§1701z–2 Advanced Technologies, Methods, and Materials for Housing Construction, Rehabilitation, and Maintenance

Summary

The Secretary must push for using new and better technologies, methods, and materials when building, fixing, or maintaining homes in programs he runs. The goal is to lower costs and improve quality. He must encourage builders, communities, related industries, and the public to accept these advances. For housing paid for under these programs, he must make sure contracts, building codes, zoning, or common practices do not block using new techniques, materials, or preassembled products that cut cost or improve quality, unless a rule is needed to keep work and living places safe and healthy. He should also support large experiments to test new building methods on federal or other land where local rules allow or can be changed, and he may use program funds and power to help approved plans. The Secretary can buy, use, and sell land and property needed for these projects and may take suitable excess federal land if helpful. He may give technical help, pay to write and publish reports about these activities, and share reports and data with governments, industry, and the public in the form he thinks is most useful. He can do the work directly or by contract or grant, make advance and progress payments, and let work continue for up to four years. He should use other federal agencies’ facilities and may make agreements with them, with states, industry, labor, schools, and other groups, including accepting funds or payments. When he asks for information, he must use it only for its stated purpose and must not publish anything that identifies the person or business who provided it without their consent.