"(6) No person shall be excused from attending and testifying or producing documents or from complying with any other requirement under this subsection because of his privilege against self-incrimination, but the immunity provisions of the Compulsory Testimony Act of February 11, 1893 (49 U. S. C. 46), shall apply with respect to any individual who specifically claims such privilege.

"(g) The Housing Expediter shall not publish or disclose any information obtained under this Act that such Housing Expediter deems confidential or with reference to which a request for confidential treatment is made by the person furnishing such information unless he determines that the withholding thereof is contrary to the public interest.

"(h) It shall be unlawful for any person to remove or attempt to remove from any controlled housing accommodations the tenant or occupant thereof or to refuse to renew the lease or agreement for the use of such accommodations, because such tenant or occupant has taken, or proposes to take, action authorized or required by this Act or any regulation, order, or requirement thereunder.

SEC. 206. Section 209 of the Housing and Rent Act of 1947, as amended, is amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 209. Whenever in the judgment of the Housing Expediter such action is necessary or proper in order to effectuate the purposes of this Act, he may, by regulation or order, regulate or prohibit speculative or manipulative practices or renting or leasing practices (including practices relating to recovery of the possession) in connection with any controlled housing accommodations, which in his judgment are equivalent to or are likely to result in rent increases inconsistent with the purposes of this Act."

TITLE III-MISCELLANEOUS

SEO. 301. Nothing in this Act or in the Housing and Rent Act of 1947, as amended, shall be construed to require any person to offer any housing accommodations for rent.

SEC. 302. Section 303 of the Housing and Rent Act of 1948 is hereby repealed.

SEC. 303. If any provision of this Act or the application of such provision to any person or circumstances shall be held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the Act, and the applicability of such provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected thereby.

SEC. 304. Section 603 (a) of the National Housing Act, as amended, is hereby amended by striking out "March 31, 1949" in each place it appears therein and inserting in lieu thereof "June 30, 1949".

SEC. 305. This Act shall become effective on the first day of the first calendar month following the month in which it is enacted. Approved March 30, 1949.

[PUBLIC LAW 52-81ST CONGRESS]

[CHAPTER 89-1ST SESSION]

[S. 851]

AN ACT

To promote the settlement and development of the Territory of Alaska by facilitating the construction of necessary housing therein, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Alaska Housing Act".

SEC. 2. (a) Title II of the National Housing Act, as amended, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof a new section reading as follows:

"SEC. 214. If the Federal Housing Commissioner finds that, because of higher costs prevailing in the Territory of Alaska, it is not feasible to construct dwellings on property located in Alaska without sacrifice of sound standards of construction, design, or livability, within the limitations as to maximum mortgage amounts provided in this Act, the Commissioner may, by regulations or otherwise, prescribe, with respect to dollar amount, a higher maximum for the principal obligation of mortgages insured under this Act covering property located in Alaska, in such amounts as he shall find necessary to compensate for such higher costs but not to exceed, in any event, the maximum otherwise applicable by more than one-third thereof. No mortgage with respect to a project or property in Alaska shall be accepted for insurance under this Act unless the Commissioner finds that the project or property is an acceptable risk, giving consideration to the acute housing shortage in Alaska: Provided, That any such mortgage may be insured or accepted for insurance without regard to any requirement in any other section of this Act that the Commissioner find the project or property to be economically sound or an acceptable risk. Nowithstanding any of the provisions of this Act or any other law, the Alaska Housing Authority shall be eligible as mortgagor or mortgagee, as the case may be, for any of the purposes of mortgage insurance under the provisions of this Act. Upon application by the mortgagee, where the Alaska Housing Authority is the mortgagor or mortgagee, for the insurance of a mortgage under any provisions of this Act, the Commissioner is authorized to insure the mortgage (including advances thereon where otherwise authorized), and to make commitments for the insuring of any such mortgages prior to the date of their execution or disbursement thereon, under such provisions (and this section) without regard to any requirement that the mortgagor shall be the owner and occupant of the property or shall have paid a prescribed amount on account of such property."

(b) The powers of the Federal National Mortgage Association, and of any other Federal corporation or other Federal agency heretofore or hereafter established, to make real-estate loans, or to purchase, service, or sell any mortgages, or partial interest therein, may be utilized in connection with properties or projects in Alaska designed

