 Expanding dynamically, new schools, playgrounds, streets and homes, good neighborhoods in good communities, but there is another face of America, the neighborhoods that didn't keep up or couldn't keep up, as changing transportation and changing ways of living left them behind. Here, the skeletons of businesses of another day, the obsolete decaying homes of past generations and the inadequate results of poor planning, poor construction and poor maintenance are often islands in the hearts of our cities and towns. Millions of American men, women and children live in more than 10 million substandard homes and although these neighborhoods make up only 20% of the average city's residential area, they cannot be ignored and require more than sympathy for from this 20% comes 33% of our population, 45% of our major crimes, 55% of our juvenile delinquency, 50% of our arrests, 50% of our disease, 35% of our fires. The dollar drain on the city's budget is just as crushing, 45% of the total city service costs, nearly half of your tax dollar goes into this substandard 20% area, yet only 6% of the city real estate tax revenue comes out of it. Urban blight costs us over $2 billion each year. The problem is clear. A growing, expanding nation cannot afford obsolete residential areas, but can we afford to eliminate them? In 1953, President Eisenhower's advisory committee on housing policies and programs studied substandard housing conditions throughout the nation and recommended increased federal assistance. But even more, it called for full-scale local community programs. Congress, through the Housing Act of 1954, provided legislation designed to prevent the spread of blight into sound areas, to rehabilitate and conserve areas that can be economically restored, and to clear and redevelop areas that cannot be saved. This act had a single objective, to provide better housing and better neighborhoods for all Americans. In June of 1961, Congress passed President Kennedy's housing program, which greatly increased the opportunities to renew residential areas and to redevelop central business districts. The result is urban renewal, the rebirth of a nation. This is the way it works in the communities which most of us know. The cities, small and medium in size, where the private citizen, working with his neighbors, his city government and his federal government, is solving this problem that once seemed impossible. The rebuilding of our neighborhoods through local and federal cooperation, the way to provide decent, safe, and sanitary homes for all through private enterprise. The urban renewal process starts when your city government prepares a program for community improvement, or workable program. This is what a community proposes to do in combating the problems of blight and substandard housing. This official plan, a blueprint of coordinated action drawn by the city for effectively dealing with the problem of substandard housing, is a federal requirement and includes seven goals. Sound local housing and building codes, enforced, and end to tolerating illegal, degrading, unhealthy, spreading substandard areas. The adoption and enforcement by the city of a building code, minimum housing code, zoning ordinance, and other necessary codes is an essential objective. A master development plan, a roadmap for the city's future. The plan attempts to look ahead by studying the city's population and economic growth and the present uses of land. The development plan itself is based on the population, economic, and land use study. The plan is a guide for future land use requirements for construction of schools, parks, sewers, streets, and other public improvements. A central business district study is an important part of the development plan. It analyzes the transportation, parking, and pedestrian traffic problems, as well as business development problems, and suggests solutions. Public improvements should be scheduled for construction and payment on a priority basis. The Long Range Capital Improvement Program weighs the merits of each project and recommends priority of construction and method of payment. The master development plan is a must for urban renewal. A study of each of the neighborhoods in the city to determine the condition of existing housing. This information shows what needs to be done throughout the city to develop a coordinated plan for urban renewal. Some neighborhoods should be conserved, some rehabilitated, and others completely cleared and replanned. An effective administrative organization carries out the program, coordinating all offices of the local government toward a common purpose. Financial capacity to carry out the program, using community revenues and resources with federal assistance to build a better city. Relocation, expanding the supply of good housing for all income groups through rehabilitation and new construction, making available to all families decent, safe, and sanitary housing within their income means. Full-fledged, community-wide citizen participation and support, public demand and backing for a better community and all the necessary steps needed to get it. This program for community improvement is step number one in laying the foundation for a successful urban renewal effort. Step number two is the survey and planning application. At this stage, information about a particular neighborhood is gathered and submitted to the Housing and Home Finance Agency to qualify the city to proceed with further detailed studies. The neighborhoods which need treatment were found in the workable program stage when a neighborhood analysis was