Box 21, Folder 43, Document 12

Box 21, Folder 43, Document 12



DEDICATED
to the memory of

JOHN O. CHILES
... a lifetime leader in the growth
of Atlanta . . . a member of the
Board of Commissioners for the
Atlanta Housing Authority for 19
years, and Chairman of the Board
for more than eight years.
a |





IVAN ALLEN, JR.
Mayor of Atlanta

TO THE HONORABLE IVAN ALLEN, JR.,

Mayor of the City of Atlanta, we present this Progress
Report covering the fiscal year, July 1, 1965-June 30,
1966. This is the 27th year of the Atlanta Housing Au-
thority’s existence, and this 25th report of the Authority’s
operations includes both public housing and urban re-
development activities. The report is presented as a pub-
lished account of the accomplishments of this Authority,
an accounting of its stewardship, and includes a forecast
of future activities to be undertaken in the public interest.

The Board of Commissioners
and staff of

The Atlanta Housing Authority
Atlanta, Georgia



EDWIN L. STERNE GEORGE S. CRAFT
Chairman Vice Chairman



JESSE B. BLAYTON, SR. FRANK G.ETHERIDGE M.B. SATTERFIELD
Commissioner Commissioner Executive Director


THE STORY OF THE AUTHORITY

WHEN CONGRESS PASSED its epoch-making Housing Act in
1937 the object was to provide low-rent housing of acceptable
minimum standards for low-income families. Thus the U.S.
Housing Authority was created,

To take advantage of this federal assistance, the General Assembly
of Georgia enacted the Housing Authorities Law of the State of
Georgia, which permitted Atlanta and other cities in the state to
seek the benefits which have raised the standard of living for many
thousands of low-income residents.

The City of Atlanta quickly responded by creating the Atlanta
Housing Authority in 1938, As provided in the state law, the
Authority consisted of a commission of five members, appointed
by the Mayor and confirmed by the Governor of Georgia. The
commissioners serve without pay and act as a Board of Directors.

The Authority was organized as a non-profit corporation. It is
non-political. It is not a Federal Agency, nor is it directly controlled
by the state or the city. Operating under the State Housing Law,
it is subject to Federal laws and regulations to the same extent as
any private corporation would be subject to them if it borrowed
money from the federal government.

The Atlanta Housing Authority is purely a local organization —
created by the City of Atlanta and authorized by housing laws of
the State of Georgia, with financial assistance from the federal
government, for two purposes:

(1) to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing at rentals low
income families can afford: and

(2) to help eliminate slums and blight in certain designated urban
renewal areas through redevelopment and rehabilitation,










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Techwood Homes

ATLANTA’S PUBLIC HOUSING AT A GLANCE

History

Techwood Homes was Atlanta’s... and the nation’s... introduc-
tion to public housing in 1936 by virtue of the Public Works Ad-
ministration. It was a momentous day in mid-summer when the
604 units were completed and some 1800 individuals moved from
the squalor of blighted neighborhoods into the pleasing atmosphere
of the carefully designed Techwood Homes.

Not quite a year later, University Homes were completed with 675
apartments providing housing for almost 2000 people.

Today...almost 30 years after these initial developments...
Atlanta has fifteen public housing developments and is continually
striving to provide the 30,444 people who live in these low-rent
facilities an environment which is both physically and socially
satisfactory.

Housing managers and management aides at each development
conduct a continuing program to assist these families. They stress
the importance of prompt rent payment, good housekeeping, school
attendance, pleasant relations with their neighbors, and working
with others for the improvement of the community.

To help meet the needs of the elderly citizens, the Authority has
built three high-rise buildings exclusively for these senior citizens.

The Authority welcomes families with children, and more than
half the residents in public housing are minors. A woman heads
the household in 57% of the total families, which range in size
from one to fifteen people.
Purpose

The public housing division of the Atlanta Housing Authority has
as one of its main purposes to provide safe and sanitary housing
for Atlanta’s low income families at rents they can afford to pay.

Eligibility
Eligibility for admission is based on an applicant coming under
the definition of “Family”, who has. some source of income, is
living in unsafe, unsanitary, overcrowded conditions or displaced
by urban renewal or other governmental action, and does not own
a dwelling unit in metropolitan Atlanta. Rents are based on net
family income.






1937 / UNIVERSITY HOMES —
FORMERLY KNOWN as “Bea-
ver's Slide”, this 675-apartment de-
velopment was constructed on a
former slum site almost in the
heart of a university campus. Like
Techwood Homes, these units were
originally built by the Federal Gov-
ernment, assumed by lease to the
Atlanta Housing Authority in 1940
with title transferred to the Author-
ity in June 1954. Nearby are six
colleges and universities in this
predominantly residential section
of the city.



