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59-713: In 1994 the Atlanta Housing Authority , encouraged by the federal HOPE VI program, embarked on a policy created for the purpose of comprehensive revitalization of severely distressed public housing developments. These distressed public housing properties were replaced by mixed-income communities. State Capitol Homes (aka "Capitol Homes") was completed on April 7, 1941 and designed to serve black families in low-rise housing. The 694 units demolished in 2003 were replaced by Capitol Gateway, which includes 1,000 units of housing for various income levels. The Carver Community housing project (aka "Carver Homes") in southeast Atlanta

118-526: A child-care facility and retail shops. There were plans to include homeownership units. In 1994, Renee Glover became chairperson of the AHA, and became a major advocate for the Centennial Place project. After its completion, she began to work towards demolishing the rest of Atlanta's public housing, with the goal of replacing them with "Mixed-Income Communities" , or MICs. This concept was formalized in 1996, and

177-473: A fair housing complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD was charged with approving the applications for demolitions. The AHA continues to provide housing or housing assistance to low-income families, albeit at a smaller scale. 12 communities are owned by the AHA and overseen by private property management firms, including 10 senior high-rises and 2 low-rise complexes for families. They are home to 1,793 households. Since 1995,

236-426: A few smaller projects completed after that date. During the 70s and 80s, the AHA came under increasing criticism, such as from The Great Speckled Bird , over its management of its complexes, as violence and physical deterioration began to grow. When Atlanta won its bid to host the 1996 Olympics, city leaders worried that the public housing complexes would be an international embarrassment. Under chairperson Renee Glover,

295-743: A part of the Mc Daniel Glenn housing project were cleaned up and turned into a section 8 apartment complex. The apartment units once were a part of the Eastlake Meadows housing project but the Atlanta Housing Authority decided to keep the units and turn them into Section 8 housing . The Edgewood Court housing project, built in 1950, is a Section 8 housing project with 204 available units. Martin Street Plaza, in Summerhill , also known as

354-467: A tour of public housing in the city that focused on their deteriorating conditions. With rising crime rates city-wide and several high-profile crime stories that involved the projects, the Atlantan public began to see public housing as a new version of the slums. East Lake Meadows in particular became known as "Little Vietnam" due to the high number of shooting deaths. In 1990, Atlanta was selected to hold

413-467: A virtual exhibition of the project. When Centennial Place opened, the concept had changed to that of a mixed income community, with only 300 of the previous 1100 units remaining for low-income residents. Centennial Place was positively recognized by HUD and the Urban Land Institute . As of 2007, Centennial Place had a math, science and technology-focused elementary school, a YMCA, a branch bank,

472-567: Is a 500-unit abandoned housing project once owned by the AHA located 2208 Verbena street, in northwest Atlanta. The complex sits in the Dixie Hill neighborhood. It was abandoned due to fire damage. John O. Chiles (Harris III) is a 190 unit affordable housing community in Atlanta, Georgia. The community is located in the 5th Congressional neighborhood the last remaining structure of Harris Homes. Built in 1949, Ed Tucker Memorial Homes (aka “Tucker Homes”)

531-538: Is located in the 5th Congressional District of Georgia also the last remaining structure of the U-Rescue Villa housing project. Hillcrest (demolished) 100 units used to be owned by the Atlanta housing Authority but was sold to the East Point Housing Authority and has sat vacant but undemolished after the East Point Housing Authority [EPHA] failed to give out section 8 applications. Hidden Village Homes

590-406: Is under the control of the Atlanta Housing Authority. Torn down in 2024. Built in the 1960s torn down in 2004. A.K.A "Poole Creek" the 226 unit housing projects were torn down and families were displaced. Alonzo F. Herndon Homes (aka "Herndon Homes") was completed in 1941, containing 520 units for African Americans. It was demolished in 2010. The project was named for Alonzo F. Herndon , who

649-740: The Atlanta Housing Authority . Demolished floor-by-floor during Spring 2011. Senior citizen highrise with 150 apartments located at the southwest corner of Centennial Olympic Park Drive and North Avenue. Built 1973. Named for Franklin Delano Roosevelt , the American president who with Atlanta developer Charles Forrest Palmer founded the national public housing policy. Contained 150 apartments. The last residents left in 2009. Demolished with explosives on February 27, 2011. Built 1967, 350 units demolished 2010. Torn down in May 2008. The 288 apartment units once

