Hazle Reid CrawfordLevy, Claudia. "SE's Model Manager: Secret of Success: Strict but Fair". Washington Post. November 2, 1970. p. C1. (January 18, 1939 – February 10, 2017) was an American real estate developer and Democratic politician in Washington, D.C..
Early life Crawford was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on January 18, 1939."H. R. Crawford Ousted from Post at HUD". Atlanta Daily World. January 30, 1976. p. 3. His family moved to Sheridan-Kalorama, Washington, D.C., when he was three years old.Camp, Patricia. "Crawford Manages: Ex-HUD Official Runs Apartment Empire And Looks Back on His Stormy Career H. R. Crawford Bounces Back From His Downfall at HUD". The Washington Post. December 31, 1977. p. B1. After five years, the family moved to Near Northeast, Washington, D.C. His father worked for the federal government and also ran the rooming house in which he grew up, and his mother worked as a housekeeper for a wealthy white family. He has said that being exposed to his mother's employer's richer and more cultured lifestyle motivated him to succeed.
Crawford graduated from Cardozo High School in 1957. He served in the United States Air Force from 1957 to 1965. He attended District of Columbia Teachers College and Howard University before receiving his bachelor's from Chicago State University.https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1988/08/25/crawford-stresses-constituent-service/5f5cfe61-b993-4842-84b8-2aa72c21eb8e/
Real estate profession In 1962, Crawford started working as the property manager of Anacostia Gardens Apartments in Fort Dupont. By 1965, he was managing the Congress Park Apartments in Congress Heights.Filson, Susan. "Youngsters' Party Proves Efficiency Of Tenant Group: Community Spirit Emergency Help". The Washington Post. November 3, 1965. p. C3. He carried a gun to protect himself in Congress Heights. He quit the job when a perpetrator raped a 22-year-old woman on the property.
Polinger Company hired Crawford to manage the newly built Park Southern apartment complex in Washington Highlands.
In 1968, Crawford joined the board of directors of a construction and management firm, Polinger Company.Goodman, S. Oliver. "Area Building Climbs 32% In Quarter, but March Dips: Named to Circus Board". The Washington Post. April 28, 1968. p. G2. In 1969, he was named vice president of the newly formed Polinger-Crawford Corporation."Realty Notes". The Washington Post. December 6, 1969. p. D21.
Crawford was awarded a Certified Property Manager designation by the Institute of Real Estate Management in 1969,"7 Get CPM Rating". The Washington Post. December 27, 1969. p. E3. becoming one of seven Certified Property Managers who is black. By 1970, he was a consultant for Urban Rehabilitation Corporation,"Area Realty and Building Notes". The Washington Post. June 6, 1970. p. D4. chairman of Anacostia Citizens and Merchants, Inc.,"Anacostia Tour". The Washington Post. July 31, 1970. p. B2. chairman of the Sixth District Police–Citizens Advisory Council, treasurer of Congress Heights Association for Service and Education, member of the Mayor's Juvenile Delinquency Committee, and a member of the board of trustees of the Junior Citizens Corporation."While House Cites Crawford". The Washington Post. October 24, 1970. p. D9.
The Washington chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management formed a Mayor's Advisory Committee, and it named Crawford a member of the committee."IREM Group to Aid Mayor". The Washington Post. April 26, 1969. p. C7. When the Council of the District of Columbia proposed regulations intended to address the severe housing crisis, Crawford was part of a task force to study the potential effect of the proposed regulations."BOMA Group to Study Housing Regulations". The Washington Post. July 26, 1969. p. D20.
Crawford received a Presidential commendation "in recognition of exceptional service to others" in 1970.
In 1971, Crawford was involved in building a 400-unit residential complex in Shaw.Meyer, Eugene L. "RLA Sets Bidding on Shaw Land: RLA Plans Bidding on Shaw Tract". The Washington Post. November 11, 1971. p. B1. During the same year, he formed H.R. Crawford, Inc., which would manage a newly built 1,200-unit residential complex in Edgewood."New Firm". The Washington Post. December 11, 1971. p. D8. Crawford served as president and board chairman of the company.
Crawford described his property management style as a "law and order attitude".Medsger, Betsy. "Law and Order Apartment Manager Being Considered for Housing Post". The Washington Post. January 9, 1973. p. A10. Some tenants of the properties he managed were critical of his management style and said that the properties were not well maintained.Meyer, Eugene L. "Tenants Divided on Strict Landlord: Strict Landlord Splits Tenants". The Washington Post. June 12, 1972. p. C1.
Community activism Crawford served as chairman of the Congress Heights Neighborhood Planning Council."150 Anacostia Children To Visit the Suburbs". The Washington Post. August 13, 1967. p. D2. He conceived of and led a summer enrichment program to bring children from Southeast D.C. to meet prosperous Black families in Glenarden, Maryland.Moulthrop, Katherine. "Glenarden Outing Joyous for Group Of D.C. Children". The Washington Post. August 20, 1967. p. D3.
When residents of Congress Heights opposed the building of a 730-unit apartment complex, Crawford advocated in favor of the complex, saying that few developers want to invest in the neighborhood and that residents should appreciate a developer who decides to do so."Apartments Opposed by SE Citizens". The Washington Post. June 21, 1969. p. B2.
