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lr[HHE [R[E N[E W[E [R NEWSLETTER OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE F OR URBAN RENEWAL Vol . 5 No. 1 Atlanta, Georgia Jamary 1967 MUST NOT BEQUEATH OUR HOUSING PROBLEM TO NEXT GENERATION, lViA YOR ALLEN DECLARES Atlanta I s housing situation is no more serious than that in any large city, but we must do all possible not to leave it as an unsolved legacy to t h e ne:<:t generation. That was the challenge laid down by Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr., at the b e ginning of his address to our first 1967 full committee meeting, January 19. Sai d Mayor Allen: "In American cities in years past, no consideration was give n to where p e ople lived and the "do or die" attitude prevailed. Until the middle of the p re sent century, there was no positive planning about where people should live and the growth of cities was haphazard. In the past nobody cared what happened to the unfortunate. Now there is a greater public conscience. Now we have the awareness of the federal government about the problems of people. The planning techniques which first brought raised eye b r ows. and tongue in cheek attitudes are accepted. It is realized t h at out of planning, comes the only hope of solving our urban problems. 11 Mr. Allen then focused his remarks on Atlanta. He pointed out that the city has been struggling with limited funds and some federal aid to upgrade its planning in g eneral. He emphasized that young men are taking the lead in the city's planning, mentioning Collier Gladin, Bill Bassett and George Aldridge as examples. Then he stressed t h e importance of Community Improvement Program, disclosing the specifics of Atlanta's problems. He cited that the CIP has shown that some 17, 000 out of Atlanta's 175,000 housing units are substandard and that some 16,000 families must be relocated because of government actions. Said he: "Our city, and other cities, are now beginning to face up to the responsibility of taking care of displaced people. ltn Atlanta, public housing has made a great start toward solving our housing problem. It is a thrilling sight t o see what the Housing Authority has accomplished in the last few m o nths. We already have more than 9, 000 units of public housing and soon will have another 1, 000. This has been supplemented by urban renewal, which covers more than 2, 500 acres. People from urban renewal projec ts have been moved into better housing, even though it is not all standard. Urban rcne v,al has been the catalyst that has br ought such great prosperity to our cit y. " HOUSING A UTHORITY'S A CCOMPLISHMENTS ARE HAILED AS "THRILLING SIGHT" In pushing its all out effort to solve the housing problem, the city is going to stir up hornets nests, and will continue to need the strong support of our committee, Mayor Allen declared. He pointed out that under present financial conditions private enterprise is reluctant to invest in low income housing, but that the housing problem cannot be solved without the support of private resources. Said he: "The people of Atlanta wei-e s tunned by the magnitude of the task disclosed by our Housing Conference held in the latter par t of 1966. 11 He pointed out that the Board of Aldermen had approved a request for a federal reservation of 3, 000 additional housing units. Summed up Mayor Allen: "To solve our housing problem, we must do more than just replace worn-out units. The purpose of this committee is to further the aims of good planning and to obtain fac tual information to help rebuild the deteriorated portions of this city and keep other sections up to standard. Our goals are known. We simply must get on with the job. The city needs this committee's support and help". CITY TO STIR UP HORNETS NES'T S, NEEDS OUR COMMITTEE'S STURDY SUPPORT �-2. CHAIRIV.tAN PLEDGES COMMITTEE SUPPORT TO CITY IN ITS STEPPED UP SLUiv! WAR The city will have our committee's full support in its all out effort to solve the housing problem and to eliminate slums, Chairman Sommerville assured Mayor Allen. Said he: 11 Our Committee will help in any way possible, We have spent a long time in studying the reports of the CIP which have made clear what we have in the city. Now we know where to go and how to do what needs to be done. Working with CIP is to be one of our main businesses this year." Chairman Sommerville added that our committee can exert strong influence. Said he : 11 This Committee now has weight in this city. 11 HOUSING AUTHORITY OFF TO FAST START IN PUBLIC UNITS, SATTERFIE LD SHOWS The Atlanta Housing Authority has responded quickly and effectively to Mayor Allen's call for action toward solving Atlanta 's housing problem, M. B. Satterfield, AHA executive director, demonstrate d in a talk to our January 19 meeting. He first pointed out that the November 15, 1966 housing conference disclosed that 16,800 families would be displaced in five years and that Ivlayor Allen had set a goal of 9, 800 housing units for a two year crash program. This breaks down into 2940 private units, 1274 of 221D3 units and therest or 57 percent, 5586 public housing units. This total is in addition to the 8874 units now in operation, but included the 1140 units now presently under development. These embrace the 650 units under construction in the McDaniel Street area, 140 adjacent to Perry Homes and 350 in Thomasville. The McDaniel Street program calls for 248 units to be ready in 12 months, 154 units for the elderly in 17 months, the rest in 22 months. Our speaker said bids for the 140 units adjacent to Perry Homes would be advertised for in a matter of days and that they should be finished in some 18 months. He explained that the se units would be designed to meet the demand for large families, all having 3 or more bedrooms. The 350 Thomasville units are awaiting final plans from the architects. These also will include some units for the elderly. In addition to these units now under development, reservation has been made for 1, 500 additional units - 1, 200 for construction, 300 for lease, Ivir. Satterfield said. Major emphasis will be placed on utilization of the new "turn key" program under which a develope r builds the units and then sells them to the Housing Authority. he explained. One site for such development on Harwell Road has been: approved. Another site on Hollywood Road is being studied for 250 units. Still another is a ten acre tract near the present Bowen Homes which could accommodate 125 units. £1.'ir. Satterfield also expressed hope that 375 units will go into the Bedford-Pine project now in planning stage . Sites already approved or being surveyed will use up the present reservations. The city has requested a reservation for 3, 000 more units. Said he: "The present difficulty in making use of the "turn key" plan is uncertainity about the cost of land. Y!e have asked that the federal rules be amended to permit acceleration of appraisals." I\1r . Satterfield also told our committee that the Authority is getting started on leasing units for use as public housing. The first project includes 65 units in East Atlanta which ar e being made available as vacancies occur. On the day of our meeting, the Authority signed for 48 adjacent units and is hopeful that 36 more will soon be available. i'.1 r. Satterfield further reported that 31 units in Yanira Street, near Capitol Avenue, had been converted into large units and that another 27 units had been brought up to standard. He added that he hoped this will set a standard for leasing more units in the area. Turning t o the 221D 3 program, he showed that this can be employed anywhere. in the city. He pointed out that interest has been shown in Rockdale advertisements but that progress has been slow. As sites for 221D3, he said that the University Center

project could handle 208 units and about 150 units could go in a section of the RawsonV/ashington project.

