University of Virginia Library

City Stalls Housing Action
Despite Citizen Demands

By Dave Murphy
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Charlottesville's City Council
met Monday night - eleven days
after hiring a New York-based
consulting firm to help solve some
of the city's housing problems - to
hear concerned citizens voice
proposals which the thought would
speed the process of improving the
housing conditions.

The City Council voted four to
one to carry over until its next
meeting two resolutions which one
spokesman said would help solve
present problems. Attorney John
Lowe, representing the St. Paul's
Housing Task Force, presented the
resolutions to the Council.

February 3 Replica

More than 80 persons turned
out for the meeting which was a
replica of a February 3 session in
which nearly 80 citizens demanded
that the city do something about
the housing problem.

One of the resolutions presented
by Mr. Lowe asked that the City
Council consider the housing crisis
"to be the first priority of business
facing council at this time and that
City Council apply the full
resources of city government to the
urgent task of finding solutions to
the housing problems and finding
housing for the families facing
eviction."

Pressing Problem

The most pressing housing
problem in Charlottesville is the
scheduled eviction of 13 families
living on Page Street on March 8.

The use of the words "first
priority" and "full resources" met
with immediate opposition,
however, at the meeting.

Mr. Lowe was the spokesman of
a group of six to speak at the
meeting. He went on to present
three other proposals for the
Council's consideration. These
included the appointment of a
full-time housing specialist and
secretary, establishment of an
office in the Garrett and First
Street area, and provision of
housing sites at low cost in the
Vinegar Hill development area.

Lack Of Action

One of the other five speakers,
Wesley Harris of the University
faculty, said he was attending the
meeting because of a lack of action
on Council's part since the
February 3 meeting. Mr. Harris
went on to say, "We are
disappointed that the city has not
appointed a person for Page
Street." He told the Council that
citizens wanted immediate Black
representation on the city planning
commission and other agencies.

Significant Step

When asked by another citizen
what steps had been taken since
February 3, Mayor G. A. Vogt
replied that the most significant
step was acquiring the preliminary
services of the National Committee
Against Discrimination in Housing,
a consulting firm based in New
York. He said the city expects to
receive a report from the group
within the next week.

Mr. Harris saw the move "as
another delaying action in the
white power structure." He said,
"the people are in terrible shape on
Page Street."

Mayor Vogt went on to assure
those attending the meeting that
"this mayor, this council and the
city manager will do all that is
humanly possible."