1936 / TECHWOOD HOMES —
FIRST LOW-RENT public hous-
ing in the nation, Atlanta’s Tech-
wood Homes made history as an
experimental housing project com-
pleted by the Public Works Admin-
istration. The 604-unit develop-
ment was assumed by the Atlanta
Housing Authority in 1940 under
a lease with the United States
Housing Authority, with a transfer
of title from the federal govern-
ment to the Atlanta Housing
Authority conveyed in June 1954.
More than 1200 people now live
in this project.



1940 / JOHN HOPE HOMES —

ADJOINING UNIVERSITY
HOMES, the 606 units at John
Hope provide housing for more
than 2000 residents. This was the
first project actually constructed
by the Atlanta Housing Authority.
Included in the clearance and re-
housing program was the demoli-
tion of a large number of sub-
standard houses located on the
project site.
1940 / CLARK HOWELL HOMES
—SOME 450 SLUM houses were
demolished and replaced by 630
family units when the Clark How-
ell Homes were opened. Adjoining
Techwood Homes in the Georgia
Tech area, this $3-million develop-
ment houses some 1900 people.



1941 / JOHN J. EAGAN HOMES
—THE JOHN J. EAGAN HOMES
were available for occupancy in
April with 548 apartments replac-
ing a partially vacant area where
74 slum houses were torn down.
More than 1900 residents now live
in Eagan Homes.



1941/GRADY HOMES — AL-
MOST 700 of the city’s worst slum
dwellings were destroyed to make
way for the 616-unit Grady Homes.
These close-to-downtown Atlanta
apartments were occupied in
August, and now house more than
1900 people.




1941 / ALONZO F. HERNDON
HOMES—CONSTRUCTION ON
THE last of three of Atlanta’s low-
rent housing developments com-
pleted in 1941 were the Alonzo F.
Herndon Homes. These 520 units
added substantially to the city’s
ever-growing need for low-rent
housing. More than 2000 people
live in this near-downtown area of
the city.





1942 / CAPITOL HOMES — AC-
CESSIBILITY TO WORK, schools,
shopping and transportation is given
careful consideration in choosing
a project location. Capitol Homes
meet all of these requirements. The
original contract called for 795
units, but in order to accommodate
the great demand for housing elder-
ly people a number of the larger
units were converted into efficiency
units, bringing the total to 815
units. Some 680 of the city’s worst
slum dwellings were destroyed to
permit the construction of this de-
velopment where 2000 residents
now live.

1953 / CARVER COMMUNITY—
WITH THE TERMINATION of
World War II, and in a city where
thousands of returning servicemen
were seeking a place to live, the
first post-war project of the Atlanta
Housing Authority was completed.
Carver Community, a development
of 990 units with more than 4500
residents, is adjacent to shopping
conveniences, schools and many
commercial facilities.




1956 / JOEL CHANDLER HAR-
RIS HOMES — NAMED AFTER
THE creator of the famous Uncle
Remus stories who once lived in
the area, this 510-unit development
is located in one of Atlanta’s oldest
and most substantial residential
sections. When the area was desig-
nated as a site for low-rent hous-
ing, eligible families living on the
parcels acquired were permitted to
remain as tenants. Harris Homes
is accessible to the community’s
shopping district, schools, churches
and has the pleasing atmosphere
of a good neighborhood.

1955/ HEMAN E. PERRY
HOMES — A WELL PLANNED
low-rent project developed on
wooded and rolling terrain is
Heman E. Perry Homes. The 1000-
unit project is Atlanta’s largest.
Private developments adjacent to
Perry Homes add up to a balanced,
model community for the 4700
residents, including 3306 children.





1964/J. W. E. BOWEN HOMES
— WELL LANDSCAPED
GRASSY lawns and ingeniously
devised quadrangles for play areas
have helped establish a new out-
look for tenants in Bowen Homes,
newest of Atlanta’s public housing
projects. The 650-unit development
opened its doors in early spring
boasting of many attractive fea-
tures—four and five-bedroom units,
bath and a half, adequate closet
and storage space, and convenient
transportation to downtown At-
lanta.

With financial aid from the Atlanta-
Fulton County Economic Oppor-
tunity Atlanta, Inc. the Bowen
Homes Day Care Center opened in
April 1965. The Center serves al-
most 100 children.




THE ELDERLY: A SPECIAL GROUP

THE ELDERLY ARE of great concern to the Atlanta
Housing Authority. Indications are that they will con-
tinue to be so for several reasons. Their numbers are
increasing, their incomes are low, they are hurt by
spiralling costs, and they are least able to bear extra
expense if relocation is necessary.

To meet the needs, the Authority has built during the past
two years three high-rise buildings exclusively for this
special group of elderly citizens. In planning housing for
this large number of retirement age and beyond, the Au-
thority remembered their special needs... recreational
space, facilities for hobbies, sidelines and social activities.
They must also be near medical centers and clinics to
maintain fair standards of health and care. All of these
requisites and advantages have been taken into account
in these three special buildings.


a





ANTOINE GRAVES HOMES — an 8-story
high-rise building with 210 units, located ad-
jacent to Grady Homes... with 224 tenants...
average age
$29.88.

