The following terms, wherever used or referred to in this chapter, shall have the following respective meanings, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:

(a) “Area of operation” includes the municipality in which a housing authority is created under the provisions of this chapter and may include a neighboring municipality, provided the governing body of such neighboring municipality agrees by proper resolution to the extension of the area of operation to include such neighboring municipality.

(b) “Authority” or “housing authority” means any of the public corporations created by § 8-40, and the Connecticut Housing Authority when exercising the rights, powers, duties or privileges of, or subject to the immunities or limitations of, housing authorities pursuant to § 8-121.

(c) “Bonds” means any bonds, including refunding bonds, notes, interim certificates, debentures or other obligations issued by the authority pursuant to this chapter.

(d) “Clerk” means the clerk of the particular city, borough or town for which a particular housing authority is created.

(e) “Families of low income” means families who lack the amount of income which is necessary, as determined by the authority undertaking the housing project, to enable them, without financial assistance, to live in decent, safe and sanitary dwellings, without overcrowding.

(f) “Families of low and moderate income” means families who lack the amount of income which is necessary, as determined by the Commissioner of Housing, to enable them to rent or purchase moderate cost housing without financial assistance as provided by this part and parts II and III of this chapter.

(g) “Federal government” includes the United States of America, the federal emergency administration of public works or any other agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States of America.

(h) “Governing body” means, for towns having a town council, the council; for other towns, the selectmen; for cities, the common council or other similar body of officials; and for boroughs, the warden and burgesses.

(i) “Housing project” means any work or undertaking (1) to demolish, clear or remove buildings from any slum area, which work or undertaking may embrace the adaptation of such area to public purposes, including parks or other recreational or community purposes; or (2) to provide decent, safe and sanitary urban or rural dwellings, apartments or other living accommodations for families of low or moderate income, which work or undertaking may include buildings, land, equipment, facilities and other real or personal property for necessary, convenient or desirable appurtenances, streets, sewers, water service, parks, site preparation, gardening, administrative, community, recreational, commercial or welfare purposes and may include the acquisition and rehabilitation of existing dwelling units or structures to be used for moderate or low rental units; or (3) to accomplish a combination of the foregoing. The term “housing project” also may be applied to the planning of the buildings and improvements, the acquisition of property, the demolition of existing structures, the construction, reconstruction, alteration and repair of the improvements and all other work in connection therewith and may include the reconstruction, rehabilitation, alteration, or major repair of existing buildings or improvements which were undertaken pursuant to parts II and VI of this chapter.

(j) “Mayor” means, for cities, the mayor and, for boroughs, the warden.

(k) “Moderate rental” means a rental which, as determined by an authority with the concurrence of the Commissioner of Housing, is below the level at which private enterprise is currently building a needed volume of safe and sanitary dwellings for rental in the locality involved; and “moderate rental housing project” means a housing project, receiving state aid in the form of loans or grants, for families unable to pay more than moderate rental. Such project may include the reconstruction, rehabilitation, alteration, or major repair of existing buildings or improvements which were undertaken pursuant to parts II or VI of this chapter.

(l) “Municipality” means any city, borough or town. “The municipality” means the particular municipality for which a particular housing authority is created.

(m) “Obligee of the authority” or “obligee” includes any bondholder, trustee or trustees for any bondholders, or lessor demising to the authority property used in connection with a housing project, or any assignee or assignees of such lessor’s interest or any part thereof, and the state or federal government when it is a party to any contract with the authority.

(n) “Real property” includes all lands, including improvements and fixtures thereon, and property of any nature appurtenant thereto, or used in connection therewith, and every estate, interest and right, legal or equitable, therein, including terms for years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage or otherwise and the indebtedness secured by such liens.

(o) “Rent” means the entire amount paid to an authority for any dwelling unit.

(p) “Shelter rent” means rent less any charges made by an authority for water, heat, gas and electricity.

(q) “Slum” means any area where dwellings predominate which, by reason of dilapidation, overcrowding, faulty arrangement or design, lack of ventilation, light or sanitary facilities, or any combination of these factors, are detrimental to safety, health and morals.

(r) “State public body” means any city, borough, town, municipal corporation, district or other subdivision of the state.

(s) “Veteran” has the meaning assigned by § 27-103 and includes any officer of the United States Public Health Service detailed by proper authority to duty with any of the armed forces and the spouse or widow or widower of such veteran, provided such veteran shall have served for a period of ninety days or more in time of war after December 7, 1941, and shall have resided in this state at any time continuously for two years.

(t) “Family” means a household consisting of one or more persons.

(u) “Eligible developer” or “developer” means (1) a nonprofit corporation; (2) any business corporation incorporated pursuant to chapter 601 or any predecessor statutes thereto, having as one of its purposes the construction, rehabilitation, ownership or operation of housing, and having articles of incorporation approved by the commissioner in accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to § 8-79a or 8-84; (3) any partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company or association having as one of its purposes the construction, rehabilitation, ownership or operation of housing, and having basic documents of organization approved by the commissioner in accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to § 8-79a or 8-84; (4) a housing authority; (5) a family or person approved by the commissioner as qualified to own, construct, rehabilitate, manage and maintain housing under a mortgage loan made or insured under an agreement entered into pursuant to the provisions of this chapter; or (6) a municipal developer.

(v) “Mortgage” means a mortgage deed, deed of trust, or other instrument which shall constitute a lien, whether first or second, on real estate or on a leasehold under a lease having a remaining term, at the time such mortgage is acquired, which does not expire for at least that number of years beyond the maturity date of the obligation secured by such mortgage as is equal to the number of years remaining until the maturity date of such obligation.

(w) “Nonprofit corporation” means a nonprofit corporation incorporated pursuant to chapter 602 or any predecessor statutes thereto, having as one of its purposes the construction, rehabilitation, ownership or operation of housing and having articles of incorporation approved by the Commissioner of Housing in accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to § 8-79a or 8-84.

(x) “Municipal developer” means a municipality, as defined in subsection (l) of this section, which has not declared by resolution a need for a housing authority pursuant to § 8-40, acting by and through its legislative body, except that in any town in which a town meeting or representative town meeting is the legislative body, “municipal developer” means the board of selectmen if such board is authorized to act as the municipal developer by the town meeting or representative town meeting.