Another Low-Rental Poject Bites the Dust

In about 1954 or 55, when I was about 14, we moved to Richard Street in Marietta. Richard Street leads off “the 4-Lane” (as we old Cobb Countians call it) aka Cobb Parkway, North (as newcomers call it). Richard street was just across the 4-Lane, Cobb Parkway, N, aka Hwy 41, from where White Water Park is now. We lived about two blocks inward. About a block away from the front of our house were the Boston Homes.

The Boston Homes is a low-rental project that one level apartments, connected and were in rows, going down a steep hill. In the paper this morning it said it has 125 units, which translates to 125 families.

They are to be destroyed; bulldozed; done away with.

The Housing Authority has said they will find every family in Boston Homes a new home and will pay moving expenses within Cobb County.

Right.

I bet when the actual home deals are made – some will be unhappy… it may not be near their friends or family or the rent is not based on their income, or many other reasons and I would not be surprised if the city’s generous offer will be replaced by “take it or leave it.”

Why are they doing it? They don’t even know what the area will be replaced with… they suggested possibly new homes? Homes for the elderly? Another business park?

Maybe the bottom line is they scattered the poor in-come folks, sort of thinned them out some – so they are least likely to cause trouble in groups.

They claim they are doing it for humane reasons….. now they don’t have much closet space; only window units air conditioners… I remember living in a Clay Home projects in very similar units without any kind of air conditioner and I didn’t know we were so much in misery.

I think there is more of a reason than the above…. Maybe a large group of low income people in one area is an eye-sore for the big spenders.

I have many good memories of my old friends who lived in the Boston Homes: Gene Brown, Milton Martin, Donald Lawson, Norman somebody, the Ramsey family, the Crow family, and Jimmy and the McEntyre brothers. And in recent times the late Orville C who fell on hard times.

What is next? The city or county fathers might want to do you a humane favor and relocate you and bulldoze your house and make a another doctors’ office.

Marietta may not be poor friendly, but it is money friendly for sure, which I reckon is better than not friendly at all.