Statement by the President on the Demonstration Cities Program on the Occasion of the Nomination of Two Assistant Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development.

I AM particularly hopeful about contributions that both of these fine administrators will bring to the demonstration cities program. This important legislation is now before the Congress and I urge its prompt passage.

The cities program is our first national attempt to apply a bold, forward-looking concept to our urban problems. I believe that the demonstration cities program is going to do more than any other Federal program to help make our cities, small and large, exciting and safe, healthy and inspiring, and places where people can come to live the good life. It is an important and vital addition to our other programs.

I do not expect miracles from this program tomorrow but we must begin to plan intelligently now; we must begin to program the costs now. Our cities are growing far faster than our population as a whole. The challenge of this new urban America is already upon us.