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{
    "localId": "1133421",
    "label": "7/8/75 - United States Conference of Mayors",
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{
    "id": "1133421",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1133421",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "7/8/75 - United States Conference of Mayors",
    "description": "This file contains material relating to waste, Suburban Sprawl, Community Development Grants, Federal Home Loan, Bank Urban Reinvestment Task Force, Neighborhood Preservation.",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1133421",
    "collections": [
        "Carla A. Hills Speeches",
        "Speeches"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Conservation",
        "Local government",
        "Natural resources",
        "Real property",
        "Rent subsidies",
        "Urban policy"
    ],
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    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1133421",
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    "coverageEndDate": {
        "day": 8,
        "logicalDate": "1975-07-08",
        "month": 7,
        "year": 1975
    },
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        "day": 8,
        "logicalDate": "1975-07-08",
        "month": 7,
        "year": 1975
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{
    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0305/656148/1133421.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box 1, folder \"7/8/75 - United States Conference of\nMayors\" of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDigitized from Box 1 of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nFINAL\nUNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS\nBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS\nJULY 8, 1975\nRECENTLY WE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO CONCEDE THAT WE ARE\nA WASTEFUL PEOPLE. THE OIL CRISIS TAUGHT US THAT WE WASTED\nENERGY. THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS HAVE TAUGHT US THAT WE ARE\nWASTING THE AIR AND WATER RESOURCES UPON WHICH WE DEPEND\nFOR SURVIVAL, OUR COLLECTIVE EXISTENCE HAS BEEN ONE OF\nCONSUMPTION. WE HAVE BEEN, LIKE A SPOILED CHILD, USED TO\nABUNDANCE.\nNow WE KNOW THAT THE CORNUCOPIA CAN BE EMPTIED,\nABUNDANCE HAS BECOME SCARCITY, THE COST OF OUR NATIONAL\nOVERINDULGENCE WEIGHS HEAVILY UPON US ALL, ENERGY\nSHORTAGES ARE ALREADY A WAY OF LIFE, AND SHORTAGES OF OTHER\nESSENTIALS ARE NO LONGER DIMLY PERCEIVED DANGERS OF A FAR\nDISTANT FUTURE.\nBUT, IN ALL OF OUR PRESENT CONCERN ABOUT SHORTAGES,\nI BELIEVE THAT THE LEVEL OF WASTE WHICH WE ACCEPT IN OUR\nCITIES IS THE MOST TRAGIC AND FAR REACHING FOR OUR SOCIETY,\nGERALD P. FORD LIBRARY\n-2-\nTHE CITIES HOLD IRREPLACEABLE RESOURCES. GREAT MASSES\nOF INVESTED WEALTH AND PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY AS WELL AS\nHISTORY AND BEAUTY CAN BE FOUND THERE. A LARGE PROPORTION\nOF OUR HOUSING STOCK IS SITUATED THERE ALONG WITH NEEDED\nWATER AND SEWER LINES, FACTORIES, ROADS, SCHOOLS, TRANSPORTATION\nSYSTEMS, AND UTILITIES. YET WITH ALL OF OUR WORRY ABOUT\nWASTE, WE, AS A NATION, ARE EITHER ABANDONING OR UNDER-\nUTILIZING ALL OF THESE ASSETS TO A SHOCKING DEGREE.