Congressional declaration of national housing policy

42 U.S.C. § 1441

• Title: 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
• Chapter: SUBCHAPTER I—GENERAL PROVISIONS

Text

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.

History

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

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

References in Text
This Act, referred to in text, is act July 15, 1949, ch. 338, 63 Stat. 413, known as the Housing Act of 1949, which is classified principally to this chapter (§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".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title of 2004 Amendment
Pub. L. 108–285, §1, Aug. 2, 2004, 118 Stat. 917, provided that: "This Act [amending section 1472 of this title, enacting provisions set out as a note under section 1472 of this title, and amending provisions set out as a note under section 12805 of this title] may be cited as the 'Helping Hands for Homeownership Act of 2004'."

Short Title of 1983 Amendment
Pub. L. 98–181, title I [title V, §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
Act July 15, 1949, ch. 338, §1, 63 Stat. 413, 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, §§201–208, Apr. 30, 1977, 91 Stat. 56–59, as amended by Pub. L. 95–557, title III, §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 3331 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.

Executive Documents

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.