OUR OPINIONS: Lewis' help will be right at home

By Mike King [1]
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/26/08

U.S. Rep. John Lewis, whose name is synonymous with government efforts to help the poor, has offered to mediate the concerns expressed by public housing tenants about the continued demolition of Atlanta's remaining public housing complexes.

The Atlanta Housing Authority should welcome his help.

Based on the AHA's success to date, the fear and loathing generated by the agency's plans appears overstated. However, with tough economic times looming, moving tenants from public housing projects to publicly subsidized housing in private apartments may be much more challenging than it has been up to now, particularly with elderly and disabled tenants.

That's where Lewis can play a valuable role. He represents a congressional district with the highest percentage of public housing tenants in the state; he understands federal public housing rules and the housing authority's 15-year effort to move poor Atlantans out of aging, crime-ridden projects and toward more independent living.

He also knows how frightened some tenants may be by the prospect of eviction and by changes in tenant requirements for those remaining in public housing. Some of those rule changes may be appropriate for younger, able-bodied tenants, but more difficult to impose on the elderly and disabled, who are more likely to be displaced in the next round of demolition.

To its credit, the AHA has already pushed back demolition of the Palmer House, a downtown high-rise for the elderly. Palmer House won't be razed until 2009, the case also with the nearby Roosevelt House. AHA officials said the demolition was put off to allow them more time to work with elderly residents to find new housing options.

The Atlanta authority made the right decision years ago to phase out the projects and encourage public housing residents to take greater responsibility for their own lives. Like the tenants who moved out before them, most of those remaining in the projects should be able to adjust to the transition. But a few may need some extra support and time, and Lewis' offer to help should make them feel more at ease.

-- Mike King [2], for the editorial board