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OFFICERS
James W. Dorsey
President
Ferdinand Buckley
ist Vice President
Sarah Frances McDonald
2nd Vice President
Clifford Oxford
Secretary
William H. Alexander
Treasurer
STAFF
Michael D. Padnos
Director
Nancy $. Cheves
General Counsel
Richard Harris
Community Education
L. Rosser Shelton
Virginia A. Bips
Bettye H. Kehrer
Evelyn S. Fabian
Eugene S. Taylor
John W. Brent
Elmer L. Nash
Larry B. Hooks
D. Freeman Hutton
Cynthia T. Beattie
Melvin E. Thompson, Jr.
Michael H. Terry
Edward L. Baety
William J, Brennan, Jr.
George Howell
Sondra Goldenfarb
Reuben Bussey
Kendric Smith
TELEPHONES:
(404) 524-5811 ;
(404) 577-5260 i
ATLANTA LEGAL AID SOCIETY, INC.
153 PRYOR STREET, S.W.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303
March 3lst, 1969
Mr. Edwin L. Sterne, Chairman
Board of Commissioners
Atlanta Housing Authority
Ware, Sterne & Griffin
639 Trust Company of Georgia Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Dear Mr. Sterne:
Over the past several months, we have become
increasingly aware of the hardships worked on applicants
by the one year residency requirement for Atlanta public
housing. In our opinion, this requirement is bad public
policy and is probably unconstitutional. I, therefore, :
urge the Board of Commissioners to consider its complete
elimination.
As you may know, durational residency requirements
in the area of public welfare have been attacked recently
in the courts. Indeed, a three-judge Federal District
Court for the District of Columbia has ruled that such a pre-
requisite for welfare benefits is unconstitutional.
The District of Columbia case, along with others,
is currently pending before the United States Supreme Court.
It is likely that a decision voiding residency requirements
for welfare applicants will be rendered in the near future.
The argument before the Supreme Court in the
welfare cases is equally applicable to public housing.
No legitimate purpose of the Federal or State public
housing program is served by a durational residency require-
ment, since the twelve month rule merely forces poor new-
comers to Atlanta to live in the slums or to pay excessive
rent (and perhaps skitp on other necessities) until they
have been in the City a full year.
SPONSORED BY UNITED APPEAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ATLANTA, INC
Mr. Edwin L. Sterne, Chairman March 31st,
Board of Commissioners Page
Atlanta Housing Authority
Furthermore, denial of public housing in Atlanta serves
to limit severely a Georgia citizen's fundamental rights
to freedom of movement and association.
Because of the likelihood of a Supreme Court
decision outlawing durational residency requirements
for welfare applicants, we are loathe to devote time and
effort to litigating a similar requirement in public
housing. If our clients' interests cannot be served.
without litigation, we shall, of course, be obliged to
move forward through the courts. But I would urge the
Authority's Board to reconsider its position in this
matter,
It is our understanding that Mayor Allen has
taken a personal interest in the residency requirement.
I am, therefore, sending him a copy of this letter and
urging him to support our request for a change in the rule.
I shall look forward to hearing from you soon
concerning this matter.
Sincerely,
iy UU alli re
Michael D. Padnos
Director
MDP/cj
Jee: Honorable Ivan Allen, Jr.,
Mayor, the City of Atlanta.