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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 14

sought housing, that no one would show a Negro a home in certain areas and that there was "a definite discrimination against Negroes" in many instances.

James Harrington, who said he was the first person to be connected with Urban Renewal programs in the Waterloo area through his work with United Services, reported that real estate men in Waterloo wanted United Services to designate displaced persons by race. He said that United Services refused to do this. He reported that at one time a list of 36 rental properties available for displaced persons contained only 2 listings which did not place restrictions on prospective renters by race. He said there were "precious few opportunities available to nonwhites wanting or needing to rent."

Subsequently Harrington resigned his job as assistant director with United Services after that agency as well as Urban Renewal both failed, he declared, to take a stand favoring equal opportunity in housing. He subsequently stated that

in many ways the suggestion of discrimination in our Urban Renewal project is more in the way of acts of omission than commission. But in either event precious little, if any, responsibility has been taken in the Waterloo Urban Renewal programs to insure that the rights of all citizens are protected.

Eugene Speller of the National Urban League said that the Urban Renewal program had "amplified" the existing discrimination problem in the city. He told of personal experience with attempting to buy a home and said that he had "almost" bought homes by telephone before property owners found out that he was a Negro. He claimed that Negroes found it impossible to meet with other citizens to bring about a change in the situation.

The Reverend I. V. Talbert, Pastor of the Payne Memorial A.M.E. Church, said there was "widespread dissatisfaction among my own people" with the Urban Renewal program. He blamed a lack of information about the program for much of the discontent. This same complaint was voiced by others who declared that residents in the area affected were ill-informed with regard to the program and this lack of information let to needless concern, uneasiness, and hasty and, therefore, ill-advised moves on the part of many. The complaint was also voiced that, although the project was to extend over a three-year period, the general attitude of the administration was that "the sooner the families move the better." As a result many families moved in a relatively short period of time whereas they could well have had up to a year or two to do this.

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sought housing, that no one would show a Negro a home in certain areas and that there was "a definite discrimination against Negroes" in many instances. James Harrington, who said he was the first person to be connected with Urban Renewal programs in the Waterloo area through his work with United Services, reported that real estate men in Waterloo wanted United Services to designate displaced persons by race. He said that United Services refused to do this. He reported that at one time a list of 36 rental properties available for displaced persons contained only 2 listings which did not place restrictions on prospective renters by race. He said there were "precious few opportunities available to nonwhites wanting or needing to rent." Subsequently Harrington resigned his job as assistant director with United Services after that agency as well as Urban Renewal both failed, he declared, to take a stand favoring equal opportunity in housing. He subsequently stated that in many ways the suggestion of discrimination in our Urban Renewal project is more in the way of acts of omission than commission. But in either event precious little, if any, responsibility has been taken in the Waterloo Urban Renewal programs to insure that the rights of all citizens are protected. Eugene Speller of the National Urban League said that the Urban Renewal program had "amplified" the existing discrimination problem in the city. He told of personal experience with attempting to buy a home and said that he had "almost" bought homes by telephone before property owners found out that he was a Negro. He claimed that Negroes found it impossible to meet with other citizens to bring about a change in the situation. The Reverend I. V. Talbert, Pastor of the Payne Memorial A.M.E. Church, said there was "widespread dissatisfaction among my own people" with the Urban Renewal program. He blamed a lack of information about the program for much of the discontent. This same complaint was voiced by others who declared that residents in the area affected were ill-informed with regard to the program and this lack of information let to needless concern, uneasiness, and hasty and, therefore, ill-advised moves on the part of many. The complaint was also voiced that, although the project was to extend over a three-year period, the general attitude of the administration was that "the sooner the families move the better." As a result many families moved in a relatively short period of time whereas they could well have had up to a year or two to do this. 14