\nWE FORGET TOO EASILY THAT WHEN WE ABANDON A HOUSING\nUNIT IN A CITY, WE ARE ALSO ABANDONING A PART OF ALL THESE\nSUPPLEMENTARY ASSETS, JUST THINK THAT IN NEW YORK CITY\nALONE 35,000 UNITS OF HOUSING ARE ABANDONED EACH YEAR.\nOUR YEARS OF ABUNDANCE SOMEHOW FOSTERED THE DISASTROUS\nNOTION THAT CITIES COULD BE DISCARDED AND REPLACED. As OUR\nCENTER CITIES GREW OLD, THOSE WHO COULD, FLED THE URBAN CORE\nFOR THE NEWLY-BUILT SUBURBS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES ENCOURAGED\nTHIS SUBURBAN SPRAWL AND THE OUTWARD DISPERSION OF PUBLIC\nAND PRIVATE INVESTMENTS.\nGERALD R. FORD LIBRANA\n-3-\nTHOSE SUBURBS HAVE NOW CONSUMED THOUSANDS OF SQUARE\nMILES, THREATENING TO DEPRIVE US OF OUR RAPIDLY DIMINISHING\nOPEN SPACES. AND, SUBURBAN SPRAWL HAS BROUGHT SERIOUS\nENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COSTS, INCLUDING AN EXCESSIVE\nDEPENDENCE ON THE AUTOMOBILE,\nHUD's RECENT STUDY OF THE COSTS OF SPRAWL DEMONSTRATES\nTHAT RECYCLING CITIES IS FAR LESS COSTLY THAN SUBURBAN\nDEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF CAPITAL, LAND, ENERGY AND ECOLOGICAL\nEXPENDITURES. URBAN DEVELOPMENT MAY CONSUME AS LITTLE AS\n50 PERCENT LESS LAND, REQUIRE 55 PERCENT LESS CAPITAL INVESTMENT,\nCREATE 45 PERCENT LESS AIR POLLUTION, AND CONSUME 44 PERCENT\nLESS ENERGY THAN SUBURBAN SPRAWL,\nAs PEOPLE FLEE THE CENTER CITY, OLD INVESTMENTS ARE\nABANDONED FOR NEW -- WHICH COST MORE -- AND REPLACING THE OLD\nINVESTMENTS REQUIRES THE ADDITIONAL AND UNNECESSARY CONSUMPTION\n1\nOF LAND, BUILDING MATERIALS, AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES,\nP.\nFORD\nGENALD\n-4-\nIT IS NOW CLEAR THAT WE CAN NO LONGER TOLERATE POLICIES\nWHICH ENCOURAGE THE ABANDONMENT AND WASTE OF THE CENTRAL CITY.\nJUST AS WE MUST STOP WASTING OUR AIR, WATER, AND ENERGY\nRESOURCES, WE MUST ALSO STOP WASTING OUR CITIES,\nTHIS MEANS THAT SUBURBAN SPRAWL CAN NO LONGER COMMAND\nTHE SAME PROPORTION OF CAPITAL IN THE NAME OF HOUSING GROWTH,\nWE CAN NO LONGER ENCOURAGE THE BUILDING OF RING UPON RING OF\nHOUSING AROUND THE CENTRAL CITY WHERE IT RESULTS IN FURTHER\nSTRANGULATION OF THE INNER CORE,\nON \"MEET THE PRESS\" SUNDAY, MAYOR WHITE CALLED FOR A\nNATIONAL DECISION ON THE FUTURE OF OUR CITIES. IF I MAY,\nI WILL SUGGEST AN ANSWER THAT MUST BE SELF-EVIDENT TO MANY,\nIF NOT MOST OF YOU,\nOUR POLICIES TODAY MUST SEEK TO RECYCLE AND CONSERVE\nOUR CITIES AND THE HUMAN AND PHYSICAL RESOURCES THEY CONTAIN.\nDERALD of\n-5-\nFORTUNATELY, THE VERY FORCES WHICH NOW REQUIRE US TO\nCONSERVE OUR URBAN ASSETS ALSO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY AND\nINCENTIVE TO REVITALIZE THEM, SCARCITY AND RESULTANT HIGH\nCOST OF LAND, RAW MATERIALS, AND ENERGY ARE MAKING URBAN\nLIVING A MORE ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE FOR MANY,\nALREADY, SOME CHILDREN OF THE GENERATION THAT FLED\nTO THE SUBURBS ARE RETURNING TO THE CITIES, AREAS THAT\nWERE ONCE SLUMS HEADING FOR ABANDONMENT ARE NOW BEING\nRESTORED BY FAMILIES NO LONGER WILLING TO BEAR THE COSTS\nAND INCONVENIENCES OF SUBURBAN LIFE.