FO asc

THE PALMER HOUSE —a 3-tower 17-story
complex of 250 units, located adjacent to Tech-
wood Homes, with 269 tenants...average age
70...average monthly rental $31.00.

Bon 8 . -e



a Se = i

JOHN O. CHILES HOMES — a 250-unit proj-
ect, with 222 apartments in a 10-story high-rise
building and 28 garden-type apartments... ad-

. average monthly rental jacent to Joel Chandler Harris Homes... with

272 tenants... average age 71... average
monthly rental $28.50.

In addition to the high-rise buildings for the elderly, two of the
Atlanta low-rent housing projects— Capitol Homes and Bowen
Homes — have separate low-rise units for this special group of resi-
dents. Capitol Homes has 20 elderly units...average age 70...
average monthly rental $26.50. Bowen Homes has 48 elderly units...
average age 72...average monthly rental $24.83.

Zn tb it) i






INFORMED CITIZENS ARE BETTER CITIZENS

KEEPING THE PEOPLE informed and stimulating their
interest in the housing and renewal activities is a vital
aspect of the overall program in Atlanta.

During the past year 850 people expressed a desire to see
the program first-hand and were given an opportunity to
tour the entire area by transit bus. These tours operate
under the sponsorship of Atlanta’s Citizens Advisory
Committee for Urban Renewal and are conducted by staff
members of the Atlanta Housing Authority.

An assortment of descriptive publications and graphic
material is available through the Public Information
Office of the Authority. Slide show presentations of the
housing and urban renewal program, after dinner
speeches, classroom lectures, press releases, etc., are also
used in keeping the public alert and informed.








METRO GOLDWYN MAYER



“T want to say to General Sherman, that from
the ashes he left us in 1864 we have raised a
brave and beautiful city; that somehow or other
we have caught the sunshine in the bricks and
mortar of our homes and have builded therein
not one ignoble prejudice or memory.”
IVAN ALLEN, SR.
Atlanta From the Ashes — 1929




Planning

GOOD PLANNING is the first and most vital aspect of
the physical process of urban redevelopment. It takes into
consideration the needs and desires of the city and its
people. The efforts of the planner are then concentrated
into attaining practical usage of the area while maintain-
ing esthetic desirability.

Step Number One in the planning process is the area
designation by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. When
this designation has been made the Atlanta Housing Au-
thority, as the city’s Agency, works with the City Planning
Department, the Metropolitan Planning Commission, and
the Planning Department of the Renewal Assistance Ad-
ministration of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, in preparing plans for the redevelopment
of the project area.

The BUTLER STREET and BUTTERMILK-BOT-
TOMS projects, for example, were planned primarily for
commercial use due to their location just two blocks east
of the Central Business District, Other projects such as
GEORGIA TECH, GEORGIA STATE, UNIVERSITY
CENTER and HOWARD HIGH resulted in freeing land-
locked educational institutions from barriers to feasible
growth patterns.

Special procedures are employed in devising plans for
combination clearance-rehabilitation projects such as
UNIVERSITY CENTER, WEST END, and BEDFORD-
PINE.

Other project areas in Atlanta served as sites for much
needed public facilities such as the auditorium in BUT-
TERMILK-BOTTOMS and the Atlanta Stadium in the
RAWSON-WASHINGTON project area. The remaining
land area in both of these projects is being used for resi-
dential, commercial, industrial and institutional as dic-
tated by specific needs for the area involved.
The dislocation caused by the non-residential projects
resulted in residential use of two large project areas on
the outskirts of the city. The THOMASVILLE Urban
Renewal Project and ROCKDALE Urban Renewal Proj-
ect, both located near outlying suburban areas, were
planned for residential use. Prior to development, both
consisted of poorly constructed substandard houses. Now
nearing completion, THOMASVILLE contains more
than 200 owner-occupied single family dwellings. In-
corporated into the plan is a new elementary school, city
park, shopping center, expansion of church facilities,
and a site for 350 units of low rent public housing.

Land in the ROCKDALE project has recently been put
on the market. Its intended use is for multi-family resi-
dential with supporting public and commercial develop-
ments.






Rehabilitation

SIMPLY DEFINED... Rehabilitation is a program of
community or home improvement involving property
owners in an area where deterioration has occurred but
where structures are basically sound.

Primarily, the aim of rehabilitation is to upgrade struc-
turally sound homes and extend their useful lives to the
maximum. In following through the plan of action for
better living, the individual home owner brings his prop-
erty up to modern day standards of good living. In this
way, the area remains stable, and through citizen par-
ticipation the community is improved esthetically.

Financial assistance is available to homeowners in an
urban renewal area through the Loan and Grant Program.
Project offices located in each project area staff rehabili-
tation specialists to assist homeowners in determining
what to repair, which contractors to select, and how to
finance the work that is consequently done,

The major effort in Atlanta’s West End Urban Renewal
Project is aimed at the improvement of more than 1400
structures — both residential and commercial — which are
basically sound but in need of major improvements.