Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73not60

§12702 Objective of National Housing Policy

Title 42 › Chapter 130— NATIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING › Subchapter I— GENERAL PROVISIONS AND POLICIES › § 12702

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Creates a national housing goal to confirm the country's long-standing promise that every American can live in decent, safe, and clean housing. It calls for stronger teamwork between government and private groups across the country to make that happen. It sets seven goals: make sure everyone can get shelter or help to avoid homelessness; build more affordable, decent housing near jobs for low- and moderate-income families; improve fair housing for everyone, especially disadvantaged minorities; make neighborhoods safer and more livable; expand chances to own homes; keep mortgage lending steady and available at the lowest possible interest rates; and help tenants in public and federally assisted housing gain more control and move toward self-sufficiency to reduce long-term poverty.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §12702

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

The objective of national housing policy shall be to reaffirm the long-established national commitment to decent, safe, and sanitary housing for every American by strengthening a nationwide partnership of public and private institutions able—

(1)to ensure that every resident of the United States has access to decent shelter or assistance in avoiding homelessness;

(2)to increase the Nation’s supply of decent housing that is affordable to low-income and moderate-income families and accessible to job opportunities;

(3)to improve housing opportunities for all residents of the United States, particularly members of disadvantaged minorities, on a nondiscriminatory basis;

(4)to help make neighborhoods safe and livable;

(5)to expand opportunities for homeownership;

(6)to provide every American community with a reliable, readily available supply of mortgage finance at the lowest possible interest rates; and

(7)to encourage tenant empowerment and reduce generational poverty in federally assisted and public housing by improving the means by which self-sufficiency may be achieved.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 12702

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60