Atlanta has risen from itsown ashes many times — most spectacularly after the Civil War. Butthere have been other occasions when the will of the people to do theright thing has fostered civic rebirth. While many Southern cities weremired in racial unrest and race riots, for example, Atlanta said, "Wecan do better," and we did.Another example: During the Great Depression, one third of thenation was ill-housed. In Atlanta, the tenements were atrocious and theshortage of housing was critical. When the federal governmentauthorized public housing construction during the mid-1930s, Atlanta`sspirit of resurgence led the way. We built the first major publichousing project, on 60 acres of blighted land near Georgia Tech thateventually became Techwood/Clark Howell Homes. Over time, Atlanta hadmore public housing units per capita than any other American city, andfor many years these projects were transitional housing for the workingpoor, who were striving to achieve self-sufficiency and the Americandream.But by the 1970s, as aresult of a series of less-than-thoughtful policy changes that forcedout the working poor, public housing had dramatically changed. The"projects" had become islands of poverty and despair, where Atlantanswere trapped in joblessness and poor education options and structurallylocked out of mainstream America.As Atlanta was preparing to host the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games,the Atlanta Housing Authority was ranked as one of the worst largepublic housing authorities in the entire country. Nearly all theschools serving students living in AHA properties were ranked among theworst in the entire state.Just 12 years later, those dismal statistics have dramaticallyimproved. AHA is now the national model for creating healthy mixed-use,mixed-income communities. More importantly, recipients are entering andsucceeding in the work force and are on their way to achieving theirversion of the American Dream.Last month, we began closing the final chapter on public housing"projects." The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmentapproved the demolition of Bowen Homes. HUD agreed with our assessmentthat the 650 units were irrevocably deteriorated and obsolete.Moreover, the families who were living in that environment, which hadbecome the poster child for concentrated poverty, may now — through achoice-driven and supportive process using a housing choice voucher —find housing that will meet their needs.Again making historyWe anticipate quick approval for demolition of the remaining majorprojects: Bankhead Courts, Thomasville Heights, Hollywood Courts,Herndon Apartments, Palmer and Roosevelt. Those projects, together withBowen, house about 2,400 households - families that can now look tobright futures in good neighborhoods.When the last of those buildings comes down, we will have madehistory, just as we did when we built the first public housing. We willhave become the first major American city to eliminate its large familyhousing "projects." This is an event that has ramifications for allAtlantans. People are returning to the city, which in recent years hasbeen showing significant population growth for the first time in ageneration. That resurgence would not have occurred if blighted housingprojects continued to dominate the landscape.Roughly 80 percent of the tenants are women and their children. What about them?The answer needs to be stressed, underscored and emphasized: Every — every— resident of Bowen Homes will move to a new home of the family`schoice. The only exceptions are those who engage in criminal behavior,refuse to work or violate the terms of their lease. They would beineligible to remain AHA tenants in any case. And via housing subsidyvouchers, the amount they pay for rent and utilities will remain thesame — approximately 30 percent of their income.The residents choose where they live, and we
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