The Congress finds that the rapid expansion of the Nation’s urban areas and urban population has caused severe problems in urban and suburban development and created a national need to (1) provide special training in skills needed for economic and efficient community development, and (2) support research in new or improved methods of dealing with community development problems.

It is the purpose of this chapter to provide fellowships for the graduate training of professional city and regional planning, management, and housing specialists, and professionally trained personnel with a general capacity in urban affairs and problems: to make grants to and contracts with institutions of higher education (or combinations of such institutions) to assist them in planning, developing, strengthening, improving, or carrying out programs or projects for the preparation of graduate or professional students to enter the public service; and to assist and encourage the States and localities, in cooperation with public and private universities and colleges and urban centers and with business firms and associations, labor unions, and other interested associations and organizations, to (1) organize, initiate, develop, and expand programs which will provide special training in skills needed for economic and efficient community development to those technical, professional, and other persons with the capacity to master and employ such skills who are, or are training to be, employed by a governmental or public body which has responsibility for community development, or by a private nonprofit organization which is conducting or has responsibility for housing and community development programs, and (2) support State and local research that is needed in connection with housing programs and needs, public improvement programing, code problems, efficient land use, urban transportation, and similar community development problems.