University of Virginia Library

City Council Plans
Hearings To End
Housing Problems

Charlottesville's City Council
will hear proposals next week
designed to help end the city's
housing problems. Possible solutions
to the crisis will be offered by
the National Committee Against
Discriminating in Housing, it was
announced by the national director
of field services and urban planning
of NCDH.

A professional housing consultant
from New York, Clarence
Funnye, announced that his group
will try to secure more information
from city officials this week which
will be used in formulating proposals
to be presented to city councilmen.
In a story in yesterday's Daily
Progress, Funnye was quoted as
saying, "We are looking for direct
approaches toward the feasibility of
various alternates in the housing
field."

Although specific proposals have
apparently not been formulated,
Mr. Funnye said that the national
group would propose to examine
"impediments existing in local
government that might hold up
housing."

"For the first thing, you take
referendums. There is a mechanism
for getting around them. We want
to look at the whole picture of
housing in the city. You might say
we're looking at how we can
streamline the government." Meeting
with Charlottesville officials last
month, Mr. Funnye was told that
financing and the "red tape" with
federal officials were two reasons
holding up housing progress in the
city.

Referring to the probable cost
range of the plan, Funnye said, "It
varies quite a bit, but based on past
experience with a population of
40,000 people and the data gaps,
the project would cost the city
between $2,500 and $4,000. He
went on to say that if the Council
gives it approval, the entire program
could be completed within two to
four months." The average project
of this size takes about 90 days."

Commenting on the housing
situation in Charlottesville, Funnye
said, "It's pretty obvious. The
problem stems directly, and it is
not following the Harland
Bartholomew (& Associates) 1958
Master Plan. If it had not been a
living document, it would have
closed the gap in housing. And,
there are several reasons as to why.
It might be an impediment in local
as well as the federal structure . .
. we don't know for sure."

Mr. Funnye had words of praise
for the action of city council
Monday night and the proposal
presented by Amherst Mayor L.
John Denney for a 202-unit apartment
complex to be located in the
southeast section of Charlottesville.
The $2.3 million project would
include one, two and three-bedroom
facilities.

The housing consultant, who
was in Charlottesville on February
13 to meet with city officials, said
of the proposed apartment complex."
It certainly will be a great
help. And, a key feature of the
proposal is the fact that up to 20
per cent of space in it will be
allowed for persons under $4,000
annual income."

Mr. Funnye explained that the
NCDH's final proposal to council
would be in two stages, the first
short and immediate range, the
second long and intermediate range.