grants for provision of open-space land in built-up urban areas and for urban beautification and improvement

grants for provision of open-space land in built-up urban areas and for urban beautification and improvement Sec. 906. Title VII of the Housing Act of 1961 is amended by redesignating sections 705 and 706 as sections 708 and 709, respectively, and by inserting after section 704 two new sections as follows: 79 Stat. 496 “grants for provision of open-space land in built-up urban areas “Sec. 705. The Administrator is further authorized to enter into contracts to make grants to States and local public bodies to help finance die acquisition of title to, or other permanent interests in, developed land in built-up portions of urban areas to be cleared and used as permanent open-space land. The Administrator shall make such grants only where the local governing body determines that adequate open-space land cannot effectively be provided through the use of existing undeveloped or predominantly undeveloped land. Grants under this section shall not exceed 50 per centum of the cost of acquiring such interests and of necessary demolition and removal of improvements. “grants for urban beautification and improvement “Sec. 706. The Administrator is authorized to enter into contracts to make giants, as herein provided, to States and local public bodies to assist in carrying out local programs for the greater use and enjoyment of open-space and other public land in urban areas. The Administrator shall establish criteria for such programs to assure that each program (1) represents significant and effective efforts, involving all available public and private resources, for the beautification of such land and its improvement for open-space uses; and (2) is important to the comprehensively planned development of the locality. Grants made under this section shall not exceed 50 per centum of the amount, by which the cost of the activities carried on by an applicant during a fiscal year under an approved program exceeds its usual expenditures for comparable activities: Provided, That, notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Administrator may use not to exceed $5,000,000 of the sum authorized for contracts under this section for the purpose of entering into contracts to make grants in amounts not to exceed 90 per centum of the cost of activities which he determines have special value in developing and demonstrating new and improved methods and materials for use in carrying out the purposes of this section.”