Living in the Houses They Build March 27

Piety

Jesus, when you came into the world, you established a new heaven and earth as Isaiah prophesized. Unfortunately, today, many poor families encounter the same problems your parents did during the Roman census…there is no room for them in communities where the price of homes is approaching half a million dollars. Jesus, help us make room in our hearts so there is a welcoming community where all people can find an affordable place to live. Jesus, when we make a place in our hearts for those poor among us, we know that we also are making a place for you. You have reserved many rooms in your father’s house for us. Teach us how carry out your construction project and build a new heaven and earth. Help us to do the same for you and all those created in your image. Amen.

Study

God offers to us sacred scriptures for today to read, to study and to hear.
You are invited to study and reflect on today’s readings:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/032706.shtml

Today’s readings are filled with hope and promise predicted in Isaiah. The Roman official, whose son was ill in Capernaum, was counting on Christ to fill his life with hope and promise when he asked for his son to be cured.

Through Isaiah, the Lord promises that: “I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind.” The enslavement in Egypt or under tyrant kings who conquered Jerusalem was past. Now, people could look forward to “living in the houses they build” and “eating the fruits of the vineyards they plant.”

However, when we look around our world, we can see times that the new heaven and the new earth are right here in our midst and other times that they are still a long way off.

Yesterday, there was a new heaven and earth as girls served equally at the altar of the Lord at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Arlington, Va., for the first time. You can read about it here in The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/26/AR2006032601077_pf.html.)

While there is now room around the altar for young women called to service, many of our communities don’t have any room for the poor. As we look around, everyone can not live in the houses they build. The Hypothermia shelter was filled almost to capacity every night last week. With a lack of affordable housing, the number of homeless people in the population has spiked. You also can read about this in The Washington Post. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/25/AR2006032500814_pf.html).

Action

If the lack of affordable housing wasn’t already a big enough issue in our area, it seems to be about to get worse in Arlington. An e-mail I got today from Deacon Gene Betit forwarded a message from Charlie Rinker explaining that the owners of Buckingham Village Apartments are moving forward on plans to demolish the entire apartment complex.

Rinker said that this means another “456 households will lose their homes as developer-driven gentrification rips through this diverse community of low and moderate income, mostly minority and immigrant households.” He explained that the development plans of the owners, Paradigm (Stan Sloter) and UBS (a national assets manager of pension and other institutional funds), includes replacing this community with 642 luxury town homes and apartments, and a 148-unit committed affordable rental building. Such a plan will result in the net loss of 308 affordable rental units and concentrate all the affordable housing and low income residents in one sector.

Buckingham Village presently consists of 3 “villages.” Village 2 with 84 apt. units will be torn down and 69 luxury townhouses (projected to sell for $700,000 each) will be built in their place. Mr. Rinker explains that Paradigm and UBS can do this “by-right” and have already sent 120-day eviction notices to the residents of this Village. For Villages 1 and 3, Paradigm and UBS will need to file site plans with the County; and the residents and community will have a bit more leverage in getting the owners to change their plans to provide a more just and community-friendly redevelopment solution. At present Paradigm and UBS plan to tear down both Village 1 (232 units) and Village 3 (140 units); and in Village 1 to build 148 committed affordable rental units (using the Low Income Housing Tax Credits program) that will remain “affordable” for 30 years, and in Village 3 to build a combination of 380 luxury townhouses and apartment units (with the townhouses selling for $600,000 to $1,000,000 each and with the apt. rents starting at $2 per square foot – or around $2,000 for 1BR's, $2,600 for 2BR's and $3,200 for 3BR's). Plans are moving fast, but Mr. Rinker hopes that committed people can still have the chance to influence the plans for Villages 1 and 3. The Tenant Association has been meeting and defining their wishes and desires. Now, he says, it is time for a coalition of concerned people to join the fight and work together to halt this gentrification and ensure an equitable and community-friendly development in the Buckingham Community. Organizers of the meeting hope to put together a “Save Buckingham Village Coalition” (similar to the previous “Save Arna Valley Coalition”); and define some actions to bring this issue to public notice. Low and moderate income residents must be enabled to remain in their neighborhoods and to benefit from the increased investment that the area and the County are receiving.There will be a meeting on Wednesday night to get more information and strategize with the organizers on ways to assist the tenants and preserve the Buckingham Village Community. The meeting will take place Wednesday, March 29th at 7 p.m. at the Community Room (104), St. Charles Church, 3304 Washington Blvd.

Can you help build a most just and equitable heaven on earth?

PS: Remember, if you have any investments with UBS (mutual funds, pension or brokerage accounts, you too can communicate with the company about the values its investors want the firm to support. If they are not in agreement, I am sure there are other mutual funds committed to the community which might be interested in being a new home for some or all of your investment.