[PUBLIC LAW 336-79TH CONGRESS]

[CHAPTER 118-2D SESSION]

[S. 1821]

AN ACT

To amend section 502 of the Act entitled "An Act to expedite the provision of housing in connection with national defense, and for other purposes", approved October 14, 1940, as amended, so as to authorize the appropriation of funds necessary to provide additional temporary housing units for distressed families of servicemen and for veterans and their families.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 502 (a) of the Act entitled "An Act to expedite the provision of housing in connection with national defense, and for other purposes", approved October 14, 1940, as amended, is amended by striking out "$160,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "$410,000,000".

SEC. 2. That section 502 of said Act be amended by adding after subsection (c) thereof the following subsections:

"(d) Upon approval of an aplication, made by any educational institution, State or political subdivision thereof, local public agency, or nonprofit organization, for temporary housing for the purposes of this title, the National Housing Administrator, if he determines that such action will aid in expediting the provision of such temporary housing, may

(1) transfer hereunder to the applicant structures or facilities necessary or suitable to provide such temporary housing; and "(2) contract to reimburse the applicant (including the making of advances) for the cost, as certified by the applicant and approved by the Administrator, in the relocation or conversion (including the costs of disassembling, transporting and reerecting structures and facilities, and connecting utilities from dwellings to mains, but not including the costs of site acquisition and preparation, or the installation of streets and utility mains) of such temporary housing and facilities.

"(e) The term 'administrative expenses', as used in this title V, shall be deemed to include administrative expenses of the National Housing Agency in performing any functions with respect to priorities or allocations of materials or equipment for public or private housing, and of the Housing Expediter (including until June 30, 1946, those of any Government agencies in carrying out parts of the veterans' emergency housing program of the Housing Expediter authorized by existing law, to the extent that additional administrative expenses of such agencies are thereby involved) in performing any functions with respect to facilitating the provision of veterans' housing authorized by existing law."

Approved March 28, 1946.

[PUBLIC LAW 341-79TH CONGRESS]

[CHAPTER 135-2D SESSION]

[H. J. Res. 328]

JOINT RESOLUTION

Making an additional appropriation for veterans' housing and related expenses.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $253,727,000, to remain available until expended, to enable the National Housing Administration to carry out the purposes of title V of the Act of October 14, 1940, as amended (42 U. S. Č. 1521), subject to the provisions of Public Law 336, Seventy-ninth Congress, approved March 28, 1946.

Approved April 12, 1946.

(172)

[PUBLIC LAW 388-79TH CONGRESS]

[CHAPTER 268-2D SESSION]

[H. R. 4761]

AN ACT

To expedite the availability of housing for veterans of World War II by expediting the production and allocation of materials for housing purposes and by curbing excessive pricing of new housing, 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 "Veterans' Emergency Housing Act of 1946".

SEC. 1. (a) The long-term housing shortage and the war have combined to create an unprecedented emergency shortage of housing, particularly for veterans of World War II and their families. This requires during the next two years a house-construction program larger than ever before. The first step toward such a program is to overcome the serious shortages and bottlenecks with respect to building materials, to expedite the production of such materials, to allocate them for house construction and other essential purposes, and to accelerate the production of houses with preferences for veterans of World War II and at sales prices or rentals within their means. To carry out this program, it is necessary to invest a housing expediter with adequate powers, including the power to issue policy directives. Accomplishment of these objectives will assist returning veterans to acquire housing at fair prices, stimulate industry and employment, prevent a post-emergency collapse of values in the housing field, and promote a swift and orderly transition to a peacetime economy.

(b) The provisions of this Act, and all regulations and orders issued thereunder, shall terminate on December 31, 1947, or upon the date specified in a concurrent resolution by the two Houses of the Congress, declaring that the provisions of the Act are no longer necessary to deal with the existing national emergency, whichever date is the earlier.

(c) The provisions of this Act shall be applicable to the United States, its Territories and possessions, and the District of Columbia. SEC. 2. (a) There is hereby created an office to be known as Housing Expediter; and the President is authorized, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint an existing official of the Government to serve as Housing Expediter, or to appoint the Housing Expediter either within any existing agency or as an independent officer of the Government. In the event of an appointment of an existing official, he is hereby authorized and permitted to continue in his present post while serving as Housing Expediter, except that he shall receive no additional compensation by reason of his appointment hereunder. If, however, such Housing Expediter is appointed within an existing agency of the Government, he shall receive compensation in compliance with the laws and regulations applicable to officers within such agency; if the Housing Expediter is appointed as an inde

pendent officer of the Government, he shall receive compensation at the rate of $12,000 per annum.