\nWE ARE IN AN ERA WHEN WE MUST FACE THE HARD REALITIES\nOF LIMITED RESOURCES, BUT IT IS ALSO AN ERA WHEN OUR CITIES\nHAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO REGAIN THEIR LUSTER AND REBUILD\nTHEIR KEY ECONOMIC, HISTORIC, CULTURAL AND SOCIAL LINKAGES.\nTHIS IS TRULY A TIME OF GREAT CHALLENGE FOR OUR CITIES\nAND FOR ALL OF US WHO CARE ABOUT THEM. To BORROW FROM\nDICKENS, IT IS INDEED \"THE BEST OF TIMES AND THE WORST OF\nTIMES FOR OUR CITIES\".\nR.\nGERALD\n-6-\nTHE CITIES' PROBLEMS ARE UNQUESTIONABLY SERIOUS.\nTHEIR CURRENT FISCAL PLIGHT IS PROFOUND. IN SOME COMMUNITIES,\nTHE FISCAL INTEGRITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS QUESTIONED, BUT,\nTHE CRISIS OF THE CITIES WILL NOT BE SOLVED BY MAKING THEIR\nDEFICITS PART OF A RAPIDLY GROWING FEDERAL DEFICIT.\nTo THE EXTENT THAT ANY ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDS COME\nWITH CATEGORICAL RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR EXPENDITURE, THE\nPROBLEMS OF MANY CITIES WOULD NOT BE ALLEVIATED. AND, TO THE\nEXTENT THAT SUCH RESTRICTED FUNDS LEAD TO A REDUCTION OF\nTHE UNRESTRICTED FUNDS, THE PROBLEMS OF MOST CITIES WOULD\nBE WORSENED,\nTHE FACTS ARE THAT IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, FEDERAL AID\nTO STATES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WILL BE ABOUT $56 BILLION.\nALMOST 70 PERCENT OF THAT, OR $39 BILLION, WILL BE SPENT\nIN OR DIRECTLY AFFECT THE 265 STANDARD METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL\nAREAS, THAT IS A 94 PERCENT INCREASE FROM JUST SIX YEARS AGO.\nTHE POINT OF MY REMARKS HERE IS NOT TO ARGUE WHETHER THE\nLEVEL OF FEDERAL ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE RAISED TO MEET TODAY'S\nCRISIS, RATHER, I WISH TO PRESS THE OBVIOUS.\nGERALD\n-7-\nTo BANDAGE OVER THE FISCAL CRISIS OF THE CITIES WITH\nADDITIONAL INFUSIONS OF FEDERAL FUNDS WOULD CERTAINLY CREATE\nNEW INFLATIONARY PRESSURES, WHICH SO BADLY HURT THE CITIES,\nBUT WOULD NOT CURE THE UNDERLYING CAUSES, WE NEED LONG-TERM\nSOLUTIONS,\nTHE CITIES ARE CAUGHT IN A VISE OF DECREASING REVENUES\nAND INCREASING COSTS, A PAINFUL RECESSION HAS EATEN AWAY\nAT MANY BASIC SOURCES OF PUBLIC REVENUES, AND THE PROPERTY\nTAX BASE HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY ERODED BY DEMOGRAPHIC AND ECONOMIC\nTRENDS.