
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC1441]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
       CHAPTER 8A--SLUM CLEARANCE, URBAN RENEWAL, AND FARM HOUSING
 
                    SUBCHAPTER I--GENERAL PROVISIONS
 
Sec. 1441. Congressional declaration of national housing policy

    The Congress declares that the general welfare and security of the 
Nation and the health and living standards of its people require housing 
production and related community development sufficient to remedy the 
serious housing shortage, the elimination of substandard and other 
inadequate housing through the clearance of slums and blighted areas, 
and the realization as soon as feasible of the goal of a decent home and 
a suitable living environment for every American family, thus 
contributing to the development and redevelopment of communities and to 
the advancement of the growth, wealth, and security of the Nation. The 
Congress further declares that such production is necessary to enable 
the housing industry to make its full contribution toward an economy of 
maximum employment, production, and purchasing power. The policy to be 
followed in attaining the national housing objective established shall 
be: (1) private enterprise shall be encouraged to serve as large a part 
of the total need as it can; (2) governmental assistance shall be 
utilized where feasible to enable private enterprise to serve more of 
the total need; (3) appropriate local public bodies shall be encouraged 
and assisted to undertake positive programs of encouraging and assisting 
the development of well-planned, integrated residential neighborhoods, 
the development and redevelopment of communities, and the production, at 
lower costs, of housing of sound standards of design, construction, 
livability, and size for adequate family life; (4) governmental 
assistance to eliminate substandard and other inadequate housing through 
the clearance of slums and blighted areas, to facilitate community 
development and redevelopment, and to provide adequate housing for urban 
and rural nonfarm families with incomes so low that they are not being 
decently housed in new or existing housing shall be extended to those 
localities which estimate their own needs and demonstrate that these 
needs are not being met through reliance solely upon private enterprise, 
and without such aid; and (5) governmental assistance for decent, safe, 
and sanitary farm dwellings and related facilities shall be extended 
where the farm owner demonstrates that he lacks sufficient resources to 
provide such housing on his own account and is unable to secure 
necessary credit for such housing from other sources on terms and 
conditions which he could reasonably be expected to fulfill. The 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, and any other departments 
or agencies of the Federal Government having powers, functions, or 
duties with respect to housing, shall exercise their powers, functions, 
and duties under this or any other law, consistently with the national 
housing policy declared by this Act and in such manner as will 
facilitate sustained progress in attaining the national housing 
objective hereby established, and in such manner as will encourage and 
assist (1) the production of housing of sound standards of design, 
construction, livability, and size for adequate family life; (2) the 
reduction of the costs of housing without sacrifice of such sound 
standards; (3) the use of new designs, materials, techniques, and 
methods in residential construction, the use of standardized dimensions 
and methods of assembly of home-building materials and equipment, and 
the increase of efficiency in residential construction and maintenance; 
(4) the development of well-planned, integrated, residential 
neighborhoods and the development and redevelopment of communities; and 
(5) the stabilization of the housing industry at a high annual volume of 
residential construction.

(July 15, 1949, ch. 338, Sec. 2, 63 Stat. 413; Pub. L. 90-19, Sec. 6(a), 
May 25, 1967, 81 Stat. 21.)

                       References in Text

    This Act, referred to in text, is act July 15, 1949, ch. 338, 63 
Stat. 413, as amended, known as the Housing Act of 1949, which is 
classified principally to this chapter (Sec. 1441 et seq.). For complete 
classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out 
below and Tables.


                               Amendments

    1967--Pub. L. 90-19 substituted ``The Department of Housing and 
Urban Development'' for ``The Housing and Home Finance Agency and its 
constituent agencies''.


                      Short Title of 1983 Amendment

    Pub. L. 98-181, title V, Sec. 501, Nov. 30, 1983, 97 Stat. 1240, 
provided that: ``This title [enacting sections 1490k to 1490o of this 
title, amending sections 1471, 1472, 1474, 1476, 1479 to 1481, 1483 to 
1487, 1490, 1490a, 1490c, 1490e, 1490f, and 1490j of this title, 
repealing sections 1482, 1490g, and 1490i of this title, and enacting 
provisions set out as notes under sections 1472 and 1490a of this title] 
may be cited as the `Rural Housing Amendments of 1983'.''


                               Short Title

    Section 1 of act July 15, 1949, provided: ``That this Act [enacting 
this chapter, sections 1421a and 1433 of this title, and sections 1701d-
1, 1701f-1, 1701h, and 1701i of Title 12, Banks and Banking, amending 
sections 1401, 1402, 1406, 1409 to 1411, 1413 to 1416, and 1422 to 1430 
of this title and sections 1701e, 1701f, 1703, 1709, and 1738 of Title 
12, and amending provisions set out as a note under section 1701e of 
Title 12] may be cited as the `Housing Act of 1949'.''


                  National Commission on Neighborhoods

    Pub. L. 95-24, title II, Secs. 201-208, Apr. 30, 1977, 91 Stat. 56-
59, as amended by Pub. L. 95-557, title III, Sec. 315, Oct. 31, 1978, 92 
Stat. 2099, known as the ``National Neighborhood Policy Act'', 
established the National Commission on Neighborhoods, which was to 
undertake a comprehensive study and investigation of the factors 
contributing to the decline of city neighborhoods and of the factors 
necessary to neighborhood survival and revitalization, and to make 
recommendations for modifications in Federal, State, and local laws, 
policies and programs necessary to facilitate neighborhood preservation 
and revitalization. The Commission was to submit to the Congress and the 
President a comprehensive report on its study and investigation not 
later than fifteen months after the date on which funds first became 
available to carry out the Act, and was to cease to exist thirty days 
after the submission of that report.


         Limitation on Withholding or Conditioning of Assistance

    Assistance provided for in Housing and Community Development Act of 
1974 [42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.], National Housing Act [12 U.S.C. 1701 et 
seq.], United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.], 
Housing Act of 1949 [see Short Title note set out above], Demonstration 
Cities, and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966 [see Short Title note 
set out under section 3301 of this title], and Housing and Urban 
Development Acts of 1965, 1968, 1969, and 1970 not to be withheld or 
made subject to conditions by reason of tax-exempt status of obligations 
issued or to be issued for financing of assistance, except as otherwise 
provided by law, see section 817 of Pub. L. 93-383, set out as a note 
under section 5301 of this title.


                      Equal Opportunity in Housing

    Executive order relating to equal opportunity in housing, see Ex. 
Ord. No. 11063, Nov. 20, 1962, 27 F.R. 11527, as amended, set out as a 
note under section 1982 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 1476 of this title; title 12 
section 1701t.
