Reading Room Document

Applicability of the Uniform Relocation Assistance Act to the Community Development Block Grant Program

The Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act (URA), which authorizes compensation for persons displaced by federally funded urban redevelopment, applies to the projects funded out of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, as amended by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981. The statutory language and legislative history of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 indicate that Congress intended the URA to apply to grants made under authority of that law, including grants under the CDBG program. Administrative practice and legislative consideration of the CDBG program since 1974 reflect that intention. The amendments made to the CDBG program by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 simplified the CDBG program and reduced the level of federal involvement; however, these amendments make no explicit reference to the URA and are not inconsistent with continued application of the URA. Therefore, they cannot be said to affect the continuing applicability of the URA to community development block grants. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/23206/download.

November 5, 1982