42 U.S.C. § 4502 — Congressional findings and declaration of

Page 6185 TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE § 4503 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 Na- tion, 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, eco- nomic growth, and the character of urban devel- opment; that such programs frequently conflict and result in undesirable and costly patterns of urban development and redevelopment which ad- versely affect the environment and wastefully use energy and other natural resources; and that existing and future programs must be inter- related and coordinated within a system of or- derly development and established priorities consistent with a national urban policy. (c) To promote the general welfare and prop- erly apply the resources of the Federal Govern- ment in strengthening the economic and social health of all areas of the Nation and more ade- quately 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 af- fect the pattern of urban development and rede- velopment and shall provide a framework for de- velopment of interstate, State, and local urban policy. (d) The Congress further declares that the na- tional urban policy should— (1) favor patterns of urbanization and eco- nomic development and stabilization which offer a range of alternative locations and en- courage 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 cen- tral 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 ero- sion of tax bases, and the need for better com- munity 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 en- couraging planned, large-scale urban and new community development; (7) strengthen the capacity of general gov- ernmental institutions to contribute to bal- anced urban growth and stabilization; and (8) increase coordination among Federal pro- grams that seek to promote job opportunities and skills, decent and affordable housing, pub- lic 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: ‘‘facili- tate 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’’ be- fore ‘‘the physical environment’’. 1977—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–128, § 601(b)(1), sub- stituted ‘‘rapid changes in patterns of urban settle- ment, 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 find- ings respecting costly urban redevelopment and waste- ful use of energy and struck out ‘‘growth’’ after ‘‘na- tional urban’’. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–128, § 601(b)(3), included con- servation of ‘‘energy’’, struck out ‘‘growth’’ after ‘‘na- tion 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; sub- stituted in par. (3) ‘‘encourage patterns of development and redevelopment which minimize’’ for ‘‘help reverse trends of migration and physical growth which rein- force’’; and in par. (8) substituted ‘‘urban development and redevelopment’’ for ‘‘urban growth and stabiliza- tion’’ 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—