St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1954-10-15
Droffsmon And
Fomily Like New
Tilsenbilf Home


About the largest and most inn
portant financial transaction the
average family makes is when
they purchase home and no re-
putable real estate firm will try
to sell a home to a family that
doesn't meet the prospective buy
er's financial status and housing
needs.
In addition the family usually
takes into consideration such
things as location of schools,
churches. transportation, stores
and anythiag else 1t may think
important.
When the Clayton Hughes fam
lily of Minneapolis was looking for
home to purchase they had the
same decisions to make that any
other family faces.
Their one big advantage was
that Hughes, because of his train
ing and work as an architectural
craftsman was in a better position
to know what he was getting for
his money.
Hughes and his wife had been
looking for home for quite some
time and had decided that they
wanted new house.
After looking around for quite
awhile. they had almost recon-
ciled themselves to going out in
one of the suburbs although they
wanted to stay in the city pro-
per II they could because of con-
veniences.
Just about the time the Hughes
family was house hunting last
spring, construction was beginn-
ing on the Tilsenbilt development,
located in south Minneapolis.
between 10th st. and 4sth st.
and from Portland to Third Av.
Out OF curiosity. Hughes said,
they decided to have a look at the
homes.
He admitted quite frankly, that
he was a little skeptical, because
OF the ways that Negroes have
been exploited in housing.
Hughes said that the sole reason
that he and his wife decided to
purchase one OF the Tilsen homes
was that they felt that they were
getting the most for their money
There were, of course, other
reasons, such as schools and other
things that helped them finally de-
eide.
The Tilscn development Is at
tracing a lot OF attention nation
ally because IL is the first project
OF its type that has made housing
available on the open market.
Heretofore any new housing de-
velopments that have been con-
structed have been on strictly
segregated patterns.
In Minneapolis, housing re-
port released by the Mill City Ur-
ban League, shows that until the
Tilsen development came on the
scene practically no new housing
was available TO Negroes.
The Urban Leagues report also
revealed that there was a growing
tendency towards more segrega-
ton in housing for Negroes, par
ticularly on the southside Of Min
neapolis.
To a large degree, the Tflsen
development has halted this trend
as the number OF white families
buying in the project has increas-
Ell.
Minority housing is still a large
problem but sociolngists and hui
man relations authorities are Of the
opinion that the TIlsen project
viii help alleviate the problem in
Minneapolis 10 certain extent
These experts say that the TIL
sen Homes are a working example
that disproves all Of the Sugahoos
and stereotypes about Negroes
lowering property values, whites
moving out and anything else dis
favorable,
Strictly from an economic point
% view. some human relations
authorities are OF the opinion that
there are some realtors who want
20 sell houses, although they have
Leen reluctant 10 sell minorities
outside o. the ghetto, but since
the rilsen project ha~ begun 20
prove that integrsted housing with
work. realtors won't be as heSitsnt
20 sell to Negroes out Of the pre-
scribed areas