P.R. Laws tit. 17, § 132
It is hereby declared:
(1) That within and without the urban limits of the towns and cities of Puerto Rico there exist districts commonly known as “slum districts”, made up of unsanitary and unsafe dwellings and other structures which, due to the insalubrity of the lands where said districts are located, to the crowding of the said structures, or the excessive number thereof in proportion to the capacity of the area where they are located, their deterioration, their defective alignment or distribution, and their lack of ventilation or light; to the absence of sanitary facilities; to the lack of proper streets, or the concurrence of several of the factors above enumerated, are dangerous, harmful or contrary to the safety, health, welfare or morals of their occupants or of the community in general;
(2) that in violation of the laws and to the prejudice of the public interest, these “slum districts” are developing and spreading continually, promoting an increase and propagation of crime and disease, and constituting a menace to the health, safety, morals, and welfare of the inhabitants of Puerto Rico, mainly of those who live in the “slum districts” proper;
(3) that these conditions require excessive and disproportionate expenditures of public funds for crime prevention and punishment, preservation of public health and safety, fire and accident protection, and other public services and facilities;
(4) that the clearance of the districts where dwellings of conditions as hereinabove set forth exist, is an aim of public utility and necessity for which funds may and should be expended and private property acquired, and are governmental functions of great concern to the people of Puerto Rico, and
(5) that it is of public interest and necessity that the elimination of these unsanitary and unsafe districts be commenced as soon as possible.
History —May 14, 1945, No. 264, p. 910, § 2.