done of the entire city. After approval of the survey and the planning application by the Federal Housing and Home Finance Agency, the city proceeds with step number three, the application for a loan and grant of funds to carry the program into execution. At this stage, detailed studies are made to determine whether certain houses should be removed or rehabilitated. If the neighborhood needs new streets, sidewalks, curb and gutter, sewer and water maids, or parks and playgrounds, and finally, what the specific costs will be. Upon approval of the application for a loan and grant of funds from the federal government, the city enters into step number four, project execution, the actual carrying out of the public improvements in the neighborhood, as well as assistance to the residents rehabilitating their homes. Perhaps the greatest concern to most cities is their ability to pay the cost of renewing blighted areas. The National Housing Act was passed to assist these cities in solving this problem. Urban renewal is financed for communities of 50,000 population and under on a three-fourths, one-fourth basis. Our federal government matches $3 for each $1 spent by the local community. For larger communities, the sharing basis is two-thirds federal, one-third local, $2 for $1. The local community does not, however, have to put up their one-fourth or one-third share for carrying out the urban renewal project in new money, but can provide their share through existing or soon-to-be-built public improvements, such as schools and fire stations, streets, sewers, sidewalks, and curb and gutter. These public improvements are called local non-cash grants in aid, and to secure credit from them, they must serve the urban renewal project area. This $400,000 addition to an existing school was part of the local school board's long-range program, yet the city was able to take credit for the school addition and did not have to raise taxes or provide new money for a 250-acre urban renewal project nearby. The public improvement claimed for credit must serve the urban renewal project area by at least 10% of its function. This fire station cost $80,000 and serves the project area by 20%. Therefore, $16,000 was matched on a three-fourth basis of $48,000 from the federal government. Any type of public improvement is eligible for a local non-cash grant in aid if it is a necessary improvement and if it serves the urban renewal project area. A public improvement, which serves the entire city, however, such as the city hall, is not eligible. To completely finance the renewal of our neighborhoods and cities on the local level is prohibitive. The economic conditions in many of our communities are such that local property taxes are strained to the limit now. Yet urban blight costs us over $2 billion a year. We cannot afford not to solve the problem. Therefore, the National Housing Act offers this financial assistance. Blight is contagious. When an area begins to decline, those who are able move to better areas. Those who remain require an increasing amount of the city's services. Police, fire protection, health and welfare departments. But when urban renewal begins, these costs decline rapidly and experience proves that rehabilitation is contagious too. Now, private lending institutions are willing to make money available for new home construction as well as remodeling. The rebirth of the physical area invariably leads to a new vitality and spirit in the people of the neighborhood. The New Housing Act states that the urban renewal plan gives due consideration to the provision of adequate park and recreational areas and facilities as may be desirable for improved improvement. A special consideration for the health, safety and welfare of children residing in the general vicinity of the site covered by the plan. This swimming pool, the first in this city, was realized through the urban renewal program. This inner project area have deteriorated to a point where complete clearance is the only solution. New homes will soon be standing here. The law states that independent appraisals by qualified experts must be made of each substandard structure before it can be purchased. The homeowner has recourse to the local courts if he does not agree to the price offered. But many homes are structurally sound, even though they may be in need of repair. With professional advice and guidance available from urban renewal staff members and local architects, rehabilitation can be done inexpensively and tastefully. For example, this small house did not meet the city's minimum housing standards for space until it was remodeled. The bathroom and kitchen were brought up from the basement. Forch and a new bedroom were added, new shingles and a new roof. It was later rented to a family moving out of a condemned house. They are now living in a decent, safe and sanitary home at a rent no higher than they paid for their substandard house. This house has only one bedroom on the ground floor and a bedroom and bathroom in the basement. Urban renewal staff members helped the homeowner redesign it and assisted him in obtaining financing to get the job done. The Housing Act makes provision for 20-year Federal Housing Administration insured rehabilitation loans up to $10,000 at an interest rate not to exceed 6%. To bring the house up to standard, the homeowner built an addition which provided two more bedrooms and enabled him to move the bathroom to the ground floor. The homeowner, the director of the city's urban renewal program, the consultant and the architect worked together in the best interests of the