\nTHE MOST SERIOUS OF THESE TRENDS HAS BEEN THE MOVEMENT\nOF HIGHER INCOME GROUPS OUT OF THE CORE CITIES. THIS TREND\nACCELERATED AS THE PERSONAL MOBILITY PROVIDED BY MASSIVE\nHIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION ACCOMMODATED SUBURBAN LIFESTYLE,\nSEVENTY PERCENT OF THE NATION'S POPULATION GROWTH BETWEEN\n1960 AND 1970 OCCURRED IN THE SUBURBS,\n-8-\nTHIS FLIGHT FROM THE CITIES DESTROYED THE STABILITY\nOF MANY URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS AND LEFT LARGE SEGMENTS OF\nTHE CITIES TO THE POOR. PRIVATE DISINVESTMENT -- FOLLOWED,\nMANY ONCE PROUD NEIGHBORHOODS BECAME MARGINAL -- HEADED\nFOR ABANDONMENT,\nTo ALL THIS WE ADD THE FACT THAT DOUBLE DIGIT INFLATION\nHAS PUSHED THE COST OF PROVIDING BASIC PUBLIC SERVICES TO\nSTAGGERING HEIGHTS, AND UNEMPLOYMENT GENERATED BY RECESSION\nHAS CREATED EVER INCREASING DEMANDS FOR THOSE SAME SERVICES,\nANY EFFORT TO ANSWER THIS COMPLEX PROBLEM REQUIRES,\nABOVE ALL, A NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE REVITALIZATION OF\nTHE CITY. WE MUST RETURN THE RESOURCES OF THE CITIES TO\nPRODUCTIVE USE, ONLY THEN WILL LOCAL REVENUES INCREASE;\nONLY THEN WILL THE BURDEN OF SOCIAL SERVICE COSTS BE LESSENED.\nA CITY IS BUT THE SUM OF ITS PARTS -- ITS PEOPLE AND\nITS NEIGHBORHOODS. PRESERVING THE CITY MEANS REVITALIZING\nTHOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.\nGERALO R. FORD\n-9-\nEVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IS A DYNAMIC PLACE -- SOME OF ITS\nRESIDENTS WILL ALWAYS BE MOVING FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.\nITS HOUSING STOCK IS IN A CONSTANT STATE OF DECLINE OR\nRENOVATION. To REVITALIZE THE CITY REQUIRES POSITIVE\nINTERVENTION IN THAT PROCESS OF DYNAMIC CHANGE TO ENSURE THAT\nFUTURE CHANGES WILL BE FOR THE BETTER.\nTHERE ARE NO EASY OR ALL-PURPOSE NATIONAL ANSWERS TO\nTHE DIFFICULT ISSUE OF URBAN DECAY. RATHER, THE PROBLEM\nIS SUSCEPTIBLE TO SOLUTION ONLY WHEN FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL\nGOVERNMENTS WORK TOGETHER WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR. EACH\nLOCALITY WILL HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS, AND EACH SHOULD BE GIVEN\nA CHANCE TO DEVELOP ITS OWN MODEL FOR URBAN PRESERVATION,\nWE HAVE LEARNED THAT ANY FEDERAL EFFORT TO RECYCLE\nCITY RESOURCES MUST BUILD UPON LOCALLY CONCEIVED AND DIRECTED\nPLANS, OUR PHILOSOPHY AT HUD TODAY -IS TO SUPPORT LOCALLY\nDEVISED MEANS FOR COPING WITH THE PROBLEM OF URBAN DECLINE.\n&\nFORD\n-10-\nDURING THE PAST YEAR, HUD HAS TAKEN SEVERAL STEPS TO\nSUPPORT CITIES IN THEIR EFFORTS TO STOP URBAN DECLINE:\nFIRST, WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT\nGRANT PROGRAM, WHICH WILL PROVIDE LOCALITIES WITH $2.6 BILLION\nIN FEDERAL FUNDS THIS YEAR. CONGRESS HAS AUTHORIZED A TOTAL\nOF $8.3 BILLION FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THIS NEW PROGRAM.\nCONSISTENT WITH OUR PHILOSOPHY, LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE\nACCORDED WIDE LATITUDE IN USING THESE FUNDS. LOCAL\nCOMMUNITIES DETERMINE THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THEIR COMMUNITY\nDEVELOPMENT, AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES DEVISE STRATEGIES AND\nTACTICS TO BEST UTILIZE THEIR AVAILABLE RESOURCES.