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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-102

§1544 Power of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to Manage, Convey, Etc., Housing Properties

Title 42 › CHAPTER 9 — HOUSING OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN NATIONAL DEFENSE › SUBCHAPTER IV — GENERAL PROVISIONS AFFECTING SUBCHAPTERS II TO VII › § 1544

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development can manage, operate, insure, and handle properties bought or built under subchapters II to VII of this chapter. The Secretary may use federal staff or selected private or public agencies. He can collect or settle claims tied to the properties, rent, lease, exchange, sell for cash or credit, or give parts away free to local municipalities for streets or other public use. The Secretary must set fair rents based on the property’s value, and in an emergency may, in special cases, lower rent to match tenants’ income. Rents for Army, Air Force, and Navy personnel are set by those military departments. Leases made under this authority are not subject to section 1302 of title 40. Local municipalities include the District of Columbia.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §1544

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

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, whether relating to the acquisition, handling, or disposal of real or other property by the United States or to other matters, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, with respect to any property acquired or constructed under the provisions of subchapters II to VII of this chapter, is authorized by means of Government personnel, selected qualified private agencies, or public agencies (a) to deal with, maintain, operate, administer, and insure; (b) to pursue to final collection by way of compromise or otherwise, all claims arising therefrom; (c) to rent, lease, exchange, sell for cash or credit, and convey the whole or any part of such property and to convey without cost portions thereof to local municipalities for street or other public use: Provided, That any such transaction shall be upon such terms, including the period of any lease, as may be deemed by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to be in the public interest: Provided further, That the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall fix fair rentals, on projects developed pursuant to subchapters II to VII of this chapter, which shall be based on the value thereof as determined by him, with power during the emergency, in exceptional cases, to adjust the rent to the income of the persons to be housed, and that rentals to be charged for Army, Air Force, and Navy personnel shall be fixed by the Departments of the Army, Air Force, and Navy: Provided further, That any lease authorized hereunder shall not be subject to the provisions of section 1302 of title 40. As used in this section the term “local municipalities” shall include the District of Columbia.

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 and 1571 to 1576, respectively, of this title and have been omitted from the Code. For further details, see note set out under section 1522 of this title. Codification In text, “section 1302 of title 40” substituted for “section 321 of the Act of June 30, 1932 (47 Stat. 412)” 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

1950—Act Apr. 20, 1950, substituted “Housing and Home Finance Administrator” for “National Housing Administrator” wherever appearing. 1942—Act Apr. 10, 1942, inserted last sentence. Act Jan. 21, 1942, amended second 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(129)],
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. § 1544

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102