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WHITE COLUMNS ON PEACHTREE CHANNEL 2, ATLANTA, GA. 30309 AN EDITORIAL OPINION .... . .. . January 3, 1969 VIEWPOINT - An official e x pression of the editorial opinion of the management of WSB Television. American Builder Magazines' Centennial issue asked a hard question: "Who really give a damn about housing?" And answers: · "Not the cities - they're headed for a decade of failure. "Not the suburbs - they couldn't care less." "Not the rural areas - everyone's leaving them." "Not the power structure - all they do is talk, talk, talk." Then the magazine recognizes Atlanta as one of the few oasis in a desert of apathy. Because Mayor Allen, Dan Sweat, Cecil Alexander and Malcolm Jones have pushed us far ahead of other cities. But still not far enough. Even the Mayor's crash program falls short of help in the area of the greatest need: units that will rent or sell for $30 to $50 a month. So what can be done? Here is what WSB Television considers some key recommendations: The Federal Housing Act some loans for home ownerships at there's not enough money for this other housing programs. Congress the money. of 1968 allows the FHA to make one per cent interest! But project - or for many of the must see the crisis - and vote Building ·codes must be updated to allow for new, more economical assembly-line building techniques and materials. Building trade unions must stop discriminating and start.helping to train mo~e · workmen. _ Private enterprise must b~ able to build truly low cost housing at a profit. Senator Robert Kennedys suggestions for t ax benefits offer the best hope for that. (more) COX BROADCASTING CORPORATION stotion1: WSB AM-FM-TV, Atlonto • · WIOD AM-FM, Mioml e WHIO AM-FM -TV, Doyton • WSOC AM -FM-TV, Charlotte KTVU, Son Fronci1co •Ooklcnd • WIIC-TV, Pittsburgh �r What private enterprise so far has not built in Atlanta, must then be built as public housing. And some of this public housing can be built in present slum pockets even in Northside Atlanta. One of the most difficult problems in Atlanta is to find land at a reasonable price zoned for apartments. WSB Television suggests the expressways. That's right the expressways! Not on the pavement during rush hour traffic. But in the air space over the freeways! Not only is it possible to build housing over the expressways but it has been done in other cities. The land is already.owned by the government. And the government encourages use of the valuable air space for such necessary urban projects as housing. Incidentally, for rapid transit, too. Without the expressways, only 200 to 400 acres inside Atlanta are zoned for apartments. With the air space over the freeways there would be a minimum of 2,700 acres of expressway rightof-way within the city of Atlanta. Already there's plenty of parking available e very rush hour.

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