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Show m. A m Model Cities Project - Housing Task Force In a report from the Salt Lake Central Relocation Agency dated February 15, 1972, it was stated that the purpose of the CRA is to serve as a central housing locator and referral service for the entire City and County, primarily with the intent of assisting those families or individuals who are displaced as a result of governmental action or information) in need of housing to individuals and agencies that are willing to assist those in need. All applicants in the CRA files are contacted weekly as to their status, thus all information is kept current. 4. A working relationship with some of the local rental agencies has been established for referral of available housing to CRA. Rental those which have difficulty agencies are only of limited in providing for their own housing needs on the open market because of economic, social, or other related reasons. The purpose of the report was to briefly outline what the CRA is presently doing in this area of housing assistance and to make some short range recommendations concerning these goals. Although surveys indicate that the vacancy rate is less than 1 for rental units which would be within the financial means of those persons served by CRA, the practical experience of searching for such housing will verify much more forcibly than any survey, that it is almost nonexistent, the report continued. Therefore, there is no such thing because they have very-littl- e of the type of housing in need. 5. Assisting and referring people to the most appropriate agency in regard to the following: Relocation Services Housing Maintenance and assistance Repair Homemaking Assistance Home Building or Purchase Credit and Budget Counseling Tenant - Landlord Problems Housing Discrimination Complaints 6. The Agency is paying the mileage of neighborhood volunteers in each of the CAP neighborhoods to canvass the local areas for possible housing resources and to make the services of the CRA known to be, are not desirable tenants or profitable to rent to on the private market. Another observation included in the study was the fact that society often aggravates its own problems by classifying people in terms of what has happened to them, rather than what they are as individuals Tor example, racial discrimination is nothing in Salt Lake compared to the discrimination practiced by what appears to be the majority of landlords against persons who are receiving public assistance, have been divoiced or have large families. If one wou'd stop and think about it, he would find that even if a person is in these condiditions, that, in itself has nothing to do with whether oi not he will be a good tenant. or inventory of available low cost housing. It is a day by day struggle to try and find something before somebody else. The agency has actively sought applicants in need of housing assistance only since the first of January, 1972. During the month of January more than 50 persons in need of housing contacted their office, according to the report. as a list Approximately 25 found living accommodations on their own. Present activities of the Central Relocation Agency include: 1. Beginning to function as a central office to which all persons in need of housing are referred and are publicizing this fact by various means. 2. Reviewing promptly upon arrival the local newspapers for available living units and refer them immediately to applicants on file for their personal contact asking that landlords cease in pi acticing one of the most unfair and dishonest types of d scrimm jtion which is that of categorizing people who are on "welfare", divorced, or with large families as had tenants. those in responsibility residents. 7. A small emergency fund for occasional use for small one time payments where the need is justified, such as truck rental for moving and partial rent payment. 8. The Agency is preparing new approaches in alleviating what seems to be never ending problems. It is the intent of CRA to assist people who are in need and to help make them self supporting and to attempt to improve those who are really "bad large county map which will be keyed and will serve as a reference source for all pertinent housing information in the county. tenants " The Salt Lake Central Relocation Agency project of the local Model Cities Agency mtitiated in the Housinq Task Force. and follow-up- . (The newspapers are also on file for anyone desiring to refer to them and a telepone available for local calls.) 3. Periodically distributes a list of persons (with pertinent The report did make some that lack of housing will be a continuing problem for several years to come and should be viewed in these terms. Publicly subsidized housing has got to be the main source of housing for those on the bottom of the social and economical scale. There are a certain percent of people who, whatever the case may to be sufficiently flexible to try a observations and recommendations. It stated that it is easy to jump on the crisis bandwagon and look for some ultimate solution to the problem of a lack of housing. However, the reasons the problem exists are almost as varied as the people who are in need and as long as there are people, we will have housing problems, the report advised. Fiom information in the study, it appears The report summarizes that one of the most important objectives she-- ' ild be that of a willingness of just as sacred as property rights ) This, however, is the smg'e greatest cause or reason given for the displacement of low income families in Salt Lake City. 2. The CRA is not asking landlords to rent to those who are truly bad tenants, but they are were helped in one way or another and another 25 appioach should be supported by the City Commission This suggestion was not made lightly, but with full knowledge that it would tempoiarily testnct what one could do with his property, (at times there are principles which are Following are three recommendations of the Salt Lake Central Relocation Agency which, if they were seriously implemented, could be of significant help on a short term basis, or until public housing is available: 1 . The first is the most extreme, (yet could be of significant benefit) which is for the City Commission to declare a temporary (six months to a year) moratorim on the issuing of demolition or building permits which wou'd result in the displacement of persons for whom no other housinq is available. If this could not be done, at least some modification of this This is not only unfair, it is a lie There probably isn't a city in the country that is more hung up on this evil than Salt Lake City. This is very cruel treatment to people who have been labled and categorized as bad tenants for what has happened to them and not for what they have done. 3. A temporary rent subsidy program which could be used on a flexible basis would be very helpful until public housing is available. This type of ptoject is alieady built into the Home Repair and Relocation Project of the Model CdiP1- Housing - Task Force. is a Get Involved Join the Housing Task Force |
