HOUSING AND HOME FINANCE AGENCY

HOUSING AND HOME FINANCE AGENCY office of the administrator Salaries and expenses: For necessary expenses of the Office of the Administrator, including rent in the District of Columbia; services as authorized by section 15 of the Act of August 2, 1946 (5 U. S. C. 55a); not to exceed $193,550 for expenses of travel; expenses of attendance at meetings of organizations concerned with the work of the agency; and transportation expenses and not to exceed $25 per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5 of the Act of August 2, 1946 (5 U. S. C. 73b–2), for persons serving without compensation as members of any advisory committee established pursuant to title VI of the Housing Act of 1949: $3,215,550, of which not to exceed $125,000 shall be available for liquidation of the housing research program not later than April 30, 1954: Provided, That necessary expenses of inspections and of providing representatives at the site of projects being undertaken by local public agencies pursuant to title I of the Housing Act of 1949 and of projects financed through loans to educational institutions authorized by title IV of the Housing Act of 1950, shall be compensated by such agencies or institutions by the payment of fixed fees which in the aggregate will cover the costs of rendering such services, and expenses for such purpose shall be considered nonadministrative; and for the purpose of providing such inspections, the Administrator may utilize any agency and such agency may accept reimbursement or payment for such services from such institutions or the Administrator, and shall credit such amounts to the appropriations or funds against which such charges have been made, but such nonadministrative expenses shall not exceed $500,000: Provided further, That the Administrator is authorized without regard to any other provisions of law to transfer without reimbursement any project or facility, or part thereof, constructed or provided under title II of the Act of October 14, 1940, as amended (including any personal property related to such project or facility), to any other department or agency, whenever the head of such department or agency so requests after determining that such project or facility is required for the continued operation of or is an integral part of a project or facility under the jurisdiction of such department or agency. Defense Community Facilities and Services: During the current fiscal year not to exceed $112,500 of the appropriations granted under this head in the Second and Third Supplemental Appropriation Acts, 1952, shall be available for administrative expenses in connection with the construction of facilities under such appropriations. Capital grants for slum clearance and urban redevelopment: For an additional amount for payment of capital grants as authorized by title I of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended (42 U. S. C. 1453, 1456), $20,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That before approving any local slum clearance program under title I of the Housing Act of 1949, the Administrator shall give consideration to the efforts of the locality to enforce local codes and regulations relating to adequate standards of health, sanitation, and safety for dwellings and to the feasibility of achieving slum clearance objectives through rehabilitation of existing dwellings and areas: Provided further, That the authority under title I of the National Housing Act shall be used to the utmost in connection with slum rehabilitation needs. 67 Stat. 306 public housing administration Administrative expenses: For administrative expenses of the Public Housing Administration, $6,950,000, to be merged with and expended under the authorization for such expenses contained in title II of this Act. Annual contributions: For the payment of annual contributions to public housing agencies in accordance with section 10 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended (42 U. S. C. 1410), $32,500,000: Provided, That except for payments required on contracts entered into prior to April 18, 1940, no part of this appropriation shall be available for payment to any public housing agency for expenditure in connection with any low-rent housing project, unless the public housing agency shall have adopted regulations prohibiting as a tenant of any such project by rental or occupancy any person other than a citizen of the United States, but such prohibition shall not be applicable in the case of a family of any serviceman or the family of any veteran who has been discharged (other than dishonorably) from, or the family of any serviceman who died in, the Armed Forces of the United States within four years prior to the date of application for admission to such housing: Provided further, That all expenditures of this appropriation shall be subject to audit and final settlement by the Comptroller General of the United States under the provisions of the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, as amended: Provided further, That unless the governing body of the locality agrees to its completion, no housing shall be authorized by the Public Housing Administration, or, if under construction continue to be constructed, in any community where the people of that community, by their duly elected representatives, or by referendum, have indicated they do not want it, and such community shall negotiate with the Federal Government for the completion of such housing, or its abandonment, in whole or in part, and shall agree to repay to the Government the moneys expended prior to the vote or other formal action whereby the community rejected such housing project for any such proj’ects not to be completed plus such amount as may be required to pay all costs and liquidate all obligations lawfully incurred by the local housing authority prior to such rejection