neighborhood and the community. Every homeowner is given all the advice and information he needs to assist him in making repairs and rehabilitating his home. This house, badly in need of repair, was remodeled and the imitation brick siding replaced. Covering wood siding with substitute materials, when not properly done and well maintained, can result in an unpleasant, unsightly appearance. The same house was brought up to standard again by restoring the original wood siding. Wood siding that has not been painted for you badly does not necessarily have to be removed or cut them or scraped well and repainted, while the boards at the top were not scraped but should have been. With a little more effort, this homeowner could have completed an adequate job. This house was covered with two kinds of substitute siding. Between the modernized house and its next door neighbor offers a striking illustration of what not to do in rehabilitation. The neighboring house has been kept as originally built by painting and normal maintenance. It cost less and looks better. These houses, too with imitation siding and all poorly maintained, were restored by removing the substitute siding and repainting the original wood in pleasant colors. A small expenditure of money for a large return in appearance. There are times when a structurally sound house has to be moved because of the construction of new streets or other major public improvements. Such a house can be rehabilitated on a new location. This is the same house after moving. Architectural advice guided this homeowner on this major project. These two houses, both in need of work, were rehabilitated in very different ways. One house was painted while the other house was extensively remodeled. Here again, a minimum expenditure for paint is often all that is necessary. As opposed to remodeling. While the house on the left is not unattractive, the one on the right was merely repainted at considerably less expense. As a stock picture window added, an architect might have advantage and originality rather than the stock picture window. The advice of an architect is available at no cost to people in an urban renewal project. The uniformity of this row of white houses could be changed by wise and careful color selection. Homeowners in project areas have available the guidance of architects to eliminate costly mistakes and achieve tasteful results in rehabilitation. In this urban renewal project, dozens of new homes have been built by private money where previously the land was vacant or cluttered with substandard houses. Without the urban renewal program to aid in the provision of the needed facilities, streets, water, and sewer, and to make possible the removal of the badly blighted structures, these new homes would not have been built. Older homes, which have been rehabilitated for sale, are available to relocated families on a no-down payment long-term mortgage. The substandard house between these two has been taken down. With new zoning, the lot is too small for a house. Split evenly, it will be sold to the adjacent homeowners. The relocation process is basic to urban renewal. Federal law makes it mandatory for the city to assist families who must be relocated in finding decent, safe, and sanitary housing at rental prices or purchase prices which they can afford. The relocation director's major responsibility is to assist families in finding better housing by working closely with reputable real estate agencies. Between 1949 and 1960, 85,000 families were successfully relocated, moving from substandard living quarters to standard living units. These figures cover 322 urban renewal projects in 195 American cities. Where do these people move? The Housing Act of 1961 provides an opportunity for a family to purchase a house similar to one of these at no-down payment and the maximum 40-year mortgage, often at the same or lower monthly rates than they were previously paying for their substandard housing. Another effective approach to relocating low-income families is the low-rent housing program, attractively designed one-to-five bedroom units financed by the federal government and built by private enterprise. For families with income so low, they cannot purchase or rent available decent housing. Among the low-rent housing occupants today are 1 million children and over 100,000 elderly persons. Federal and state laws require a public hearing on the urban renewal program before actual work can begin. At the public hearing, interested citizens are given maximum opportunity to express their likes or dislikes, ask questions and recommend changes in the urban renewal plan. Local courts protect the interests of all affected citizens. If the carrying out of an urban renewal project would not be in the best interests of the community, the courts can stop it. Since 1949, hundreds of cities all across America have participated in urban renewal and support the basic objectives of the National Housing Act, a decent, safe and sanitary home for all Americans. This goal is being realized by citizen participation and sound planning through urban renewal. Consultants who are experts in planning, law, relocation, public administration, architecture, engineering and community organization will work with your local officials to effectively carry out your urban renewal program. A growing, expanding America cannot afford obsolete residential areas and they are being eliminated. You, working cooperatively with your city officials and neighbors, can help achieve the goal of a decent, safe and sanitary home for all in a good neighborhood.