(a) Notwithstanding any statute regarding rentals of, preferences or eligibility for admissions to, or occupancy of dwellings in housing projects, during the period that a housing authority finds that there is an acute need for housing to assure the availability of dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities or for victims of a major disaster, it may:

1. (1) undertake the development and administration of housing projects for the federal government;
2. (2) make dwellings in any of its housing projects available to persons engaged in national defense activities or to victims of a major disaster; and
3. (3) contract with any governmental entity for advance payment or reimbursement for the furnishing of housing to victims of a major disaster, including the furnishing of housing free of charge for needy disaster victims during the period of acute need.

(b) For purposes of this section, persons engaged in national defense activities are:

1. (1) persons in the armed forces of the United States;
2. (2) employees of the department of defense;
3. (3) workers engaged or to be engaged in activities connected with national defense; and
4. (4) the families of these persons, employees, and workers who reside with them.

(c) For purposes of this section, a major disaster is a flood, drought, fire, hurricane, earthquake, storm, or other catastrophe that, as determined by the fiscal body that established the housing authority, is of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant the use of available resources of the federal, state, and local governments to alleviate the resulting damage, hardship, and suffering.

[Pre-Local Government Recodification Citations: 18-7-11-3(p); 18-7-11-3(q); 18-7-11-8(h).]

As added by Acts 1981, P.L.309, SEC.37.