P.R. Laws tit. 17, § 112
It is hereby found and declared (a) that there exists in Puerto Rico slum areas, blighted areas, and areas in the process of becoming blighted, all of which pose a grave menace to the health, safety, morals, and welfare of the inhabitants of Puerto Rico, and that the findings and declaration thus far made in §§ 101—119 of this title with reference to blighted areas are hereby confirmed and reiterated, (b) that certain slum areas, blighted areas, or areas in the process of becoming blighted, or a part of the said areas, may have to be acquired and cleared, pursuant to §§ 101—119 of this title, inasmuch as the state of deterioration there may be such as to render impossible the restoration of the said areas through upkeep or rehabilitation, but other areas, or parts thereof, can, through the means provided by such sections, as amended, be subjected to upkeep and rehabilitation measures in such manner as to eliminate, correct, or prevent the above-mentioned conditions and hazards, and insofar as is feasible, such blighted areas and areas in the process of becoming blighted shall be subjected to upkeep and rehabilitation measures through private action, either voluntary or compulsory, and (c) that all the powers conferred by such sections, as amended, are for public purposes for which public funds may be used and other powers may be exercised; and that the need, in the public interest, for the provisions enacted in such sections, as amended, is hereby declared to be a matter for determination by the Legislature. In the enforcement of the provisions of such sections, as amended, all public entities and agencies shall see to it that area rehabilitation and redevelopment is carried out by private enterprise whenever it is consistent with the needs of the community in general.
History —May 9, 1947, No. 97, p. 226, added as § 15 on June 20, 1955, No. 82, p. 302, § 1.