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STATEMENT BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE URBAN COALITION ON HOUSING AND URBAN RECONSTRUCTION The Urban Coalition Executive Committee calls upon Congress and the nation to take bold and immediate action to fulfill the national need stated in the Housing Act of 1949 for "a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family" with guarantee s of equal acces s to all hous i ng, new and e x isting. We believe that the President's urban affairs message and the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 are important contributions t o this end- -both in clearly statin g the urge ncy o f the needs and in creating new avenues of public and private cooperati on. A long-range program is vital if we are to h ave the continu i ty o f e f f o rt to p l a n, coor dinate a nd imple me n t t he r econs t r ucti on o f our c ities wi th maximum effe c t i v e n e s s. We strong l y urge Congress and all Amer icans to support the steps that are so e s sential to the g r owth and progress of our n a t i o n and its c iti z e ns. A number o f meas u r e s set forth are major c o ntributions t o i mp r oving e ffici e ncy , inc r easing sca l e and encour a g ing greater i n volvement o f t he res ource s o f the priv a t e s e c tor . In p articu lar we cite : --The pla n s to provide home owne r s hip opportuniti es f o r low and moderate income families throu gh fle x ible inter e s t subs idie s linked to f a mily i ncomes and finan c e d i n the p r ivate sector . --The steps t o expand rental and cooperative hou sing for low and moderate inc ome f amilies through flexibl e interest subsidie s l i nked to famil y income and the greate r encouragement o f private sector financing . �STATEMENT ON HOUSING AND URBAN RECONSTRUCTION March 14, 1968 Page 2 --The provisions for technical assistance and advice to nonprofit sponsors . --The proposed extension and strengthening of the rent supplement program. --The extension of the public housing program with increased emphasis on quality and vital related social services . These are much needed improvements. --The New Communities Act which can be an important step in creating new and balanced living environments. --The creation of Neighborhood Development Programs to expedite the planning and implementation of urban renewal a nd rehabilitation. --The proposed National Housing Partnerships which respond to the need for imaginative vehicles through which private corporations may join together and become more deeply involved in the social and physical aspects of urban development. --The proposed expansion of the Model Cities Progr am. --The emphasis by t he President on the need for t he passage of effective fair housing legislation. - ~The efforts to make the mortgage more attractive and competitive as a financial instrument . --The e x pansion and improvement of research and development activ ities which are crucial to reduce the cost of housing and increase productivity . Th e measur es outlined by the Pr esident are essen t i a l if h o u si n g a n d u r ban r e c o ns t r uction are to hav e thei r just a n d proper p ri o rity. Howe v e r, we mu st r emembe r that the r econ s t ruct ion o f o u r c iti e s involves all aspect s o f our s o cie ty and d irect l y affe c ts the lives and well-being o f eve ry ci t izen. The be st o f ideas are no better than their implementation, and achieving the g o als set forth will require a host of other factors. �STATEMENT ON HOUSING AND URBAN RECONSTRUCTION March 14 , 1968 Page 3 Efforts to improve the competitive position of the mortgage are beneficial, but in themselves they will not produce a dramatic increase overnight in the availability of funds. Sound national monetary and fiscal policies are essential if the financial resources necessary for new housing are to be forthcoming from the private sector, and if we are to provide essential public services . Success will also demand a deep personal commit- ment and a dedication to innovation by all Americans whether in the public or private sectors. We also believe there are additional considerations vital to achieving the goals of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968. We urge Congr ess and the Ameri can people to consider the following recommendations: -- To mi nimi ze land speculation and related problems , a conce rted e ffo r t must be made t o develop new means fo r the acquisition of property so that e x isting and proposed p r ograms can be imp l emented. Attention should be paid to ideas such a s creating f ede r a l , sta te and loc al multi p u rpo s e authori ties and quasi - public a genc i es to und ert ake land a nd property acquisition and site de v elopment fo r lar ge s c ale ventures . --Steps must be t aken to assur e t h at the "wo rk ab l e program " requirements, a s a c o nditi o n o f urb an a ss istance in federally-aid ed pro grams, d o no t serve as a barrier to low and mo derate inco me housing. --Further steps are necessary to assure that regulations, especially concerning cost and income limits, are realistic in terms of local area conditions. --Continuing efforts to eliminate red tape and to streamline operations are of paramount importance to the success of all existing and proposed programs. �STATEMENT ON HOUSING Al.~D URBAN RECONSTRUCTION March 1 4, 1968 Page 4 --Continuing, independent evaluation processes should be established to measure the effectiveness of government programs against their goals. We must break the longestablished tradition of building one program on top of another and assure that the various programs are combined in the most efficient and effective manner. A major national effort must include a primary emphasis _ on people and their needs--with respect for the community and full provision of all necessary commercial and social facilities and services. It must also include h i gh architectural standards and first-class construction for attractive homes and neighborhoods. As part of an overall effort to rebuild our urban areas, new and rehabilitated low-rent housing should be located in both the c i ty and the suburbs and interspersed with other types of rental and private housing for the creation of balanced neighborhoods . We must strive for dynamic communities in which all residents can share a sense of dignity and security . We recognize that, at best , the dissolution of the r ac i al ghettos in our large cities is a long range task . Pe n d ing d i s s o - l ut i on , t h e intolerable conditions that e x ist in the ghettos mu st b e all e vi ated a n d r equired funds mus t be p r ovi ded . We a gree, h ow- ever, with t h e Pr es i den t's Advi so ry Commi ss ion on Civil Diso rders that "This can be n o mo r e t h an a n i n te ri m s t r a tegy." We shall achieve neither equality no r s o cial peace by building physically improved but apartheid c ompo unds. single, integrated society. Our primary goal must be a To this end, we urge that in allo - �STATEMENT ON HOUSING AND URBAN RECONSTRUCTION ~arch 14, 1968 Page 5 eating public funds for housing, education, recreation and other facilities, preference be given to programs that embrace a metropolitan or regional area including a city and its environs and that will demonstrably advance integration. We have come to a time when we must realize that existing housing markets and housing programs simply do not meet the needs of millions of Americans. A long-run solution requires both technological progress to lower housing development costs and broad social, educational and economic efforts to raise income levels for all Americans. But time is short, and we must begin to solve our housing problems now. Having recognized the urgency of our housing needs, we must strive to develop the most effective mix of public and private resources for carrying out a broad cooperative program. We must apply wide vision and hard realism if our goals are to be realized and if we are not to have new aspirations become further frustrations. Only a massive and carefully coordinated endeavor will achieve the scale required if each American is to have the long-denied opportunity of a d e cent home and suitable living e nvironment. �