"Building the Beloved Community": Home Report of MHCH for August

Building the Beloved Community

August 2020

We are very grateful for  the generous support of MHCH donors during this critical period. During May-July we received over $3,000 plus a matching donation of $1,200. We also received two grants, totally $120,000, designated for our congregational land committee to support the 26 churches in our pipeline interested in building affordable housing on their property. This opens the possibility for building hundreds of units of affordable/supportive housing throughout LA County and setting an example for the rest of the state, and the nation!

Our housing justice efforts keep expanding and deepening during this crisis as we all sense the urgency not only of building more affordable housing, but also creating a beloved community. Our teams are bonding and working together even more closely as we learn and hone our leadership and communication skills. We are also grieving with Covid-related deaths. Alice, one of our team members, with our North Fair Oaks Empowerment Initiative, passed two weeks ago.  Alice brought the party with her.  She added fun to our team. She will be missed. This team is successfully working to “Beautify and not gentrify” this neglected business district of Pasadena, a victim of systemic racism.

Our elected officials respect our work and are even reaching out for our support. Over 120 people signed up, and 80 attended, our July webinar on “Racism and Housing” in which Councilmember John Kennedy shared his story about growing up African American in Pasadena.  When we arranged for him to meet with all the churches in his district, to support rezoning church land to allow for affordable housing to build, he told us he supported our church land committee work 1000%. He then called on us to support his efforts to get the city to build 1,000 affordable housing units for low and very low-income residents in the next 3-5 years. Of course, we enthusiastically said YES!

In addition to orchestrating all our Council members to meet with the churches in their districts in our effort to create a citywide zone change, we are also supporting SB 899 that would permit religious institutions throughout the state to build affordable housing on their land. This was heard today and passed out of one more important committee. Is a joy to see small African American Church, with excess land they long to see used for affordable housing, find their voice at the State legislature!

Our Homeless Housing Subcommittee just celebrated another win—58 units of supportive housing approved at the Salvation Army Hope Center. We are now preparing to advocate once again for 90  units family and supportive affordable housing at the Civic Center, with a vote in September.  Thanks to our advocacy, the City Council decided the best use for this land is affordable housing! Our Homeless housing team will do our upmost to make sure this happens… persisting onward after 2.5 years of research-action-and-refection—one our core values and method of doing our work.

Dr. King spoke not only of the “beloved community,” but also of the “beautiful struggle.” Sometimes the struggle doesn’t seem beautiful; it seems hard and frustrating. But we are grateful to supporters like you who enable us to do this challenging but deeply fulfilling work. As we see our city being transformed by the power of divine love, and how our work is benefiting our low-income and unhoused neighbors, we see other cities taking note and following our example. During a time when our nation seems increasingly and tragically divided, we thank God that we are bringing people together and helping to build the beloved community.

Anthony Manousos and Jill Shook, Co-founders of Making Housing and Community Happen (MHCH)

LA Times Supports "Yes in God's Backyard" SB 899 allowing faith institutions to build affordable housing on their property

It was encouraging to see the LA Times support a state bill similar to what we are advocating here in Pasadena with our Congregational Land Committee. According to the LA Times: "SB 899 would streamline the process by allowing 100% affordable housing projects to be built by right — meaning they wouldn’t need planning commission or city council approval — if the projects are on land owned by religious institutions or nonprofit colleges, and the institutions partner with nonprofit developers to build the housing."

See https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-07-27/affordable-housing-religious-land

The good news is that SB 899 passed the Assembly Housing Committee today! The Assembly Appropriations Committee is going to be the next step and it is chaired by Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego. If you know anyone in her district, please, please encourage them to reach out and urge her to support SB 899. Or just call her at (916) 319-2080

La lucha continua!

Editorial: Just say ‘Yes in God’s backyard.’ Californians need homes, and houses of worship have land

By THE TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD

JULY 27, 2020

        

3 AM

Rabbi Noah Farkas has a vision for how Valley Beth Shalom can use the synagogue’s giant parking lot to live out its values and fulfill its mission: Cover it with new affordable housing units for senior citizens.

That would allow aging members to stay close to their families and faith community, provide much-needed affordable apartments for the elderly in pricey Encino, and, since there is a preschool on the site, foster intergenerational connections between seniors and young students.

The idea of encouraging faith communities to put housing on their land has been gaining support for a number of reasons. Many churches, synagogues and mosques are sitting on large, underutilized properties. As fewer people choose to participate in organized religion, many congregations have seen their membership shrink along with their budgets. Yet religious leaders want to continue the mission to serve their almighty and their community.

