prior to August, 1954 - 59 having a maturity date of fifteen or more years from the first day of such (h) "Local public agency" means any State, county, municipality, or other governmental entity or public body which is authorized to undertake the project for which assistance is sought. "State" includes the several States, the District of Columbia, and the Territories, dependencies, and possessions of the United States. (1) "Administrator" means the Housing and Home Finance Administrator. *** Approved July 15, 1949 EXCERPTS FROM THE HOUSING ACT OF 1954, AS AMENDED Public Law 560, 83d Congress (Chapter 649 - 2d Session) (H.R. 7839) DEMONSTRATION GRANTS Sec. 314. The Housing and Home Finance Administrator is authorized to make grants, subject to such terms and conditions as he shall prescribe, to public bodies, including cities and other political subdivisions, to assist them in developing, testing, and reporting methods and techniques, and carrying out demonstrations and other activities for the prevention and the elimination of alums and urban blight. No such grant shall exceed two-thirds of the cost, as determined or estimated by said Administrator, of such activities or undertakings. In administering this section, said Administrator shall give preference to those undertakings which in his judgment can reasonably be expected to (1) contribute most significantly to the improvement of methods and techniques for the elimination and prevention of slums and blight, and (2) best serve to guide renewal programs in other communities. Said Administrator may make advance or progress payments on account of any grant contracted to be made pursuant to this section, notwithstanding the provisions of section 3648 of the Revised Statutes, as amended, The aggregate amount of grants made under this section shall not exceed $5,000,000 and shall be payable from the capital grant funds provided under and authorized by section 103(b) of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended. Grants for Limitation Advances 31 USC 529 Sec. 701. To facilitate urban planning for smaller communities lacking adequate planning resources, the Administrator is authorized to make planning grants to State planning agencies for the provision of planning assistance (including surveys, land use studies, urban renewal plans, technical services and other planning work, but excluding plans for specific public works) to cities and other municipalities having a population of less than 25,000 according to the latest decennial census. The Administrator is further authorized to make planning grants for similar planning work (1) in metropolitan and regional areas to official State, metropolitan, or regional planning agencies empowered under State or local laws to perform such planning; (2) to cities, other municipalities, and counties having a population of twenty-five thousand or more according to the latest decennial census which have suffered substantial damage as a result of a flood, fire, hurricane, earthquake, storm, or other catastrophe which the President, pursuant to section 2 (a) of the Act entitled "An Act to authorize Federal assistance to States and local governments in major disasters, and for other purposes" (Public Law 875, Eighty-first Congress, approved September 30, 1950), as amended, has determined to be a major disaster; (3) to official governmental planning agencies for areas threatened with rapid urbanization as a result of the establishment or rapid and substantial expansion of a Federal installation; and to State planning agencies, to be used for the provision of planning assistance to the cities, other municipalities, and counties referred to in clause (2) hereof and to the areas referred to in clause (3) hereof. Any grant made under this section shall not exceed 50 per centum of the estimated cost of the work for which the grant is made and shall be subject to terms and conditions prescribed by the Administrator to carry out this section. The Administrator is authorized, notwithstanding the provisions of section 3648 of the Revised Statutes, as amended, to make advance or progress payments on account of any planning grant made under this section. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated+/ not exceeding $10,000,000 to carry out the purposes of this section, and any amounts so appropriated shall remain available until expended. 1 Sec. 307(a) of the Housing Act of 1956, Public Law 1020, 84th Congress, approved August 7, 1956, 70 Stat. 1091, 1102, added this clause (2) to permit Federal urban planning grants to certain public bodies affected by a major disaster without regard to the fact that its population is 25,000 or greater. 2/ Sec. 606 of the Housing Act of 1957, Public Law 85-104, 85th Congress, approved July 12, 1957, 71 Stat. 294, 305, added this clause (3) to permit Federal urban planning grants for areas threatened with rapid urbanization as a result of the establishment or rapid and substantial expansion of a Federal installation. 3/ Sec. 606 of the Housing Act of 1957, Public Law 85-104, 85th Congress, approved July 12, 1957, 71 Stat. 294, 305, amended clause (4) to read as set forth in the text by adding "and to the areas referred to in clause (3) hereof". Clause (4) was originally added by sec. 307(a) of the Housing Act of 1956, Public Law 1020, 84th Congress, approved August 7, 1956, 70 Stat. 1091, 1103. 