HARRY W. NICE, GOVERNOR. 1237

defined, it shall be taken to mean "ordinance of the Mayor
and City Council of Baltimore", where applied to action by
the governing body of Baltimore City.

4. In each city (as herein defined) of the State there is
hereby created a public body corporate and politic to be
known as the "Housing Authority" of the city; provided, how-
ever, that such authority shall not transact any business or
exercise its powers hereunder until or unless the governing
body of the city by proper resolution, approved by the Mayor,
shall declare at any time hereafter that there is need for an
authority to function in such city.

The governing body may adopt a resolution declaring that
there is need for a housing authority in the city if it shall
find (a) that insanitary or unsafe inhabited dwelling accom-
modations exist in such city or (b) that there is a shortage of
safe or sanitary dwelling accommodations in such city avail-
able to persons of low income at rentals they can afford.
In determining whether dwelling accommodations are unsafe
or insanitary said governing body may take into consideration
the degree of overcrowding, 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 con-
ditions exist in such buildings which endanger life or property
by fire or other causes.

In any suit, action or proceeding involving the validity or
enforcement of or relating to any contract of the authority,
the authority shall be conclusively deemed to have become
established and authorized to transact business and exercise
its powers hereunder upon proof of the adoption of a resolu-
tion by the governing body declaring the need for the author-
ity and the approval of the resolution by the Mayor thereof.
Such resolution or resolutions shall be deemed sufficient
if it declares that there is such need for an authority and
finds in substantially the foregoing terms (no further detail
being necessary) that either or both of the above enumerated
conditions exist in the city. A copy of such resolution duly
certified by the Clerk shall be admissible in evidence in any
suit, action or proceeding.

5. When the governing body of a city adopts a resolution
as aforesaid, it shall promptly notify the Mayor of such adop-
tion. Upon receiving such notice, and approving said reso-
lution, the Mayor shall appoint five persons as commis-
sioners of the authority created for said city. The
commissioners who are first appointed shall he designated
to serve for terms of one, two, three, four and five