Pennsylvania Statutes Title 71 P.S. State Government § 1049.3a. Powers and duties of the Department of Community Affairs

(1) Cooperate with county, municipal and regional planning commissions, zoning commissions, parks or recreation boards, community development groups, and similar agencies created for the purposes of aiding and encouraging an orderly productive and coordinated development of the State, and encourage and assist in their creation; and also, to cooperate with planning boards and similar bodies of other states and of the Federal government in formulating comprehensive regional plans and in the solution of regional problems. The department also shall cooperate with and enlist the support of civic bodies, corporations and individuals in the attainment of these and similar objectives.

(2) Study housing conditions and needs throughout the Commonwealth and devise ways and means of eliminating conditions of bad housing, such as slums or unsafe, unsanitary, inadequate, or overcrowded dwellings, or a combination of these conditions, accompanied and aggravated by an acute shortage of decent, safe and sanitary dwellings, and of securing economies in the construction or renovation of dwellings so that additional safe and sanitary houses may become available.

(3) Collect or develop and distribute information relating to housing, to improved methods of construction, planning and financing of housing, to the administration of public housing authorities, and to the construction, maintenance and operation of projects by such authorities.

(4) Suggest and assist in the preparation of legislation relating to housing conditions and needs, building codes, health and sanitation standards, and advise and assist municipalities in the formulation of ordinances relating thereto.

(5) Develop, administer or assist in the administration of any State program for the providing of housing.

(6) Exercise such jurisdiction and powers of supervision over housing authorities and their projects and redevelopment authorities and their projects as provided for in this act or as otherwise prescribed by law.

(7) Encourage, approve, supervise and control the organization and operation of limited dividend housing companies and their projects.

(8) Recommend or approve areas, which areas may be within, adjacent to, or separate and apart from, areas of bad housing, as designated by the department, within which the development of housing projects by limited dividend housing companies may be undertaken.

(9) Cooperate with local or regional housing officials, agencies or authorities, as well as with those of other states and of the Federal government.

(10) Promulgate rules and regulations to enforce and effectuate the purposes of this act.