Housing and Urban Development Act, 1715

Bill as submitted to the "Hopper" of the Federal Assembly, 1715 AN

THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ACT, 1715

THE READING OF

A

BILL

TO

PROVIDE FOR AN INTEGRATED NATIONAL HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT POLICY; AMONG OTHER PURPOSES.

THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ACT, 1715

Presented by Gerhardt Eugen Seydlitz, Deputy from Isles of Caputia, (FHP)

Ordered, by the Cortes Federales of Nouvelle Alexandrie,
to be Printed, 1715 AN.
BE IT ENACTED by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Cortes Federales, in this present 5th session assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

PART I.
GENERAL PROVISIONS.

1. CITATION.

1. This Act shall be cited in all purposes as “The Housing and Urban Development Act, 1715.”

PART II.
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.

2. DEFINITION AND ESTABLISHMENT

1. There is hereby created a Department of Housing and Urban Development.
2. The Department shall be charged with the management of human settlements, housing and shelter, real estate development and regulation, environmental and urban planning and development, public lands placed under its stewardship, and the implementation of this Act.
3. The Department shall be composed of the Office of the Secretary and such other subordinate instrumentalities as provided in this Act or other laws.
4. The Department shall have such Undersecretaries, numbering no more than five, and Assistant Secretaries numbering no more than twelve, and such staff and organization as the Secretary shall provide.
5. The Secretary shall, by Department Order, determine the order of succession to the Office of Secretary, provided that no Assistant Secretary shall succeed or assume office while qualified Undersecretaries still exercise office, and no Bureau Director shall succeed or assume office while qualified Assistant Secretaries still exercise office.
6. No person shall succeed or assume office without attesting to the oath of office in the prescribed form and manner.
7. The Department shall have Regional Offices at regional capitals, and provincial and city or municipal offices as the Secretary shall provide.
8. The Department shall have the following Bureaus, each to be headed by a Director, a Deputy Director, and such staffing pattern appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Secretary:
   1. Bureau of Land Management;
   2. Bureau of Public Housing;
   3. Bureau of Real Estate Development;
   4. Bureau of Environmental and Urban Planning and Development;
   5. Bureau of Standards and Regulations;
   6. Bureau of Administration.
9. An annual socialized housing tax of one ecu per square meter is hereby imposed on all land in private individual or corporate ownership within the Federation, accruing at the last day of every year. This tax shall be paid no later than the last day of the sixth month of the calendar year immediately succeeding. A surcharge of five percentum of the tax due shall accrue upon every last day of the calendar year with the tax not being paid. Failure to pay the tax for three consecutive calendar years shall constitute a lien on the property, which shall be deeded upon order of the court to the Bureau of Land Management.
10. There is hereby created the Social Housing Fund within the Treasury, to which the annual socialized housing tax shall be paid into.
11. The condition of the Social Housing Fund at the end of every calendar year shall be reported to the Cortes and the Council of State.
12. In times of economic need, as determined by the Council of State, the Council of State may direct the suspension, condonation, postponement, or reduction of the annual socialized housing tax.
13. Land owned by and deeded to the national and local government shall be exempt from the socialized housing tax.

3. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT.

1. The Department, through the Bureau of Land Management, shall manage all lands placed under its management or stewardship in accordance with law.
2. No less than five percentum of all land areas of all cities, municipalities, and human settlements of all kinds shall be designated for public parks and open spaces under the stewardship and regulation of a local public parks commission elected by the citizenry and overseen and ordained by the local government, and shall be forever inalienable. The local public parks commissions shall submit an annual report to the Bureau of Land Management no later than the end of the 3rd month of every year.
3. The Bureau of Land Management may not sell, encumber, lease, or alienate land in its possession; nor shall it construct or excavate upon such land, without both the signature of the Secretary and prior approval of the Council of State.
4. The Bureau of Land Management may rent or lease land in its possession, and such funds raised shall accrue to the Bureau of Land Management for its operations; provided that ten percentum of such funds upon receipt shall accrue to the Treasury.

4. RAINWATER HARVESTING AND COLLECTION.

1. All new public and private construction of buildings of two or more stories after effectivity of this Act shall have rainwater harvesting and collection facilities as part of its design, under such guidelines as the Secretary may provide. The Bureau of Standards and Regulations shall ensure enforcement of this provision.
2. The Secretary may pay out from the Social Housing Fund to assist private individuals in the construction and installation of rainwater harvesting facilities in buildings erected prior to the enactment of this Act.

