Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-20


nd Agency and the United COM
Ipenses: $63,60O for new person.
mel, including a project director,
Icounselors, community organizers
and clerks; $751; represented
by the contributed services;
$35. 900 for welfare agency serv-
ices contracted for above those
normally available, and $4,000
for other expenses.
With Redevelopment Area B
already cleared. the Redevelop-
Iment Land Agency is ready TO
start the five-year 500 million
Job of clearing and rebuilding
Area C in the Southwest. Land
buying should begin early next
year.
Area C takes in most Of South
west not already cleared. It
houses about 1000 families. The
proposed demonstration project
would be confined to one-half Of
Area C, or about 1000 families,
the other half would not be
touched, but would serve as a
control" or comparison-group.
Although decrying "the Old
wives tale that people make the
slums," John r. Searles, RIA
executive director, said the prof.
ect aims to attack the complex
problems which people carry
with them and which, if not
solved, will start new slums."
To Seek Out Problems
Workers from the new center
will not "sit back and wait for
the problems to come to us, Mr..
Seeman said, but will comb the
project area, seeking persons
with problems.
Whether the problems are
alcoholism, unemployment. men,
tai illness, disease, family break
up or disability, workers from the
center will first counsel the per-
sons. Then they will seek help
for them through existing social
agencies.
If, as in the case of psychiatric
help, voluntary agencies cannot
provide the assistance at once
because of overcrowded facili-
ties. the center will spend its
own special funds to buy the
needed services.
No increase In demands for
public assistance grants is antici-
pated as a result of this search-
ing for problem families. James
! G. Banks. chief of RLA's reloca-
ton section, said it has been
found in the earlier relocation
efforts that "other social prob
lens are more important than
the financial problems. Solve the
other problems and. by and large,
the financial problems solve
1 themselves.
Residents on Board
), The Southwest Center would
be governed by a board of direc-
! tors appointed jointly by RIA
and UCS. The board would be
made up chiefly of residents Of
Area c.
| Although the project would
! begin its work early next year,
when RIA begins buying land in
Area C. it would not stop there.
1t would follow each relocated
family and attempt to help it
; make the adjustment to a new
neighborhood, making slum
jewellers into good neighbors In
a new neighborhood." in the
words Of Mr.. Searles.
"These people have a tre-
mendous adjustment to make"
he said. land up to now. despite
what we have done, some Of
them, haven't made IT,"
Not content with channeling
, persons in need Of help to exist
, ing agencies. the project will
seek new ways Of dealing with
. personal and social problems
which now battle existing
: agencies and treatment centers,
according to the proposal.
Share in Own Solution
Emphasizing that "the people
affected must be given a share
Of the responsibility. " the project
also plans to form citizens COM
mittees in the area TO guide and
assist the work.
Detailed records Of the pro-
ject's activities will be kept and
at the end Of three years a re-
port will be made, comparing
such things as disease rates. IL
legitimacy. mental illness cases
and family adjustment In gem
eral at the beginning OF the
!. project and at the end.
The hope is that new ways Of
; dealing with people in redevelop-
Iment areas will be found. accord
J ing TO the proposal.
we hope we can do some
! pioneering" Mr.. seeman said.
If we are successful, we VIII
show the way for other cities 70
make redevelopment q human
project. not Just a rebuilding Of
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