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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§1502 Initiation and Development of Projects; Jurisdiction; Acquisition of Property; Fees of Architects, Engineers, Etc.

Title 42 › CHAPTER 9 — HOUSING OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN NATIONAL DEFENSE › SUBCHAPTER I — PROJECTS GENERALLY › § 1502

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Navy, Army, or Air Force can start projects to build housing on or near their bases for officers, enlisted people, and employees named in section 1501. The President decides whether the military department or the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will develop each project. If the military department builds it, HUD may give technical help and money. HUD can own the project and lease it to the military until the military repays the cost under the lease. Leases may use terms like those in the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437). The military department that leases a project has the same control over that housing as it has over the nearby base. The military departments and HUD may get land or property for these projects by buying it, using eminent domain, accepting gifts, leasing, or other ways. Sections 3111 and 3112 of title 40 do not apply to buying real property for these projects, and section 1302 of title 40 does not apply to leases of these projects or dwellings. If HUD starts condemnation (eminent domain) it does so in HUD’s own name and follows U.S. practice, including sections 3114–3116 and 3118 of title 40 and the Act of March 1, 1929 (45 Stat. 1415). HUD may sell land it bought to a public housing agency at HUD’s cost. The services and HUD may hire and pay reasonable fees to architects, engineers, surveyors, appraisers, title examiners, and real estate negotiators. The Secretaries of the Navy, Army, and Air Force may give HUD needed land and sign leases or agreements to carry out these projects.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §1502

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

(a)Projects may be initiated under this subchapter by the Department of the Navy or Army or the Air Force to provide dwellings on or near naval or military reservations, posts or bases for rental to the officers, enlisted men and employees of the Departments of the Navy, Army, and Air Force described in section 1501 of this title. Such projects shall be developed by the Department of the Navy or Army or the Air Force or by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, whichever the President determines is better suited to the fulfillment of the purposes of this subchapter with respect to any particular project. If the development of such project is to be undertaken by the Department of the Navy or Army or Air Force, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is authorized to aid the development of the project by furnishing technical assistance and by transferring to such Department the funds necessary for the development of the project. Any project developed for the purpose of this section shall be leased to the Department of the Navy or Army or Air Force by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (who shall have title to such project until repayment of the cost thereof to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development as prescribed in such lease) upon such terms as shall be prescribed in the lease, which may be the same terms as are authorized by the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.], with respect to leases to public housing agencies. All the provisions of said Act which apply to the development of projects by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall (insofar as applicable and not inconsistent herewith) apply to the development of projects by the Department of the Navy or Army or Air Force. Notwithstanding other provisions of this or any other law, the Department leasing a project shall have the same jurisdiction over such project as it has over the reservation, post or base in connection with which the project is developed.
(b)The Department of the Navy or Army or Air Force, in connection with any project developed or leased by it, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in connection with any project developed or assisted by him, for the purposes of this subchapter, may acquire real or personal property or any interest therein by purchase, eminent domain, gift, lease or otherwise. The provisions of section 3111 and 3112 of title 40 shall not apply to the acquisition of any real property by the Department of the Navy or Army or Air Force or by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for the purposes of this subchapter or to the project developed thereon, and the provisions of section 1302 of title 40, shall not apply to any lease of any project developed for the purposes of this subchapter or of any dwelling therein. Condemnation proceedings instituted by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall be in the Secretary’s own name and the practice and procedure governing such proceedings by the United States shall be followed, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall likewise be entitled to proceed in accordance with the provisions of sections 3114 to 3116 and 3118 of title 40 and an Act of Congress approved March 1, 1929 (45 Stat. 1415). If the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development acquires land in connection with a project to be assisted for the purposes of this subchapter, the Secretary may convey such land to the public housing agency involved for a consideration equal to the cost of the land to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The Departments of the Navy, Army, and Air Force and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may negotiate, contract and fix such fees as they determine are reasonable for the services of architects, engineers, surveyors, appraisers, title examiners and real estate negotiators in connection with specific projects developed by them under this subchapter. The Secretaries of Navy, Army, and Air Force are authorized to make available to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development any land that is needed for a project to be developed by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and leased to the Department of the Navy or Army or Air Force and to execute such leases, agreements and other instruments with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this subchapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The United States Housing Act of 1937 and said Act, referred to in subsec. (a), are act Sept. 1, 1937, ch. 896, as revised generally by Pub. L. 93–383, title II, § 201(a), Aug. 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 653, which is classified generally to chapter 8 (§ 1437 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1437 of this title and Tables. The Act of Congress approved
March 1, 1929, referred to in subsec. (b), is act Mar. 1, 1929, ch. 416, 45 Stat. 1415, which was classified to chapter 7 (§ 361 et seq.) of former Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and was repealed by Pub. L. 88–241, § 21(b), Dec. 23, 1963, 77 Stat. 627. Codification In subsec. (b), “section 3111 and 3112 of title 40” substituted for “section 355 of the Revised Statutes”, “section 1302 of title 40” substituted for “section 321 of the Act of
June 30, 1932 (U.S.C. 1934 edition, title 40, sec. 303b)”, and “sections 3114 to 3116 and 3118 of title 40” substituted for “the Act of Congress approved
February 26, 1931 (46 Stat. 1421)” on authority of Pub. L. 107–217, § 5(c), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1303, the first section of which enacted Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works.

Amendments

1942—Subsec. (a). Act Oct. 26, 1942, inserted “officers,” after “rental to the” in first sentence.

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 Order No. 40 [App. A(75)],
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 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 1501 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 1502

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110