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.... . September 3, 1969 MEMORANDUM TO: Mr. Cecil A. Alexander, Chairman . Housing Resources Committee Attached is copy of the controversial proposed 1970-11 Housing Code Enforcement plan, less map, (Encl. 1) prepared by the Planning Department and approved by the P &: D Committee August 30, after considerable questioning by all members of the Committee, except the Chairman, Rodney Cook. This plan was adopted September 2 by the Board of Aldermen on a 8-7 roll call vote , but was d e layed by Alderman Millican for reconsideration at the next meeting of the Board of Aldermen, Septembe1· 15. Resolution attached (En cl. 2 ). 1 I recommentl that the Housing Resources - Committee consider this plan and take a position on it before the next Board of Aldermen meeting. Suggest it b e referred to the Legal Pane l, and perhaps also to the Public Relations P anel, for recommendation to the HRC Executive Committee. It app ears that this plan was conceived by Helen Meyers in the Planning Department and developed by her with the assistance of Jack Linville also of the Planning D epartment, with perhaps some coordination by Bill Hewes of .the Buildi ng Department. ,. The Hou s ing Code Division, which must administer the plan, I understand w as n ot involved in its development, does not yet have copy of it, has not seen the map deline ating the areas and treatment proposed and is not pleased w ith w hat they have heard about it. Again, t h e HRC was not informed, consulted or asked to participate i n: d e v e lopme nt of the plan, which so vitally affects housing resources in the City. -: .. ,.,... ... .. . . .. �Mr. C e cil A. Alexande r Septembe r 3, 196 9 Page 2 . In my opinion ( and I think I qualif y by expe r i e nce in Housing Code Enforc e ment to speak) the re are several thing s about the plan that are not practical and which I believe will cause difficulty, i.e.: I l. It i s discriminatory and I do not believe legal. 2. It will be difficult to enfo r ce from a Public Relations angle. 3. The plan was developed from statistics made from exterior inspections only. 4. From casual g lances at the map, the proposed areas for eventual U. R. and NDP trea tment appe ar to be g reate1· than the City' a entire current U. R. and NDP program. (If carried out at the rate of effort proposed for the 1970 U. R. and NDP program, copy attache d (Encl. 3). which I understand is maximum effort, it would require 10 years to complete.) 5. The City is ha ving difficulty now in financing its share of current NDP programs. It will most likeli not be financially able to car r y out these extensive proposed future NDP areas. 6. The areas proposed for partial Code Enforcement only have already been included in the City' s 5 year Housing Code Enforcement program just completed. 7. I cannot accep,t t fJZlid the contention that dilapidation is so bad in the areas propos e d for-~ - · compliance, to make them "safe and sanitary", only. because the majorit y of the structures are not suitable for rehabilitation, that they must be demoli s hed; or that the number of units in this category is as large as claimed by propone nts of the plan. 1 8. If dila p i dation in these areas is as bad as claimed, then this is a serious indictm ent a g ains t t he effectiveness of the past Hou s ing Code Enforcement effort, which I think on the whole has been quite successful. 9. It i s a l s o a serious ind ictme nt again s t th e City of Atlanta for having sp ent the ~mourt of mo ney a n d e ffort w hich it has in U r ban Renewal a nd Housing Code Enforcement , n ot to hav e made mor e p rogr e s s in h ou s i ng improve ments than the plan would indicate. Furth er , i t i s a l so an indic tment agai ns t the success of the City's low-income h ousing program i n producing needed replacement housing. . i I �Mr. Cecil A. Alexander September 3, 1969 Page 3 p/1-r:-{i A-\ 10. ~ If the plan should be adopted, the areas de signated for p ~ compliance only will continue to deteriorate at an accelerated rate, while waiting hopefully, but in va in~ for the expec ted Urban Renewal which cannot and will n ot come to many of t he areas involved. Thu s , this will inc rease the burden on t he Housing Program to produce l arger quantities of replacement hou sing, .which would n ot be needed, if strict Housing Code E nforcem ent were carried out, based o n actual housing conditions o n thdividual structur es • . In m y opinion, Atlanta has · reached the stage now '\v he re most effective . result s can be obtained by cons tant surveillance of individual structures and appropriate correctio n e r im.?roTreme.nts made· on those structures which need it, no matter where the y exist in the City. Sinc-er.ely. M.ala.olm D • . Jones. Housing Coordinator: MDJ/mc Ends: 1. i. 3. Proposed Housing Code Enforcement: Plan· (les-s:map) :, Resolution Proposed Activities - L970 NDP �