Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina, regarded by its residents as the "Gateway to the South." There are a large number of corporations and financial institutions in the city. The employment base is predominantly white collar. During the 1970s, when many companies relocated their central offices in Charlotte, the resulting growth and diversity gave it the reputation of being a dynamic city with a bright future. The economic upturn and resulting low unemployment rate, however, had not reached all of Charlotte's communities. Fairview Homes, the UIACP demonstration site, was located in one such economically depressed community. The 1979 medium family income in the community was $4,374 per year, which was among the lowest in the city. Approximately 40 percent of the families had incomes below the poverty level, and less than 30 percent of the adults had graduated from high school. Unemployment was high--six times the city-wide average--and 35 percent of those who were employed worked in low-paying service industry jobs. Family stability suffered as a consequence; only about 35 percent of the households were intact nuclear families. Additionally, 30 percent of the youths between 16 and 21 in the neighborhood did not have a high school diploma and were not enrolled in school. Thus, for the near future, there seemed to be little promise of the residents benefiting from Charlotte's economic growth.

This report is part of the collection of scanned historical documents available to the public.