Except as otherwise provided herein, a consolidated housing authority and the commissioners thereof shall, within the area of operation of such consolidated housing authority, have the same functions, rights, powers, duties, privileges, immunities and limitations as those provided for housing authorities created for cities, counties or groups of counties and the commissioners of such housing authorities, in the same manner as though all the provisions of law applicable to housing authorities created for cities, counties or groups of counties were applicable to consolidated housing authorities.