University of Virginia Library

The Mayor Of Charlottesville
Speak On Public Housing

By Steven Johnson
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

In an interview with Mitchell
Van Yahres, Mayor of
Charlottesville, the issue of black
substandard housing was discussed
in detail. Mayor Van Yahres was
very helpful in describing the city's
actions in trying to correct the
sickening conditions found in the
black and white slum areas in
Charlottesville: According to Mayor
Van Yahres, "The situation in
certain low income areas of our city
is disgraceful. We do what we can
for these people, but the obstacles
to correction of the basic problem
are incredible."

An area noted for its poor
facilities is the Garrett Street
section of the city located behind
and to the south of the Trailways
Bus station. Here several families
living in accommodations originally
constructed for one family survive
without running water, bath
facilities and/or electricity. In one
instance, an elderly woman and five
children live without bath facilities
or electricity. The overall picture of
the Garrett Street area might be
described as desolate and even
morbid.

When asked what was being
done to redevelop the area. Mayor
Van Yahres replied, "Considering
our present time table, it doesn't
sound very promising to say that
the soonest efforts to redevelop and
relocate will probably he two years
in coming. There are projects
planned for the relocation of
families such as the 6th Street
Project. First Street Housing Area,

Garrett Street Area: No Bath

Looking North Down 6th Street

the Holy Comforter Project, and
the Denny Project which will be
20; low income housing. Plans call
for 50; housing in the Garrett
Street area but the actual building
is extremely slow in coming."

Mayor Van Yahres strongly
criticized the present owners of
slum areas naming the Hayden
Foundation, Reverend McCreary
(a local black landlord) and several
others as prime examples, for their
part in this disgraceful situation.
Explaining why the local housing
inspector has not condemned the
area. Mayor Van Yahres said, "We
have often tried to force the
landlords to comply with housing
stipulations and they tell us to go
to hell. When threatened with a
court hearing, they merely reply
that they will tear up the area and
sell, leaving numerous families out
in the cold. The city cannot enforce
the law until redevelopment begins
so we'll have somewhere to house
these families." At that time, such
owners as the Hayden Foundation
will make a veritable fortune off
the land they sell to small
businesses and housing complexes.

The Charlottesville Housing
Authority owns several homes in
the Garrett Street area which could
be rented to families in a desperate
situation. Only a year ago these
houses were newly constructed:
today they are only hells left over
after extensive vandalism and
weather erosion. The reason for not
renting these homes to poor
families as stated by the housing
authority is that it would involve a
considerable amount of red tape
and the eviction of those families
who fall to pay their rent would be
very difficult. When asked why
these houses had not been rented at
low prices to provide housing and
thus to prevent vandalism, the
Mayor replied, "Once the housing
authority directors have been
appointed, they are a separate
controlling influence. We have no
authority to intervene and they tell
us so. There is nothing we can do
about the situation."

Slum clearance is not only a
problem in Charlottesville; it is a
tremendous problem all across the
nation. Noting that the present tax
structure encourages the already
profitable ownership of slum
housing and that housing codes
cannot be enforced, it is easy to see
that landlords such as the Hayden
Foundation consider themselves
owners of a gold mine with obvious
disregard for those who are forced
to live in its waste.

Mayor Van Yahres commended
the University community for its
tremendous help in correcting
problems of the past and added
that any help in solving the present
slum problems would be greatly
appreciated by the Charlottesville
community. He concluded, "We're
doing everything within our power
to attack the problem in every way
possible, but so many people stand
in our way that the passage of any
correctional planning is almost
impossible."