New Orleans, La. City Demonstration Agency

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor. City Demonstration Agency.
Records
City Archives
New Orleans Public Library

Date range: c. 1969-1975
Size of collection: 49 boxes
Terms of access: Available to registered researchers by appointment

Historical Note
On November 3, 1966 the United States Congress passed the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966. Through this act, Congress initiated an assistance program to rebuild facilities and services necessary to improve the general welfare of the people who live in such areas. Services included educational and social services vital to health and welfare. Through the Model Cities Program, many agencies would be used in the revitalization of the target cities. It also proposed to assist and encourage planned metropolitan development.
Early in 1968 New Orleans applied to participate in the Model Cities Program. The final meeting to review the problems in the proposed application occurred in April 1968. On September 6, 1968 Mayor Victor Schiro received notice that the Department of Housing and Urban Development had awarded the City of New Orleans a Model Cities Planning Grant for nine to twelve months. The three neighborhoods to be affected were: Central City, Desire-Florida, and Lower Ninth Ward.
In January of 1969 the City of New Orleans established the City Demonstration Agency as an agency within the Mayor's Office. In February of 1969 the City Council passed an ordinance to add positions, titles, and salaries for Model Cities employees to the Unclassified Pay Plan of the City of New Orleans (4368 M.C.S.). The planning committees had begun to meet by April. Eventually these committees proposed a total of 33 projects to be included in the First Action Year's program.
The 1969 Planning Project was funded totally by the Model Cities Grant. In 1970 the City of New Orleans began funding the City Demonstration Agency. This funding, however, was partial. Of the administrative costs, the City of New Orleans funded 20 percent and the Department of Housing and Urban Development funded 80 percent. The implementation of the projects was funded totally by this federal department. Only in 1972 did the percentage that the City of New Orleans budgeted decrease; that year it decreased to 15 percent. In 1975 the City of New Orleans ceased funding for the City Demonstration Agency. The following year, the functions of the City Demonstration Agency were absorbed by the Office of Manpower and Economic Development and the Program Development Division of the Chief Administrative Office.
Altogether, the City Demonstration Agency operated thirty-nine projects. These projects were: Community Schools, Home Start, School for High School Dropouts, Success in Reading, Curriculum Change, Undergraduate Social Welfare, Comprehensive Health Planning, Environmental Health, Narcotics Addiction, Health Services Clinics, Day Care Center for Mentally Retarded, Educational Day Care Centers, Free Breakfast, MNA Cultural Needs, Desire Community Center, Better Young Men Boy's Club, MNA Resident Recruitment and Training; Council for Minority Economic Development, Bonding Working Capital and T.A. for Minority Contractors, Desire Credit Union, Central City Credit Union, Ninth Ward Credit Union, Central City Housing Development Corporation, Desire Housing Development Corporation, Lower Ninth Ward Housing Development Corporation, Press Park Homes, Neighborhood Facilities Grant, Central Relocation, Relocation Payments, Certified Area, Metro-link Community Design Center, Neighborhood Assistance, Central City Citizen Participation, Information System Design and Development, Program Evaluation, Project Evaluation, and Program Administration.
The City Demonstration Agency was administered through the Mayor's Office. The Mayor appointed a director to oversee the operation of the agency. Also there existed a Model Cities Policy Advisory Board. Through a dialogue with this board, the Mayor surfaced programming and coordination problems. However, the director of the agency was not responsible to the board; the director was responsible to the Mayor. Lower levels in the administrative structure of the City Demonstration Agency were similar to other city agencies.
Arrangement
The records of the City Demonstration Agency are arranged in 15 series, which comprise approximately 49 cubic feet. These records include administrative matters, correspondence, financial matters, monthly reports, and other records from circa 1969-1975.
Detailed Description of the Records
I. Administrative Subject Files
Within this series are four subseries. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically. This series includes budgets, contracts, correspondence, evaluations, memoranda, minutes, project analyses and policies, and other administrative records.
Box 1
Subseries 1 (A-P)
Box 2
Subseries 1 (R-Z)
Subseries 2 (A-Z)
Box 3
Subseries 3 (A-Z)
Box 4
Subseries 4 (A-Mo)
Box 5
Subseries 4 (Mo-P)
Box 6
Subseries 4 (Q-Re)
Box 7
Subseries 4 (Re-Rn)
Box 8
Subseries 4 (Ro-Z)
II. Monthly Project Reports
These reports are arranged by year, month, and project. They contain information pertaining to the budget, monthly output measures, characteristics of participants, project work program, employment opportunities, and a narrative report by the project director.
Box 9
1970-1971
Box 10
1972 (Jan.-Jul.)
Box 11
1972 (Aug. Dec.)
Box 12
1973 (Jan.-Jul.)
Box 13
1973 (Aug.-Dec.) - 1974 (Jan.-Aug.)
Box 14
1974 (Sept.-Dec.) - 1975 (Jan.-Sept.)
III. Administrative Records Arranged by Project Numbers
These records include contracts, correspondence, evaluation reports, financial statements, minutes, and other records that are arranged by project number.
Box 15
Beginning 10-001
Box 16
Beginning 11-065
Box 17
Beginning 16-016
Box 18
Beginning 30-028
Box 19
Beginning 30-030
Box 20
Beginning 33-059
Box 21
Beginning 40-035
IV. Contracts
Within this series are six subseries. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically. These contracts are between the various model neighborhood projects and other agencies rendering service to the projects.
Box 22
Subseries 1 (A-K)
Box 23
Subseries 1 (L-Z)
Subseries 2 (A-D)
Box 24
Subseries 2 (E-Z)
Subseries 3 (A-E)
Box 25
Subseries 3 (F-Z)
Subseries 4 (A-Z)
Box 26
Subseries 5 (A-Z)
Subseries 6 (A-Z and Miscellaneous)

