National Housing Act — N-11 75
Technical research and investigation, etc. 75 (1) Subject to subsection (2), the Corporation may (a) cause to be prepared and undertaken, directly or in cooperation with other departments or agencies of the Government of Canada or the government of any province or with any municipality, university, educational institution or person, programs of technical research and investigation into the improvement and development of methods of construction, standards, materials, equipment, fabrication, planning, designing and other factors involved in the construction or provision of improved housing accommodation in Canada and coordinate those programs or measures referred to in section 74 with other similar programs or measures undertaken in Canada; (b) enter into contracts for the production or development of materials, equipment or component parts for houses through the pilot-plant stage of production or development and for the testing of such materials, equipment or component parts; (c) undertake publication, and the distribution of publications, coordinating the results of the technical research, investigations and programs referred to in paragraph (a), and the testing referred to in paragraph (b), in such forms as may be most useful to the public or to the building industry; (d) conduct competitions to secure plans, designs and specifications suitable, in its opinion, for housing to be constructed at low cost and purchase the plans or otherwise compensate persons taking part in the competitions; (e) make available or cause to be made available, in such manner as it deems advisable or in cooperation with any other department or agency of the Government of Canada, with the government of any province or with any university, educational institution or person, any training program or educational facility that, in its opinion, will assist in the construction or designing of family housing units, in land planning or community planning, in the management or operation of housing projects or in the formulation and implementation of housing policy; (f) enter into a contract with a manufacturer of plumbing or heating equipment or other component parts of houses for the experimental production of the equipment or component parts in accordance with standardized designs that, in the opinion of the Corporation, may be manufactured or produced at low cost; (g) construct housing units for experimental purposes on land owned or to be acquired by the Corporation for the purpose; (h) make arrangements with a province or a municipality, with the approval of the government of the province in which that municipality is situated, to conduct special studies relating to the condition of urban areas, to means of improving housing or to the need for additional housing or urban redevelopment; (i) undertake or cause to be undertaken projects of an experimental or developmental nature that may assist the Corporation in the formulation and implementation of a housing policy designed to meet the needs of the various communities in Canada; and (j) carry out research and planning and provide services and information that relate to the financing of housing, housing affordability and choice, living environments or community planning, or that are intended to contribute to the well-being of the housing sector in the national economy. Approval required (2) The powers of the Corporation under paragraphs (1)(g) and (i) may be exercised only with the approval of the Governor in Council. Underwriting sales (3) The Corporation may, with the approval of the Governor in Council, enter into a contract with a manufacturer referred to in paragraph (1)(f) to underwrite the sale, at such price as may be agreed on and specified in the contract, of the equipment or component parts referred to in that paragraph, manufactured or produced for installation or use in homes, if the manufacturer manufactures or produces the equipment or component parts in such volume as may be agreed on and sp