THE CITY OF ERIE, PA., May 9, 1958. UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: The current question of interest that concerns the average American city is survival. The survival which we refer to is that from urban decay and obsolescence. The question before the Congress of the United States, the State legislatures, and local city governments should not be that of apportioning responsibility or delineating of their appropriations to any certain percentage, but to bring forth a total effort and dollar for the accomplishment of stemming the tide of blight in our cities. The problem of urban renewal is so tremendous and ever-pressing that all resources need to be marshaled for use, and any idea of saying that the Federal Government should only appropriate so many dollars and likewise for the State and city is folly and will only give off misgivings. Urban renewal and the inventory of "slummy" decay has already rotted because of the lack of a total program that has a continuing long-term approach and not a bit-by-bit donation type of program. A city such as Erie, Pa., has taken up the attack against blight, but it took 2 years to get a project into execution. Now that we have our first project in the brick and mortar stage the city is looking toward future projects and such local initiative should be able to count on an ever-ready Federal program with State participation. Therefore, the question should not be who pays what share of the urban renewal budget, but how many dollars' worth of projects are needed by the cities and the appropriation of the full limit by the Congress of the United States of America. The city of Erie and its redevelopment authority support and truly encourage the adoption of at least $350 million annual program over a 10-year period, with an increasing percentage of Federal participation. Thank you. Sincerely yours, Mr. HARRY R. BETTERS, ARTHUR J. GARDNER, Mayor. CITY OF CAMDEN, N. J., Office of the Mayor, May 9, 1958. Executive Director United States Conference of Mayors Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. BETTERS: Any reduction in the percentage of Federal contribution to urban renewal projects in this city can result in nothing less than making progress against urban decay impossible. The vicious circle of a declining tax base and the resultant tendency toward lower muncipal revenues, coupled with the increase in municipal costs occasioned by spreading slums requires the increasing support of Federal funds in projects designed to reverse the trend. It is conceivable that a lessening of Federal participation might be appropriate when some of the beneficial results of urban renewal have been realized by cities, but it is obvious that we are far from that position today. It would be much more logical to increase the amount of Federal support from the present 66% percent to 80 percent and thereby hasten the prospect of self-sufficiency rather than to curtail and probably defeat the program by reducing such support. Our experience in Camden and our most conservative estimate of the total program which we must accomplish clearly indicate the validity of the conference position in support of a continuing program of at least $350 million annually over a 10-year period with an increasing percentage of Federal participation above the present two-thirds. Please convey to the members of the Senate Banking and Currency Subcommittee on Housing my deep concern that any lessening of Federal support of this vital program will cause irreparable harm to cities and the Nation. Urge them on my behalf to increase Federal support so that we can produce the remedies for urban illnesses before they become incurable. Sincerely yours, GEORGE E. BRUNNER, Mayor. CITY OF FRESNO, CALIF. Mr. HARRY R. BETTERS, Executive Director, United States Conference of Mayors, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. BETTERS: This letter is to express our interest in the continuation of slum clearance and the continuance of the urban redevelopment program. We understand that testimony will be presented to the Senate subcommittee on Housing. We want our position in support of the official position of the United States Conference of Mayors known. Our city of Fresno is on its way with the urban redevelopment program. We believe in it and we need it. Better cities, better States, and a more prosperous and wholesale Nation will be the result. We urge strongly the continuation of the program. Sincerely, ARTHUR L. SELLAND, Mayor. STOCKTON, CALIF., May 8, 1958. Mr. HARRY R. BETTERS, Executive Director, United States Conference of Mayors, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. BETTERS: As a public official in a city which has an ever-increasing stake in the urban renewal program, I have looked with great concern on the executive proposal to curtail Federal assistance to this vital program. In developing its local urban renewal program, the city of Stockton has invested considerable time and public moneys with the confidence that Federal assistance would be continued on the same basis as exists at present. The nature of the urban renewal program is such that long-range planning and programing is essential to the success of the venture and the financial scope of the problem precludes exclusive local government slum clearance. In actuality, cities will be hard pressed to muster the financial resources required with the present Federal Government participation. Due to the increasing demand on Federal funds by cities interested in slum clearance, it seems that the amount of Federal funds should be increased, not reduced, and that strong consideration should be given to increasing the percentage of Federal participation. Decreasing the Federal contribution to 50 percent would curtail the Urban Renewal Program as surely as would failing to make adequate funds available. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this program to Stockton and other cities affected by urban blight. Therefore, I strongly urge that Federal assistance to communities be continued and that firm steps be taken to insure that the program is not rendered ineffectual by limiting Federal participation. Very truly yours, HARVEY M. STULL, Mayor. CITY OF ATLANTA, ATLANTA, Ga., Mr. HARRY R. BETTERS, Executive Director, United States Conference of Mayors, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. BETTERS: This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter of April 30 requesting a statement for presentation to the Senate Banking and Currency Subcommittee for supporting continuance of the Federal urban renewal program. Urban renewal is getting to be big business in Atlanta. We are moving steadily ahead and currently have Federal approval on five urban renewal project areas, totaling 1,201 acres. This represents $14,600,000 in Federal capital grant reservations, and half that amount in grants-in-aid by the city, over a 5year development period. Our planners visualize a continuing program for urban renewal in Atlanta, with the addition of one new project area per year for the next 5 years. The financing of such a program would involve about $2 million per pear by the city in a combination of cash and credits for capital improvements. Such undertakings, however, cannot materialize without the whole-hearted and much needed active assistance and participation by the Federal Government in a broad long-range urban renewal program, such as proposed by the chairman of the United States Conference of Mayors. I sincerely hope that the administration will find ways and means of continuing adequate support of an urban renewal program, thus helping American cities to help themselves in the national fight against city blight, leading to eventual elimination of our substandard residential areas which are a constant drain on our cities both financially and socially. Very truly yours, WM. B. HARTSFIELD, Mayor. CITY OF VANCOUVER, WASH., May 6, 1958. Mr. HARRY R. BETTERS, Exccutive Director, United States Conference of Mayors, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. BETTERS: We have just received your letter urging support for maintaining the present Federal contribution to urban renewal projects based upon 66% percent rather than on a reduced Federal contribution of 50 percent. It will be impossible for me to attend the conference in person; however, at an earlier date we have written the Congressmen and Senators from our State urging them to support the present allocation for urban redevelopment projects. We have received replies from Senator Warren Magnuson and Congressman Russell V. Mack, indicating that they will support the program based upon the present allocation program of Federal participation. We certainly feel that this is not the time for any reduction in Federal urban renewal funds. On the other hand, we feel that an increase in these funds would boost the economy of our country and pump more money into the areas that are badly in need of additional funds. I sincerely hope your efforts in presenting this matter will fall upon receptive ears and if there is any additional correspondence you feel would be helpful from our city please let me know. We will keep in touch with our Congressmen and Senators, reminding them of the importance of this matter. Sincerely, H. L. SCHUMACHER, Mayor. CITY OF ROCK ISLAND, ILL., Mr. HARRY R. BETTERS, Executive Director, United States Conference of Mayors, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. BETTERS: I welcome this opportunity to place additional emphasis regarding our feeling about urban renewal before the Senate subcommittee. Without repeating my remarks of the previous hearing, I would call your attention to the growing awareness among our medium-sized and small municipalities on positive-action programs aimed at renewing our cities. While having a population of approximately 50,000, Rock Island is part of a compact metropolitan area of a quarter of a million people. Many of our problems, including traffic, shopping and service areas, and housing, become metropolitan in scale even though our boundaries and population count were to be static, such problems continue to grow. Without Federal participation on at least a level of two-thirds to one-third; a broadening of the renewal concept under the general neighborhood plan provisions to encompass even larger portions of the city, and without a clean-cut assurance of Federal support and participation on at least a 10-year basisit is extremely doubtful that satisfactory progress can be made toward a comprehensive program of renewal in the medium-sized city. Sincerely, W. C. YERGER, Mayor. TOWN OF EAST PROVIDENCE, R. I., Mr. HARRY R. BETTERS, Executive Director, United States Conference of Mayors, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. BETTER: In reply to your letter of April 30 asking for a similar statement of indorsement of the urban-renewal program, I am most happy to comply. I strongly urge that these programs be neither eliminated or curtailed, but carried out to the fullest extent. No other program, to my knowledge has done more to assist and strengthen the core of these United States, its communities, than have the programs under discussion. I sincerely hope that everything will be done to insure the carrying out of the urban-renewal program to the utmost degree and further that every effort be made to eliminate all unnecessary technicalities which tend to cause lengthy delay in the processing of applications submitted by the cities and towns. With well wishes and best regards, I