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708-492: The 1990s, as part of his efforts to revitalize the East Lake neighborhood , developer and philanthropist Tom Cousins began working with the AHA to replace East Lake Meadows with a mixed-income community. This took place in a larger context of tearing down Atlanta's public housing. In addition to mixed-income housing units, the redevelopment plan included an education center, a private golf course, and various local amenities. Over

767-496: The 1996 Olympics, Techwood and Clark Howell Homes were demolished and replaced by Centennial Place. Built in 1938 on the site of the former Beaver Slide slum. Seen as the African American counterpart to Techwood Homes - the first public housing project in the nation. Architect William Augustus Edwards . Residents of the deteriorating community were relocated in 2006, with 500 units being demolition in 2009. In September 2015,

826-404: The 1996 Summer Olympics. This led many city leaders to become concerned about the state of public housing in the city, at a time when HUD had labelled the AHA one of the worst housing authorities in the nation. On the national level, concerns about the state of public housing had led Congress to appropriate funds for HOPE VI , a program designed to revitalize public housing. In 1993, Atlanta won

885-550: The 2000s, it was demolished and replaced with The Villages at Castleberry Hill. The McDaniel Glenn housing project was built in 1967, with the Martin Luther King Memorial Building (a highrise for the elderly) constructed in 1970. Making the complex peak at 768 units Part of the Mechanicsville neighborhood, the complex was demolished in 2006. By 2007, Columbia Residential had completed their redevelopment of

944-510: The AHA has helped fund the creation of 16 mixed-income communities owned by private developers. These serve 3,996 households. The AHA provides housing vouchers to 8,391 households. Through a program called Homeflex, the AHA assists private developers in providing housing to 3,364 qualifying households. Finally, the HAVEN program provides 1,941 households at risk of homelessness with housing and intensive counseling dispersed throughout their programs. At

1003-509: The AHA won Federal HOPE VI funding to tear down many of the public housing complexes, including Techwood. After the Olympics, the campaign to tear down Atlanta's public housing continued, and by 2011 all traditional-style units were torn down or sold to private entities. The AHA now provides six primary housing services, most prominently housing vouchers and mixed-income developments. The movement to construct public housing in Atlanta began during

1062-514: The AHA's first chairperson, and under him and his successors, the agency continued to clear slums and build public housing complexes. The first phase of construction lasted from 1938 to 1941, and was financed with funds from the Wagner-Steagall Act . The second phase was from 1951 to 1956, using grants funded by the Housing Act of 1949 . The final phase took place from 1962 to 1973, with only

1121-561: The Atlanta Housing Authority. It would be overseen by a five-member board of commissioners appointed by the Mayor, but otherwise be politically independent from the city. The Board of Aldermen granted the AHA the power of eminent domain and tax exemption, and later delegated to it the task of overseeing urban renewal. Charles Palmer was elected the first chairman of the Board of Commissioners in 1938, and would serve in that position until 1940. Throughout

1180-484: The Old Fourth Ward. Located on Bankhead Highway (renamed Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway in 1998) just inside I-285 , the site is now classified as part of the neighborhood of Brookview Heights. On October 13, 1980 a furnace boiler exploded at the day care center, killing four children and a teacher. Residents of Bowen Homes suspected the blast was related to the Atlanta child killings of 1979-1981, but it turned out that

1239-575: The Summerhill Projects, built in 1979 continue operating today. Westminster is a 32 unit public housing community in Atlanta, Georgia. East Lake Highrise is a 150 unit affordable housing community in Atlanta, East Lake Highrise is owned and managed by the Atlanta Housing Authority also is the last remaining structure of the East lake meadows housing project. Cosby Spear Highrise is a 282 unit affordable housing community in Atlanta, Georgia. The community

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1298-1047: The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded a Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant to revitalize the former University Homes public housing site, along with the Atlanta University Center, Ashview Heights, and the Vine City neighborhoods. The "University Choice Neighborhood" housing plan renamed University Homes to "Scholars Landing." Construction will be complete in 2023. Senior citizen highrise built 1965. Architect John C. Portman Jr. who designed numerous high-rises in Downtown Atlanta ( AmericasMart , Peachtree Center , Hyatt Regency Atlanta , etc.) One of Portman's earliest and most influential projects, his first atrium building and only public housing project. Located at 126 SE Hilliard St. SE, Downtown. Demolished 2009 including annex. Portman pleaded to save

