N.M. Stat. § 3-45-4 (2026)

A. Every city, in addition to other powers conferred by the Municipal Housing Law,
may:

       (1)    within its area of operation, prepare, carry out, acquire, purchase, lease,
construct, reconstruct, improve, alter, extend or repair any housing project or any part of
a housing project and operate and maintain the housing project, and for any of those
purposes, the governing body of the city may appropriate money and authorize the use
of any property of the city;

       (2)   purchase its bonds issued pursuant to the Municipal Housing Law at a
price not more than the principal amount thereof and accrued interest, all bonds so
purchased to be canceled;

       (3)     lease or rent any dwellings, houses, accommodations, lands, buildings,
structures or facilities embraced in any housing project and, subject to the limitations
contained in the Municipal Housing Law, establish and revise the rents or charges
therefor; own, hold and improve real or personal property; purchase, lease, obtain
options upon, acquire by gift, grant, bequest, devise or otherwise any real or personal
property or any interest in real or personal property; acquire by the exercise of the
power of eminent domain any real property; sell, lease, exchange, transfer, assign,
pledge or dispose of any real or personal property or any interest in real or personal
property; and procure or agree to the procurement of insurance or guarantees from the
federal government of the payment of any bonds or parts of any bonds issued pursuant
to the Municipal Housing Law, including the power to pay premiums on any such
insurance;

       (4)   enter on any lands, buildings or property for the purpose of making
surveys, soundings and examinations in connection with the planning or construction or
both of any housing project;

      (5)    insure or provide for the insurance of any housing project of the city
against such risks as the city may deem advisable;

        (6)    arrange or contract for the furnishing by any person or agency, public or
private, of services, privileges, works or facilities for or in connection with a housing
project or the occupants of a housing project; and include in any construction contract
let in connection with a housing project stipulations requiring that the contractor and any
subcontractors comply with employment requirements, including those in the
constitution and laws of this state, as to minimum wages and maximum hours of labor
and comply with any conditions that the federal government may have attached to its
financial aid of the project;

        (7)    within its area of operation, investigate the living, dwelling and housing
conditions and the means and methods of improving the conditions; determine where
slum areas exist or where there is a shortage of decent, safe and sanitary dwelling
accommodations for persons of low and moderate income; make studies and
recommendations relating to the problem of clearing, replanning and reconstructing
slum areas and the problem of providing dwelling accommodations for persons of low
and moderate income and cooperate with the state or any political subdivision of the
state in action taken in connection with the problems; and engage in research, studies
and experimentation on the subject of housing and affordable housing programs; and

       (8)    exercise all or any part or combination of powers herein granted.

    B. Any two or more cities or authorities may join or cooperate with one another in
the exercise, either jointly or otherwise, of any or all of their powers for the purpose of
financing, including the issuance of bonds, notes or other obligations and giving security
therefor, or contracting with respect to housing projects or affordable housing programs
located within the area of operation of any one or more of the cities or authorities. For
that purpose, a city or authority may, by resolution, prescribe and authorize any other
city or authority so joining or cooperating with it to act on its behalf with respect to any or
all powers, as its agent or otherwise, in the name of the city or authority so joining or
cooperating or in its own name.

History: 1953 Comp., § 14-46-4, enacted by Laws 1965, ch. 300; 1969, ch. 183, § 1;
2009, ch. 226, § 4.

                                     ANNOTATIONS

The 2009 amendment, effective April 7, 2009, in Subsection A(7), at the end of the
paragraph, added "and affordable housing programs; and"; and in Subsection B, in the
first sentence, after "housing projects", added "or affordable housing programs".

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — Validity of statute, ordinance, or
regulation requiring compliance with housing standards before rent increase or
possession by new tenant, 20 A.L.R.4th 1246.