Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 79.djvu/514

 474

PUBLIC LAW 89-117-AUGUST 10, 1965

[79 STAT.

TITLE III—URBAN RENEWAL BTUDY OF HOUSTXG A N D B U I L D I N G CODES, Z O N I N G, TAX P O L I C I E S, A N D DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS

SEC. 301. (a) The Congress finds that the general welfare of the Nation requires that local authorities be encouraged and aided to prevent slums, blight, and sprawl, preserve natural beauty, and provide for decent, durable housing so that the goal of a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family may be realized as soon as feasible. The Congress further finds that there is a need to study housing and building codes, zoning, tax policies, and development standards in order to determine how (1) local property owners and private enterprise can be encouraged to serve as large a part as they can of the total housing and building need, and (2) Federal, State, and local governmental assistance can be so directed as to place greater reliance on local property owners and private enterprise and enable them to serve a greater share of the total housing and building need. The Housing and Home Finance Administrator is therefore directed to study the structure of (1) State and local urban and suburban housing and building laws, standards, codes, and regulations and their impact on housing and building costs, how they can be simplified, improved, and enforced, at the local level, and what methods might be adopted to promote more uniform building codes and the acceptance of technical innovations including new building practices and materials; (2) State and local zoning and land use laws, codes, and regulations, to find ways by which States and localities may improve and utilize them in order to obtain further growth and development; and (3) Federal, State, and local tax policies with respect to their effect on land and property cost and on incentives to build housing and make improvements in existing structures. Report to Presi(^y^j -pj^g Administrator shall submit a report based on such study to ongress. ^^^^ President and to the Congress within 18 months after the date of the enactment of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 or the appropriation of funds for the study, whichever is later. (c) There are authorized to be appropriated such funds as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. Any funds so appropriated shall remain available until expended. WORKABLE PROGRAM REQUIREMENT

42 USC f45i

SEC. 302. (a)(1) Section 101 of the Housing Act of 1949 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: "(e) No loan or grant contract may be entered into by the Administrator for an urban renewal project unless he determines that (1) the workable program for community improvement presented by the locality pursuant to subsection (c) is of sufficient scope and content to furnish a basis for evaluation of the need for the urban renewal project; and (2) such project is in accord with the program." (2) The requirements imposed by the amendment made by paragraph (1) shall not be applicable to any project which received Federal recognition prior to the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Section 101(c) of such Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new sentence: "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of a contract with an Indian tribe, band, or nation (or a public housing or other public agency for such tribe, band, or nation established under State or tribal law), the workable program and minimum standards housing code, referred to in the preceding sentence, may be presented to the Administrator by such

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