1357-787: The United States. Despite his opposition to the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, it was only with the creation of the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1933 that Palmer was able to win approval for a public housing project, to be built in Techwood Flats. Techwood Flats was a mixed-race community located between Georgia Tech and downtown Atlanta, with buildings that often lacked running water or electricity. Charles Palmer claimed that he selected Techwood Flats specifically because it lay on his commute from northwest Atlanta into downtown. At this point in time, slum clearance

1416-405: The approval of funds to construct Bowen Homes . This was completed in 1964, and was followed by such projects as Antoine Graves , Bankhead Courts , and East Lake Meadows, among others. In general, these projects were larger and of lower quality than those built before 1956. The projects were some of the last public facilities to be desegregated; this occurred only in 1968. Whites had been leaving

1475-576: The black poor. Until 1937, all public housing in the United States was under the control of the PWA's Housing Division. With the passing of the Wagner-Steagall Act , this was moved to the newly created United States Housing Authority (USHA) under the Department of the Interior . At the same time, most of the administration was decentralized to local housing authorities. In 1938, Atlanta's Board of Aldermen created

1534-465: The boiler's water had been drained for maintenance at the end of the previous heating season and not refilled. On October 13 the cool weather of autumn returned, the day care requested that the heat be turned on, and maintenance staff relit the boiler not realizing it was empty. This caused a boiler explosion thirty minutes later. In 1982, the Atlanta Housing Authority settled out-of-court for $ 800,000 with ten families seeking damages. Rapper Shawty Lo

1593-468: The building to no avail. Built 1970, consisted of 550 housing units. As of January 2011, "demolition was underway". Bowen Homes was a large multifamily housing project built in northwest Atlanta in 1964. Named after John W. E. Bowen, Sr. , it included 650 units in a sprawling complex of 104 yellow brick residence buildings, A.D. Williams elementary school, a library, and a day care center. Most inaugural residents were relocated from Buttermilk Bottom in

1652-692: The city or became homeless. In 2011, the AHA also tore down the Roosevelt House and Palmer House senior-citizen high-rises and relocated residents into other properties. However, the John O. Chiles and Cosby Spear senior citizen high rises remained open. As AHA began to systematically close and demolish the projects, a number of issues arose. In 2004, AHA required all adults without diagnosed disabilities between 18 and 61 to be employed or successfully participating in job training or some other educational assistance. By 2007, nearly all able-bodied adults living in

1711-453: The construction of public housing continued until 1956. By the end of that year, 516.8 acres of slums had been cleared and a total of 12 housing projects had been constructed. Excluding Harris Homes , which was completed in 1956, Atlanta's public housing was home to over 27,000 people (it was built for 25,000). The AHA announced that Harris Homes would be its "last low-rent project", as it was redirecting its efforts to urban redevelopment, which

1770-434: The country, and in 1935 FDR gave a speech to dedicate the project. Following Techwood Homes, Atlanta's second housing project would be University Homes, intended for African-Americans and built over the demolished Beaver Slide. Even more so than with Techwood, this inhabitants of this project represented a sharp increase in income for the area. While the previous community was made of mostly unskilled laborers, University Homes

1829-549: The course of ten years, East Lake Meadows was demolished and replaced with The Villages at East Lake, the total project costing $ 172 million. Completed in 1942, Henry Grady Homes (aka "Grady Homes") originally contained 495 units for black families. Located in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, it was demolished and replaced with the Auburn Pointe mixed-income community. Built in 1957, Joel Chandler Harris Homes (aka "Harris Homes")

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1888-566: The early 1930s. Charles Palmer , an conservative real estate developer, became concerned with the threat to property values posed by shantytowns so close to downtown. Similar concerns were being expressed among the African-American elite, who disliked the physical proximity of Atlanta University to the slum known as Beaver Slide . Palmer embarked on several tours of European countries to examine their public housing programs, and heavily lobbied Washington to begin constructing public housing in

1947-501: The early period of the AHA's existence, public housing was closely connected with slum clearance. This was especially emphasized by US Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes , who saw slum clearance as a positive good in itself, regardless of whether the units were replaced with public housing. Nonetheless, at the time it was taken for granted that replacement housing had to be built. In addition, public housing during this period

2006-515: The end of 2017, the AHA was serving 23,180 households. These were classified into five groups: In 2016, it was found that Atlanta Housing Authority's publicly paid executives evaded federal rules capping pay at $ 158,700 by supplementing their salaries with money from the nonprofit National Housing Compliance, which receives money from a contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to administer low-income housing. Beaver Slide Too Many Requests If you report this error to