\nTHESE FUNDS SHOULD PROVIDE. YOUR COMMUNITIES WITH THE\nLEVERAGE TO ATTRACT GREATER PRIVATE AND PUBLIC INVESTMENTS\nIN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION,\nFORD\n-11-\nWE SEE OUR FIRST YEAR WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS\nAS ONE OF CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS, SEVENTY-EIGHT PERCENT OF\nRECIPIENTS STATE THAT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS SIGNIFICANTLY\nINCREASED THEIR ABILITY TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO LOCAL\nPROBLEMS. EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE LOCAL OFFICIALS SURVEYED\nSAID THERE WAS A MARKED REDUCTION IN THE RED TAPE WHICH USED\nTO ATTEND FEDERAL ASSISTANCE. EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT INDICATED\nA WELCOME DECREASE IN FEDERAL INTERVENTION IN THE LOCAL\nDECISION-MAKING PROCESS.\nCOMMUNITIES HAVE DEDICATED MORE THAN 66 PERCENT OF THESE\n$2.6 BILLION IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDS FOR THE PHYSICAL\nPRESERVATION OF DECLINING AND BLIGHTED NEIGHBORHOODS AND FOR\nTHE PUBLIC SERVICES NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS.\nALSO, WE ARE FINDING THAT OVER NINE PERCENT OF THESE\nFUNDS, OR ABOUT $221 MILLION, IS NOW BEING USED BY RECIPIENT\nCITIES FOR REHABILITATION GRANTS AND LOANS.\nIF THE RECIPIENT COMMUNITIES SUSTAIN THEIR FIRST YEAR\nLEVEL OF EFFORT, IN A MATTER OF YEARS WE WILL SEE THE END\nOF SUBSTANDARD HOUSING IN EVERY CITY ACROSS THE NATION,\nGERALD\n-12-\nSECONDLY AND RELATED, HUD WILL PROVIDE MORE THAN $70\nMILLION IN SECTION 312 LOW-COST FEDERAL REHABILITATION\nLOANS DURING THE COMING FISCAL YEAR, REHABILITATION\nFINANCING WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDS AND WITH SECTION\n312 LOANS WILL TOTAL MORE THAN $290 MILLION, WHICH IS TWICE\nTHE AMOUNT OF SUCH FINANCING PROVIDED DURING ANY PREVIOUS\nYEAR.\nTHIRD, OUR NEW RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM -- SECTION 8\n-- WILL PROVIDE $1.6 BILLION IN HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO 400,000\nLOWER-INCOME FAMILIES THIS FISCAL YEAR, THIS PROGRAM\nINCORPORATES A PROMISING AND FLEXIBLE NEW APPROACH, GIVING\nLOCAL COMMUNITIES CONSIDERABLE DISCRETION TO ADAPT FEDERAL\nHOUSING AID TO LOCAL CONDITIONS. LOCAL COMMUNITIES LARGELY\nDETERMINE TO WHAT EXTENT THE SUBSIDY WILL SUPPORT FAMILIES\nIN NEWLY CONSTRUCTED, REHABILITATED, OR EXISTING UNITS.\nTHE SUPPORT FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION PROVIDED BY OUR NEW\nRENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OFFERS THE CITIES A VALUABLE WAY\nTO PUT VACANT OR UNDER-UTILIZED URBAN LAND TO PRODUCTIVE USE,\nFORD\n-13-\nAND, BY ALSO ALLOWING A CITY TO UTILIZE ITS EXISTING\nSTOCK, WE HOPE TO ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST THE PRESERVATION\nOF URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS.\nTHIS NEW RENTAL SUBSIDY PROGRAM DID NOT GET COMPLETELY\nUNDER WAY UNTIL MAY OF THIS YEAR. BECAUSE OF THIS LATE\nSTART, IN APRIL WE PROJECTED THAT OUR COMMITMENTS WOULD BE\nONLY ABOUT 40,000 UNITS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1975, WHICH ENDED\nJUNE 30TH, BUT, I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT, AS OF THE END OF\nTHE FISCAL YEAR, EIGHT DAYS AGO, WE HAD ACTUALLY COMMITTED\nFUNDS FOR OVER 95,000 UNITS -- BETTER THAN TWICE OUR ESTIMATE.