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HUD NEWS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT HUD-No. 69-0534 Phone (202) 755-7327 WASHINGTON D . C . 20410 FOR RELEASE AFI'ER: 10 A.M. Thursday June 26, 1969 MODEL CITIES CONTRACT TENDERED TO BALTIMCRE, MD. Secretary George Romney of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced the tender of a $10,554,000 Model Cities contract to Baltimore, Md. Baltimore will also be given support from other programs administered by HUD, by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the Department of Labor, and the Office of Economic Opportunity. Today's action by Secretary Romney will enable Baltimore to begin the first year action phase of its comprehensive five-year Model Cities program. Local and private resources will also be used by the city in its concentrated, coordinated attack on the serious social, physical and economic problems within the Model Cities area. Secretary Romney, who is Ghairman of the President's Cabinet Committee on Voluntary Action, noted the extensive private and public involvement in the Baltimore program. Civic, business, educational, welfare, and medical groups were involv ed in the planning process, and will also participate in the first year action phase. During planning , the Chairman of the Great er Baltimore Committ ee, a privat e organization comprised of leading businessmen in the city, serv ed on th e Policy Steering Board and helpe d develop the comprehensive program. There was also strong university involvement, with John Hopkins University playing a major role in helping to dev e lop some of the health components. Morgan Stat e College made one of its faculty members available to s erv e a s Chai r man of the Policy St eering Board . Also, physicians and dentists in the mod e l ne ighborhood provid ed t echnical assistance to the task forc e on health . • more • �' HUD-No. 69-0534 -2- Commenting on the decision to tender a contract, Secretary Romney explained that this was done after a careful review of the Baltimore comprehensive plan. The plan was thoroughly studied and analyzed both by the Regional and Washington lnteragency Review Committees representing those Federal Departments and Agencies with urban aid programs. "During the past several months, Baltimore has done an excellent job in revising its proposals and improving its capability to operate its first year action program," he said. A total of 150 communities in 45 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are participating in the Model Cities Program. The first applications for planning grants were approved in November 1967. For further information: William G. Sykes, Director Model Cities Agency City Hall Baltimore, Md. 21202 Mayor Thomas J. D1 Alesandro City Hall Baltimore, Md. 21202 NOTE: A summary of the Baltimore Model Cities Program is available upon request to the Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C. 20410

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