HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT FILES, 1948-1993

Summary: Documents pertaining to housing and development projects in Roosevelt borough.

Types of material include affadavits, agreements, applications, appraisals, blueprints, certificates, closings of titles, contracts, correspondence, court documents, environmental reviews, forms, indentures, memoranda, maps, notes, ordinances, photographs, reports, resolutions, site plans, tax maps and vouchers.

This series primarily documents two programs. The bulk of the materials pertains to the Federal Open Space (Green Acres) Assistance Program, created by the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965. This programs enabled the borough to buy land from residents in order to preserve it from development. Sales of various pieces of land are identified by block and lot number. Tensions arose when the Green Acres apparatus was used to promote the building of public tennis courts in the borough. In a petition to the Mayor and Borough Council, residents pointed out that maintenance costs to the taxpayers would ensue from the building of "free" courts.

Roosevelt borough also received funding under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (Community Development Block Grant Program), which involved the distribution of federal monies to the states, which, in turn, divided the funds by county. Boroughs would apply to the county for the allocation of funds for local housing and development projects. This series contains files pertaining to this program as well as a few subject files on planning and environmental assessment.