So why not encourage them to use their land to help ease one of California’s most pressing problems, which is the crushing shortage of affordable housing?

Roughly 38,800 acres of land in California — roughly the size of the city of Stockton — are used for religious purposes and could be developed for housing, according to an analysis by UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation. Nearly half of those acres are in so-called high-opportunity neighborhoods that have low poverty and greater economic, educational and environmental amenities. These are communities where it can be particularly difficult to build affordable housing because of the price of land, zoning and neighbor opposition.

But although religious institutions may have the land, they rarely have the resources or real estate expertise to navigate the bureaucracy and politics of development approvals, which can drag on for years and add millions of dollars to a project’s price tag.

SB 899 would streamline the process by allowing 100% affordable housing projects to be built by right — meaning they wouldn’t need planning commission or city council approval — if the projects are on land owned by religious institutions or nonprofit colleges, and the institutions partner with nonprofit developers to build the housing.

The idea is to create a new supply of land for nonprofit developers who build housing for low-income residents, while letting religious institutions better use their property and generate a small income from rentals. For nonprofit colleges, it would make it easier for campuses to add affordable housing for employees and students.

For a housing development bill, SB 899 has generated surprisingly little NIMBY opposition. The most vocal opponents are labor groups pushing to require the projects to hire union construction workers and apprentices, which would drive up costs and could make some affordable housing projects too expensive to build.

Throughout the contentious debate over SB 50 and state housing policies, there has been almost universal agreement that California desperately needs more affordable housing to provide stability for the state’s working poor and vulnerable residents. But when it costs, on average, $500,000 to build a low-income apartment in the state, it should be abundantly clear that California needs to make it much easier, faster and cheaper to build affordable housing. SB 899 can help houses of worship turn their buildings, offices and even parking lots into homes.

His challenge is that, like a lot of religious institutions, Valley Beth Shalom is land rich and cash poor. The cost of constructing affordable housing is staggering, and getting permission to build is time-consuming and expensive. That’s why Farkas is supporting Senate Bill 899, a proposal in the state Legislature that would make it much easier for religious institutions and nonprofit colleges to build affordable housing on their land.

The legislation is being carried by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who introduced it in March after the demise of Senate Bill 50, his ambitious effort to override local zoning to allow bigger apartment complexes near transit hubs and four-unit buildings in single-family neighborhoods. While that bill proved too controversial for Wiener’s fellow lawmakers, SB 899 passed the Senate last month on a near-unanimous vote, even though it would also override local control. The bill now heads to the Assembly.

The War Budget Redirected: Empower Your Powers of Imagination and Action! David Swanson

Please join us online ICUJP Friday Forum July 31, 7:30-9:30 am PDT  Courtesy of David Swanson The War Budget Redirected: Empower Your Powers of Imagination and Action! David Swanson Join videoconference:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88242138361 Call in by phone: +1 (669) 900-6833 Meeting ID: 882 4213 8361 Passing the Virtual Bucket We can't pass the green donation bucket in person, but ICUJP still needs your support. Please give as generously as you can: • On our donation page • Or use the Give+ app for iPhone or Android • Or text a gift amount to 323-701-1467 Thank you! Join us and hear from author, activist, journalist, and radio host David Swanson about the many positive goals the U.S. could achieve if it didn't spend hundreds of billions of dollars on war and destruction. David is executive director of WorldBeyondWar.org - "a global movement to end all wars" - and the campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org, an online initiative that mobilizes people committed to social justice and defunding endless wars. Swanson's books include War Is A Lie. The host of Talk Nation Radio, he blogs at DavidSwanson.org and WarIsACrime.org. He is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and was awarded the 2018 Peace Prize by the U.S. Peace Memorial Foundation. ----- Start your morning with us! Reflection: Ignacio Castuera Facilitator: Michael Novick Zoom host: Michael Novick * Link to this week's agenda. * ** Meetings begin promptly at 7:30 am PDT. ** ----- Here's how to join the online meeting: To participate by video conference, you'll need to first download the Zoom app on your computer or mobile device. When you log in, you'll then enter the Meeting ID number. The video conference will allow you to see slides and video, as well as speakers and other attendees. If you prefer to join by phone, you'll be prompted to enter the Meeting ID number. You won't be able to see the visuals during the presentation, but you can view them on the meeting video recording afterward.  If you're new to Zoom and would like to use the video option, we recommend you download the app well ahead of time. ICUJP Friday Forum 7/31 Time: 07:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Option 1: Join Zoom Video Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88242138361 Meeting ID: 882 4213 8361 Option 2: Dial in by phone only:+1 (669) 900-6833 US (California) Meeting ID: 882 4213 8361 (To find a dial-in number closer to you, go here.) ----- Zoom Update: Password Starts Oct. 3 Zoom has postponed its rollout of the password/waiting room requirement until late September. For ICUJP Friday Forums, passwords will be needed starting October 3. We'll send out reminders again as the time gets closer. Please note: Our Friday Forums and other events are open to the public. By attending, you consent to having your voice and likeness recorded, photographed, posted on ICUJP's website and social media, and included in ICUJP materials and publications for noncommercial purposes. If you don't want to be photographed or recorded, please let the facilitator know. FRIDAY FORUMS AUG 7: Matt Sedillo, poet, public intellectual, and author You are receiving this email because you are a part of the ICUJP Mailing List. You cannot reply to everyone through this email. If you wish to send something to the entire discuss list, email: icujp-discuss-list@googlegroups.com. Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace http://www.icujp.org/ Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace · 3300 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010, United States This email was sent to interfaithquaker@aol.com. To stop receiving emails, click here. You can also keep up with Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace on Twitter or Facebook. Created with NationBuilder, software for leaders.