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principally for residential use; and, notwithstanding any of the provisions of section 301 of the National Housing Act, as heretofore or hereafter amended, or of any other law unless enacted expressly in limitation hereof, any mortgage loans, or partial interests therein, may be offered to the Federal National Mortgage Association for purchase, and the Association shall be authorized to make real-estate loans, including advances thereon during construction, if such loans or advances are secured by property located in Alaska and insured under any of the provisions of the National Housing Act, as amended. SEC. 3. (a) In order to relieve the particularly severe impact of the housing shortage in Alaska, the legislature of that Territory may authorize the Alaska Housing Authority, in addition to the housing projects undertaken pursuant to the provisions of the Act of July 21, 1941 (55 Stat. 601; 48 U. S. C., secs. 481-483), as amended, also to undertake other projects for the construction and sale or rental of dwelling accommodations for inhabitants of the Territory, and to make loans for such projects to public agencies, or private nonprofit or limited dividend corporations, or private corporations which are regulated or restricted by the Authority (until the termination of all loan obligations to it) as to rents or sales, charges, capital structure, rate of return, and methods of operation to such an extent and in such manner as to provide reasonable rentals to tenants and a reasonable return on the investment, and the legislature of that Territory may authorize said authority to make character loans to individuals or cooperatives for the improvement, conversion or construction of dwellings in remote areas to be occupied by such individuals or members of such cooperatives where the loan does not exceed $500 per dwelling, and any powers of said Authority, including but not limited to powers of eminent domain and issuance of bonds and obligations, with respect to projects undertaken pursuant to the provisions of said Act of July 21, 1941, may be made available with respect to projects undertaken pursuant to the authorization provided in this section: Provided, That the authorization provided in this section shall be limited to projects where adequate financing on reasonable terms and conditions, or entrepreneurial sponsorship, or both, as the case may be, is not otherwise available: And provided further, That any projects constructed and owned by such Authority pursuant to the authorization provided in this section shall be sold for cash or on reasonable terms and giving consideration to full market value, as promptly as may be advantageous under the circumstances and in the public interest: And provided further, That such Authority shall exercise its powers under this section to encourage and assist the production, at lower costs, of housing of sound standards of design, construction, livability, and size for adequate family life, and the development of well planned residential neighborhoods. Any law enacted by the legislature of the Territory of Alaska which, except for its enactment prior to the enactment of this Act, would be authorized under this section, is hereby authorized, approved, and validated.

(b) To obtain funds for the purpose of undertaking and administering projects or of making loans pursuant to any authority conferred by the legislature of the Territory of Alaska under subsection (a) of this section, the Alaska Housing Authority may, on and after the effective date of this Act, issue and have outstanding at any one time

notes or other obligations for purchase by the Housing and Home Finance Administrator in an amount not to exceed $15,000,000 and the Housing and Home Finance Administrator is hereby authorized to purchase such notes or other obligations to the extent that funds are available therefor: Provided, That such notes and other obligations issued and outstanding for the purpose of making character loans to individuals or cooperatives shall not exceed $1,000,000. Such notes or other obligations shall be in such forms and denominations, shall have such maturities not exceeding forty years, and shall be purchased under such general terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Housing and Home Finance Administrator. Such notes and other obligations shall bear interest at a rate determined by the Housing and Home Finance Administrator, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration the current average rate on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States as of the last day of the month preceding the issuance of such notes or other obligations.

(c) The Alaska Housing Authority shall make an annual report to the Governor of Alaska on all of the activities of the Authority, for each fiscal year ending June 30, for transmission with his comments. and recommendations to the Housing and Home Finance Administrator.

(d) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Housing and Home Finance Administrator, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not to exceed $15,000,000 for the purposes of this section. Funds made available to the Administrator pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be deposited in a checking account or accounts with the Treasurer of the United States. Receipts and assets obtained or held by the Administrator in connection with the performance of his functions under this section shall be available for any of the purposes of this section. In the performance of, and with respect to, the functions, powers, and duties vested in him by this section, the Administrator, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, shall maintain an integral set of accounts which shall be audited annually by the General Accounting Office in accordance with the principles and procedures applicable to commercial transactions as provided by the Government Corporation Control Act, as amended, and no other audit shall be required: Provided, That such financial transactions of the Administrator as the making of loans or advances of funds and vouchers approved by the Administrator in connection with such financial transactions shall be final and conclusive upon all officers of the Government.

SEC. 4. The Housing and Home Finance Agency is authorized to provide technical advice and information and otherwise to cooperate to the full extent authorized by law to assist the Alaska Housing Authority in the program to relieve the severe shortage of housing in the Territory.

SEC. 5. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 4 and 301 of the Act entitled "An Act to expedite the provision of housing in connection with national defense, and for other purposes", approved October 14, 1940, as amended, with respect to the disposition of housing of a permanent character, any such housing in Alaska under the jurisdiction of the Housing and Home Finance Administrator which has been

reserved (in whole or in part), prior to the enactment of this Act, for employees of an agency of the Federal Government may be retained by him for employees of that agency for such time as he determines such action necessary to provide adequate housing accommodations for them in the area.

SEC. 6. Any executive department or agency of the Federal Government is hereby authorized to sell, transfer, and convey to the Alaska Housing Authority at fair value (as determined by such department or agency), for use under this Act, all or any right, title, and interest in any real or personal property under the jurisdiction of such department or agency which it determines to be in excess of its own requirements, notwithstanding any limitations or requirements of law with respect to the use or disposition of such property: Provided, That the authority conferred by this section shall be in addition to and not in derogation of any other powers and authorities of such department or agency.

Approved April 23, 1949.