Illinois Code § 2

§ 2.

Legislative finding and declaration. It is hereby found and declared: (a) That there exists within the populous areas in the State of Illinois an inadequate quantity of housing and that this inadequacy may not be regarded as transitory or self-curing; (b) Inadequacy of housing in such areas breeds disease, mental and physical; increases the mortality rate; contributes to marital instability, juvenile delinquency, and crime; requires increased expenditures by the State of Illinois and by local governments; necessitates higher tax levies; and intensifies demands for charity, both public and private; (c) Alleviation of the inadequacy of housing in such areas requires the use for housing purposes of presently undeveloped land in such populous areas, in tracts sufficiently large to meet modern and economical construction needs and patterns and the requirements of modern city planning; (d) A large proportion of presently undeveloped land in populous areas, suitable for housing purposes within the aforementioned requirements, lies within subdivisions in which there is prevalent (i) small lot size; (ii) diversity of ownership; (iii) unknown ownership and clouded titles; (iv) taxes and special assessment delinquencies usually exceeding the fair value of the land. These characteristics render such land unmarketable in fact for housing purposes or for any other economic purpose, so that such land, in its present state, cannot be developed by private enterprise. (e) These subdivisions are a continuing burden upon the tax paying properties of the community and they are permitted through neglect to produce weeds, noxious and otherwise, which become fire hazards during the autumn season, and are often the locations where offensive, immoral, and criminal acts are perpetrated. They have, therefore, become a blight upon the community. (f) That these conditions prevent development of desirable residential areas, resulting in added costs to the people of this State for creation of new public facilities and services. That lots within such subdivisions which have a fair cash market value in excess of the amount of the unpaid taxes and special assessments, are so burdened and encumbered by such conditions that the owners suffer from the blight which engulfs such areas and destroys the marketability of otherwise saleable land. (g) As a result of these degenerative conditions the properties within these blighted vacant areas are in a state of nonproductiveness and fail to produce their due and proper share of the taxes necessary to support local governments within whose boundaries they are situated notwithstanding the annual outlay of a substantial amount of public revenues in a largely ineffectual effort to collect such taxes. They are economic, social, and physical waste lands which produce a meager share of the public revenue raised to defray the cost of police and fire protection, the protection of public health and the promotion of general welfare. The drain upon the public revenues caused directly and indirectly by these blighted vacant areas, has impaired and will continue to impair the efficient, economical, and indispensable governmental functions of the State of Illinois, as well as of the counties and municipalities within the State of Illinois. (h) That these blighted vacant areas constitute physical, economic, and social nuisances, and should be eliminated in the best interest of the health, morals, safety, and general welfare of the people of the State of Illinois. Accordingly, such elimination and development as herein provided is hereby declared to be a public use. (Source: Laws 1949, p. 994.)