4/ The Supplemental Appropriation Act, 1955, Public Law 663, 83rd Congress, approved August 26, 1954, 68 Stat. 800, 817, appropriated $1,000,000 for urban planning grants. The Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1956, Public Law 112, 84th Congress, approved June 30, 1955, 69 Stat. 199, 206, appropriated an additional $2,000,000 for urban planning grants. The Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1957, Public Law 623, 84th Congress, approved June 27, 1956, appropriated an additional $1,500,000 for urban planning grants. The Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1958, Public Law 85-69, 85th Congress, approved June 29, 1957, 71 Stat. 227, 233, appropriated $1,275,000 for urban planning grants. 5/ Section 308 of the Housing Act of 1956, Public Law 1020, 84th Congress, approved August 7, 1956, 70 Stat. 1091, 1103, substituted $10,000,000 for $5,000,000. DEFINITIONS Sec. 703. As used in this title, (1) the term "State" shall mean any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the United States; (2) the term "Administrator" shall mean the Houing and Home Finance Administrator; (3) the term "public works" shall include any public works other than housing; and (4) the term "public agency" or "public agencies" shall mean any State, as herein defined, or any public agency or political subdivision therein. Sec. 802. TITLE VIII -- MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS (a) The Housing and Home Finance Administrator shall, as soon as practicable during each calendar year, make a report to the President for submission to the Congress on all operations under the jurisdiction of the Housing and Home Finance Agency during the previous calendar year. Report to President and Congress Sec. 811. The Housing and Home Finance Agency, including its constituent agencies, and any other departments or agencies of the Federal Government having powers, functions, or duties with respect to housing under this or any other law shall exercise such powers, functions, or duties, in such manner as, consistent with the requirements thereof, will facilitate progress in the reduction of the vulnerability of congested urban areas to enemy attack. Reduction of *** RECORDS Sec. 814. Every Contract between the Housing and Home Finance Agency (or any official or constituent thereof) and any person or local body (including any corporation or public or private agency or body) for a loan, advance, grant, or contribution under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, or the Housing Act of 1949, as amended, shall provide that such person or local body shall keep such records as the Housing and Home Finance Agency (or such official or constituent thereof) shall from time to time prescribe, including records which permit a speedy and effective audit and will fully disclose the amount and disposition by such person or local body of the proceeds of the loan, advance, grant, or contribution, or any supplement thereto, the capital cost of any construction project for which any such loan, advance, grant, or contribution is made, and the amount of any private or other non-Federal funds used or grants-in-aid made for or in connection with any such project. No mortgage covering new or rehabilitated multifamily housing (as defined in section 227 of the National Housing Act, as amended) shall be insured unless the mortgagor certifies that he will keep such records as are prescribed by the Federal Housing Commissioner at the time of the certification and that they will be kept in such form as to permit a speedy and effective audit. The Housing and Home Finance Agency or any official or constituent agency thereof shall have access to and the right to examine and audit such records. This section shall become effective on the first day after the first full calendar month following the date of approval of the Housing Act of 1954. Effective APPLICANTS FOR ASSISTANCE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT SPECIFICATIONS Sec. 815. Every contract for a loan, grant, or contribution under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, or title I of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended, for the construction of a project shall require the submission of specifications with respect to such construction prior to the authorization for the award of the construction contract and the submission of data with respect to the acquisition of land prior to the authorization to acquire such land. ** REPORT TO CONGRESS OF INFORMATION ON HOUSING Sec. 817. The annual report made by the Housing and Home Finance Administrator to the President for submission to the Congress on all operations provided for by section 802 hereof shall contain pertinent information with respect to all projects for which any loan, contribution, or grant has been made by the Housing and Home Finance Agency, including the amount of loans, contributions and grants contracted for, and shall also contain pertinent information with respect to all builders' cost certifications required by section 227 of the National Housing Act, as amended, including information as to the amounts paid by mortgagors to mortgagees for application to the reduction of the principal obligations of the mortgages pursuant to that section. ACT CONTROLLING Sec. 818. Insofar as the provisions of any other law are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, the provisions of this Act shall be controlling. Sec. 819. SEPARABILITY Except as may be otherwise expressly provided in this Act, all powers and authorities conferred by this Act shall be cumulative and additional to and not in derogation of any powers and authorities otherwise existing. Notwithstanding any other evidences of the intention of Congress, it is hereby declared to be the controlling intent of Congress that if any provisions of this Act, or the application thereof to any persons or circumstances, shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder of this Act or its application to other persons and circumstances. Approved August 2, 1954 |