42 USC 12656 - Urban Youth Corps

U.S Code last checked for updates: Nov 22, 2024

§ 12656.

Urban Youth Corps

(a)

Findings

The Congress finds the following:

(1)

The rehabilitation, reclamation, and beautification of urban public housing, recreational sites, youth and senior centers, and public roads and public works facilities through the efforts of young people in the United States in an Urban Youth Corps can benefit these youths, while also benefiting their communities, by—

(A)

providing them with education and work opportunities;

(B)

furthering their understanding and appreciation of the challenges faced by individuals residing in urban communities; and

(C)

providing them with a means to pay for higher education or to repay indebtedness they have incurred to obtain higher education.

(2)

A significant number of housing units for low-income individuals in urban areas has become substandard and unsafe and the deterioration of urban roadways, mass transit systems, and transportation facilities in the United States have contributed to the blight encountered in many cities in the United States.

(3)

As a result, urban housing, public works, and transportation resources are in need of labor intensive rehabilitation, reclamation, and beautification work that has been neglected in the past and cannot be adequately carried out by Federal, State, and local government at existing personnel levels.

(4)

Urban youth corps have established a good record of rehabilitating, reclaiming, and beautifying these kinds of resources in a cost-efficient manner, especially when they have worked in partnership with government housing, public works, and transportation authorities and agencies.

(b)

Purpose

It is the purpose of this section—

(1)

to perform, in a cost-effective manner, appropriate service projects to rehabilitate, reclaim, beautify, and improve public housing and public works and transportation facilities and resources in urban areas suffering from high rates of poverty where work will not be performed by existing employees;

(2)

to assist government housing, public works, and transportation authorities and agencies;

(3)

to expose young people in the United States to public service while furthering their understanding and appreciation of their community;

(4)

to expand educational opportunity for individuals who participate in the Urban Youth Corps established by this section by providing them with an increased ability to pursue postsecondary education or job training; and

(5)

to stimulate interest among young people in the United States in lifelong service to their communities and the United States.

(c)

Definitions

For purposes of this section:

(1)

Appropriate service project

(2)

Corps and Urban Youth Corps

(3)

Qualified urban youth corps

The term “qualified urban youth corps” means any program established by a State or local government or by a nonprofit organization that—

(A)

is capable of offering meaningful, full-time, productive work for individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, in an urban or public works or transportation setting;

(B)

gives participants a mix of work experience, basic and life skills, education, training, and support services; and

(C)

provides participants with the opportunity to develop citizenship values and skills through service to their communities and the United States.

(4)

Secretary

(5)

State

(d)

Establishment of Urban Youth Corps

(1)

Establishment

(2)

Use of qualified urban youth corps

(3)

Service projects

(4)

Preference for certain projects

In selecting an appropriate service project to be carried out under this section, the Secretaries shall give a preference to those projects which—

(A)

will provide long-term benefits to the public;

(B)

will instill in the participant a work ethic and a sense of public service;

(C)

will be labor intensive;

(D)

can be planned and initiated promptly; and

(E)

will provide academic, experiential, or community education opportunities.

(5)

Consistency

(e)

Living allowances

(f)

(g)

Educational awards

(1)

Eligibility

(2)

Forbearance in the collection of Stafford loans

(h)

Nondisplacement

(i)

Cost sharing

(1)

Projects by qualified urban youth corps

(2)

Donations

(3)

Funds available under National and Community Service Act

(Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 106, Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 854.)

cite as: 42 USC 12656