarantees from the federal government of the payment of any bonds or parts thereof issued by an authority, including the power to pay premiums on any such insurance; to allocate federal or state tax credits or other economic benefits or inducements allocated to an authority;

  (5)  To invest any funds held in reserves or sinking funds, or any funds not required for immediate disbursement, in property or securities in which savings banks may legally invest funds subject to their control; to purchase its bonds at a price not more than the principal amount thereof and accrued interest, all bonds so purchased to be cancelled;

  (6)  Within its area of operation:  To investigate into living, dwelling and housing conditions and into the means and methods of improving such conditions; to determine where blighted areas exist or where there is a shortage of decent, safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations for persons of very low, lower and moderate income; to make studies and recommendations relating to the problem of clearing, replanning and reconstructing of blighted areas, and the problem of providing dwelling accommodations for persons of very low, lower and moderate income, and to cooperate with the city, the county, the state or any political subdivision thereof in action taken in connection with such problems; and to engage in research, studies and experimentation on the subject of housing;

  (7)  Acting through one or more commissioners or other person or persons designated by the authority:  To conduct examinations and investigations and to hear testimony and take proof under oath at public or private hearings on any matter material for its information; to administer oaths, issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses or the production of books and papers and to issue commissions for the examination of witnesses who are outside of the state or unable to attend before the authority, or excused from attendance; to make available to appropriate agencies (including those charged with the duty of abating or requiring the correction of nuisances or like conditions, or of demolishing unsafe or unsanitary structures within its area of operation) its findings and recommendations with regard to any building or property where conditions exist which are dangerous to the public health, morals, safety or welfare;

  (8)  To contract with private owners to manage, lease and operate any rental, cooperative or condominium housing project within its area of operation and to act as management agent for any such project for a management fee;

  (a)  The persons and families who occupy the housing project shall be very low, lower or moderate income persons as defined in sections 99.010 to 99.230;

  (b)  Any profit derived by housing authorities from such management fees should be applied to the development, improvement or maintenance of housing projects in the following manner:  no less than fifty percent of said profits shall be applied toward improving, developing or maintaining housing units that are occupied by or will be occupied by persons of very low income; the remaining profits shall be applied toward improving, developing or maintaining housing units that are occupied by, or will be occupied by persons of low income;

  (9)  To loan the proceeds of its bonds and notes to provide for the purchase, construction, extension and improvement of any housing project;

  (10)  To exercise all powers or parts or combination of powers necessary, convenient or appropriate to undertake and carry out housing projects and all the powers herein granted.

  2.  No provision of law with respect to the acquisition, operation or disposition of property by other public bodies shall be applicable to an authority unless the law shall specifically so state.

  3.  An authority may exercise any and all of the powers conferred upon it by this section, either generally or with respect to any specific activity or activities, through or by any agent which it may designate including any corporation or corporations formed under the laws of this state and for such purposes, an authority may cause one or more corporations to be formed under the laws of this state, provided, however, that no employee of any housing authority or publicly elected official shall receive, directly or indirectly, any compensation therefrom other than their salary as such an employee or publicly elected official and that all profits from such corporations and agents shall be distributed in the following manner:  not less than seventy percent of said profits shall be applied, in such manner as the housing authority shall determine, toward improving, developing or maintaining housing units that are occupied by, or will be occupied by persons of very low or lower income; not more than thirty percent of said profits shall be applied in such manner as the housing authority shall determine; and if such corporation or agent is involved in managing, developing or purchasing a housing project, at least twenty percent of the units of said project shall be reserved for very low or low income.  The distribution of project units reserved for persons of very low and lower income by size shall be proportional to the distribution of units by size for the entire housing project.