\nWE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL MEET OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE\nASSISTANCE TO 400,000 UNITS IN THE FISCAL YEAR WE HAVE JUST\nCOMMENCED.\nFOURTH, HUD LAST MONTH STARTED TO IMPLEMENT A DEMONSTRATION\nURBAN HOMESTEADING PROGRAM, AFTER CONVENING A CONFERENCE OF\nLOCAL OFFICIALS TO ASK THEIR ADVICE ABOUT THE DESIGN AND\nIMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL\nNOW SUPPORT A -LIMITED NUMBER OF LOCALLY DESIGNED HOMESTEADING\nPROGRAMS BY PROVIDING PARTICIPATING CITIES WITH HUD-HELD\nPROPERTIES OF POSITIVE VALUE AND REHABILITATION FINANCING.\nHUD WILL BE WORKING WITH THE PARTICIPATING CITIES IN ESTABLISHING\nAN OVERALL STRATEGY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF TARGETED NEIGHBORHOOD\n-14-\nFIFTH, HUD HAS IMPLEMENTED A PROPERTY DISPOSITION PROGRAM,\nWHEREBY CITIES CAN RECEIVE, AT NO COST, HUD-HELD PROPERTIES.\nTHIS PROGRAM PROVIDES ANOTHER RESOURCE FOR INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY\nUSE,\nSIXTH, HUD IS EXPERIMENTING WITH LEASE-PURCHASE AGREEMENTS,\nAS ANOTHER MEANS OF DEALING WITH ITS INVENTORY OF FORECLOSED\nHOMES. THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS IN TAYLOR, MICHIGAN AND\nDALLAS, TEXAS INVOLVE LEASES OF ACQUIRED PROPERTIES TO LOWER-\nINCOME FAMILIES FOLLOWED BY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE FAMILIES\nTO ASSUME HOMEOWNERSHIP.\nIN THE FUTURE, WE WILL SEEK TO COORDINATE HUD's PROPERTY\nDISPOSITION TECHNIQUES MORE CAREFULLY WITH THE COMMUNITY\nDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS OF THE AFFECTED LOCALITY, BOTH THE\nHOUSING ASSISTANCE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS, WHICH THE\nCITY MUST FILE TO OBTAIN FEDERAL ASSISTANCE, SHOULD ADDRESS\nTHE PROBLEM OF DISPOSING OF HUD AND CITY OWNED PROPERTIES,\nTHOSE HOUSING ASSETS MUST BE CONSIDERED.\nCENATO R. FORD\n-15-\nSEVENTH, HUD IS CO-SPONSORING WITH THE FEDERAL HOME\nLOAN BANK AN URBAN REINVESTMENT TASK FORCE, RECENTLY THE\nFEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE CONTROLLER OF THE\nCURRENCY AND THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD AGREED TO BECOME\nMEMBERS OF THIS TASK FORCE, THE TASK FORCE HAS DEVELOPED\nA NUMBER OF DEMONSTRATION NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION PROGRAMS,\nWHICH ILLUSTRATE HOW THE FINANCIAL COMMUNITY CAN BE VERY\nUSEFULLY INVOLVED IN LOCAL CONSERVATION PROJECTS.\nIN ADDITION, THE TASK FORCE HAS NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING\nSERVICE PROGRAMS OPERATING IN 11 CITIES. IT BRINGS TOGETHER\nTHE CITY, COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, LOCAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS\nAND THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS TO PROVIDE A CONCENTRATED EFFORT\nTO IMPROVE A SPECIFIED NEIGHBORHOOD, IN MOST CASES, THE\nCITY AGREES TO PROVIDE CODE ENFORCEMENT AND IMPROVED