NEW 11 TURN KEY" PLAN TO BE USED IN 1,500 UNITS UNDER RESERVATION �-3NEED M UCH MORE PRIVATE I N TERES T TO MEET CITY GOAL, JONES REPOR TS So fa r some interest in p r oviding low rental private housing is being shown by private investors, but still far t oo litde t6 tneet the 1967 goal. Col. Malcolm H. Jones, supervisor of inspection servic es now on loan t o the Housing Resources Committee, told our January 19 meeting. Said Col~ Jones: "Some investors are looking, some have taken options and some ar e acquiring property, but not nearly enough to meet the city's requirements . It looks as though we'll get about one-third the number of units we need this year. Next year we should be close to reaching the goal of 4, 900 units. 11 PROMPT PAVING OF SIDE WALK PROMISED; BEDFORD-PINE CITIZENS MEET INFORMED Following a conference with Paul Weir, city water depart1nent general manager, prompt a c tion to surface t orn-up sidewalks on Boulevard was promised to Chairman Sommerville, Director Ho w land infor med a mass meeting of Bedford-Pine citizens at Mt. Zion Second · Baptist Church Januar y 23 ~ He read a letter from Chairman Sommerville to Herbert Wa ldrip, B ed fo r d-Pine associat e committee chairman, in which it was explained that M r . We i r had given assurance that laying of temporary asphalt paving would begin J anua ry 27. T h e sidewalks had been removed to install new water mains. Mr. Howland al so reported that Chairman Sommerville and he had inspected the area earlier that day and had found that g r avel had been spread over the soft spots to furnish better footing u n til paving coul d b e laid. Main speakers at this latest meeting of Bedford-Pine proj e ct area c itizens w ere Lester H. Persells, redevelopment director, Howard Openshaw, chief planne r , and David IvfcNair, project director, all from the Atlanta Housing Autho rity, a nd Ernest Hicks and the Rev. John D. Grier, Jr., representing the neighborh ood c om mittee. C ITY PIC KS 3, 000 A C R E "DEMONSTRATION TARGET", Atlanta is making every effort WILL A PPLY FOR PLANNING FUNDS Wi.ARCH l to be among the first to be chosen as participants in the new 11 M o d e l cities" fede r al program, Mayor Allen told a meeting of city officials, representatives of federa l and county social services and other interested agencies January 24. Our c on1mitte e was represented by Chairman Sommerville and Director H owland. As exp laine d by Mayor Allen and City Planning Engineer Collie r Gla din, the cit y h as c h osen as a "demonstration target" an area embracing some 3, 000 acres in southeast A tlanta. Now under way are surveys to provide specifics for the city app lication for f e deral pla nning funds. Also efforts are being m a de to involve the residents of the area i n planning. Target date for submitting the city's application to regional and Washingto n H UD offic e s is March 1. The are a proposed to b e redeveloped is bounded o n the north by I- 20, on the west by Lee Street, on the s outh by the A & WP railr oad and on t he east by the belt line railroad. This area could set standards for the e ntire city, Mayor A llen emphasized. A final figure of $100,000,000 would not be beyond reason , Mr . Gla din explained, adding that no firm estimates of any costs were available. On the following d a y, Cha irman Somme rville and Dire ctor Howla nd atte nde d a southeastern regional c onfe rence at which H. Ralph Taylor, HUD assistant secretary for Demonstrations a nd Int er -governmental Relations, outlined the aims of the new program and discussed details in a Q & A session. M r. Taylor made the poi n t that applications for first fiscal y ear pla nning funds w ould not b e cut off b efor e May 1 a nd that applications would no t b e c on sidered s imp ly on a firs t come , fir s t serv e d basi s. Earl H. Metzger , J r. , forme r A HA r edevelopme nt dir e ctor , will b e i n charg e of the new program for H UD ' s s outheaster n region. FDR'S DAUGHTER LAUDS 'CH UC K ' PALM ER Speak ing a t the d e d ication of the Palme r House , n ew h igh r i se public housing for the elderly , Mrs . Anna R oo sev e l t Hal sted, FDR I s dau ght e r, paid high tribute to our committee m embe r Charles F . P alme r for hi s effecti ve trail blazing in slum clearance. Speaking only a few hundr e d y a rds from where Techwood Homes, the nation's first public housing proj ect w as d e d icated by h er father Nov. 29, 1935, M rs. Halsted said, 11 ! have always felt that m y parents w ere a part of T echwood a nd had a d eep inte r est in Iv1r. Palmer ' s concern over s lum clearance. 11 ••• E XECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETS WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15 - DETAILS LATER • • • �