V. Audits
These records are arranged alphabetically with various loose materials at the end of the series. Mostly these records are audits for 1971 and 1972 projects.
Box 27
Audits (A-E)
Box 28
Audits (F-Z)
VI. Non-Supplementary Funded Projects
Folders are arranged alphabetically.
Box 29
(A-Z)
VII. Quarterly Reports and HUD Concerns
These records, which are arranged alphabetically, include budget forms, letters, memos, quarterly reports, sample applications, speeches, and other records.
Box 30
(A-Z)
VIII. Correspondence
Within this series are five subseries. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically.
Box 31
Subseries 1 (A-D)
Box 32
Subseries 1 (E-P)
Box 33
Subseries 1 (R-Z and Miscellaneous)
Box 34
Subseries 2 (A-Z)
Box 35
Subseries 3 (Correspondence of King Wells; A-Z)
Box 36
Subseries 4 (A-Z)
Box 37
Subseries 5 (A-Z)
IX. Administrative Records Filed by Codes
This series includes analyses of projects, description of projects, director reports, grant information, and other records.
Box 38
X. Systems Files
This alphabetically arranged series includes forms and data for operating and information reporting.
Box 39
(A-Mo)
Box 40
(Mo-Z)
XI. Financial Records
This series contains budgetary and other financial records. The folders are arranged alphabetically.
Box 41
(A-F)
Box 42
(F-Z)
XII. Director of Operations Files
These are records of an administrative nature. They are arranged alphabetically.
Box 43
(A-Z)
XIII. Evaluation Reports
These records pertain to projects, proposals, and other evaluative data. They are arranged alphabetically.
Box 44
(A-G)
Box 45
(G-W)
Box 46
Miscellaneous
XIV. Quarterly Reports and Miscellaneous Records
These records include quarterly reports and assorted records that were designated as miscellaneous by the City Demonstration Agency. The miscellaneous section is arranged alphabetically with several untitled folders at the end of the series.
Box 47
(A-Z)
XV. Miscellaneous Records
These records are arranged alphabetically. The last of the folders have no title; these are the loose papers, which are artificially grouped together.
Box 48
(A-O)
Box 49
(O-Z and unlabeled)

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coded: 8/13/2001 iw
This inventory was compiled by David W. Deakle in 1982, as part of an internship with the University of New Orleans History Department.