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[S. 866, 80th Cong., 1st sess., Rept. 140]

A BILL To establish a national housing objective and the policy to be followed in the attainment thereof, to facilitate sustained progress in the attainment of such objective and to provide for the coordinated execution of such policy through a National Housing Commission, 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 "National Housing Commission Act."

TITLE I-DECLARATION OF NATIONAL HOUSING POLICY

SEC. 101. The Congress hereby declares that the general welfare and security of the Nation and the health and living standards of its people require a production of residential construction and related community development sufficient to remedy the serious cumulative housing shortage, to eliminate slums and blighted areas, to realize as soon as feasible the goal of a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family, and to develop and redevelop communities so as to advance the growth and wealth of the Nation. The Congress further declares that such production is necessary to enable the housing industry to make its full contribution toward an economy of maximum employment, production, and purchasing power. The policy to be followed in attaining the national housing objective hereby established shall be: (1) Private enterprise shall be encouraged to serve as large a part of the total need as it can; (2) governmental assistance shall be utilized where feasible to enable private enterprise to serve more of the total need; and (3) governmental aid to clear slums and provide adequate housing for groups with incomes so low that they cannot otherwise be decently housed in new or existing housing shall be extended only to those localities which estimate their own needs and demonstrate that these needs cannot fully be met through reliance solely upon private enterprise and upon local and State revenues, and without such aid. In order to facilitate orderly and sustained progress in the attainment of the national housing objective, to achieve unified and coordinated activity in the execution of the national housing policy hereby established, and to promote efficiency and economy, the main functions of the Government in housing shall be coordinated as provided in this Act.

TITLE II-NATIONAL HOUSING COMMISSION

ESTABLISHMENT

SEC. 201. (a) There is hereby established an agency and instrumentality of the United States, to be known as the "National Housing Commission" (hereinafter called the "Commission") composed of a National Housing Administrator (hereinafter called the "Administrator"), a Coordinating Council, and an administrative staff.

(b) The functions and duties of the Commission shall be vested in and performed and exercised, as hereinafter provided, by the Administrator who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall receive compensation at the rate of $15,000 per annum.

(c) The Coordinating Council shall be composed of the Administrator, the Federal Home Loan Bank Administrator, the Federal Housing Administrator, the Federal Public Housing Administrator, the Secretary of the Treasury or his designee, the Secretary of Agriculture or his designee, the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs or his designee, and the Chairman of the Board of Director of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation or his designee, together with the heads of such other departments or agencies of the Government, or their respective designees, as the President may, from time to time, designate. No member of the Coordinating Council shall receive additional compensation by reason of such membership or for the performance of duties incident thereto.

(d) The administrative staff shall consist of such personnel as the Administrator deems necessary to carry out his functions and duties, and shall serve under the direction and supervision of the Administrator. The administrative staff may include such liaison and interagency committees as the Administrator deems necessary to confer and work with other pertinent departments and agencies of the Government not represented directly on the Coordinating Council, and with industry, finance, labor, and State and local governments, in carrying out his functions and duties.

FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

SEC. 202. With the active advice and assistance of the Coordinating Council and such liaison and interagency committees as may be established pursuant to this Act, and recognizing that the various departments and agencies of the Government have full operating responsibility for the functions and activities relating to housing vested in them by the Congress, the Administrator shall

(a) develop, for the necessary implementation of the national housing objective and policy established by this Act, coordinated policies and programs for application by the departments and agencies represented on the Coordinating Council to the execution of the housing functions and activities vested in them;

(b) develop, in collaboration with other departments and agencies of the Government, coordinated policies, and programs for the maximum effective use by such departments and agencies of any of their housing functions or activities in the furtherance of the national housing objective and policy established by this Act;

(c) collaborate with the appropriate departments and agencies of the Government in developing means for achieving coordination between the policies and programs developed hereunder and the general economic and fiscal policies of the Government;