2065-479: The first HOPE VI grant to renovate and modernize Techwood and Clark Howell Homes. At first, the idea of replacing public housing with mixed-income housing was not considered, and the entire project was to remain public housing. The Integral Group and McCormack Baron Salazar together won the contract in 1994 to demolish Techwood and build its replacement, Centennial Place . By the opening of the 1996 Olympics Techwood had been demolished, although visitors were able to tour

2124-436: The old community had been racially mixed, whereas the new public housing project was all white. This set a precedent of public housing in Atlanta being used to shape the racial and economic composition of communities in areas of interest to the elite. Not only was Techwood Homes the first public housing project in Atlanta, it was also the first permanent public housing project in the United States. It received recognition across

2183-479: The poorest of the poor. After its creation in 1938, the AHA immediately began petitioning Washington for funds to construct new housing. During the three years preceding the war, six new housing projects would be completed. For whites, there was Capitol Homes and Clark Howell Homes. For African Americans, the AHA built Herndon Homes, John Hope Homes, John Egan Homes, and Harris Homes. This amounted to 4,000 housing units accommodating 20,000 people. The total investment

2242-460: The projects and the city already, but integration prompted virtually all remaining whites to leave the projects. Other projects continued to be built into the 1970s, as well as several high-rises for senior citizens, but after 1973 construction mostly ceased. By 1973, the political consensus that had supported public housing in Atlanta had broken down. Criticism from the left, such as from the underground newspaper The Great Speckled Bird , focused on

2301-475: The property, named Columbia at Mechanicsville Station. The Martin Luther King High-Rise was demolished with explosives on February 14, 2010. Herman E. Perry Homes (aka "Perry Homes") was completed in 1954 with 1,100 units for black families. Part of the project was destroyed by a tornado on March 24, 1975, with the buildings being replaced in 1976–77. The project's demolition was completed in 1999, and it

2360-465: The remaining housing projects were compliant. In 2008, residents of Bowen Homes and others expressed concern that AHA was not finding homes for their relocation prior to demolition of the 3,000 families living in the complex. According to research done the conversion to vouchers was concentrating the displaced residents by race and income in violation of the Fair Housing Act , prompting a filing of

2419-442: The shoddy construction of recent projects, and the lack of funding for basic maintenance. The "moderate" coalition of businessmen and wealthy elites that dominated Atlanta politics had realized that they could continue slum clearance and urban renewal without needing to build adequate replacement housing. And when Maynard Jackson , Atlanta's first black mayor, was elected by a coalition between blacks and progressive whites, he went on

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2478-502: The vouchers. When Bowen Homes was demolished in 2011, Atlanta became the first American city to demolish all of its family public housing . However, only a small fraction of the units demolished were actually replaced with units in mixed-income communities. This was in part because those units were never planned for construction, in part because the 2008 crash led the AHA to cancel rebuilding plans. And because Atlanta landlords are not required to accept housing vouchers, many presumably left

2537-576: Was $ 21 million to that point. City historian Franklin Garrett remarked humorously, "By 1940, federal funds have built considerably more housing in Atlanta than Federal representative William T. Sherman destroyed here in 1864", referring to the Union general who ordered the burning of Atlanta . With the onset of the war, Atlanta (unlike other cities) paused the construction of new public housing. The next complex would not be erected until 1951. Slum clearance and

2596-560: Was a 200-unit co-operative housing project designed as a memorial to veterans of Atlanta who gave their lives in World War 2. A combined effort between the FHA and the non-profit Veteran's Corporation, it was named for a young B-24 navigator from College Park, Georgia who died in the battle of Rabaul . The complex was renovated in 2004 and sold as a private development renamed “The Station at Richmond Hill.” Atlanta Housing Authority The AHA

2655-415: Was a 510 unit housing site and the last project built that was intended for white residents before the housing projects were integrated after passage of the federal Civil Rights Act in 1964. It was replaced by Ashley Collegetown. The adjacent John O. Chiles Senior Residence Building was renovated. Built adjacent to University Homes in 1941, John Hope Homes 606 units was originally built for black families. In

2714-460: Was a 677-unit complex built in 1941 for black families. It cost $ 2 million to build and was located in Vine City . The complex was torn down in the 2000s and replaced by Magnolia Park. The East Lake Meadows public housing project was a 654 unit community built in 1971 and was one of the most infamous of all of Atlanta's public housing. At the time the nation's largest turnkey project, East Lake Meadows

