Important Laws and Ordinances (In Progress)

Question 1

Standard State Zoning Enabling Act

1924

Answer 1

• U.S. Department of Commerce / Secretary Herbert Hoover
• Advisory Committee on City Planning and Zoning
• allowed local governments to divide territory into zoning districts
• 9 sections
• zoning must be “in accordance with a comprehensive plan”

nine sections: included a grant of power, a provision that the legislative body could divide the local government’s territory into districts, a statement of purpose for the zoning regulations, and procedures for establishing and amending the zoning regulations. A legislative body was required to establish a zoning commission to advise it on the initial development of zoning regulations.

Question 2

Standard City Planning Enabling Act

1928

Answer 2

• U.S. Department of Commerce / Secretary Herbert Hoover
• Advisory Committee on City Planning and Zoning
• Alfred Bettman influential
• six subjects

six subjects: the organization and power of the planning commission, which was directed to prepare and adopt a “master plan”; the content of the master plan for the physical development of the territory; provision for adoption of a master street plan by the governing body; provision for approval of all public improvements by the planning commission; control of private subdivision of land; nad provision for the establishment of a regional planning commission and a region plan.

Question 3

Land Ordinance of 1785

Answer 3

• provided for the rectangular land survey of the Old Northwest
• following end of Revolutionary War
• systematic way to divide and distribute land to public

Question 4

Homestead Act of 1862

Answer 4

• provided 160 acres of land to settlers for $18
• required 5 years of residence
• total settlement of 270 million acres or 10% of the US land area

Question 5

Morill Act

1862

Answer 5

• allowed new western states to establish colleges

Question 6

General Land Law Revision Act

1891

Answer 6

• gave the president the power to create forest preserves by proclamation

Question 7

Forest Management Act

1897

Answer 7

• allowed the Secretary of the Interior to manage forest preserves

Question 8

US Reclamation Act

1902

Answer 8

• allowed funds from the sale of public lands in arid states to be used to construct water storage and irrigation systems

Question 9

Antiquities Act

1906

Answer 9

• provided federal protection for archaeological sites
• allowed for the designation of national monuments

Question 10

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act

1944
GI Bill

Answer 10

• guaranteed home loans to veterans
• resulted in rapid development of suburbs

Question 11

US Housing Act of 1954

Answer 11

• largest impetus for comprehensive planning
• required cities to develop comprehensive plans
• provided funding for planning under section 701
• led to the creation of plans for the purpose of receiving federal funding rather than truly planning for communities

Question 12

First Tenement House Act of 1867

1867

Answer 12

• required fire escapes for each suite and a window for every room
• loophole led to tenements being built with windows facing interior hallways
• first major housing code in US

New York

Question 13

Second Tenement House Act of 1879

1879

Answer 13

• closed a loophole of the first tenement law by requiring windows to face a source of fresh air and light, not an interior hallway.
• Led to the Dumbbell tenement
• air shafts filled with water, garbage and waste, becoming unsanitary

New York

“old law” tenements

Question 14

Tenement House Act of 1901

Answer 14

• banned the construction of dark, poorly ventilated tenement buildings in the U.S. state of New York.
• required outward-facing windows in every room, an open courtyard, proper ventilation systems, indoor toilets, and fire safeguards.
• outlawed dumbbell tenements
• required inspection and permits for construction adn alterations

New York

“new law” tenements

Question 15

National Housing Act of 1934

Answer 15

• established the Federal Housing Administration with the purpose of ensuring mortgages
• established the FSLIC for insuring savings deposits

Question 16

US Housing Act of 1937

Answer 16

• $500M in home loans for low-cost housing
• tied slum clearance to public housing
• Section 8 of the act authorized project-based rental assistance

Section 8 authorized project-based rental assistance where the owner reserves some or all of the units in a building for low-income tenants (later amended by 1974 act to become Seciton 8 Housing)

