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Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§1524 Declaration of policy; disposal of housing

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 9— - HOUSING OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN NATIONAL DEFENSE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - DEFENSE HOUSING › § 1524

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Provide housing for national defense where private builders cannot, and sell or get rid of that housing as quickly as possible. When selling, officials must consider the full market value. Housing cannot be given to agencies that do slum clearance or provide subsidized low‑income housing unless Congress specifically allows it. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may, if the Army, Air Force, or Navy asks, transfer housing built under subchapters II to VII to those services if it is permanently useful to them. When HUD offers a permanent house or building with no more than four family dwelling units for sale to a veteran who will live in it, the price must be the lower of (1) the apportioned cost for the house, land, and its share of utilities and common facilities, or (2) the allocated full market value. Housing built or acquired under Public Law 781, Seventy‑sixth Congress, approved September 9, 1940, or Public Law 9, 73, or 353, Seventy‑seventh Congress, approved March 1, 1941, May 24, 1941, and December 17, 1941, counts as housing under subchapters II to VII.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §1524

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

It is declared to be the policy of this subchapter to further the national defense by providing housing in those areas where it cannot otherwise be provided by private enterprise when needed, and that such housing may be sold and disposed of as expeditiously as possible: Provided, That in disposing of said housing consideration shall be given to its full market value and said housing or any part thereof shall not, unless specifically authorized by Congress, be conveyed to any public or private agency organized for slum clearance or to provide subsidized housing for persons of low income: Provided further, That the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may, in his discretion, upon the request of the Secretaries of the Army, Air Force or Navy transfer to the jurisdiction of the Army, Air Force or Navy Departments such housing constructed under the provisions of subchapters II to VII of this chapter as may be considered to be permanently useful to the Army, Air Force or Navy: Provided further, That whenever the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development disposes of any permanent house or structure containing not more than four family dwelling units under authority of this subchapter by offering such house or structure for sale on an individual basis, he shall, when the purchaser is a veteran buying for his own occupancy, sell any such house or structure (1) at a purchase price not in excess of the apportioned cost of such house or structure and of the land and appurtenances allocated thereto, together with the apportioned share of the cost of all utilities and other facilities provided for and common to the project of which such house or structure is a part, or (2) at a purchase price not in excess of such considered full market value of such house or structure and the land, appurtenances, utilities and facilities allocated thereto, whichever purchase price is the less: Provided further, That, for the purposes of this section, housing constructed or acquired under the provisions of Public Law 781, Seventy-sixth Congress, approved September 9, 1940, or Public Law 9, 73, or 353, Seventy-seventh Congress, approved, respectively, March 1, 1941, May 24, 1941, and December 17, 1941, shall be deemed to be housing constructed or acquired under subchapters II to VII of this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Subchapters III and VI of this chapter, referred to in text, were comprised of sections 1531 to 1536 of this title, and sections 1571 to 1576 of this title, respectively, and have been omitted from the Code. For further details, see note set out under section 1522 of this title. Public Law 781, Seventy-sixth Congress, approved September 9, 1940, referred to in text, is the Second Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, 1941, act Sept. 9, 1940, ch. 717, 54 Stat. 872. section 201 thereof appropriated $100,000,000 to the President for allocation to the former “War” Department, and to the Navy Department, for the

Construction

of housing necessary to the national defense program. This provision is not classified to the Code. Public Laws 9, 73, or 353, Seventy-seventh Congress, referred to in text, refer to the following acts, respectively: Public Law 9, Urgent Deficiency Appropriation Act, 1941, act Mar. 1, 1941, ch. 9, 55 Stat. 14; Public Law 73, Additional Urgent Deficiency Appropriation Act, 1941, act May 24, 1941, ch. 132, 55 Stat. 197; and Public Law 353, Third Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, 1942, act Dec. 17, 1941, ch. 591, 55 Stat. 810. These three acts appropriated a total of $320,000,000 to the President for the purpose of providing housing necessary because of national defense activities and conditions arising out of World War II. These provisions are not classified to the Code, although all three acts are cited in a “Prior Additional Appropriations” note under section 1523 of this title.

Amendments

1950—Act Apr. 20, 1950, substituted “Housing and Home Finance Administrator” for “National Housing Administrator” wherever appearing. 1948—Act June 19, 1948, inserted proviso to permit sale of certain permanent war housing to veterans at a purchase price not in excess of cost of

Construction

. Act June 28, 1948, inserted last proviso.

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(126)],
July 29, 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 the Army and Air Force under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army and Secretary of the Air Force, respectively.

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, see note set out under section 1522 of this title.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

Functions of Federal Works Administrator relating to defense housing consolidated with other agencies into National Housing Agency during World War II by Ex. Ord. No. 9070.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 1524

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73