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TUFF
The Emmaus House
1017 Capitol Avenue, S.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30315
December 3rd, 1968
Honorable Ivan Allen, Jr.
Mayor, City of Atlanta
Cicy Hall
Atlanta, Georgia
Dear Mayor Allen:
Tenants United For Fairness (TUFF) is an organization
dedicated to obtaining fair treatment for the residents
of public housing in Atlanta. Its members include public
housing tenants, other members of the low-income community
who have been or may be in the future tenants in public
housing, and other individuals who are sympathetic to the
goals of the organization.
As you will recall, TUFF selected the November 8th meeting
of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment
Officials (NAHRO) at the Marriott Motel to bring to the
attention of the public the deplorable conditions of life
in the AHA projects. When a group of TUFF members appeared
before you at that meeting to seek your assistance in their
dealings with the Atlanta Housing Authority, you generously
offered your help and sympathy.
The purpose of this letter is to respond to your offer, and
to ask you to meet with us and to use the power and prestige
of your office to bring about a resolution of our conflicts
with the Atlanta Housing Authority.
As you know, our individual grievances are numerous, and,
to us, deeply distressing. They involve hundreds of
incidents including the AHA's arbitrary decisions to dig up
all of the gardens at Capitol Homes; they involve the fines
and rules imposed by the housing authority in a manner that
seems to us unfair; and they involve a general atmosphere
of bullying and intimidation.
Honorable Ivan Allen December 3, 1968 --Page 2
We would not, however, seek to burden you with our individual
problems. We turn to you because the entire system of public
housing in Atlanta is operated in an arbitrary manner, without
any concern whatsoever for the rights, desires or legitimate
aspirations of the tenants. We turn to you for assistance in
making basic structural changes in the operation of the Atlanta
Housing Authority.
In brief, we would like to discuss the necessity for tenant
participation in the management of public housing, and the
necessity for a tenant review board or hearing panel empowered
to hear all tenant complaints and to review all decisions of
the local housing managers.
We are not alone in realizing the necessity for greater tenant
involvement in the operation of public housing, nor in recog-
nition of the necessity for housing authorities to realize
that public housing residents have rights that must be protected.
As one example of the nationwide concern with these questions,
we have attached to this letter a copy of the questions posed
by NAHRO to its November 8 Workshop, asking:
1. How are The HAA Social Goals Being Implemented in
Public Housing? and;
2. What Does Tenant Participation Mean?
Many of the questions asked by NAHRO point directly to the
abusive practices we seek to change. We have also attached
a copy of the proposed Bill of Rights For Public Housing
Tenants. This Bill of Rights was drafted by and has been
presented by The Housing Law Center of the Earl Warren Institute
to HUD for adoption. We believe that Atlanta can and should
lead the nation by being the first city to adopt it as a guideline
for the AHA.
In light of the foregoing, we the undersigned tenants of public
housing and members of TUFF request that you meet with our
representatives to discuss our problems. We also request that
you assist us by arranging for our representatives to meet with
representatives of the AHA so that our grievances and our
requests may be presented to them.
Honorable Ivan Allen, Jr. December 3rd, 1968 --Page 3
We sincerely believe that many of our differences with
the Atlanta Housing Authority can be resolved through
frank and sincere negotiations. We seek the opportunity
for such negotiations at the earliest possible date, and
implore you to assist us in our endeavors.
Sincerely,
*
Maa—MamayiM. ‘e
TENANTS UNITED R FAIRNESS
Mrs. Mandy M. Griggs
‘ Chairman
11(ha. Chie hele ™ 7. : I
Mrs. Clottee Roberts Mr “a be Watley
Co-Chairman Co-Chair
man
ans Cle honam teed 5g. Q A Cenarb,
Mrs. Ethel Matthews Mr. John Daniels
Secretary
Mr. Gene M Va
News Reporter Special “Consultant
The Emmaus House
1017 Capitol Avenue, S.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30315
December 3rd, 1968
Honorable Ivan Allen, Jr.
Mayor, City of Atlanta
Cicy Hall
Atlanta, Georgia
Dear Mayor Allen:
Tenants United For Fairness (TUFF) is an organization
dedicated to obtaining fair treatment for the residents
of public housing in Atlanta. Its members include public
housing tenants, other members of the low-income community
who have been or may be in the future tenants in public
housing, and other individuals who are sympathetic to the
goals of the organization.
As you will recall, TUFF selected the November 8th meeting
of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment
Officials (NAHRO) at the Marriott Motel to bring to the
attention of the public the deplorable conditions of life
in the AHA projects. When a group of TUFF members appeared
before you at that meeting to seek your assistance in their
dealings with the Atlanta Housing Authority, you generously
offered your help and sympathy.
The purpose of this letter is to respond to your offer, and
to ask you to meet with us and to use the power and prestige
of your office to bring about a resolution of our conflicts
with the Atlanta Housing Authority.
As you know, our individual grievances are numerous, and,
to us, deeply distressing. They involve hundreds of
incidents including the AHA's arbitrary decisions to dig up
all of the gardens at Capitol Homes; they involve the fines
and rules imposed by the housing authority in a manner that
seems to us unfair; and they involve a general atmosphere
of bullying and intimidation.
Honorable Ivan Allen December 3, 1968 --Page 2
We would not, however, seek to burden you with our individual
problems. We turn to you because the entire system of public
housing in Atlanta is operated in an arbitrary manner, without
any concern whatsoever for the rights, desires or legitimate
aspirations of the tenants. We turn to you for assistance in
making basic structural changes in the operation of the Atlanta
Housing Authority.
In brief, we would like to discuss the necessity for tenant
participation in the management of public housing, and the
necessity for a tenant review board or hearing panel empowered
to hear all tenant complaints and to review all decisions of
the local housing managers.
We are not alone in realizing the necessity for greater tenant
involvement in the operation of public housing, nor in recog-
nition of the necessity for housing authorities to realize
that public housing residents have rights that must be protected.
As one example of the nationwide concern with these questions,
we have attached to this letter a copy of the questions posed
by NAHRO to its November 8 Workshop, asking:
1. How are The HAA Social Goals Being Implemented in
Public Housing? and;
2. What Does Tenant Participation Mean?
Many of the questions asked by NAHRO point directly to the
abusive practices we seek to change. We have also attached
a copy of the proposed Bill of Rights For Public Housing
Tenants. This Bill of Rights was drafted by and has been
presented by The Housing Law Center of the Earl Warren Institute
to HUD for adoption. We believe that Atlanta can and should
lead the nation by being the first city to adopt it as a guideline
for the AHA.
In light of the foregoing, we the undersigned tenants of public
housing and members of TUFF request that you meet with our
representatives to discuss our problems. We also request that
you assist us by arranging for our representatives to meet with
representatives of the AHA so that our grievances and our
requests may be presented to them.
Honorable Ivan Allen, Jr. December 3rd, 1968 --Page 3
We sincerely believe that many of our differences with
the Atlanta Housing Authority can be resolved through
frank and sincere negotiations. We seek the opportunity
for such negotiations at the earliest possible date, and
implore you to assist us in our endeavors.
Sincerely,
*
Maa—MamayiM. ‘e
TENANTS UNITED R FAIRNESS
Mrs. Mandy M. Griggs
‘ Chairman
11(ha. Chie hele ™ 7. : I
Mrs. Clottee Roberts Mr “a be Watley
Co-Chairman Co-Chair
man
ans Cle honam teed 5g. Q A Cenarb,
Mrs. Ethel Matthews Mr. John Daniels
Secretary
Mr. Gene M Va
News Reporter Special “Consultant