The Council of the City of Philadelphia hereby finds that:

(1) By enacting Ordinances adding Chapter 16-400 to The Philadelphia Code, Council has established an effective mechanism to acquire and dispose of real estate throughout the City of Philadelphia.

(2) The City's Office of Housing and Community Development has conducted a Gift Property Program utilizing said Chapter 16-400 but has adopted certain constraints dictated or recommended by other government agencies thereby severely limiting the class of individuals and agencies being served.

(3) As a result, the City has accumulated a large land-bank of vacant ground and structures which, for all intents and purposes, are not disposable due to the aforementioned constraints, and are only contributing to further blight throughout the City of Philadelphia.

(4) And the duly elected District Councilpersons have "hands-on" knowledge of their respective Councilmanic Districts they have been elected to serve and, therefore, can stimulate and induce, depending on their respective energies, individuals, agencies, etc., to accept Chapter 16-400 class of properties and rehabilitate and/or improve those properties with residential, commercial or industrial reuses.

(5) Section 8-205 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter and Chapter 16 Section 203(1) of The Philadelphia Code confer certain authority upon Council on disposition of real estate or rights and interests therein.