.MTk3Nw.MTk3Nw

July 25, 1969 The Honorable G e o1· ge Ro1nney Secretary of the United States De partment of Housing a n d U rban Development Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. S ec retar y: In Nov ember , 1966r w e b e gan in Atl anta a con ce ntxated effor t to st imul ate the devel o pment o f 16, 8 0 0 units of low and mod erate inc ome housing to provide safe and sanitary shelte r f o r thous ands o f less fo rtunate citi zens . This effort, call ed The Mayor 's Ho u s i n~ Resou rces Pro g ra1n" was suppo r ted by the U . S . Departrnent of Eoush1g a.tid U:tban Developn-.le:nt, . private banks, devel opers, c hur c hes , civic gr o ups and individual citizens at a ll levels . This program has produced res ults. As of this d ate , 21, 01 3 of the five year goal of 16, 800 w1its have been complete df are u nder const ruction, or in planning . The m o st re c ent status report is attached for your information. Within the next few weeks , the single most signiHci.nt devel o pment generated by our programs will b e plac e d under construction. It is the East Lake Meadows turnkey proj ect, w hich is the largest turnkey public housing developm.ent in Ameri c a with comprehe n sive c omm.unity facilities. Be c ause of the significance of this unde rtaking and be c ause it embodies so m a ny of the aspects of corrrmunity h ousing a c tion \vhich you so magnificently support , all of us in Atlanta - City Hall, the builders, our housing offici a ls, and citizens in general - fee l that we want to share the beginning of this proj ect with you. �---S ec reta r y Romney Page Two J uly 25a 1969 I have been aske d t o i ss ue y ou an offi cia l imiita tion fro m all of us t o inaugurat e conetr uction of this m o st imp o rtan t hous ing d e velopment f o r poo r people . If you schedule will p errr.;.it you t o come to A tlanta in the next fevv we e ks O we shall s c hedule the c ere1n o11ies fo r y o ur c onvenien c e . J:t woul d al s o give u s the opp o rtunity to s how y ou s on~e of the 9pe r ational components o f Atla nta 1 s Mod e l Cities pro gr am. . . Highlights in the deve lopme n t of t h e East L ak e Mea d ow s ·P r oject will give you s ome i dea o f its impo r t anc e not onl y i n rel ation to t h e solution o f urban prob l ems of A tlanta b u t perhaps i n other citie s . The l and on which t his proje c t is locate d was on c e a g olf cour se owne d T hey s o ld it t o the Ma1·ch Cumpany~ a private devel o pment co1npany. and s u ppo rted diffi cult · rezoning in an area which had hitherto had n o publi c housing . Cit y officials , local Ho using /\nthority, and the Regional Housing Autho rity, together with local business people, civic· groups, commtU1i c ation n-ied i a, were au inv lved . The p wojcct lncluc' es 800 1.i.vlhg uHito, EiC foi' dcl..:::r! y , shoppinr; center. commw1ity and health faciliti es , dty park, recreation a r eas and the dedication of s chool sites . An example of cornmunity supp o rt involves the four le ading b a nks in Atlanta who for1necl a c onsortium t o fina nce the tnterim construction costs in an effo rt to assist in the sol ution of Atlanta I s housing problems for its l ow-inc ome citizens . This develo p ment r epresents the hig h es t type of cooperation among city, business, government interagen.cy planning and implementation - a model c o rrununity effort. by prominent conservative business1r1en in A tlanta . Your presence here on this o c casion , therefore , would serve t o give strength to the s olution of the many difficult pr oblems we still fa c e in Atlanta and to spotlight one of the landmark public housing developn-ients in Arnerica. Those of us who are faced with the community l evel problen-is of leadership are thankful that you are in the crucial pos it i on at HUD . Sincerely yours, Ivan Allen, Jr. Mayor IAJr:fy �