Executive Order 10276—Administration of the Housing and Rent Act of 1947, as Amended, and Termination of the Office of the Housing Expediter

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes, including section 208 (a) of the Housing and Rent Act of 1947, as amended, and as President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the armed forces, it is hereby ordered as follows: 1. (a) All powers, duties, and functions conferred upon the President by Title II of the Housing and Rent Act of 1947, as amended, exclusive of section 208 (a), as amended, of the said Act, shall be administered through the Economic Stabilization Agency (established by Part IV of Executive Order No. 10161 of September 9, 1950). The said powers, duties, and function may be exercised and performed by the Economic Stabilization Administrator or, subject to his direction and control, by such officers and agencies of the Economic Stabilization Agency as the said Administrator shall designate. (b) All powers, duties and functions conferred upon the President by Title I of the Housing and Rent Act of 1947, as amended, exclusive of section 4 (e) thereof, as amended, shall be administered through the Housing and Home Finance Agency. The said powers, duties, and functions may be exercised and performed by the Hosing and Home Finance Administrator or, subject to his direction and control, by such officers and agencies of the Housing and Home Finance Agency as the said Administrator shall designate. 2. The Office of the Housing Expediter is hereby terminated and disposition shall be made of its affairs according to the following paragraphs of this order. 3. The records, property, and personnel of the Office of the Housing Expediter shall be transferred, and the unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations and other funds of the Office of the Housing Expediter shall be transferred or otherwise made available, to the Economic Stabilization Agency, except that any such records relating to matters within the scope of paragraph 1 (b) of this order shall make such determinations and dispositions and take such measures, which shall be carried out in such manner as the Director shall direct and by such agencies as he shall designate, as he shall deem to be necessary in order the effectuate the provisions of this section. 4. In order that the confidential status of any records affected by this order shall be fully protected and maintained, the use of any confidential records transferred hereunder shall be so restricted by the Economic Stabilization Agency and the Housing the Home Finance Agency as to prevent the disclosure of information concerning individual persons or firms to persons who are not engaged in functions or activities to which such records are directly related, except as provided for by law or as required in the final disposition thereof pursuant to law. 5. The authority of the Economic Stabilization Administrator under the provisions of this order shall, subject to the provisions of section 206 (e) of the Housing and Rent Act of 1947, as amended, be deemed to include authority to institute, maintain and defend civil proceedings in any court (including the Emergency Court of Appeals) relating to the matters within the scope of paragraph 1 (a) of this order including any such proceedings pending on the effecting date of this order. 6. All provisions of prior Executive orders, proclamations or parts thereof in conflict with this order are amended accordingly. All other prior and currently effective orders, rules and regulations, directives and other similar instruments relating to any matter affected by the provisions of this order or issued by the Housing Expediter or the Office of the Housing Expediter terminated hereunder or by any predecessor or constituent agency thereof or by any Federal agency shall remain in effect except as they are inconsistent herewith or are hereafter amended or revoked under proper authority. 7. The Economic Stabilization Administrator shall liquidate any of the affairs of the Officer of the Housing Expediter not otherwise provided for in this order. 8. The provisions of this order shall be effective as of the effective date of the Defense Production Act Amendments of 1951. HARRY S. TRUMAN THE WHITE HOUSE, July 31, 1951