PUBLIC\nSERVICES, THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AGREE TO MAKE LOANS,\nPRIVATE AND TASK FORCE FUNDS PROVIDE MONIES FOR A HIGH RISK\nLOAN FUND, AND LOCAL CITIZENS GROUPS PROVIDE THE NECESSARY\nINVOLVEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM,\nat\nFORD\n-16-\nFOR THE FUTURE, HUD IS TAKING A HARD LOOK AT FORECLOSURES\nAND THE RESULTING COSTS TO CITIES AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS,\nTHE EMERGENCY HOUSING Act OF 1975 SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT LAST\nWEEK GIVES US NEW AUTHORITY TO DEAL WITH THE DIFFICULT PROBLEMS\nOF DEFAULTS AND FORECLOSURES.\nFINALLY, HUD IS ACTING AS A CLEARINGHOUSE TO ASSIST\nLOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THEIR PRESERVATION ACTIVITIES, WE\nRECENTLY PUBLISHED A NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION CATALOGUE,\nDESCRIBING 100 OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND SUCCESSFUL PRESERVATION\nINITIATIVES WHICH THE CITIES HAVE DEVELOPED. I DO NOT WANT\nTO BREAK IN AT THIS POINT WITH A FULL-BLOWN COMMERCIAL, BUT\nI STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT EACH OF YOU SECURE A COPY OF THIS\nPUBLICATION,\nWE HAVE SCHEDULED A SERIES OF 10 REGIONAL PRESERVATION\nSTRATEGY WORKSHOPS, TO BE ATTENDED BY THE DIRECTORS OF MANY\nOF THE PROGRAMS IDENTIFIED IN THE CATALOGUE, THESE STEPS\nSHOULD GIVE LOCAL COMMUNITIES ADDITIONAL TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTING\nWORKABLE APPROACHES TO URBAN PRESERVATION.\nGERALD R. FORD LICENSE\n-17-\nIN ADDITION TO HUD's EFFORTS, THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS\nBEGINNING TO SUPPORT URBAN REVITALIZATION. MORE AND MORE\nPRIVATE LENDERS ARE PARTICIPATING, WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT\nOF CITY FATHERS, TO CREATE REVOLVING LOAN FUNDS FOR INNER\nCITY REHABILITATION.\nOF SUBSTANTIAL POTENTIAL IMPORTANCE IS THE RECENT\nAFL-CIO AGREEMENT THAT A LOWER WAGE RATE SHOULD APPLY TO\nREHABILITATION WORK THAN TO NEW CONSTRUCTION.\nALL OF THESE ACTIONS SHOW A GROWING PUBLIC AWARENESS\nOF THE NEED TO USE PRODUCTIVELY THE RESOURCES OF OUR CITIES.\nUNDENIABLY, FEDERAL RESOURCES ARE IMPORTANT. BUT THE\nFEDERAL GOVERNMENT CANNOT ASSUME THE ENTIRE BURDEN. THERE\nMUST BE A COORDINATED EFFORT TO REVITALIZE THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT\nBY ALL PARTIES, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, HAVING A STAKE IN THE HEALTH\nOF OUR URBAN CENTERS,\nEACH LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT MUST PARTICIPATE ACCORDING\nTO ITS CAPACITIES.\n-18-\nTHE STATES HAVE A MOST IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE PROCESS\nOF URBAN REVITALIZATION. STATE GOVERNMENTS HAVE A FAR\nGREATER VARIETY OF INCOME GENERATING DEVICES AT THEIR COMMAND\nTHAN DO THE CITIES, THIS CAPACITY TO GENERATE REVENUE AND TO\nTAP SUBURBAN WEALTH PROVIDES THE STATES WITH THE FINANCIAL\nCAPACITY TO AID LOCAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.