Atlanta To Demolish Nearly All Its Public Housing

The Atlanta Housing Authority, led by Renee Glover (a rumored HUD director if Al Gore had won in 2000), continues its program to deconcentrate poverty in the City of Atlanta.

"Atlanta is gearing up to raze nearly all of its remaining stock of aging, dilapidated multifamily complexes and two senior residences within the next several years. The move will affect more than 3,000 units and 9,600 residents at a dozen properties."

"Residents will be offered a variety of relocation options and long-term assistance that include federal rent-assistance vouchers good anywhere in the country."

"Since 1995, the AHA has revitalized or converted a number of its 'distressed' properties into mixed-income apartment complexes, such as the successful Centennial Place, under the federal HOPE VI public housing revitalization program. But HOPE VI redevelopment, agency officials say, has been slow, leaving 5,000 families still living in substandard conditions at complexes and high rises that are too costly to renovate, maintain or operate."

"AHA is taking advantage of relaxed federal rules good through 2010 to raze those blighted communities and give residents the opportunity to live elsewhere... Razed complexes on a total of 237 acres will be sold or redeveloped in ways that are compatible with plans for the larger communities in which they are located."