Section 2. Declaration of policy.
(1) In recognition of the powers contained in section
2(b)(ii) of Article VIII of the Constitution of Pennsylvania
which provides therein for the establishing as a class or
classes of subjects of taxation the property or privileges of
persons who, because of poverty or age, are determined to be
in need of special tax provisions, it is the legislative
intent and purpose of this act to implement the powers under
such constitutional provision by establishing special tax
provisions for a class of persons within cities of the first
class as provided in this act.
(2) Having determined that there are persons within
cities of the first class of this Commonwealth whose incomes
are such that the governing bodies of cities of the first
class may decide that the imposition of the full amount of
real estate taxes on these persons deprives them and their
dependents of the bare necessities of life and having further
determined that poverty is a relative concept inextricably
joined with actual income, the number of persons dependent
upon such income and the unlikelihood of a taxpayer being
able by reason of age to increase that income, it is deemed
to be a matter of public policy to provide special tax
provisions for that class of persons designated in this act
within cities of the first class to enable governing bodies
of cities of the first class to by ordinance relieve their
economic burden.