Box 1, Folder 1, Document 27

Box 1, Folder 1, Document 27

August 29, 1966

To: Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr.
From: Dan Sweat

Subject: Journal Editorial of August 25, 1966
on Urban Renewal Code Enforcement

I taiked to Reese Cleghorn of the Journal Editorial Staff Friday
about the subject editorial. Reese said he wrote the editorial
and that it was simply a matter of the newspaper's calling
attention to code enffrcement practices of the city over a period
of several years and that he felt the time had come to voice the
paper's opinion more strongly.

He says that it goes back to the establishment of the separate
inspections some six years ago and the placing it back under
Mr. Wofford. He gave no indication that anyone from the
department had talked to him recently but did mention the
Lightning situation and the name of Wayne Kelley and Willie
Williams which would suggest to me that he possibly has talked
to some of the dissidents in Vine City.

He said so far as he was concerned the editorial was aimed at
Wofford and the enforcement program and not necessarily the
people inthe Atlanta Housing Authority.

Since my discussion with him, I have obtained what I believe
to be accurate figures on public housing in Atlanta over the
last ten years. I have attached a summary of these figures.
You will note a wide gap between the 7,576 completed housing
units and the 20, 994 displaced families. This report does not


Mayor Allen
Page Two
August 29, 1966

take into consideration the private sector of the housing market

and I would imagine that a considerable amount of low and moderate
income private housing has been constructed in Atlanta over this
ten year period.

I hope that we can document this information through our CIP study
and I will follow up with the CIP to try to make sure that we can
obtain this information.

You will note I have shown the total figures and also broken out
the units constructed or planned inside urban renewal areas.

I am afraid that I would have to admit that we don't show up very
well with low income units constructed inside urban renewal
projects. However, I don't think this represents the true

criteria for measuring the success of our urban renewal program,

I do feel, however, that there should be a complete study of our
housing patterns and the City policy on low income and moderate
income housing construction. The CIP should shed much light
on our current situation and perhaps we can use the CIP Housing
Study ha the jumping off point toward a comprehensive housing
plan for the city.

DS:fy