(d) interpret, consistently with the objectives and policy established by this Act, the over-all policy of the Government with respect to housing, and, by such interpretations, seek to resolve differences or disagreements which may arise with respect to the housing functions and activities of the departments and agencies represented on the Coordinating Council;

(e) coordinate and promote research relating to residential construction, new and improved techniques and methods of house production, new materials, greater productivity and reduced waste, urban development and redevelopment, and other architectural, engineering, and city-planning research to aid in the production of better housing and in progressively reducing housing costs, and develop and promote the use of uniform, consistent, and effective techniques and procedures with respect to, and correlate, housing statistics, appraisal, and credit, estimates of housing needs, housing-market data, economic and financial studies, and other data relating to housing;

(f) develop and recommend means for eliminating duplicating or overlapping housing functions and activities within the departments and agencies of the Government;

(g) prepare and submit to the President and to the Congress estimates of national housing needs and reports with respect to the progress being made toward meeting such needs, and correlate and recommend proposals for such executive action or legislation necessary or desirable for the furtherance of the national housing objective and policy established by this Act, together with such other reports or information as may be required of the Commission by the President or the Congress: Provided, That the statement of any member of the Coordinating Council failing to concur with such estimates, findings, recommendations, or reports, or expressing a divergent view with respect thereto, shall, at the request of such member, be transmitted by the Administrator with such estimates, findings, recommendations, or reports; (h) preside over meetings of the Coordinating Council, call meetings thereof (not less frequently than once a month) at such times and places as he shall designate, and keep a complete record of the actions taken by the Coordinating Council upon all questions of policy, and the reasons underlying such actions; and

(i) call upon the departments and agencies of the Government for such information or reports of their activities in relation to housing as he may require to carry out his functions and duties, make such expenditures (including expenditures for personal services and rent at the seat of the Government and elsewhere, and printing and binding) as may be necessary to carry out his functions and duties, delegate any of his functions and powers to such officers, agents, and employees as he may appoint, and make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out such functions and duties. Each department and agency represented on the Coordinating Council is hereby charged with the duty to cooperate actively in the work of the Commission and to coordinate and administer its housing activities consistently with the general

policies and programs developed hereunder in the furtherance of the national housing objective and the policy established by this Act, and consistent with its other responsibilities and policies established by law.

TRANSFER OF PROPERTY, PERSONNEL, AND FUNDS

SEC. 203. There are hereby transferred to the Commission, to be used, held, employed, or expended in connection with the functions and duties of the Commission, the assets, contracts, and property (real or personal, and including office equipment and records), personnel, and unexpended balances of appropriations, authorizations, allocations, or other funds used, held, employed, or available for expenditure in connection with the functions, powers, and duties of the National Housing Administrator under Executive Order 9070 of February 24, 1942, other than those transferred to the Federal Public Housing Authority by title III of this Act. Transfers of available funds under this section shall include funds available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1947.

AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS

SEC. 204. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Commission, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary to carry out its functions and duties and for administrative expenses in connection therewith.

TITLE III-FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK ADMINISTRATION, FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION, AND FEDERAL PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY

SEC. 301. There is hereby created an agency and instrumentality of the United States to be known as the "Federal Home Loan Bank Administration", to be headed by a Federal Home Loan Bank Administrator who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall hold office for a term of four years, and shall receive compensation at the rate of $12,000 per annum: Provided, That the first Federal Home Loan Bank Administrator hereunder shall be the individual serving as Chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board upon the date of the approval of this Act, and his term of office shall expire on the date of the expiration of his term under his existing appointment as Chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. There are hereby vested in the Federal Home Loan Bank Administration all functions, powers, duties, rights, and privileges heretofore vested in or exercisable by the Federal Home Loan Bank Administration created by Executive Order 9070 of February 24, 1942, the Federal Home Loan Bank Commissioner, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the board of directors of the Home Owners' Loan Corporation, and the board of trustees of the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, and there are hereby vested in the Federal Home Loan Bank Administrator all functions, power, duties, rights, and privileges heretofore vested in or exercisable by any member or members of any of said boards; and all references to any of said boards or to any such member or members in any statutory provisions now in force shall hereafter be deemed to refer to the Federal Home Loan Bank Administration hereby created and the Federal Home Loan Bank Administrator, respectively. Any functions, powers, rights, or privileges heretofore, now, or hereafter vested in or exercisable by any of the foregoing, including the Federal Home Loan Bank Administration hereby created and the Federal Home Loan Bank Administrator, may be exercised by said Administrator or by such person or persons as may be designated (1) by said Administrator or (2) in such manner as said Administrator may by regulations or otherwise provide, and a vacancy in the office of said Administrator shall not affect the exercise of any of the same by any such person or persons. The first nine sentences of section 17 of the Federal Home Loan Bank Act, the last sentence of subsection (a) of section 4 of the Home Owners' Loan Act of 1933, and the second sentence and the language "to be composed of five members" in the first sentence of subsection (a) of section 402 of the National Housing Act are hereby repealed.

SEC. 302. (a) There is hereby established an agency and instrumentality of the United States, to be known as the "Federal Public Housing Authority" (hereinafter called the "Authority"), which shall succeed to the corporate status of the United States Housing Authority under the United States Housing Act of

1937, as amended. The Authority shall sue and be sued only with respect to its functions under said United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, and title II of Public Law 671, Seventy-sixth Congress, approved June 28, 1940, as amended. The Authority shall be headed by a Federal Public Housing Administrator who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall hold office for a term of four years, and shall receive compensation at the rate of $12,000 per annum: Provided, That the first Federal Public Housing Administrator hereunder shall be the individual serving as Administrator of the United States Housing Authority upon the date of the approval of this Act, and his term of office shall expire on the date of the expiration of his term under his existing appointment as Administrator of the United States Housing Authority.

(b) There are hereby transferred to and vested in the Federal Public Housing Administrator the functions, powers, and duties of

(1) the Administrator of the United States Housing Authority (which office is hereby abolished) under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, and under title II of Public Law 671, Seventy-sixth Congress, approved June 28, 1940, as amended;

(2) the National Housing Administrator (i) under Public Law 849, Seventy-sixth Congress, approved October 14, 1940, as amended (and, as used in said Public Law 849, the term "Federal Works Administratior," or "Administrator," or "Federal Works Agency" shall, with respect to housing, be deemed to refer to the Federal Public Housing Administrator), and (ii) with respect to the housing projects, property, and other assets transferred to the National Housing Agency from the Farm Security Administration and which remained within the jurisdiction of said National Housing Agency under the provisions of the Farmers' Home Administrator Act of 1946; (3) the War and Navy Departments (and the heads thereof) with respect to national defense and war housing (except that located on military or naval posts, reservations, or bases) under Public Law 781, Seventy-sixth Congress, approved September 9, 1940, as amended;

(4) all agencies (and the heads thereof) designated to provide temporary shelter in defense areas under Public Laws 9, 73, and 353, Seventy-seventh Congress, approved, respectively, March 1, 1941, May 24, 1941, and December 17, 1941, insofar as such functions, powers, and duties relate to such temporary shelter;

(5) the Federal Loan Administrator with respect to the Defense Homes Corporation (which Corporation shall continue to be an agency of the United States until its liquidation is completed and shall be administered by the Federal Public Housing Administrator, who shall receive and hold the capital stock of said Corporation on behalf of the United States of America). (c) There are hereby transferred to the Authority, to be used, held, employed, or expended in connection with the functions, powers, and duties transferred to said Authority by this Act, the assets, contracts, and property (real or personal, and including office equipment and records), personnel, and unexpended balances of appropriations, authorizations, allocations, or other funds used, held, employed, or available for expenditure in connection with such transferred functions, powers, and duties. Transfers of available funds under this section shall include funds available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1947.

