Part A—Development of a National Urban Policy

§4502. Congressional findings and declaration of policy

(a) The Congress finds that rapid changes in patterns of urban settlement, including change in population distribution and economic bases of urban areas, have created an imbalance between the Nation's needs and resources and seriously threaten our physical and social environment, and the financial viability of our cities, and that the economic and social development of the Nation, the proper conservation of our energy and other natural resources, and the achievement of satisfactory living standards depend upon the sound, orderly, and more balanced development of all areas of the Nation.

(b) The Congress further finds that Federal programs affect the location of population, economic growth, and the character of urban development; that such programs frequently conflict and result in undesirable and costly patterns of urban development and redevelopment which adversely affect the environment and wastefully use energy and other natural resources; and that existing and future programs must be interrelated and coordinated within a system of orderly development and established priorities consistent with a national urban policy.

(c) To promote the general welfare and properly apply the resources of the Federal Government in strengthening the economic and social health of all areas of the Nation and more adequately protect the physical environment and conserve energy and other natural resources, the Congress declares that the Federal Government, consistent with the responsibilities of State and local government and the private sector, must assume responsibility for the development of a national urban policy which shall incorporate social, economic, and other appropriate factors. Such policy shall serve as a guide in making specific decisions at the national level which affect the pattern of urban development and redevelopment and shall provide a framework for development of interstate, State, and local urban policy.

(d) The Congress further declares that the national urban policy should—

(1) favor patterns of urbanization and economic development and stabilization which offer a range of alternative locations and encourage the wise and balanced use of physical and human resources in metropolitan and urban regions as well as in smaller urban places which have a potential for accelerated growth;

(2) foster the continued economic strength of all parts of the United States, including central cities, suburbs, smaller communities, local neighborhoods, and rural areas;

(3) encourage patterns of development and redevelopment which minimize disparities among States, regions, and cities;

(4) treat comprehensively the problems of poverty and employment (including the erosion of tax bases, and the need for better community services and job opportunities) which are associated with disorderly urbanization and rural decline;

(5) develop means to encourage good housing for all Americans without regard to race or creed;

(6) refine the role of the Federal Government in revitalizing existing communities and encouraging planned, large-scale urban and new community development;

(7) strengthen the capacity of general governmental institutions to contribute to balanced urban growth and stabilization; and

(8) increase coordination among Federal programs that seek to promote job opportunities and skills, decent and affordable housing, public safety, access to health care, educational opportunities, and fiscal soundness for urban communities and their residents.

(Pub. L. 91–609, title VII, §702, Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1791; Pub. L. 95–128, title VI, §601(b), Oct. 12, 1977, 91 Stat. 1143; Pub. L. 98–479, title II, §204(i), Oct. 17, 1984, 98 Stat. 2233; Pub. L. 102–550, title IX, §921(1), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3883.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1992—Subsec. (d)(8). Pub. L. 102–550 added par. (8) and struck out former par. (8) which read as follows: "facilitate increased coordination in the administration of Federal programs so as to encourage desirable patterns of urban development and redevelopment, encourage the prudent use of energy and other natural resources, and protect the physical environment."

1984—Subsec. (d)(8). Pub. L. 98–479 struck out "of" before "the physical environment".

1977—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–128, §601(b)(1), substituted "rapid changes in patterns of urban settlement, including change in population distribution and economic bases of urban areas, have created" for "the rapid growth of urban population and uneven expansion of urban development in the United States, together with a decline in farm population, slower growth in rural areas, and migration to the cities, has created" and included the threat to "social" environment and the financial viability of our cities, and conservation of "energy".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–128, §601(b)(2), included findings respecting costly urban redevelopment and wasteful use of energy and struck out "growth" after "national urban".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–128, §601(b)(3), included conservation of "energy", struck out "growth" after "nation urban" in first sentence and substituted in second sentence "urban development and redevelopment" for "urban growth" and "urban policy" for "growth and stabilization policy".

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–128, §601(b)(4)–(6), struck out "growth" before "policy" in introductory text; substituted in par. (3) "encourage patterns of development and redevelopment which minimize" for "help reverse trends of migration and physical growth which reinforce"; and in par. (8) substituted "urban development and redevelopment" for "urban growth and stabilization" and "protect" for "the protection" and required the national urban policy to "encourage" prudent use of resources, including "energy".

