A lawyer, a Negro woman who lives in public housing, a mortgage banker and a real estate broker discussed the impact of open housing Monday night at the Cathedral Center.

“We want to have an honest dialogue,” said Paul Anthony, executive director of the Southern Regional Council, who served as moderator. “The great social issues of our times have centered on education and housing.”

The attorney, Duane Aldrich, said the recent open housing act outlaws discrimination in the sale or renting of housing on the grounds of race, color or creed or national origin after a bona fide offer has been made.

“It is also unlawful to represent that property is not available,” he added.

Aldrich, said the law, which comes in full force Jan. 1, 1970, will cover single-family dwellings if a broker is not used. “A person complaining that he has been discriminated against may bring a civil action in district court and if necessary can be awarded attorney fees if the case is successful. The court may also award damages up to $1,000 in a case. The law also provides that the attorney general on his own initiative can begin proceedings in his own name.”

He said the recent Supreme Court decision, based on an 1866 law, does not have the administrative remedies provided under the new law or “the elaborate enforcement proceedings” as the open-housing law.

Mrs. Louise Whatley, co-chairman of the Fair Housing Committee of the Metro Atlanta Summit Leadership Congress, told the audience that open housing will not help those in public housing.

“People who make $5,000 a year or under cannot buy houses that are being built.” She said public housing should be built in all areas of the city, in Buckhead, in Sandy Springs and not just one section of Atlanta.”

“We can’t wait until 1970 on something that should have been started 15 years ago,” Mrs. Whatley said. “The talk on this issue should begin in the churches. The churches have failed to tell their members that it is an obligation to have fair housing.”

She also urged that persons attending pay their maids the minimum wage, $1.65 an hour. “You should find out how many children they have, how much they pay for rent, what type of house they live in.”

“What would you do if you woke up in the morning and had to live on $3,000 a year?” Mrs. Whatley asked.

Lonnie Roper, a mortgage banker, said, “We take into consideration the value of a piece of property at the present time and its value over the life of the loan.”

“We have watched transition areas and there is no fast rule on how values react.” Roper advised residents of transitional areas -- “Don’t push the panic button.” Nicholas Berryman, a real estate broker, said he was personally pleased that fair housing legislation has passed. “There has been no place for the Negro to live except in restricted areas. I think the new law will be beneficial and will disperse the population.”

“In Atlanta, we have political confines which I hope we can overcome and get cooperation from those who benefit from Atlanta, but will not help with its problems.”

Berryman asked what could be done to stop “block-busting.” Lorenzo Benn, another real estate agent, said, “You can’t get ‘block busted’ if you say no. The problem is in the prejudices of those who panic when a Negro moves into a neighborhood.”

Benn also commented on the remark that Negroes prefer to live in Negro neighborhoods. “Some Negroes hesitate to move in all-white neighborhoods because they don’t want to be intimidated.”

Rep. Bill Alexander asked, “Why don’t whites move into Negro neighborhoods?”

Bob Fleming commented, “I don’t believe in enforced integration just as I don’t believe in enforced segregation.”

Charles Wysong objected because the meeting was not opened by prayer. His mother said, “I object to the suggestion that churches should preach on this from the pulpit. Priests should be concerned with souls.”

Mrs. Doris Lundy, a nurse in DeKalb County, told the listeners: “It’s a problem being a Negro.” She said she and her husband have been getting the “run around” in trying to buy a house in DeKalb County.

She said she always insists that her real estate agents tell prospective sellers that “the woman who wants to buy the house is black. I’ve always been black and that’s the color I’ll be when I move into a neighborhood.”

The discussion was sponsored by Cathedral of Christ the King, St. Philip’s Cathedral and Covenant Presbyterian Church.