Box 5, Folder 17, Document 38

Box 5, Folder 17, Document 38

MAYCR ALLEN
JURCES COMAITTAE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING

BER, CITY HALL



OOVINOC TT. oy
GOURGIDL GAM

10:00. A.ii., TUZSDAY, FEBRUARY 1h, 1967



Chairman Alexander, Co-Chairmen Dr. Mays and Dr. Atwood,
Ladies and Gentlemen ----

First of all I want to exoress ny personal appreciation and
the thanks of your City Government to all of you for your willingness .

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to serve on this most important committee.

4s I see it, this is truly a most important committee, for it is
tackling the solution of our City's single most serious problem --
the lack of an adequate supply of safe and decent housing for a
large portion of Atlanta's population.

By accepting service on this Housing Resources Committee, you
are carrying on one of tne traditions that all threugh our first
century of progress has made Atlanta a great city and will keep on
making it a greater city, year after year.

This tradition is active, enthusiastic, intelligent, and energetic
citizen participation in governmental affairs and public service.

The way Atlanta citizens assume the responsibilities of citizenship
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that are so closcoly tied with the enjoyment of the rights of citizenship
sets Atlanta apart from and above so many other cities, It is one of

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the basic forces that keeps cur Atlenta moving forward while so many
cities falter and fall back,

So agein [I want to thank you for being willing to participate in
this high endeavor to see to it that every Atlanta citizen, no inatter
what his scale of living, has a decent and safe roof over his head,

Also, I want to express my appreciation to your Chairman and two
Co-Chairmen for all they have gotten done during the two months that
have elapsed since the idea of this committee was put into action on
November 15.

Thanks to their leadership end to the activities of all who have
worked with them, this comnittee now has a solid foundation of facts
and plans upon which to get into full swing.

The specifics of the challenging opportunities which this committee
faces will be outlined by Mr. Alexander.

But before he and our distinguished visitor from Chicago address’:
you I invite your attention to the extent of the problem which we are
tackling together and which our joint effort must and shall solve.

I think this can be most sharply brought into focus by referring
to a few statements which I made at the November 15 Conference of Housing, -
As I said then:

"ihe problem is simply this --
Atlanta does not have the nousing to meet the needs of families and
individuals to be relocated by the oresent or future governmental

action which will be necessary for the continued progress of Atlanta."

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To bring this general statement down to specific facts and figures,
it means thet from now until the end of 1971, we shall need 16,600
housing units to take care of the people who will have to be relocated

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because of sovernmental action.

of dwelling units which we must and shall provide
a citizens who will be forced to move because of
changes wrought by such governmental activities as urban renewal,

on and code enforcement to eliminate housing that
is not fit for human habitation.

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To relocate thousends of people in decent housing presents us with
a challenging opportunity of truly tremendous proportions.

But Atlante is accustomed to meeting challenges and seizing
opportunities.

So I am completely confident that by thinking, planning and working
together, as We are starting off today, we c#n and shall meet this

challenge and transform this opportunity into solid achievement.

4

We are setting our sights nigh at the beginning. We are embarking
upon a crash program for 1957 and1966 to provide ,900 new housing units
each year ~- a total of 9,800 units to be ready and occupied by the end
of December, 1968.

For us to reach this high two year goal, private enterprise must
provide 30 per cent. Non-profit sponsors of 221-D=3 housing must proe
vide 13 per cent, The big push, 57 per cent, must come from public
housing,

This is a big order to fill in just two years - but we can and
we shall fill it.

I would also like to mention again what I emphasized on November 15th
that we have a new and powerful tool to help us -- this is the Federal
"Darnkey Program" - which opens up a whole new avenue of progress in .
housing.

As we set our eyes on the high goal for 1967 and 1968, I want to.
emphasize that a lot already has been accomplished since November 15. .,

The most striking tangible results are visible in the big push --
public housing.
One day last month I spent several hours with top officials of
the Atlanta eciae Authority taking a look at what is going on and
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what is being planned to increase our supply of public housing.

Incidentally, we are starting from a very good base, because
Atlante now has far more public housing units in operation than any
other city in the southeast:

It was truly a thrilling sight to see what we have accomplished
in public housing suring the past few months.

The Atlanta Housing Authority is determined to meet the soal of
5,586 units that is set for 1967 and 1966.

This target figure includes the 1,10 units now under development.
These embrace 650 under construction in ths McDaniel Street section of
the Rawson-/ashingion Urban Renewal Project, 140 units assigned to an
area adjacent to Perry Homes and 350 units in the Thomasville Urban
Renewal Project.

The McDaniel Street prorran is being carried out so that 348 units
will be ready in 12 months, 402 in 17 months, the rest in 22 months.
Included will be a high rise building for the elderly, along the lines
of the three now in operation,

The 11:0 units adjacent to Perry Homes should be ready in 16 months.
The Thomasville units will get underway as soon as final plans are
completed by the architects,

Now the Atlanta Housing Authority is tackling plans for the units
which Atlanta has under reservation from the Federal Government,

Attention is being centered on sites for 1,200 units to be developed
under the Turnkey Program. A good beginning has been made on the program
to lease 300 more units.

That will take care of the units for which we have reservation with
the Federal Covernment. Eut that is not the end of ovr plans for action
in public housing.

We have requested a reservation for 3,000 more units -- and I
confidently hope we wiil soon receive approval on this.

So our public housing all-out effort is off to a very encouraging
start. Also now in full swing is our preparation to make application
for a Federal Planning grant under the brand new Model City Program,
in which up to 90 per cent of the cost can be paid by the Fades),
Government.
I will not ¢o into detail about this new procrem except to say
taat an area of some 3,000 acres ir the southern section of our City,
which includes some 10 ver cent of the City's population, and a much
hicher per cent of its problem situation, has been designed as a

Also on the City's pert, we are strengthening enforcement of
building and housing codes by building up our inspection staff, as
promised, so far the City has hired 15 out of 16 additional a:thorized
insvectors.,

So the public enterprise part of our effort to provide the housing
we must have is off to a sood beginning

Now our immediate challenging opportunity is to get the private
enterprise part of the progrem -- the part that must provide 30 per cent
and the non-profit spsonsors who must provide 13 per cent into full swing.

we have not been dragging our feet on this. Interest has been shown
by many devélopers, despite the discouraging tight money situation of
the past several months. Many plans are being discussed.

But this a big job for our whole city.

It is a job in which this committee can and will furnish the
leadership and the inspiration to all developers, large and small, to
join forces in an all - out endeavor.

Then, too, we must orouse widespread interest to provide the non-
profit sponsors for 221 housing. We must reach out to foundations,
churches, fraternal organizations, educational institutions.

We must show them the opportunities and advantages of sponsoring
low income housing.

That is the challenzing opportunity of leadership which is pre-
sented to this committee.

You will hear more about the specifics of how this has been done
in Chicago and how it-can be done in Atlanta from the two main speakers
who will follow me,

Again, I want to thank each and every one of you for being willing
to devote you time and thought and energy to the work of this most
importent committee,

I salute each and every one of you for so unselfishly’ poeaene
the high responsiblity of citizenship,
I promise that the City government will work with this committee
to its fullest capacity.

We can, we must, and we snail achieve our goal of providing decent,
safe housing for every Atlantiean.