Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§1501 Cooperation between departments; definitions; limitation of projects

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 9— - HOUSING OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN NATIONAL DEFENSE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - PROJECTS GENERALLY › § 1501

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Navy, Army, Air Force, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may work together to provide needed housing for people involved in the national defense program. That covers (1) enlisted service members with families, officers of the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps not above the grade of captain, officers of the Navy and Coast Guard not above the grade of lieutenant, and department employees assigned to bases, and (2) workers with families in industries essential to national defense. No housing project can be started or helped under this rule unless the President approves and finds there is an acute housing shortage in the local area that is hurting the national defense program.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §1501

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In connection with the national defense program, the Departments of the Navy, Army, and Air Force and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development are authorized to cooperate in making necessary housing available for persons engaged in national defense activities, as provided in this subchapter. “Persons engaged in national defense activities” (as that term is used in this subchapter) shall include (i) enlisted men with families, who are in the naval and military service and officers of the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps not above the grade of captain, and officers of the Navy and Coast Guard, not above the grade of lieutenant and employees of the Departments of the Navy, Army, and Air Force who are assigned to duty at naval or military reservations, posts, or bases, and (ii) workers with families, who are engaged or to be engaged in industries connected with and essential to the national defense program. No project shall be developed or assisted for the purposes of this subchapter except with the approval of the President and upon a determination by him that there is an acute shortage of housing in the locality involved which impedes the national defense program.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1942—Act Oct. 26, 1942, substituted “and officers of the Army and Marine Corps not above the grade of captain, and officers of the Navy and Coast Guard, not above the grade of lieutenant” for “(excluding officers)”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Department of the Air Force inserted to conform to act
July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, § 207(a), (f), 61 Stat. 502, 503, and Secretary of Defense Transfer Orders No. 14, eff.
July 1, 1948, and No. 40 [App. B (123)],
July 22, 1949. Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by act
July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, § 205(a), 61 Stat. 501. section 205(a) and 207(a), (f) of act
July 26, 1947, were repealed by act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, § 53, 70A Stat. 641. Act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, § 1, 70A Stat. 1, enacted “Title 10, Armed Forces”, which in sections 3010 to 3013 and 8010 to 8013 continued Departments of Army and Air Force under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army and Secretary of the Air Force, respectively.

Short Title

of 1951 AmendmentAct Sept. 1, 1951, ch. 378, § 1, 65 Stat. 293, provided: “That this Act [enacting section 1507, 1589a, 1589b, and 1591 to 1593e of this title, sections 1701g–1 to 1701g–3, 1701i–1, 1715g, 1715h, 1716a, 1748g–1, 1750, 1750a, and 1750b to 1750g of Title 12, Banks and Banking, and former section 2136 of the former Appendix to Title 50, War and National Defense, amended section 1584 and 1585 of this title, section 371, 1430, 1701g, 1701j, 1702, 1706, 1710, 1713, 1715c, 1715d, 1715f, 1716, 1743, 1747a, 1747f, and 1747l, 1748b of Title 12, and former section 2135 of the former Appendix to Title 50, and enacted provisions set out as notes under section 1591 of this title and section 1748b of Title 12] may be cited as the ‘Defense Housing and Community Facilities and Services Act’.”

Short Title

Act Oct. 14, 1940, ch. 862, 54 Stat. 1125, which is classified to subchapters II to VII of this chapter, is popularly known as the “Lanham Public War Housing Act”.

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6. Functions of Public Housing Administration and Housing and Home Finance Agency (of which Public Housing Administration was a constituent agency) and of heads thereof transferred to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by Pub. L. 89–174, § 5(a), Sept. 9, 1965, 79 Stat. 669, which is classified to section 3534(a) of this title. section 9(c) of such act, set out as a note under section 3531 of this title, provided that references to Housing and Home Finance Agency or to any agency or officer therein are to be deemed to mean Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and that Housing and Home Finance Agency and Public Housing Administration have lapsed.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

United States Housing Authority consolidated into Housing and Home Finance Agency by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1947, § 1, eff. July 27, 1947, 12 F.R. 4981, 61 Stat. 954, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and name of Authority changed to Public Housing Administration by section 4(a) of such Plan. section 9 of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1947 abolished office of Administrator of United States Housing Authority, whose functions were transferred by section 4 of such Plan to Public Housing Commissioner.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 1501

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73