(b) The Housing Expediter, in addition to such other functions and powers as may be delegated to him by the President, is authorized to

of

(1) formulate such plans and programs as are necessary to provide for an increased supply of housing accommodations all kinds and, in particular, of homes available for sale or rental at moderate prices to veterans of World War II and their immediate families;

(2) issue such orders, regulations, or directives to other executive agencies (including the Office of Economic Stabilization and the Office of Price Administration) as may be necessary to provide for the exercise of their powers in a manner required by or consistent with the execution of the aforesaid plans and programs, and to coordinate the activities of such agencies directed to the execution of such plans and programs. Each executive agency shall carry out without delay the orders, regulations, or directives of the Housing Expediter, and shall, to the extent necessary, modify its operations and procedures from time to time to conform to the directions of the Housing Expediter;

(3) recommend to the President the enactment of such legislation as may be necessary to provide the authority to carry out such plans and programs as are not authorized under existing law;

(4) consult and cooperate with other agencies of the Federal Government, State and local governments, industries, labor, and other groups, both national and local, with respect to the problems created by the housing emergency and the steps which can be taken to remedy it.

(c) The executive agencies of the Government shall exercise their emergency powers and other powers for the purpose of aiding in the solution of the problems created by the existing housing emergency, the alleviation of which is vital to an orderly transition from war to peace.

(d) (1) All functions, powers, authority, or duties vested in the Office of War Mobilization and Reconversion or the Director thereof by the War Mobilization and Reconversion Act of 1944 which are or may be necessary or suitable to enable the Housing Expediter to carry out the provisions of this Act and such plans and programs as such Housing Expediter may develop for the alleviation of the housing emergency, are hereby transferred to the Housing Expediter. The powers so transferred shall include the power to issue orders, regulations, or directives to other executive agencies with respect to the exercise by such agencies of their respective powers and authority.

(2) The powers so transferred shall continue during the period in which this Act is in effect, notwithstanding any other provision terminating such powers contained in the said War Mobilization and Reconversion Act of 1944.

SEC. 3. (a) Whenever in the judgment of the Expediter the sales prices of housing accommodations the construction of which is completed after the effective date of this Act have risen or threaten to rise to an extent or in a manner inconsistent with the purposes of this Act, he may by regulation or order establish maximum sales prices

for such housing accommodations in accordance with the provisions of this Act. Any such regulation or order may be limited in its scope to such geographical area or areas and to such types or classifications of such housing accommodations as in the judgment of the Expediter may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Act. Before issuing any regulation or order under this section, the Expediter shall, so far as practicable, advise and consult with representative members of industries affected by such regulation or order, and he shall give consideration to their recommendations and to any recommendations which may be made by State and local officials concerned with housing conditions in any area affected by such regulation or order.

(b) Any regulation or order issued under the authority of this section with respect to housing accommodations the construction of which is completed after the effective date of this Act shall provide that no sale of any such housing accommodations shall take place until after the builder thereof has filed with the appropriate agency designated by the Expediter a description of such accommodations, including a statement of the proposed maximum sales price, and has received from such agency a certification that such price is reasonably related to the value of the accommodations to be sold, taking into consideration (1) reasonable construction costs not in excess of the legal maximum prices of the materials and services required for the construction, (2) the fair market value of the land (immediately prior to construction) and improvements sold with the housing accommodations, and (3) a margin of profit reflecting the generally prevailing profit margin upon comparable units during the calendar year 1941. Any prospective seller of such housing accommodations may apply for such certification at any time, including before the commencement of construction, during its progress, or after its completion. In any case where a certification of approval of a proposed maximum sales price has been issued prior to the completion of construction, the prospective seller may, at any time before the first sale, apply for such revision of the maximum sales price previously certified as may be justified by a showing of special circumstances arising during the course of construction and not reasonably to have been anticipated at the time of the issuance of the earlier certification. The first sale of housing accommodations the construction of which is completed after the effective date of this Act shall not be made at a price in excess of the maximum sales price certified under this subsection. The actual price at which any such housing accommodations is first sold, plus any increases authorized pursuant to subsection (c), shall be the maximum sales price for any subsequent sale of such housing accommodations. (c) The Expediter shall by regulation or order provide for appropriate price increases for major structural changes or improvements, not including ordinary maintenance and repair, effected subsequent to the first sale after the effective date of this Act.

(d) The Expediter may promulgate such regulations as he deems necessary and proper to carry out any of the provisions of this Act and may exercise any power or authority conferred upon him by this Act through such department, agency, or officer as he shall direct. Any regulation or order under this Act may contain such classifications and differentiations and may provide for such adjustments and