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AN OFFICIAL OPINION O F ·l· J: ( 4~ ..,.11?.W t l!__uW jj;j)_ . RADIO/ ATLANTA ~ ~7 1601 WEST PEACHTREE ST,, N.E. \•JSB VI El•IPOI NT "THE NEED FOR MORE SUBSIDIZED HOUSING by Elmo Ellis, General Manager Broadcast Sunday, December 22, 1968 11 Novelist Jan Struther once 1·1rote: A city is greater than its bricks and mortar; it is greater than tower or palace, church or hall; a city's as great as the little people that live there. 11 We agree wit~ the sentiment expressed in these lines, but if we expect the little people to prove their greatness, aren't vie duty bound to ask ourselves, what kind of living quarters are we providing for them? Many families in Atlanta are living in decrepit apartments and rat-infested slum housing. Their so-called homes are unfit for raising children . They lend themselves more often to serving as breeding places for discontent, disease and crime . While we have replaced some of these hovels and shacks, and expect to meet the Mayor's quota of 16,800 replacement units by 1971, we aren't providing nearly enough low and middle-income housing. And we aren't subsidizing the building of such units in enough different places in the city. Clarence Col eman of the Housing Resources Committee of Atlanta hea ded a t eam that studied this matter thoroughly. Its members concluded that (l) subsidized housing must be fairly distributed through the city; and (2) the only politically feasible way to do this is by a 11 package deal , 11 1,11hich designates some ten areas located in various sections, north, south, east and west, all of which are suitable for housing development. The plan isn't new, but its never been given a vote of approval by the Boa rd of Alder~n. If they would say yes, housing development could move ahead in a way to make 1969 a oanher year for Atlanta. Our city has proved its ability to redesign our skyline vlith magnificent ne\'.J office buildings, hotel s, lu xury apartme nts and shooping complexes , This same kin d of vi s ion . and energetic l eaders hip is so rely nee ded in the building of adeq uat e sub sidi ze d housing. · Besides eradicating substandard dwe llings and bringing new sunlight into thousands of lives, such an enlightened effort on a mas s ive, city-~·1i de scale could oerhaps do more than any other thing to promote social and .economic stabili ty and stimulate peaceful progress throughout our community . A great many bus in es s, profess ional and chu rch leader s are sol idl y behind this program. A number of our top civic organizations are enthus iastically s upportin~ it. What we need now i s a res ounding expression of approval from t he vast maj or ity of our loca l citizens . If we make i t cl ear and convin cin g that we , t he people of Atl anta , are behind t hi s package proposal --and we earnes t ly want to see subs idi ze housing di s tri buted t hro ughout the city--then vte will improve vastly the chances that our Housing Authority and our Aldermen will h2ar and give thi s program the green light.

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