study of housing and building codes, zoning, tax policies, and development standards

study of housing and building codes, zoning, tax policies, and development standards Sec. 301. (a) The Congress finds that the general welfare of the Nation requires that local authorities be encouraged and aided to prevent slums, blight, and sprawl, preserve natural beauty, and provide for decent, durable housing so that the goal of a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family may be realized as soon as feasible. The Congress further finds that there is a need to study housing and building codes, zoning, tax policies, and development standards in order to determine how (1) local property owners and private enterprise can be encouraged to serve as large a part as they can of the total housing and building need, and (2) Federal, State, and local governmental assistance can be so directed as to place greater reliance on local property owners and private enterprise and enable them to serve a greater share of the total housing and building need. The Housing and Home Finance Administrator is therefore directed to study the structure of (1) State and local urban and suburban housing and building laws, standards, codes, and regulations and their impact on housing and building costs, how they can be simplified, improved, and enforced, at the local level, and what methods might be adopted to promote more uniform building codes and the acceptance of technical innovations including new building practices and materials; (2) State and local zoning and land use laws, codes, and regulations, to find ways by which States and localities may improve and utilize them in order to obtain further growth and development; and (3) Federal, State, and local tax policies with respect to (heir effect on hind and property cost and on incentives to build housing and make improvements in existing structures. (b) The Administrator shall submit a report based on such study to the President and to the Congress within 18 months after the date of the enactment of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 or the appropriation of funds for the study, whichever is later. (c) There are authorized to be appropriated such funds as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. Any funds so appropriated shall remain available until expended.