H. R. Crawford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids H. R. Crawford
Assistant Secretary for Housing Management, Department of Housing and Urban Development
In office April 2, 1973 – January 27, 1976
Preceded by	Norman V. Watson
Succeeded by	James Lloyd Young
Member of the Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 7
In office January 2, 1981 – January 1, 1994
Preceded by	Willie Hardy
Succeeded by	Kevin P. Chavous
Personal details
Born	Hazle Reid Crawford (1939-01-18)January 18, 1939 Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Died	February 10, 2017(2017-02-10) (aged 78) Washington, D.C.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Eleanora
Occupation	Real estate developer
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army

Hazle Reid Crawford (January 18, 1939 – February 10, 2017) was an American real estate developer and Democratic politician. He was known for his work in housing and his public service in Washington, D.C..

Early Life and Education

Hazle Reid Crawford was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on January 18, 1939. When he was three years old, his family moved to Washington, D.C. They first lived in Sheridan-Kalorama, Washington, D.C., and later moved to Near Northeast.

His father worked for the government and also ran a rooming house (a house where people rent individual rooms). His mother worked as a housekeeper for a wealthy family. Crawford said that seeing his mother's employer's richer lifestyle made him want to succeed.

Crawford graduated from Cardozo High School in 1957. After high school, he served in the United States Air Force from 1957 to 1965. He later attended District of Columbia Teachers College and Howard University.

Working in Real Estate

In 1962, Crawford started his career managing apartments at Anacostia Gardens. By 1965, he was managing Congress Park Apartments. He worked hard to keep these properties safe and well-run.

Later, a company called Polinger Company hired him to manage a new apartment complex called Park Southern. In 1968, he joined the main decision-making group, the board of directors, of Polinger Company. The next year, he became a vice president of a new company, Polinger-Crawford Corporation.

In 1969, Crawford earned a special qualification called "Certified Property Manager." He was one of only seven Black people at that time to have this title. By 1970, he was very active in his community. He worked as a consultant, led local business groups, and was part of several committees focused on community improvement and helping young people.

Crawford also helped study new rules for housing in Washington, D.C., during a serious housing shortage. In 1970, he received a special award from the President for his excellent service to others.

In 1971, Crawford helped build a large apartment complex in Shaw. That same year, he started his own company, H.R. Crawford, Inc. This company managed a big 1,200-unit apartment complex in Edgewood. Crawford was the president and chairman of his company.

Crawford described his way of managing properties as having a "law and order attitude," meaning he was strict about rules. Some people who lived in the properties he managed felt that the buildings were not always well-kept.

Community Work

Crawford was the chairman of the Congress Heights Neighborhood Planning Council. He also created and led a summer program that brought children from Southeast D.C. to visit successful Black families in Glenarden, Maryland. This program aimed to inspire the children.

When some people in Congress Heights did not want a new apartment complex built, Crawford spoke in favor of it. He believed that the neighborhood needed more developers to invest in it.

Early Political Goals

In 1971, Crawford tried to be chosen for the City Council. However, President Richard Nixon chose other people instead. He tried again in 1972, but President Nixon again appointed someone else.

Working for the Government: HUD

Becoming Assistant Secretary

On March 7, 1973, President Richard Nixon chose Crawford to be the Assistant Secretary for Housing Management at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This was a very important job where he would help manage housing programs across the country.

Many people, including Delegate Walter E. Fauntroy and D.C. School Board President Marion Barry, praised Crawford's appointment. However, a group called the National Tenants Organization disagreed. They felt he might not be the best person for the job.

During his confirmation hearings (meetings where the Senate decides if a person is right for a job), Crawford said that public housing needed to change. He believed people in public housing should be encouraged to improve their lives and eventually move out. The Senate approved his appointment on March 14, 1973. Crawford became the highest-ranking Black staff member in the Nixon administration. In this role, he was in charge of all public housing and federally supported housing in the nation.

"Live-ins" Program

On his first day at HUD, April 2, 1973, Crawford told his managers they would spend a weekend living in a public housing development in Washington, D.C. They would sleep in empty apartments. Crawford wanted them to understand what it was like to live in these communities.

The first "live-in" trip happened in May 1973 at the Frederick Douglas Dwelling. During this trip, staff met with Thelma N. Jones, a tenant leader. She explained that a small number of people caused problems like vandalism, making it hard for others to live there. She asked officials to be tougher on those who committed crimes. The next year, Crawford had 51 more staff members take similar overnight trips.

His Time at HUD

Crawford brought back a program that helped people with low incomes get federally owned vacant homes. He also arranged for some of these homes to be sold to local governments to become public housing.

He started a training program for housing managers, teaching them about leases, tenant relations, and maintenance. This program was designed by the Institute of Real Estate Management.

In 1974, Crawford set aside $100 million to fix and improve security in public housing developments across the United States.

In 1975, Crawford spoke to a government committee about challenges in managing public housing. He admitted there were problems like uncollected rents and vacant apartments. He explained that these issues were complex and involved many different parts of the government and legal system.

Leaving HUD

Crawford resigned from his position at HUD on January 27, 1976. This happened because President Gerald Ford asked him to leave due to concerns about his discussions for future consulting jobs. Crawford had talked with public housing groups about working for them after leaving HUD, and these groups also received money from his office.

The Department of Justice looked into the matter and found that Crawford had not broken any laws. Crawford later said that discussing future jobs while still in his government role was a mistake in judgment.

Back to Property Management

After leaving HUD, Crawford went back to managing properties. He worked for the company that managed Columbia Heights Village. He was also involved with other apartment buildings like the Washington Apartment, the Kenesaw, and Trinity Towers Apartment.

In 1978, Crawford bought many houses and apartments in Shaw. He planned to fix them up using loans from the District of Columbia government. His goal was to rent or sell them to people with average incomes.

Serving on the D.C. Council

On April 19, 1978, Crawford announced he would run for a seat on the Council of the District of Columbia as a Democrat. The Council is like the city government that makes laws for Washington, D.C.

He campaigned on ideas like making government cheaper, reducing crime, improving schools, and lowering taxes. He received support from a business group called the Metropolitan Washington Board of Trade.

During his campaign, an opposing candidate, Betty Ann Kane, raised concerns that Crawford might have conflicts of interest because of his work in housing and donations from real estate developers. Crawford stated that he had never had a conflict of interest and would not if elected. He lost the primary election to Betty Ann Kane that year.

However, Crawford was elected as the Ward 7 member of the Council of the District of Columbia in 1980. He served three terms, which means he was on the Council for many years.

Later Life

In his later years, Crawford was the president of his real estate company, Crawford Edgewood Managers. He also led the board of directors for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which manages the airports in the Washington area.

Crawford passed away on February 10, 2017, at the age of 78. He had a Catholic funeral in Washington, D.C.

Personal Life

Crawford was Catholic and was very involved in the Black Catholic community in D.C. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic service organization.

Electoral History

1978

1980

1984

1988

1992

Images for kids

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  H. R. Crawford