§4503. National Urban Policy Report

(a) Transmittal to Congress; contents

The President shall transmit to the Congress, not later than June 1, 1993, and not later than the first day of June of every odd-numbered year thereafter, a Report on National Urban Policy which shall contribute to the formulation of such a policy, and in addition shall include—

(1) information, statistics, and significant trends relating to the pattern of urban development for the preceding two years;

(2) a summary of significant problems facing the United States as a result of urban trends and developments affecting the well-being of urban areas;

(3) an examination of the housing and related community development problems experienced by cities undergoing a growth rate which equals or exceeds the national average;

(4) an evaluation of the progress and effectiveness of Federal efforts designed to meet such problems and to carry out the national urban policy;

(5) an assessment of the policies and structure of existing and proposed interstate planning and developments affecting such policy;

(6) a review of State, local, and private policies, plans, and programs relevant to such policy;

(7) current and foreseeable needs in the areas served by policies, plans, and programs designed to carry out such policy, and the steps being taken to meet such needs; and

(8) recommendations for programs and policies for carrying out such policy, including legislative or administrative proposals—

(A) to promote coordination among Federal programs to assist urban areas;

(B) to enhance the fiscal capacity of fiscally distressed urban areas;

(C) to promote job opportunities in economically distressed urban areas and to enhance the job skills of residents of such areas;

(D) to generate decent and affordable housing;

(E) to reduce racial tensions and to combat racial and ethnic violence in urban areas;

(F) to combat urban drug abuse and drug-related crime and violence;

(G) to promote the delivery of health care to low-income communities in urban areas;

(H) to expand educational opportunities in urban areas; and

(I) to achieve the goals of the national urban policy.

(b) Supplementary reports

The President may transmit from time to time to the Congress supplementary reports on urban policy which shall include such supplementary and revised recommendations as may be appropriate.

(c) Advisory board

To assist in the preparation of the National Urban Policy Report and any supplementary reports, the President may establish an advisory board, or seek the advice from time to time of temporary advisory boards, the members of whom shall be drawn from among private citizens familiar with the problems of urban areas and from among Federal officials, Governors of States, mayors, county officials, members of State and local legislative bodies, and others qualified to assist in the preparation of such reports.

(d) Referral

The National Urban Policy Report shall, when transmitted to Congress, be referred in the Senate to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and in the House of Representatives to the Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs.

(Pub. L. 91–609, title VII, §703, Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1792; Pub. L. 95–128, title VI, §601(c), Oct. 12, 1977, 91 Stat. 1143; Pub. L. 102–550, title IX, §921(2), (3), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3883, 3884.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–550, §921(2)(A), substituted ", not later than June 1, 1993, and not later than the first day of June of every odd-numbered year thereafter," for "during February 1978, and during February of every even-numbered year thereafter," in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(8). Pub. L. 102–550, §921(2)(B), which directed the substitution of "legislative or administrative proposals—" and subpars. (A) to (I) for " 'such' and all that follows through the end of the sentence", was executed by making the substitution for "such legislation and administrative actions as may be deemed necessary and desirable." which followed "such" the second place it appeared to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102–550, §921(3), added subsec. (d).

1977—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–128, §601(c)(1), inserted provisions in introductory text respecting transmittal of a Report on National Urban Policy to the Congress and struck out prior similar provisions which required the President to utilize the capacity of his office, adequately organized and staffed for the purpose, through an identified unit of the Domestic Council, and of the departments and agencies within the executive branch to collect, analyze, and evaluate such statistics, data, and other information (including demographic, economic, social, land use, environmental, and governmental information) as would enable the President to transmit to the Congress during the month of February 1972 and every other year thereafter a Report on Urban Growth for the preceding two calendar years.

Subsec. (a)(1) to (8). Pub. L. 95–128, §601(c)(2)–(6), in amending paragraphs, provided as follows:

par. (1), substituted ", statistics, and significant trends relating to the pattern of urban development for the preceding two years" for "and statistics, describing characteristics of urban growth and stabilization and identifying significant trends and developments";

par. (2), struck out "growth" after "urban" and inserted end text "affecting the well-being of urban areas";

par. (3), inserted provisions respecting problems experienced by cities with a growth rate equalling or exceeding the national average and redesignated former par. (3) as (4);

par. (4), redesignated former par. (3) as (4), and as so redesignated struck out "growth" before "policy", and redesignated former par. (4) as (5); and

pars. (5) to (8), redesignated former pars. (4) to (7) as (5) to (8), respectively.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–128, §601(c)(7), substituted "urban policy" for "urban growth".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–128, §601(c)(8), substituted "National Urban Policy Report" and "urban areas" for "Report on Urban Growth" and "urban growth", respectively.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Banking and Financial Services of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. Committee on Banking and Financial Services of House of Representatives abolished and replaced by Committee on Financial Services of House of Representatives, and jurisdiction over matters relating to securities and exchanges and insurance generally transferred from Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Jan. 3, 2001.

Termination of Reporting Requirements

For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of reporting provisions in subsec. (a) of this section, see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance, and item 1 on page 40 of House Document No. 103–7.