2773-477: Was a filming location for the motion picture The Lottery Ticket . As of January 2011, the 202 public housing units "demolition was almost complete". 145 units torn down in 2008. 160 units Torn down in 2008. video Rapper Young Thug was raised in Jonesboro South Apartments 225 units Torn down in 2008. Senior citizen highrise. Built 1966. Named for Charles Forrest Palmer , first president of

2832-473: Was adopted by the HOPE VI program on a national level. From 1996 until 2011, Atlanta continued the process of tearing down the complexes, taking advantage of relaxed federal rules in effect through 2010. The agency offered residents who qualified a variety of relocation options and long-term assistance that included federal rent-assistance vouchers good anywhere in the country. However, not all residents qualified for

2891-580: Was born a slave, and through founding the Atlanta Life Insurance Company became Atlanta's richest African American. On June 15, 2016, Atlanta Housing Authority announced a development team has been selected to create a mixed-use mixed-income community on the site, "Herndon Square". The first of five phases began construction in January 2020 , and is scheduled to complete in Spring 2021. Herndon Homes

2950-467: Was finished on February 17, 1953, costing $ 8.6 million and consisting of 990 units for African-Americans. Named for George Washington Carver, the project was located near Joyland , an amusement park for black Atlantans. The project was demolished in 2000 and was partially replaced with the Villages at Carver. It is currently undergoing further revitalization by the AHA. John J. Eagan Homes (aka "Eagan Homes")

3009-437: Was founded in 1938, taking over from the Public Works Administration (PWA). Due to the lobbying of Charles Palmer , an Atlantan real estate developer, Atlanta had been the site of the first public housing project in the country in 1936, Techwood Homes . Early public housing projects such as Techwood and its sister project, University Homes, were built for working-class families on the sites of former slums. Charles Palmer became

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3068-415: Was home to the black middle class, or even the upper middle class. While touted by John Hope (President of Atlanta University) and other black elites as a victory for the black community, it was emblematic of the desire of those same elites to separate themselves from the black poor. It also represented part of the serious disconnect between the goals of the black elites and middle class and the interests of

3127-485: Was immediately plagued by maintenance problems due to poor construction. Crime rates soared, and reporter Bill Seldon for the Atlanta Constitution highlighted the project in a series of articles comparing the high number of killings in Atlanta to Vietnam. These articles led to East Lake Meadows gaining the nickname of "Little Vietnam", and helped contribute to the turning of public opinion against public housing. In

3186-561: Was raised in Bowen Homes. One of his mixtapes ( Bowen Homes Carlos ) is dedicated to the housing project, and it was also featured in rapper T.I. 's video What Up, What's Haapnin' . Other musical groups from Bowen Homes include Shop Boyz and Hood Rock. Boxer Evander Holyfield grew up in Bowen. Bowen Homes was rife with crime. Police reports show 168 violent crimes in the six months between June 2007 and January 2008, including five murders. It

3245-524: Was replaced with the West Highlands development. In addition to mixed-income housing, it includes various other amenities such as a YMCA. Techwood Homes was the first federally funded public housing project in the United States, with 1,230 units opening in 1936. Located in the Centennial Hill district of Downtown Atlanta , it was joined by Clark Howell Homes (both all white) in 1940. In the run-up to

3304-450: Was seen as a tool for shaping the working class into model citizens. In Atlanta as elsewhere, tenants were carefully chosen in order to conform to middle-class values (for example, no unwed mothers). This created communities that were largely homogeneous, mostly consisting of young married couples with children. Only in the postwar era would public housing begin to serve lower-class families, and only gradually would it become associated with

3363-455: Was seen as necessarily tied with public housing, despite the fact that public housing was not intended for habitation by the poor. Rather, public housing was meant to be a temporary aid to middle- or working-class families hurt by the depression. Thus, when the Techwood Homes public housing project was completed in 1936, few residents of the former slum were able to move back in. Furthermore,

3422-431: Was the last large AHA housing project left when it was demolished in 2009. Its razing made Atlanta the first major municipality in the U.S.A. to do so, and its demolition brought the city's era of large multifamily housing projects to a close. Built in 1970, 324 units of Englewood manor were demolished 2009 by the Atlanta Housing Authority and the land still sits empty as of 2024. Since 1970, this property has been and still

3481-464: Was to replace public housing. This shift represented the decoupling of slum clearance (or urban renewal) from public housing. It was no longer seen as a necessity to replace cleared neighborhoods with new units. From 1956 to 1966, highway construction and other urban renewal projects would displace almost 67,000—mostly black—people. Only 11% of those displaced would be rehoused in public housing. The final phase of housing construction began in 1962 with

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