[ Released February 3, 1961. Dated February 2, 1961]
OUR EFFORTS to improve the employment situation can be helped considerably by increased urban renewal activity. Just as in the case of your city, there are many projects now underway or whose final plans have been approved in many cities that can be speeded up creating additional jobs immediately. I have directed the Housing and Home Finance Agency officials in Washington and in regional offices to eliminate all delay and to cooperate with local authorities in beginning construction of these projects at the earliest possible time and in maintaining steady efforts to complete them. Your city's rebuilding program can be accelerated and at the same time jobs can be provided to help meet our nation's unemployment problem. I urge you to do everything within your ability to eliminate delay and I promise you the full cooperation of the Federal Government to this end.
JOHN F. KENNEDY
Note: The White House release of the text of this telegram also lists the names of the :297 mayors to whom it was sent.
John F. Kennedy, Telegram to the Mayors of U.S. Cities Urging Increased Urban Renewal Activity. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/235026