(d) The Federal Public Housing Administrator may appoint such officers and employees as he may find necessary, which appointments, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, shall hereafter be made hereunder, and shall be subject to the civil-service laws and the Classification Act of 1923, as amended; make studies pertinent to the Authority's program; delegate any of his functions and powers to such officers, agents, and employees of the Authority as he may designate; and make such rules and regulations as he deems necessary to carry out his functions and powers.

(e) Funds made available for carrying out the responsibilities, functions, powers, and duties of the Authority shall be available, in such amounts as may from year to year be authorized by the Congress, for the administrative expenses of the Authority.

TERMINATION OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 9070

SEC. 303. Executive Order 9070 of February 24, 1942, relating to the consolidation of the housing agencies and functions of the Government into the National Housing Agency, and the provisions of Reorganization Plan Numbered 1, effec

tive July 1, 1939, and of Public Law 4, Seventy-ninth Congress, approved February 24, 1945, and of section 3 (a) of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, relating to the responsibilities, functions, powers, and duties of the Federal Loan Administrator with respect to the supervision of the administration, and the coordination of the functions and activities, of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the Home Owners' Loan Corporation, the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, and the Federal Housing Administration, and of the Federal Works Administrator and the Secretary of the Interior with respect to the direction and supervision of the United States Housing Authority, shall terminate and cease to be effective upon the date of the approval of this Act, this Act.

PRESERVATION OF EXISTING CONTRACTS, AND RULES AND REGULATIONS

SEC. 304. Nothing in this Act shall impair any outstanding obligations or contracts made in connection with any of the functions, powers, and duties hereby transferred, including the pledge of faith of the United States to the payment of annual contributions contracted for pursuant to the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, or pursuant to title II of Public Law 671, Seventy-sixth Congress, approved June 28, 1940, as amended, and all orders, rules, regulations, permits, or other privileges made, issued, or granted by or in respect of any of such transferred functions, powers, and duties shall continue in effect until modified, superseded, or repealed. Nothing in this title shall be construed to amend any of the provisions of section 1 of the National Housing Act.

TITLE IV-HOUSING RESEARCH

SEC. 401. To assist in increasing the production of better housing and progressively reducing housing costs, and in making available data on national housing needs, demand, and supply, the National Housing Administrator shall(a) Undertake and conduct a program of technical research and studies, the purpose of which shall be to discover, develop, demonstrate, and encourage the commercial application of new and improved techniques, materials, and methods which will stimulate the increased production of housing and permit progressive reductions in housing costs, including operating and maintenance costs, to home builders, home owners, and tenants, consistent with sound standards. Such research and studies may be concerned with new and improved types of building materials and equipment, improved methods of production, distribution, assembly, and construction, and with the development of sound standards and methods of testing for safety, durability, livability, and health in housing and related neighborhood and community development, and shall include research and studies relating to residential design, housing needs, demand and supply, finance and investment, consumer requirements and preferences, site planning and utilities, zoning and other laws and codes and regulations, organization of the building industry, and related technical and economic research.

(b) Encourage localities to make studies of their own housing needs and markets, along with surveys and plans for housing and related community development, including desirable patterns of land use and community growth, and provide, where requested and needed by the localities, technical advice and guidance in the making of such studies, surveys, and plans.

SEC. 402. Such research and studies shall, where feasible, draw upon or be undertaken cooperatively with other agencies of Federal, State, or local governments, and the Administrator may disseminate the results of research and studies undertaken pursuant to this title in such form as may be most useful to industry and to the general public.

SEC. 403. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this title.

TITLE V-EXISTING HOME OWNERSHIP AND RENTAL HOUSING AIDS

FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK ADMINISTRATION

SEC. 501. (a) Subsection (c) of section 5 of the Home Owners' Loan Act of 1933, as amended, is hereby amended by striking out the language "in obligations of the United States or the stock or bonds of a Federal Home Loan Bank" and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "in obligations of or fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States, or obligations issued under the Federal Home Loan Bank Act as heretofore, now, or hereafter in force or title IV

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