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HUDNEWS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT WASHINGTON D . C . 20410 HUD-No. 69-0525 Phone (202) 755-6980 FOR RELEASE AFTER: 2:00 P . M., Monday June 30, 1969 HUD TENDERS MODEL CITIES CONTRACT TO TEXARKANA, TEXAS Secretary George Romney of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced the tender of a $1,558,000 Model Cities contract to Texarkana, Texas. Today's action by Secretary Romney will enable the city to begin the first-year action phase under its comprehensive five-year Model Cities program. State, county, local and private resources will also be used by the city in its concentrated, coordinated attack on the- serious social, economic and physical problems within the Model Cities area. HUD pointed out that the programs for Texarkana, Tex as and Texarkana, Arkansas were developed as a joint effort. Both cities received planning grants on the basis that they would demonstrate the feasibility of inter-city, inter-state cooperation. In the first action year of their respective programs, eight projects will be carried out jointly by the two cities. Funding of projects to be operated by the Texarkana Independent School District has not been approved pending the outcome of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare Title VI proceedings . The obligation of the Tex as Independent School District to come into full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is in no way diminished by HUD's approval of the Te~arkana, Texas Model Cities program. Secretary Romney, who is Chairman of the President's Cabinet Committee on Voluntary Action , noted the Public and private involvement in the p l anning phase of the Texarkana p r ogram as well as in carrying out the first year action projects. - more - �HUD-No. 69-0525 The Texarkana Home Builders' Association and the Texarkana Board of Realtors were involved in planning and developing the housing element in the comprehensive plan. Individual members of the Home Builders' group are building housing for low-income families under the FHA home0wnership assistance program. The Texarkana Chamber of Commerce, Carpenter's Local No. 379, the University of Arkansas, Texas A & M, and Texarkana Junior College also participated in the planning phase. Among the groups cooperating in preparing the health and social service components were Senior Citizens Services, Inc~, the Texarkana Dental Society, the Texarkana Council on Alcoholism, and the Mental-Health Retardation Center. In addition, local television and radio stations publicized the program, and Texarkana Newspaper, Inc. donated time, staff services and equipment to print the "Community Developer" as a supplement to the local newspaper. Commenting on the decision to tender a contract, Secretary Romney explained that this was done after a careful review of the Texarkana comprehensive plan. The plan was thoroughly studies and analyzed both by the Regional and Washington Interagency Review Committees representing those Federal Departments and Agencies with urban aid programs. 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: Leo Bounds, Jr. Model Cities Agency P. 0. Box 1967 Texarkana, Texas 75502 Mayor A. J. Womack City Hall Texarkana, Texas 75502 NOTE: A summary of the Texarkana 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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