5. SOLAR AND GREEN POWER PROVISIONING.

1. All new public and private construction of buildings of two or more stories after effectivity of this Act shall have solar and green power (wind power, geothermal power, hydroelectric power) facilities as part of its design, under such guidelines as the Secretary may provide. The Bureau of Standards and Regulations shall ensure enforcement of this provision.
2. The Secretary may pay out from the Social Housing Fund to assist private individuals in the construction and installation of solar and green power provisioning facilities in buildings erected prior to the enactment of this Act.

6. UNDERGROUND SHELTER REQUIREMENT.

1. All new public and private construction of buildings of two or more stories after effectivity of this Act shall have an underground shelter as part of its design, under such guidelines as the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, may provide. The Bureau of Standards and Regulations shall ensure enforcement of this provision.
2. The Secretary may pay out from the Social Housing Fund to assist private individuals in the construction and installation of an underground shelter in buildings erected prior to the enactment of this Act.

7. BUREAU OF PUBLIC HOUSING.

1. The Council of State shall determine periodically which public lands are suitable for public housing, and transfer these lands to the Bureau of Public Housing.
2. The Secretary may likewise determine which lands under the management of the Bureau of Land Management are suitable for public housing, and transfer these lands to the Bureau of Public Housing, and inform or recommend to the Council of State accordingly.
3. The Secretary is authorized to receive donations and bequests of private land for the Bureau of Public Housing.
4. The Secretary shall determine further regulations necessary for the proper operationalization of the Bureau of Public Housing.

8. FUNDING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AND TAX SUPPORT.

1. The federal, regional, and local governments, as required by the law, shall endeavor to reflect funds required for constructing, purchasing, leasing public housing in their budget for expenditure each year.
2. In order to stabilize the dwelling of groups in need of housing assistance, such as youth groups, persons with disabilities, aged persons, newlyweds, and low-income households (hereinafter referred to as "groups in need of housing assistance"), the federal, regional, and local governments may reduce or exempt national or local taxes related to constructing, acquiring, or managing public housing, as prescribed by the laws or any other tax-related Act or regional or local ordinance.
3. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall administer a Housing and Urban Fund, which shall allocate funding preferentially to constructing, purchasing, or leasing public housing.
4. Where a person who intends to execute a development project under any other statutes or regulations plans rental housing, he or she shall preferentially consider the public rental housing; and where the type of rental housing has not been determined as at the time the site for construction of rental housing is supplied, the site shall be provided preferentially to a public housing project operator, who intends to supply public rental housing, in the manner prescribed by the law or by Royal Decree.

9. PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT OPERATORS.

1. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall designate a public housing project operator from among the following:
   1. The federal government, or any of the relevant regional or local government;
   2. A local government-invested public corporation established for housing projects;
   3. An institution prescribed by Royal Decree from among the existing public institutions;
   4. A corporation established by any entity referred to in subparagraphs a through c by investing more than 50/100 of the total equity;
   5. A real estate investment company established by the Housing and Urban Fund or a person who falls under any of subparagraphs a through c, by investing (including joint investment) the total equity (including where such person owns over 50/100 of the equity, in cases of an urban public housing complex project).
2. Such matters as the methods and procedures for selecting a public housing project operator, agreements on joint implementation, etc. under paragraphs (1) 5 and (2) shall be determined and publicly notified by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

PART III
CLOSING PROVISIONS.

10. OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.

1. There is created an Oversight Committee in the Cortes Federales of Nouvelle Alexandrie, composed of 10 members appointed by the Speaker or elected by the whole Cortes Federales; provided that the seats shall accurately reflect the current political composition of the Cortes Federales.
2. This Oversight Committee shall hold a periodic review of the implementation of this Act, suggest recommendations for remedial policy and legislation, and may summon officials of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to answer questions.
3. The Oversight Committee shall submit a report on its activities and recommendations to the Speaker and the Council of State prior to the conclusion of every Cortes Federales.

11. COMMENCEMENT AND APPLICATION.

1. The Housing and Urban Development Act, 1710 is repealed.
2. This Bill shall apply to all of the Federation of Nouvelle Alexandrie.
3. This Bill shall not become law unless it has been given Royal Assent.
4. In the event any provision or part of this Bill is found to be invalid or unenforceable, only that particular provision or part so found, and not the entire Bill, will be inoperative.