ARHA CEO Roy Priest’s letter to the City Council, responding to a group of religious and charitable organization leaders’ demand for more subsidized and affordable housing at the Andrew Atkins redevelopment, states the same sort of business case as ARHA makes to neighborhood civic associations: Essentially, squeezing the most money out of every public-private partnership project to build public housing in the least expensive parts of town where a given dollar amount will build the most public housing units.
Conspicuous by its absence from the religious/charitable leaders’ letter is Alfred Street Baptist Church, notwithstanding its history of social activism such that in other times it might have signed on. Alas, it finds itself in the ironic position of contributing to the loss of affordable housing to make way for its megachurch complex. Yet, its religious/charitable colleagues, whose letter lectures ARHA, stand conspicuously silent about ASBC.
Religious and charitable organizations exist on tax-deductible donations and are exempt from property tax. Consequently, they often lack a firm grasp of the practical considerations with which government agencies and private businesses must contend. Instead, they wag their fingers at the rest of us who must pay the taxes from which they are exempt.
In matters of “social justice,” moral principles and practical considerations come into play. A final project which weighs all bona fide considerations is the best we can hope to achieve.
Dino Drudi
Alexandria