
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC4502]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
     CHAPTER 59--NATIONAL URBAN POLICY AND NEW COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
 
             Part A--Development of a National Urban Policy
 
Sec. 4502. Congressional findings and declaration of policy

    (a) The Congress finds that rapid changes in patterns of urban 
settlement, including change in population distribution and economic 
bases of urban areas, have created an imbalance between the Nation's 
needs and resources and seriously threaten our physical and social 
environment, and the financial viability of our cities, and that the 
economic and social development of the Nation, the proper conservation 
of our energy and other natural resources, and the achievement of 
satisfactory living standards depend upon the sound, orderly, and more 
balanced development of all areas of the Nation.
    (b) The Congress further finds that Federal programs affect the 
location of population, economic growth, and the character of urban 
development; that such programs frequently conflict and result in 
undesirable and costly patterns of urban development and redevelopment 
which adversely affect the environment and wastefully use energy and 
other natural resources; and that existing and future programs must be 
interrelated and coordinated within a system of orderly development and 
established priorities consistent with a national urban policy.
    (c) To promote the general welfare and properly apply the resources 
of the Federal Government in strengthening the economic and social 
health of all areas of the Nation and more adequately protect the 
physical environment and conserve energy and other natural resources, 
the Congress declares that the Federal Government, consistent with the 
responsibilities of State and local government and the private sector, 
must assume responsibility for the development of a national urban 
policy which shall incorporate social, economic, and other appropriate 
factors. Such policy shall serve as a guide in making specific decisions 
at the national level which affect the pattern of urban development and 
redevelopment and shall provide a framework for development of 
interstate, State, and local urban policy.
    (d) The Congress further declares that the national urban policy 
should--
        (1) favor patterns of urbanization and economic development and 
    stabilization which offer a range of alternative locations and 
    encourage the wise and balanced use of physical and human resources 
    in metropolitan and urban regions as well as in smaller urban places 
    which have a potential for accelerated growth;
        (2) foster the continued economic strength of all parts of the 
    United States, including central cities, suburbs, smaller 
    communities, local neighborhoods, and rural areas;
        (3) encourage patterns of development and redevelopment which 
    minimize disparities among States, regions, and cities;
        (4) treat comprehensively the problems of poverty and employment 
    (including the erosion of tax bases, and the need for better 
    community services and job opportunities) which are associated with 
    disorderly urbanization and rural decline;
        (5) develop means to encourage good housing for all Americans 
    without regard to race or creed;
        (6) refine the role of the Federal Government in revitalizing 
    existing communities and encouraging planned, large-scale urban and 
    new community development;
        (7) strengthen the capacity of general governmental institutions 
    to contribute to balanced urban growth and stabilization; and
        (8) increase coordination among Federal programs that seek to 
    promote job opportunities and skills, decent and affordable housing, 
    public safety, access to health care, educational opportunities, and 
    fiscal soundness for urban communities and their residents.

(Pub. L. 91-609, title VII, Sec. 702, Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1791; Pub. 
L. 95-128, title VI, Sec. 601(b), Oct. 12, 1977, 91 Stat. 1143; Pub. L. 
98-479, title II, Sec. 204(i), Oct. 17, 1984, 98 Stat. 2233; Pub. L. 
102-550, title IX, Sec. 921(1), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3883.)


                               Amendments

    1992--Subsec. (d)(8). Pub. L. 102-550 added par. (8) and struck out 
former par. (8) which read as follows: ``facilitate increased 
coordination in the administration of Federal programs so as to 
encourage desirable patterns of urban development and redevelopment, 
encourage the prudent use of energy and other natural resources, and 
protect the physical environment.''
    1984--Subsec. (d)(8). Pub. L. 98-479 struck out ``of'' before ``the 
physical environment''.
    1977--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95-128, Sec. 601(b)(1), substituted 
``rapid changes in patterns of urban settlement, including change in 
population distribution and economic bases of urban areas, have 
created'' for ``the rapid growth of urban population and uneven 
expansion of urban development in the United States, together with a 
decline in farm population, slower growth in rural areas, and migration 
to the cities, has created'' and included the threat to ``social'' 
environment and the financial viability of our cities, and conservation 
of ``energy''.
    Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95-128, Sec. 601(b)(2), included findings 
respecting costly urban redevelopment and wasteful use of energy and 
struck out ``growth'' after ``national urban''.
    Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95-128, Sec. 601(b)(3), included conservation 
of ``energy'', struck out ``growth'' after ``nation urban'' in first 
sentence and substituted in second sentence ``urban development and 
redevelopment'' for ``urban growth'' and ``urban policy'' for ``growth 
and stabilization policy''.
    Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95-128, Sec. 601(b)(4)-(6), struck out 
``growth'' before ``policy'' in introductory text; substituted in par. 
(3) ``encourage patterns of development and redevelopment which 
minimize'' for ``help reverse trends of migration and physical growth 
which reinforce''; and in par. (8) substituted ``urban development and 
redevelopment'' for ``urban growth and stabilization'' and ``protect'' 
for ``the protection'' and required the national urban policy to 
``encourage'' prudent use of resources, including ``energy''.
