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Burlington Commission on Human Rights, 1964-1965

Report on Urban Renewal Programs and Their Effects on Racial Minority Group Housing in Three Iowa Cities - Page 8

Complaint No. 2

No nonwhites were on the staff of the Urban Renewal Office and thereby an effective means of communication between the office and the nonwhite community was not utilized.

Although Negroes have been on the Urban Renewal Board since its inception, no Negroes are on the Urban Renewal staff. Information on qualifications for such staff members was not secured but it seems to the Committee reasonable to assume that, out of the many trained Negro social and welfare workers in the city, some might have the necessary prerequisites. The Committee feels that utilization of Negro staff members would facilitate communication even in the proposed Oakridge Project where, although the socio-economic level is a bit higher than in the River Hills project, the majority of the residents will be Negroes. In any event, the question of the techniques of communication to be used with the people in the Oakridge Project is yet to be solved.

Complaint No. 3

Nonwhites were allowed to move out of the renewal area out of fear, which resulted from a lack of information, and they were not considered the responsibility of the Urban Renewal officials.
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The Des Moines Tribune reported that the Director of the city's Urban Renewal Office had said:

. . . about 250 of the 708 families that originally lived in the River Hills urban renewal area moved from the area before they were forced to. Most of the 250 lived in substandard housing in River Hills and it's a natural assumption--because of their low income--that a substantial percentage still live in substandard housing.

Of those forced out of River Hills--and, therefore, the city's responsibility--18 families moved into substandard housing, and 12 others still are seeking standard. He [the Director] called it a paradox: the city still has a relocation problem, but at the same time, virtually all families the city was legally responsible for have been moved into standard housing.
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6. Nov. 13, 1962


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Complaint No. 2 No nonwhites were on the staff of the Urban Renewal Office and thereby an effective means of communication between the office and the nonwhite community was not utilized. Although Negroes have been on the Urban Renewal Board since its inception, no Negroes are on the Urban Renewal staff. Information on qualifications for such staff members was not secured but it seems to the Committee reasonable to assume that, out of the many trained Negro social and welfare workers in the city, some might have the necessary prerequisites. The Committee feels that utilization of Negro staff members would facilitate communication even in the proposed Oakridge Project where, although the socio-economic level is a bit higher than in the River Hills project, the majority of the residents will be Negroes. In any event, the question of the techniques of communication to be used with the people in the Oakridge Project is yet to be solved. Complaint No. 3 Nonwhites were allowed to move out of the renewal area out of fear, which resulted from a lack of information, and they were not considered the responsibility of the Urban Renewal officials. 6 The Des Moines Tribune reported that the Director of the city's Urban Renewal Office had said: . . . about 250 of the 708 families that originally lived in the River Hills urban renewal area moved from the area before they were forced to. Most of the 250 lived in substandard housing in River Hills and it's a natural assumption--because of their low income--that a substantial percentage still live in substandard housing. Of those forced out of River Hills--and, therefore, the city's responsibility--18 families moved into substandard housing, and 12 others still are seeking standard. He [the Director] called it a paradox: the city still has a relocation problem, but at the same time, virtually all families the city was legally responsible for have been moved into standard housing. __________ 6. Nov. 13, 1962 8