Gov. Code, § 53703

A county or city may do all acts necessary to participate in all programs authorized by a federal housing act, including the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966 or any other federal program whereby federal funds are granted to the county or city or any of its residents for purposes of health, education, welfare, public safety, law enforcement activities which have not been preempted by state law, prevention or reduction of crime, rehabilitation of persons convicted of crime or juvenile offenders, public works or community improvement, including, without limitation thereto, contracting and cooperating with the federal government, the state and its agencies, other local public agencies and private persons and corporations, and may make any expenditure of county or city funds required for such participation.

A county or city may, through its officers and employees, also provide any or all necessary services to any housing authority with regard to which the governing body of the county or city has made a declaration of necessity pursuant to Article 2, Chapter 1, Part 2, Division 24 of the Health and Safety Code.

Where the authority to perform any act or service is delegated to a city or county by this section, the city or county may perform such act or service by means of a contract with an independent contractor, which independent contractor may be a public or private agency or private person.

This section shall not be construed to operate as a grant of authority in compliance with any federal act or program requiring the adoption of specific enabling legislation nor shall it be construed to supersede any such legislation.