St. Louis Problems

The city of St. Louis highlighted its issues with the help of Harland Bartholomew and city plans; however, highlighting the issues was the easy part. Coinciding with the issues, the city of St. Louis had to find solutions to their numerous problems. The three main issues and solutions highlighted by the 1917 and 1947 plans were slum clearance, public housing and expressways. It is important not only to explain each of the main issues, but also explain how federalism played a role in St. Louis.
Slum Clearance Slum clearance according to a 2006 New Mexico Statute is, “acquisition of a slum area or a blighted area or portion thereof; demolition and removal of buildings and improvements; installation, construction, reconstruction, maintenance
Louis to clean up the slums through redevelopment and made it possible for families with low income to rent housing and have access to public assistance (Darst 1953, 25). The legislation led to “the greatest boom that has ever been experienced in the field of real estate and home building” (Darst 1953, 25). Slum clearance and public housing coincided with one another in St. Louis, and the eventual slum clearance paved way for the future of public housing in the city of St. Louis. The 1950s brought more issues to St. Louis; however most of them still consisted of urban deterioration. After Mayor Darst razed the Chestnut Valley area, Mayor Tucker decided to raze Mill Creek Valley (University of Missouri St. Louis). However, the Mill Creek Valley area was predominantly African-American (about 95%) and had nearly 800 businesses ranging from schools to hardware stores (University of Missouri St. Louis). Regardless, “ many of these residences and institutions were considered unsanitary in need of repair” (University of Missouri St.
Department of Housing and Urban Development “was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly and persons with disabilities” (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2017). Public housing eligibility is determined by local housing agencies, which is administered federal aid (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2017). Eligibility is determined by: “annual gross income; whether you qualify as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family; and U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status” (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2017). An issue with public housing is that tenants are allowed to stay as long as they comply with the lease offered by the local housing agency (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development