Pennsylvania Act 1938-12 (session 1) — SLUM CLEARANCE

Act text

SLUM CLEARANCE
         Act of Sep. 14, 1938, Special Session 1, P.L. 34, No. 12     Cl. 48
                      Special Session No. 1 of 1938
                               No. 1938-12

                                  AN ACT

     Authorizing housing authorities to contract with and to lease or
        convey to the Commonwealth or any of its agencies or
        instrumentalities of government, including the General State
        Authority, any area acquired or about to be acquired for slum
        clearance purposes.

        The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     hereby enacts as follows:

        Section 1.  The following words, as used in this act, shall
     have the following meanings:
        "Housing Authority."  Any housing authority created by the
     act, approved the twenty-eighth day of May, one thousand nine
     hundred and thirty-seven (Pamphlet Laws, nine hundred fifty-
     five), known as the "Housing Authorities Law."
        "Project."  Any work or undertaking to demolish, clear or
     remove buildings from any slum area.
        "Slum."  Any area in which there is a predominance of
     structures which by reasons of dilapidation, overcrowding,
     faulty arrangement or design, lack of ventilation, light or
     sanitary facilities, or any combination of these factors, are
     detrimental to safety, health and morals.
        Section 2.  Any housing authority shall have the power and
     authority, either before it undertakes a project whereby it
     shall demolish, clear or remove buildings from a slum area, or
     after it has undertaken and completed such slum clearance
     project, to enter into contracts with the Commonwealth of
     Pennsylvania, or any agency thereof, or instrumentalities of
     government, including the General State Authority, to lease to
     the Commonwealth or such agency, for a term not to exceed
     ninety-nine years, or to grant, assign or convey either the fee
     or such right, title, interest or easement as shall be deemed
     necessary, in and to such slum area, or any part thereof, when
     or as cleared, together with any improvements, buildings or
     structures therein or thereon, owned or about to be acquired by
     such housing authority, needed by or convenient to the
     Commonwealth, or any agency thereof, or instrumentality of
     government, including the General State Authority, for any
     public purpose or purposes, including the creation of public
     parks and the erection on the lands contracted for of building,
     improvements and structures deemed necessary for the use of the
     Commonwealth, or needed or convenient for the corporate purposes
     of such agency or instrumentality of government.
        Section 3.  No such contract to lease, grant, assign or
     convey any slum area to the Commonwealth, or any of its
     agencies, or instrumentality of government, including the
     General State Authority, entered into before the clearance of
     such slums, shall be valid unless it shall reserve the right
     unto and impose a duty upon the housing authority to demolish,
     clear or remove all such buildings from the slum area as shall
     be necessary to change the character of said area and remove the
     slums therefrom as promptly as circumstances permit.
        Section 4.  Any housing authority shall have the power and
     authority, after it has undertaken and completed a project
     whereby it shall have demolished, cleared or removed buildings
     from a slum area, to lease to the Commonwealth or any of its
     agencies or instrumentalities of government, including the
     General State Authority, for a term not to exceed ninety-nine
     years, or to grant, assign or convey, either the fee, or such
     right, title, interest or easement as shall be deemed necessary,
     in and to such slum area, or any part thereof, together with any
     improvements, buildings or structures therein or thereon, owned
     by such housing authority, needed by or convenient to the
     Commonwealth, or any agency thereof, or instrumentality of
     government, including the General State Authority, for any
     public purpose or purposes, including the creation of public
     parks and the erection on the lands so leased, granted, assigned
     or conveyed of buildings, improvements and structures deemed
     necessary for the use the Commonwealth, or needed or convenient
     for the corporate purposes of such agency or instrumentality of
     government.
        Section 5.  The powers, rights and duties herein conferred or
     imposed upon housing authorities are in furtherance of, and in
     addition to, those provided for in the act, approved the twenty-
     eighth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven
     (Pamphlet Laws, nine hundred fifty-five), known as the "Housing
     Authorities Law."