in connection with any project not to be completed: Provided further, That, in any case where the Public Housing Administration (after the approvals on the part of the governing body of the locality required by law) has entered into a financial assistance contract, with a local housing authority covering any low-rent housing projects to be constructed in such locality and, (a) thereafter but prior to the effective date of this Act, a majority of the members of the governing body of the locality, and the people of the locality have voted against any such low-rent housing projects, and (b) the local housing authority and the governing body of the locality agree to a modification of the agreement providing the required local cooperation in connection with such low-rent housing projects, the preceding proviso shall not be applicable and: (1) the Public Housing Administration shall not, unless the governing body of the locality shall, by resolution, request such action, (a) authorize the award of any contract for the construction of any such low-rent housing project, or (b) make any further advance of funds on account of any such project for which the main construction contract has not heretofore been awarded, excepting only such funds as may be required by the local housing authority (i) to pay all costs and liquidate all obligations heretofore properly incurred by it in connection with any such project which pursuant to such modification is to be terminated and (ii) to pay costs in connection with the liquidation (including the sale of land or other assets) of any such terminated project; (2) in 67 Stat. 307 the liquidation of any such terminated project no claim shall be made by the local housing authority or the Public Housing Administration against the locality or its governing body on account of such termination; (3) the Public Housing Administration shall absorb as a loss, and shall release the local housing authority from, all claims, if any, of said Administration in connection with such terminated project in excess of the net amount realized from the sale by the local housing authority of all land (which if sold to other than a public agency shall be after public advertisement to the highest responsible bidder but if sold to a public agency may be at a price equal to the purchase price of the land, exclusive of improvements, as approved by the Public Housing Commissioner) and other assets acquired and held in connection with such terminated project; and (4) the Secretary of the Treasury shall credit as a payment upon the note or notes of the Public Housing Administration executed and delivered in connection with funds obtained pursuant to section 20 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, an amount equal to such loss as certified by the Public Housing Commissioner: Provided further, That the record of expenditure of the Public Housing Administration and of the local housing authority on any public housing project shall be open to examination by the responsible authorities of any community in which such project is located, or by the local public housing authority, or by any firm of public accountants retained by either of the foregoing: Provided further, That no housing unit constructed under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, shall be occupied by a person who is a member of an organization designated as subversive by the Attorney General: Provided further, That the foregoing prohibition shall be enforced by the local housing authority, and that such prohibition shall not impair or affect the powers or obligations of the Public Housing Administration with respect to the making of loans and annual contributions under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended: Provided further, That notwithstanding the provisions of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, the Public Housing Administration shall not, with respect to projects initiated after March 1, 1949, (1) authorize during the fiscal year 1954 the commencement of construction of in excess of twenty thousand dwelling units or (2) after the date of approval of this Act, enter into any new agreements, contracts, or other arrangements, preliminary or otherwise, which will ultimately bind the Public Housing Administration during fiscal year 1954 or for any future years with respect to loans or annual contributions for any additional dwelling units or projects unless hereafter authorized by the Congress to do so, and during the fiscal year 1954 the Housing and Home Finance Administrator shall make a complete analysis and study of the low-rent public housing program and, on or before February 1, 1954, shall transmit to the Appropriations Committees of the House and Senate his recommendations with respect to such low-rent public housing program. reductions in appropriations Defense housing: The sum of $17,500,000 of funds heretofore appropriated under this head is hereby rescinded, and such amount shall be covered into the Treasury promptly upon enactment of this Act: Provided, That the amount hereby rescinded may be reduced by an amount determined by the Administrator to be required as a reserve for overruns and contingencies in connection with projects heretofore assigned for construction pursuant to Public Law 139 (Eighty-second Congress).67 Stat. 308 Alaska housing: Of amounts heretofore appropriated under this head for the revolving fund authorized by the Alaska Housing Act, Public Law 52 (Eighty-first Congress), the Administrator shall cause to be covered into the Treasury a total of $5,000,000 in one or more deposits as soon as practicable, but not later than June 30, 1954. Advance planning of non-Federal public works: The sum of $4,600,000 of funds heretofore appropriated under this head is hereby rescinded, and such amount shall be covered into the Treasury promptly upon enactment of this Act.