Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 107 Part 1.djvu/880

 107 STAT. 854 PUBLIC LAW 103-82—SEPT. 21, 1993 42 USC 12656. SEC. 106. URBAN YOUTH CORPS. (a) FINDINGS. —The Congress finds the following: (1) The rehabilitation, reclamation, and beautification of urban public housing, recreational sites, youth and senior centers, and public roads and public works facilities through the efforts of young people in the United States in an Urban Youth Corps can benefit these youths, while also benefiting their communities, by— (A) providing them with education and work opportunities; (B) furthering their understanding and appreciation of the challenges faced by individuals residing in urban communities; and (C) providing them with a means to pay for higher education or to repay indebtedness they have incurred to obtain higher education. (2) A significant number of housing units for low-income individuals in urban areas has become substandard and unsafe and the deterioration of urban roadways, mass transit systems, and transportation facilities in the United States have contributed to the blight encountered in many cities in the United States. (3) As a result, urban housing, public works, and transportation resources are in need of labor intensive rehabilitation, reclamation, and beautification work that has been neglected in the past and cannot be adequately carried out by Federal, State, and local government at existing personnel levels. (4) Urban youth corps have established a good record of rehabilitating, reclaiming, and beautifying these kinds of resources in a cost-efficient manner, especially when they have worked in partnership with government housing, public works, and transportation authorities and agencies. (b) PURPOSE.— It is the purpose of this section— (1) to perform, in a cost-effective manner, appropriate service projects to rehabilitate, reclaim, beautify, and improve public housing and public works and transportation facilities and resources in urban areas suffering from high rates of poverty where work will not be performed by existing employees; (2) to assist government housing, public works, and transportation authorities and agencies; (3) to expose young people in the United States to public service while furthering their understanding and appreciation of their community; (4) to expand educational opportunity for individuals who participate in the Urban Youth Corps established by this section by providing them with an increased ability to pursue postsecondary education or job training; and (5) to stimulate interest among young people in the United States in lifelong service to their communities and the United States. (c) DEFINITIONS.— For purposes of this section: (1) APPROPRIATE SERVICE PROJECT. — The term "appropriate service project" means any project for the rehabilitation, reclamation, or beautification of urban public housing and public works and transportation resoiu'ces or facilities.

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