Omnibus Housing Act
A series of legislation put into place by the U.S. government, called the Omnibus Housing Act, dramatically affected the shape of urban housing. Beginning in 1954, these Omnibus Acts progressively expanded on the Housing Act of 1949, which set goals to provide suitable housing for every American family.
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Time Frame
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From 1954 through 1968,the U.S. government issued five Omnibus Housing Acts that affected American housing regulations. Additionally, New York State legislators signed a new Omnibus Housing Act in 1983 and President Clinton enacted the Omnibus Housing Act of 2002.
Function
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The various Omnibus Housing Acts were issued in the era of trying to both improve the quality of life for the general American population and then later as part of the Civil Rights movement. Providing fair, equally affordable, quality housing for all kinds of Americans, regardless of race were sub-goals under the laws that also addressed specific housing needs in the country.
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Features
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The Omnibus Housing Act of 1954 created the Urban Renewal Administration and expanded on the 1949 Housing Act by calling for "urban renewal." One major focus was on guaranteeing quality housing standards for veterans and FHA-insured houses.
The 1956 version focused on slum clearance, reducing the impact of poverty housing on a community and continuing urban redevelopment in slum neighborhoods.
In 1959, the Omnibus Housing Act again amended its previous legislation. This time including elderly residents, the Act provided for FHA-secured mortgages for new or renovated housing having a 50 percent or more elderly population.
The Omnibus Housing Act of 1964 allowed public mortgage lender Fannie Mae to pool the total of its mortgages and sell shares to private lenders.
In 1965 as part of the Great Society Laws put in place by President Lyndon Johnson, the Omnibus Act of 1065 offered nearly $8 billion toward building housing and providing rent supplements for low and middle-income families.
The 1983 OHA demanded rent controls and consolidation of rental laws under the Department of Housing and Community Renewal allowed non-tenant occupied apartments to become exempt from rent stabilization laws. New York City apartment building owners ended up filing a lawsuit against Lenox Hill Hospital to be released from their agreements with the hospital who sublet apartments to employees. Ultimately, Lenox Hill Hospital's practices were declared constitutional and the case settled.
Benefits
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This series of housing legislation created major government departments including the Housing and Urban Development and the Urban Renewal Administration. By concentrating the efforts of lawmakers around the needs of the public for safe and quality housing, the nation's housing standards improved overall. Reducing slums, renovating and rehabilitating run-down neighborhoods created jobs and paved the way for non-profit organizations like Habitat for Humanity who still work with affordable housing for low income families.
Misconceptions
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The enactment of these laws, particularly in the midst of the Civil Rights movement, set the tone for equal opportunity housing. However, the nation still finds itself struggling to implement these laws and more recent ones to sufficient effect. Slums and housing projects still dominate portions of major cities like Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Until the implementation of these fair housing laws evens out, some Americans still wait to realize the "quality living" goals that the original 1949 Housing Act set out.
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