 

The Place for White People in Racial Justice Movements Matthew Harper, White People 4 Black Lives

Please join us online ICUJP Friday Forum July 24, 7:30-9:30 am  photo courtesy of WP4BL The Place for White People in Racial Justice Movements Matthew Harper, White People 4 Black Lives Join videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87251745380 Call in by phone: +1 (669) 900-6833 Meeting ID: 872 5174 5380 Passing the Virtual Bucket We can't pass the green donation bucket in person, but ICUJP still needs your support. Please give as generously as you can: • On our donation page • Or use the Give+ app for iPhone or Android • Or text a gift amount to 323-701-1467 Thank you! While our experiences are shaped by more than just racial identity, white people receive certain systemic privileges at the expense of Black, Indigenous, People of Color. Even with this reality, white people also have a personal stake in ending racial injustice. Join us and hear from Matt Harper about the work of White People 4 Black Lives in helping to organize white communities in Los Angeles in support of Black-led movements for justice. Learn how we can help create the change we've been praying for, and what we have to gain from a world that demands Black lives matter.  In addition to being an organizer with White People 4 Black Lives, Matt is a community member of the Los Angeles Catholic Worker and a longtime parishioner of Dolores Mission Catholic Church. Grounded in faith-based roots for his justice work, Matt is active in anti-racism and anti-patriarchy organizing. ----- Start your morning with us! Reflection: Michael Novick Facilitator: Dave Clennon Zoom host: Michael Novick * Link to this week's agenda. *   ** Meetings begin promptly at 7:30 am. ** ----- Here's how to join the online meeting: To participate by video conference, you'll need to first download the Zoom app on your computer or mobile device. When you log in, you'll then enter the Meeting ID number. The video conference will allow you to see slides and video, as well as speakers and other attendees. If you prefer to join by phone, you'll be prompted to enter the Meeting ID number. You won't be able to see the visuals during the presentation, but you can view them on the meeting video recording afterward.  If you're new to Zoom and would like to use the video option, we recommend you download the app well ahead of time. ICUJP Friday Forum 7/24 Time: 07:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Option 1: Join Zoom Video Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87251745380 Meeting ID: 872 5174 5380 Option 2: Dial in by phone only:+1 (669) 900-6833 US (California) Meeting ID: 872 5174 5380 (To find a dial-in number closer to you, go here.) ----- Zoom Update: Password Starts Oct. 3 Zoom has postponed its rollout of the password/waiting room requirement until late September. For ICUJP Friday Forums, passwords will be needed starting October 3. We'll send out reminders again as the time gets closer. Please note: Our Friday Forums and other events are open to the public. By attending, you consent to having your voice and likeness recorded, photographed, posted on ICUJP's website and social media, and included in ICUJP materials and publications for noncommercial purposes. If you don't want to be photographed or recorded, please let the facilitator know. FRIDAY FORUMS JULY 31: The War Budget Redirected: Empower your Powers of Imagination and Action! - David Swanson You are receiving this email because you are a part of the ICUJP Mailing List. You cannot reply to everyone through this email. If you wish to send something to the entire discuss list, email: icujp-discuss-list@googlegroups.com. Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace http://www.icujp.org/   Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace · 3300 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010, United States This email was sent to interfaithquaker@aol.com. To stop receiving emails, click here. You can also keep up with Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace on Twitter or Facebook.