1Amending the act of May 28, 1937 (P.L.955, No.265), entitled, as
2amended, "An act to promote public health, safety, morals,
3and welfare by declaring the necessity of creating public
4bodies, corporate and politic, to be known as housing
5authorities to engage in slum clearance, and to undertake
6projects, to provide dwelling accommodations for persons of
7low income; providing for the organization of such housing
8authorities; defining their powers and duties; providing for
9the exercise of such powers, including the acquisition of
10property by purchase, gift or eminent domain, the renting and
11selling of property, and including borrowing money, issuing
12bonds, and other obligations, and giving security therefor;
13prescribing the remedies of obligees of housing authorities;
14authorizing housing authorities to enter into agreements,
15including agreements with the United States, the
16Commonwealth, and political subdivisions and municipalities
17thereof; defining the application of zoning, sanitary, and
18building laws and regulations to projects built or maintained
19by such housing authorities; exempting the property and
20securities of such housing authorities from taxation; and
21imposing duties and conferring powers upon the State Planning
22Board, and certain other State officers and departments,"
23further providing for establishment of rentals and selection
24of tenants; and providing for veteran preferences.

25The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
26hereby enacts as follows:

27Section 1. Section 13 of the act of May 28, 1937 (P.L.955,
28No.265), referred to as the Housing Authorities Law, amended May

120, 1949 (P.L.1614, No.486), is amended to read:

2Section 13. Establishment of Rentals and Selection of
3Tenants.--[An] Subject to the preferences under section 13.2, an
4Authority may rent or lease dwelling accommodations only to
5persons of low income and at rentals within their financial
6reach. It may rent or lease to a tenant a dwelling consisting of
7the number of rooms (but no greater number) which it deems
8necessary to provide safe and sanitary accommodations to the
9proposed occupants thereof without overcrowding. It shall not
10accept any person as a tenant in any housing project if the
11person or persons, who would occupy the dwelling, have an
12aggregate annual income in excess of six times the annual rental
13of the quarters to be furnished such person or persons. In
14computing rental for the purpose of selecting tenants, there
15shall be included in the rental the average annual cost, as
16determined by the Authority, to the occupants of heat, water,
17electricity, gas, cooking range, and other necessary services or
18facilities, whether or not the charge for such services and
19facilities is in fact included in the rental. Every Authority
20shall file a schedule of its rental charges for dwelling
21accommodations with the State Planning Board.

22Nothing contained in this or the preceding section shall be
23construed as limiting the power of an Authority to vest in an
24obligee the right, in the event of a default by the Authority,
25to take possession of a housing project, or cause the
26appointment of a receiver thereof, or acquire title thereto
27through foreclosure proceedings, free from all the restrictions
28imposed by this or the preceding section.

29Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:

30Section 13.2. Veteran Preferences.--In selecting a tenant

1under section 13, an authority shall give preference as follows:

2(a) First preference shall be given to homeless veterans.

3(b) Second preference shall be given to disabled veterans or
4families of disabled veterans whose disabilities have been
5determined by the United States Veterans Administration to be
6service connected.

7(c) Third preference shall be given to families of deceased
8veterans and servicemen whose deaths have been determined by the
9United States Veterans Administration to be service connected.

10(d) Fourth preference shall be given to other veterans or
11servicemen or families of other veterans or servicemen.

12Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.