remain, DEAR MR. BETTERS: When you appear before the Senate Banking and Cur rency Subcommittee on Housing by all means make the strongest possible representation in favor of continuing Federal aid for urban renewal on the present two-thirds to one-third terms. I cannot see how we will accomplish urban renewal in the older areas of Winston-Salem without at least as much Federal aid as we have anticipated. We cannot possibly produce sound, liveable neighborhoods in the older sections of the city, with adequate open areas, streets, utilities, and other community facilities, unless we get sufficient aid from the Urban Renewal Administration. Meanwhile, we have evidence that our blighted areas are affecting some of the nearby neighborhoods-that our slums are spreading. They will continue to spread unless financial aid from the Federal Government is forthcoming. Working under a recently amended enabling act for urban renewal, WinstonSalem has had its workable program approved and has received a substantial planning advance. The city-county planning board has delineated a study area for which the urban redevelopment commission will prepare a general neighborhood renewal plan. Meanwhile, our various codes and ordinances that affect the quality of housing are under review by a special committee on revision of codes and ordinances. We feel that we are doing a good job of slum prevention, but have not begun to do the more intensive job of clearance and redevelopment according to a plan. I expect that if Federal aid for urban renewal is diminished by Congress, we may never really begin the job of clearance and redevelopment. As I have said before, I am well aware of defense requirements. However, I believe any cut in aid to urban renewal would result in cities that would be practically more difficult to defend and spiritually less worthy of defense. Sincerely, MARSHALL C. KURFEES, Mayor. CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, ILL., Mr. HARRY R. BETTERS, Executive Director, United States Conference of Mayors, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. BETTERS: Under date of January 3, 1958, I wrote to you concerning the vital need for continuation of a strong urban renewal program. Therein, I emphasized the rapidly increasing trend of the Nation's population to concentrate on urban areas, the resulting municipal problems, and the increasing ratio of Federal participation in collected taxes making it impossible for local and State governments to raise the funds needed to arrest the onward march of blight. Therein, I further emphasized the growing problem of wage-earning citizens in lower income brackets to find adequate housing. I emphasized in that letter, and now reemphasize, the obvious fact that the only alternative to urban renewal is expanded public housing, but public housing is not the American way for an independent wage earner. Urban renewal also stirs cities to reexamine themselves and insist upon modern housing codes, modern zoning codes, and enforcement of the same. I note that my letter, along with the communications of chief executives of the principal cities in the Nation, was made a part of the record of your appearance before the Subcommittee on Housing of the Committee on Banking and Currency, House of Representatives, 85th Congress. I repeat the arguments expressed in that letter, and urge that the Federal Government extend and expand urban renewal programs for the benefit of our Nation. DEAR MR. BETTERS: I understand that beginning May 16 hearings will be held before the Senate Subcommittee on Banking and Currency with reference to a continuation of the Federal slum clearance and urban renewal program and supplemental necessary housing. I desire to take this occasion as mayor of the city of Alexandria, to urge the continued support of the urban renewal program under title I of the Housing Act of 1949. The economic growth and stability of all American cities today, in my opinion, depend in large measure upon their ability to revitalize not alone the substandard housing areas of the community, but the central business districts of these cities as well. With the heavy burden imposed upon the cities of every community by the imposition of Federal and State taxes, leaves little available from this source for the municipality to face up to this great responsibility on its own, and it seems to me, therefore, that unless adequate Federal aid can be obtained through the urban renewal and redevelopment program, many of the tasks that must be accomplished will remain undone. While I fully appreciate the need for an expanded defense program, I do not feel that we can afford to destroy or curtail all of our domestic programs, and especially those involving slum clearance designed to accord to all of our citizens decent living conditions. It seems clear to me that if we are to remain strong and vibrant as a nation, we must preserve the internal strength of every American family by affording to them a better standard of living as expressed in clean, decent, and modern homes. I entertain, therefore, the ardent hope, and strongly urge, full support for a continuation of the urban renewal and slum clearance program by the Senate Banking and Currency Committee. DEAR MR. BETTERS: I am still in complete agreement with the United States conference of mayors on their stand to obtain at least $350 million annually over a 10-year period from Federal sources for urban renewal and slum clearance. The city of Wyandotte has already conducted an analysis of its urban renewal needs and is currently working through several commissions and committees to formulate a positive urban renewal program. I feel that Federal participation in slum clearance and urban renewal is essential if more than a token pro |