* § 894. Declaration of purpose. The legislature finds and determines as follows:

1. The urban areas of the state of New York have unique characteristics, needs, conditions and opportunities. These urban areas are vital to the economic, social and general health of our state. The magnitude of the challenge of economic habilitation of those distressed urban areas which are in need of assistance is such that a concentrated effort by the state in cooperation with these communities is required.

2. Past efforts on the part of the state to facilitate necessary assistance to distressed urban areas have been characterized by specific and innovative program approaches to individual symptoms of blight and deterioration. The state has firmly established through these individual program approaches its commitment to preserving the viability of urban areas. Numerous agencies have been created, empowered and funded to assist and coordinate these efforts in specific areas of need.

3. Efforts have further been made, through the establishment of the urban affairs cabinet, to facilitate and to enhance the coordination of state programs and efforts intended to remedy the problems of urban blight and deterioration.

4. Despite these tangible past and present commitments to urban preservation and development, the legislature hereby finds and determines that many of the urban areas of our state continue to suffer from blight and deterioration of basic public services, the private economic sector, housing stock and other critical elements of community vitality.

5. It is further found and declared that the numerous efforts of the state designed to address and to correct existing and encroaching indices of community distress must be strengthened and enhanced and assistance to local and community agencies and organizations designed to maximize the amount of financial and other assistance directed to distressed urban areas must be improved.

6. It is therefore, the intent of the legislature to establish an office of urban revitalization. The legislature intends that such office shall augment the efforts of the urban cabinet in coordinating the programs and efforts of the state agencies and public benefit corporations to remedy existent problems in distressed urban areas. Said office shall also be empowered to assure the provision of technical assistance to localities and community organizations engaging the improvement of economic, housing, industrial and commercial revitalization of distressed communities. The legislature intends that this office serve these organizations in order to maximize their abilities to successfully obtain assistance from all available private and public sources.

7. It is further the intent of the legislature to empower the office to initiate, subject to legislative authorization and appropriations for that purpose, programs of financial assistance to local and community agencies and organizations consistent with the policy of enhancing the revitalization of distressed urban areas.

8. These programs of assistance to distressed urban communities and community organizations will thereby constitute an economic advantage to the state and facilitate the implementation of the revitalization of distressed urban areas.

* NB Expired March 31, 1985