(a) The Administration shall:
(1) assist the Governor in coordinating the activities of governmental units of the State that affect the solution of community development problems and the implementation of community plans;
(2) encourage and assist political subdivisions to develop mutual and cooperative solutions to their common problems;
(3) serve as a clearinghouse for information and other materials that may be pertinent to sound community development, including information on available federal, State, and private financial and technical assistance;
(4) carry out continuing studies and analyses of sound community development in cooperation with the Department of Planning;
(5) make recommendations, in cooperation with the Department of Planning, for administrative or legislative action, paying particular attention to the problems of metropolitan, suburban, and other areas;
(6) implement model or demonstration programs and projects, contract to administer functions or services in a political subdivision, or otherwise provide a program of practical research in community development;
(7) promote community development by giving to political subdivisions, local development agencies, local development entities, or nonprofit organizations:
(i) technical assistance and advisory, consultative, training, and educational services; and
(ii) grants and loans to pay for:
1. the services and technical assistance; and
2. any development costs;
(8) (i) contract for and accept from the federal government a grant, contribution, or loan of money, property, or other aid in any form for community development; and
(ii) do all things necessary to qualify for the grant, contribution, or loan, including those things necessary to qualify for assistance as a local public agency or public housing agency under a federal housing or renewal program;
(9) contract for and accept from any governmental unit of the State or other source a gift, grant, contribution, or loan of money, property, or other aid in any form for community development and comply with the terms and conditions of the gift, grant, contribution, or loan;
(10) attach to a sale or lease of property or to a loan or grant the terms and conditions that the Director determines and the Secretary approves;
(11) enter into agreements to make annual payments instead of assessments, charges, or property taxes to a political subdivision in respect to real property that the Administration owns; and
(12) provide money to programs eligible to receive funding from the Neighborhood Business Development Fund under § 6–310 of this article.
(b) To implement community development projects and public purpose projects in accordance with Part V of this subtitle, and subject to §§ 4–213(b) and 4–214 of this subtitle, the Administration may:
(1) (i) acquire, own, and hold land that is open, mainly open, or undeveloped, or any interest in the land;
(ii) install access and interior streets and roads and sewer and water lines in or to the land and otherwise improve the land; or
(iii) transfer, lease, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of or encumber the land;
(2) (i) acquire, own, and hold land that is not open, mainly open, or undeveloped, as well as personal or mixed property;
(ii) manage and operate the property;
(iii) clear, improve, construct, or rehabilitate the property;
(iv) transfer, lease, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of or encumber the property; or
(v) take assignments of rentals or leases for the property;
(3) arrange or contract with a political subdivision or private party in connection with a community development project or public purpose project for:
(i) planning, replanning, zoning, or rezoning;
(ii) opening, grading, or closing streets, roads, alleys, or other places;
(iii) furnishing facilities;
(iv) acquiring property or property rights by the political subdivision; or
(v) furnishing property or services; and
(4) spend Administration money for an undertaking that the Secretary approves.
(c) The Administration shall develop and implement a weatherization program to provide money for insulation materials and insulation costs to households that qualify based on income and the program eligibility guidelines that the Secretary establishes.