Question 17

Housing Act of 1949

Wagner-Ellender-Taft Bill

Answer 17

• first comprehensive housing legislation in the US
• called for 800,000 new housing units
• emphasized slum clearance
• provided fundign for urban redevelopment

Question 18

Housing Act of 1954

Answer 18

• called for slum prevention and creates Urban Renewal program
• Section 701 provided funding for Comprehensive Plans for cities under 25,000 population - later expanded for statewide, interstate, and regional planning
  *

Question 19

Housing Act of 1961

Answer 19

• provided interest subsidies to nonprofits, limited-divident corporations, cooperatives, and public agencies for the construction of public housing projects for low and moderate income families
• first federal housing subsidy program

Question 20

Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965

Answer 20

• creates the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• also put in place rent subsidies for the poor, reduced interest home loans, and subsidies for public housing

Question 21

Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966

Answer 21

• launch of model cities program
• financial incentives for coordinated metro area planning for open spaces, water supply, sewage disposal, and mass transit
• established loan guarantee program to encourage the development of new communities

Question 22

Civil Rights Act of 1968

Answer 22

• made racial discrimination in the sale or rental of housing illegal
• Title 8 and 9 of act are the Fair Housing Act

Question 23

Fair Housing Act

1968

Answer 23

• Title 8 and 9 of the Civil Rights Act of 1968
• prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex (since 1974), people with disabilities (since 1988), and families with children (since 1988)

Question 24

National Historic Preservation Act

1966

Answer 24

• establishes the National Register of Historic Places
• Section 106 provides for the protection of preservation-worthy sites and properties threatened by federal activities
• creates the National Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
• directs states to appoint a State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO)

Question 25

National Environmental Policy Act | 1969

Answer 25

requires an environmental impact statement for every federal or federally aided state or major local action that may harm the environment

Question 26

Intermodal Surface Transporation Efficiency Act | ISTEA 1991

Answer 26

first federal transportation law to mandate planning

Question 27

Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968

Answer 27

* provided for the construction of 6 million subsidized housing units * authorized monthly subsidies for private houses for low-income families

Question 28

Housing and Community Development Act | 1974

Answer 28

* consolidated 6 categorical grants with the block grant as the primary form of federal aid for local community development * creates the CDBG program * created the Section 8 Voucher program (amending 1937 legislation) to provide rent subsidies for low income housing

Question 29

National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Act of 1974

Answer 29

* regualted manufactured housing units for the first time * applied to all manufactured homes built after 1976 * local ordinances can regulate manufactured housing in terms of location, size, and appearance

Question 30

Home Mortgage Disclosure Act | 1975

Answer 30

* requires financial institutions to report mortgage data to the public * helps track whether banks are serving the housing credit needs of their community and potentially identify discriminatory lending patterns

Question 31

Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) | 1977

Answer 31

* encourages banks to meet the credit needs of low- and moderate-income neighborhoods * aim to reverse effects of redlining * requires federal regulators to assess how well each bank fulfills its obligations to low- and moderate-income neighborhoods

Question 32

Revised Housing and Community Development Act (1977)

Answer 32

* authorized the Urban Development Action Grant Program (UDAG) to promote public-private partnership for urban redevelopment * required intergovernmental cooperation in the placement of projects * cut funding for the Section 701 comprehensive planning program

Question 33

National Affordable Housing Act of 1990

Answer 33

created the HOME program which provides funds for housing rehabilitation

Question 34

Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000

Answer 34

* protects individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and lnadmarking laws * prohibits zoning and landmarking laws that substantially burden the religious exercise of churches or other religious assemblies or institutions absent the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling governmental interest

Question 35

1956 Federal Highway Act

Answer 35

* created the highway system that links state capitals and most large cities * created the Highway Trust Fund to finance highway building * sources of revenue for the Highway Trust Fund include taxes collected from vehicle sales.

Question 36

Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949

Answer 36

* established the General Services Administration, which is responsible for managing, acquiring, and disposing of federal property.