\nOUR 1974 ACT REQUIRES THAT COMMUNITIES, AS A CONDITION\nTO OBTAINING FEDERAL FUNDS, SUBMIT BOTH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT\nAND HOUSING ASSISTANCE PLANS. THAT REQUIREMENT PROVIDES AN\nOBVIOUS MECHANISM FOR THE ALLOCATION OF STATE COMMUNITY\nDEVELOPMENT FUNDS TO SUPPLEMENT THOSE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.\nA FEW STATES ARE ALREADY PROVIDING SUCH SUPPLEMENTARY FUNDING,\nMORE MIGHT BE ENCOURAGED TO DO so BY THE BLOCKS OF VOTERS\nTHAT YOUR CITIES REPRESENT.\nBUT, THE KEY ELEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF URBAN REVITALIZATION -\nIS THE CITY, As MAYOR CARVER SAID SUNDAY, \"THE FEDERAL\nGOVERNMENT\nCANNOT SOLVE ANY OF THE PROBLEMS OF /URBAN\nAMERICA] UNLESS LIT HAS] THE FULL AND COMPLETE COOPERATION\nOF THE CITIES.\"\nGERALD\n-19-\nHUD's STRATEGY FOR URBAN PRESERVATION REQUIRES LOCAL\nGOVERNMENT TO BE THE CATALYST TO AGGREGATE AN EFFECTIVE\nMASS OF FUNDS AND RESOURCES.\nIT IS THE CITY THAT MUST COORDINATE THE USE OF AVAILABLE\nRESOURCES -- FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL AND PRIVATE --- IN A\nCAREFULLY THOUGHT-OUT PLAN FOR NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY\nPRESERVATION. IT IS THE CITY THAT IS MOST CAPABLE OF LEVERAGING\nPUBLIC FUNDS TO PROMOTE PRIVATE REINVESTMENT IN THE URBAN CORE,\nTHESE RESPONSIBILITIES REQUIRE AN ECONOMIC PLANNING :\nCAPACITY, FOR THAT REASON, THIS PAST YEAR, HUD SPONSORED\nIN NEW ORLEANS AND SAN FRANCISCO, COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC\nPLANNING EXPERIMENTS. THESE EXPERIMENTS DEMONSTRATED THE\nUSEFULNESS OF ECONOMIC PLANNING CAPACITY TO LOCAL DECISION-\nMAKING. THE NEED FOR SUCH ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT\nDECISIONS HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT WITH THE WIDE\nLATITUDE AFFORDED LOCALITIES UNDER THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT\nGRANT PROGRAM,\n-20-\nHUD HAS MADE OTHER EFFORTS TO STRUCTURE ITS COMMUNITY\nDEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE LOCAL DECISION-\nMAKING PROCESS. FOR INSTANCE, NEXT YEAR WE WILL PERMIT GREATER\nCOORDINATION BETWEEN THE TIMING OF OUR DISBURSEMENT OF FEDERAL\nCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDS AND YOUR LOCAL BUDGETING PROCESS.\nTHIS SHOULD MAKE YOUR LEVERAGING STRATEGIES MORE SUCCESSFUL,\nTHE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN ADOPT A NATIONAL POLICY TO\nENCOURAGE URBAN CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING OF OUR CITIES,\nWE CAN MAKE DECISIONS CAREFULLY so AS NOT TO ENCOURAGE\nSUBURBAN SPRAWL OR CITY DECAY,\nBUT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, THE SUCCESS OF URBAN CONSERVATION\nWILL BE DETERMINED BY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LOCAL DECISION-\nMAKERS IN DEVISING PRESERVATION STRATEGIES SUITED TO THE NEEDS\nOF THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.\nNo CHALLENGE DURING THE NEXT DECADE IS GREATER THAN THE\nREVITALIZATION OF URBAN AMERICA. HUD STANDS READY TO JOIN\nWITH YOU IN MEETING THAT CHALLENGE,\n07/020"
}