Early political ambitions In 1971, Crawford sought to be appointed to the City Council.Prince, Richard E. "Nixon to Rename Yeldell to Council". The Washington Post. April 14, 1971. p. A1. President Richard Nixon decided to appoint Joseph P. Yedell and Margaret A. Haywood to the City Council instead. Crawford again sought the appointment in 1972 after Yedell decided to resign from his post in order to become the District's human resources director.Prince, Richard E. "Democrat Hinted for Council: Democratic Lawyer Hinted for Council". The Washington Post January 5, 1972. p. A1 President Nixon appointed Tedson J. Meyers to the City Council instead.Prince, Richard E. "Nixon Selects D.C. Lawyer To Fill Seat on City Council". The Washington Post. January 14, 1972. p. C1.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Nomination and confirmation hearings On March 7, 1973, Crawford was nominated by President Richard Nixon to be Assistant Secretary for Housing Management at the Department of Housing and Urban Development."Nixon Names Black to High H.U.D. Post". The New York Times. March 8, 1973. p. 18. Accessed on August 1, 2008."Crawford Replaced At HUD". The Washington Post. March 27, 1976. p. D3.
Delegate Walter E. Fauntroy and D.C. School Board President Marion Barry both praised Crawford's appointment. The National Tenants Organization opposed Crawford's appointment,"Nixon HUD choice is controversial". The Afro-American. March 17, 1973: 1. saying that Crawford "lacks the skill to deal with complex problems, whose oversimplifications and crude responses deny the possibility of mutual cooperation, and whose understanding of the problems is limited."
During Crawford's confirmation hearings before the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, he said that public housing is "too paternalistic and too permissive".Meyer, Eugene L. "Black Nominee for HUD Backed". The Washington Post. March 14, 1973. p. C3. He said he wanted to give public housing residents the motivation to improve themselves so they can move out of public housing. The Senate Committee recommended Crawford be confirmed, and the Senate voted to confirm Crawford on March 14, 1973."Senate Confirms 5 for Jobs In the Department of Housing". The New York Times. March 15, 1973. p. 29. Crawford was the highest ranking black staff member in the Nixon administration.Meyer, Eugene L. "Black Housing Manager Gets HUD Post". The Washington Post. March 8, 1973. p. A1. In the position, Crawford was in charge of all public-housing units and federally assisted housing in the nation.
Live-ins On Crawford's first full day in the position, April 2, 1973, he told twenty of his division managers that they would spend an entire weekend at a public housing development in Washington, D.C.Levy, Claudia. "HUD Officials Plan Southeast 'Live-In'". The Washington Post. April 3, 1973. p. C1. They would sleep in vacant apartments in the buildings. Crawford said he wanted each of them "to have first-hand knowledge of how to cope and exist with inner city properties." With help from the National Capital Housing Authority, Crawford planned to have the staff members stay in vacant apartments in the Frederick Douglas Dwelling development at 21st Street and Alabama Avenue SE. After a delay caused by emergencies related to flooding in parts of the country,Levy, Claudia. "Official at HUD Cancels Public Housing 'Live-In'". The Washington Post. April 6, 1973. p. C1. the one-day one-night trip to the Frederick Douglas Dwelling took place at the end of May 1973."HUD Workers Live A Day In Project". Baltimore Afro-American. May 26, 1973. p. 19. During the trip, the staff members met with Thelma N. Jones, chair of a tenant advocate group in the neighborhood. Jones stressed that a minority of public housing tenants has scared the majority of tenants through vandalism and other crimes, leaving them with no option but to move to another public housing unit. Jones called on the officials to get tougher on the tenants who commit crimes in the public housing developments. The next year, Crawford instructed another 51 staff members to take similar overnight trips.Daniels, Lee; Hornblower, Margot. "HUD Aides' Visit to Projects an 'Eye-Opener'". The Washington Post. August 8, 1974. p. B3.
Tenure Crawford reinstated a subsidy program through the Federal Housing Administration that could make federally owned vacant homes available to people with low incomes.Saar, John. "HUD Eyes Use for Its Houses: HUD Official Seeks Use for Its Houses". The Washington Post. July 5, 1973. p. E1. He also had some of the federally owned vacant homes sold to local governments in order to be converted into public housing.Wolhowe, Cathe. "HUD Frees Homes For City Projects". The Washington Post. February 16, 1974. p. C1."HUD Sells 5,539 Properties in June". The Washington Post. July 20, 1974. p. E15.
Crawford instituted a training program in property management intended to train housing project managers.Lippman, Thomas W. "HUD to Train Project Heads". The Washington Post. March 21, 1974. p. C9. Topics included reading a lease, tenant relations, janitorial services, maintenance services, and operating an on-site office."Program To Train Resident Managers Of Housing Units". Atlanta Daily World. March 28, 1974. p. 10. The Institute of Real Estate Management designed the training program.
When Columbia Heights public housing development Clifton Terrace had issued with vandalism and unpaid rent, the Department of Housing and Urban Development accepted bids for a new property management company.Lippman, Thomas W. "Pride, Inc., to Manage Clifton Terrace Project: Pride Is Picked to Manage Clifton Terrace Apartments". The Washington Post. April 1, 1974. p. A1. Crawford instructed the department to contract with Pride, Inc., which had the highest bid out of all seven bids.Lippman, Thomas W. "Pride, Inc., to Manage Clifton Terrace Project". The Washington Post. April 8, 1974. p. A1. Pride, Inc., was led by Marion Barry's ex-wife Mary Treadwell Barry.