HARRY HUGHES, Governor

2937

rent or purchase which persons of eligible income can afford
and that, as a result, such persons are forced to occupy
overcrowded and congested dwelling accommodations, or are
required to pay an inordinate share of their income for
shelter; that the aforesaid conditions necessitate excessive
and disproportional expenditures of public funds for public
health and safety, fire and accident protection, and other
public services and facilities; THAT THERE EXISTS WITHIN
MONTGOMERY COUNTY A PUBLIC EMERGENCY CAUSED BY, AMONG OTHER
THINGS, RAPIDLY ESCALATING CONSTRUCTION COSTS, OPERATING AND
MAINTENANCE EXPENSES, AND THE INCREASE IN CONVERSIONS OF
EXISTING RENTAL FACILITIES TO CONDOMINIUM PROJECTS; THAT THE
PROBLEMS CREATED BY OR RESULTING FROM THESE INFLATIONARY
CONDITIONS AND CONVERSIONS ARE MANY AND SERIOUS AND INCLUDE
MAJOR DISPLACEMENT OF LARGE NUMBERS OF TENANTS, INCLUDING
ELDERLY OR HANDICAPPED INDIVIDUALS, FROM THEIR DWELLING
UNITS, SCARCITY OF LOW AND MODERATE INCOME UNITS ON THE
MARKET WHEN DEMAND FOR SUCH UNITS IS INCREASING, INADEQUATE
NUMBERS OF RENTAL UNITS AVAILABLE, PLANNED OR UNDER
CONSTRUCTION TO REPLACE THE RENTAL UNITS BEING CONVERTED TO
CONDOMINIUMS AND FRUSTRATION OF GENERAL PLAN CONCEPTS OF
BALANCED HOUSING MIX AND ADEQUATE PROVISION FOR HOUSING
NEEDS OF ALL ECONOMIC SEGMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY; that the
shortage of decent, safe and sanitary dwellings cannot
wholly be relieved through the operation of private
enterprise; and that the construction of housing for persons
of eligible income, and/or the expenditure of public funds
to assist in securing the production OR AVAILABILITY of such
housing FOR THE PURPOSES SET FORTH IN THIS SUBSECTION are,
therefore, not competitive with private enterprise; and that
the necessity for such [construction] HOUSING and the
expenditure of public funds in the public interest, for the
PURPOSES STATED AND THE provisions hereinafter enacted, are
hereby declared as a matter of legislative determination to
be valid public purposes.

(b)   [From and after April 30, 1974, in] IN Montgomery
County, the public body corporate and politic established
pursuant to this article, heretofore known as the housing
authority of Montgomery County, shall be known as the
housing opportunities commission of Montgomery County and
shall have seven[, rather than five,] commissioners
appointed and exercising the powers and duties as set forth
in this article. [The commissioners presently in office
shall continue to serve for the remainder of their
respective terms. The two additional commissioners provided
for herein shall be designated to serve for terms of four
and five years, respectively, from the date of their
appointment, but thereafter said] THE commissioners shall be
appointed for a term of office of five years.

(c)  The housing opportunities commission of Montgomery
County shall, in addition to the powers enumerated in this
article, have the authority to exercise all or any part or
combination of such powers to provide for housing or housing
projects for persons of eligible income; provided, however,
that the exercise of such power is pursuant to and in