In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. "Area of operation" includes all the territory of a city, town or county.

2. "Authority", "public housing authority", "public agency" or "housing authority" means an agency of a city, town or county created and controlled pursuant to this article.

3. "Blighted area" means an area where dwellings predominate that are detrimental to safety, health or morals because they are dilapidated or overcrowded or lack ventilation, light or sanitary facilities.

4. "Bonds" means bonds, notes, interim certificates, debentures or other obligations issued by a public housing authority, city, town or county pursuant to this article.

5. "Clerk" means the clerk of the board of supervisors, the city or town clerk or the officer charged with the duties customarily imposed on the clerk.

6. "Federal government" includes the United States, the United States department of housing and urban development or any other agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States.

7. "Governing body" means the board of commissioners of a public housing authority, the common council or other legislative body of the city or town or the county board of supervisors.

8. "Housing project":

(a) Means any work or undertaking:

(i) To demolish, clear or remove buildings from any blighted area. Such work or undertaking may embrace the adoption of the area to public purposes, including parks or other recreational or community purposes.

(ii) To provide decent, safe and sanitary urban or rural dwellings, apartments or other living accommodations for persons of low income. Such work or undertaking may include buildings, land, equipment, facilities and other real or personal property to be used for any necessary, convenient or desirable appurtenances, streets, sewers, water service, parks, site preparation, gardening, administrative, community, health, recreational, welfare or other purposes and consistent with the provision of housing pursuant to this article.

(iii) To accomplish a combination of the foregoing.

(b) Includes the planning and designing of buildings and improvements, the acquisition or receipt of property, the demolition of existing structures, the construction, reconstruction, alteration and repair of the improvements and all other work in connection therewith.

9. "Mayor" means the mayor of the city or town or the officer thereof charged with the duties customarily imposed on the mayor or executive head of a city or town.

10. "Obligee" includes any holder of bonds issued pursuant to this article, trustee or trustees for such bondholders, or lessor demising to a public housing authority, city, town or county property used in connection with a housing project, or an assignee or assignees of such lessor’s interest or any part thereof, and the federal government when it is a party to a contract with a public housing authority, city, town or county in regard to a housing project.

11. "Persons of low income" means persons or families who lack the amount of income that is necessary, as determined by the public housing authority, city, town or county undertaking the housing project, to enable them, without financial assistance, to live in decent, safe and sanitary dwellings without overcrowding.

12. "Real property" includes all lands, including improvements and fixtures on the land, and property of any nature appurtenant to the land, or used in connection with the land, 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.

13. "State public body" means any public housing authority, county, municipal corporation, commission, district, authority or other subdivision or public body of the state.