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June 27, 1969 CITY HALL ATLANTA, GA. 30303
Tel. 522-4463 Area Code 404
IVAN ALLEN, JR., MAYOR
CECIL A. ALEXANDER, Chairman
Housing Resources Committee
MEMORANDUM Housing Coordinator
TO: Mr. R. Earl Landers
Administrative Assistant
On June 23, at request of Jim Parham, I attented a meeting in
his office with representatives of J. P. Stephens and Company.
Highlights of the meeting were as follows:
1. J. P. Stephens and Company expressed willingness to
cooperate fully with EOA, City of Atlanta or any other agency in
resolving the housing delima created by the Company's closing the
Exposition Cotton Mills and selling the property for redevelopment.
2. The Company denied lack of information to its people and
non-cooperative spirit in dealing with or answering queries of local
agencies,
3. 2,700 jobs from other firms were offered to the affected
employees after announcement was made of closing the Exposition
Cotton Mills, Some of these were accepted,
4. September 1, is the one and only date announced by the
Company as to when it would like for all of the houses to be
vacated.
5. The Company is still shootng for this date, but does not
preclude alternatives if justified,
6. There are still 177 families occupying Company homes in
the area,
7. The Company anticipates that a sizeable number of these
will vacate during the 4th of July week-end.
8. It was agreed by all concerned that there will probably
be a residual group (which could be substantial) of families which
will not move on their own initiative, for various reasons, Some
of which may be legitimate and some may not. This is the group
that both EOA and the Company are concerned about and which could
become a problem for the City.
Page Two
9, It was apparent that no organization or Agency of or
in the City is currently geared to take on the responsibility of
assisting this group, since they are not being displaced by
Governmental Action; and the City has no agency to provide
relocation assistance in such situations. Solution was sought
without much progress and appeared to be a stalemate,
10. I then proposed and so recommend: the following, which
was enthusiastically received by all participants at the Conference.
a. Effective July 15 through August, the Company
provide without cost a room(s) on the premises
to be set up as a relocation assistance office.
This office to be staffed by:
1. <A Company Representative
2. EOA Representative (s)
3. Housing Authority Representative(s)
(Relocation Worker (s)
4. FHA foreclosure homes office be requested
to have informatioal material at this
office and a partime representative.
b. All remaining families be informed (perhaps by
circular) of the existance of this Relocation
AssStance Office and encouraged to register their
family composition, ages and sexes, amount the
family is able or willing to pay, whether rental
or purchase housing is desired and preference as
to locations,
c. The staff to record this information and then
actively attempt to relocate these families
in whatever type of housing that may be available,
particularly by private development.
d. If some families are unable to pay advance rents,
make utility deposits and or hire drayage to move,
that the staff attempt to get necessary assistance
through any source that may be available, including
welfare and charitable organizations and that
moving of household goods locally if necessary be done
by City owned trucks and Prison labor detail
(as was done once before in vacating a condemned-
flooded-portion of Buttermilk Bottoms).
Page Three
ll. It was felt that the Housing Authority could justify its
participation in this venture on the theory that it would be checking
out these families which might be able to qualify for Public Housing,
but if this could not be done legally that the City of Atlanta contract
with the Housing Authority in a nominal amount (perhaps $1,000 only)
to perform this service, in order to make it legal. I would suggest
that the Housing Authority, the Agency most experienced in Relocation,
be placed in charge of this emergency operation. Both EOA and the
Company agreed to participate in such a project.
12. Unless something of this nature is done timely, I anticipate
that at the last minute the City may become embarrassed and critized
for not having foreseen the difficulty and done something about it.
13. I recommend that procedure, substantially as indicated above,
be effected commencing July 15 and continued until all of the families
have been satisfactorily relocated,
Sincerely,
At,
J Ockee ch
Malcolm D.
Housing Coordinator
MDJ/mc