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Wednesday, May 23, 2007

1990 Washington Post Article Tells a Familiar Story

On April 12, 1990, the Washington Post ran a hauntingly familiar sounding article about Shiloh Baptist Church entitled “Neighbors Label Church ‘Slumlord.’” While I am awaiting permission from the Washington Post to cut and paste the entire article for your reference, below are a few choice sound bytes from the piece:
“[T]he vacant house on [the 800 block of Q Street] is one of 14 rundown properties in the neighborhood owned by the church, Shiloh officials acknowledge. Some of the properties have been willed to the church; others have been church investments, they say.”

“Shiloh officials also say they are planning to fix up the properties. A few years ago they had wanted to turn one into a group home; more recently they have talked of turning them all into market-rate housing, some with first-floor offices. Now, at the prodding of neighbors, they say they may also turn some into low- and moderate-income housing.”

"We may not be moving as fast as {the neighbors} like, and I'm sorry about that. But I want to get it done properly," [Johnnie A. Howard, chairman of the Shiloh Board of Trustees] said."

“Church officials told the neighbors they had hired an architect to draw up plans to convert some of the properties into market rate housing and offices. The neighbors pleaded to keep the neighborhood residential and suggested housing for seniors and others on low incomes.”

“Last month the church said it will consider an offer by MANNA Inc., a nonprofit housing development group invited to a meeting by the neighbors, to turn two properties at Ninth and Q streets NW into below-market housing.”

“A city official close to the situation said the underlying problem at Shiloh may be poor management.”

“[Johnnie A. Howard, chairman of the Shiloh Board of Trustees] said a first priority of the board now is to renovate the properties. ‘We have plans for putting the properties back in service . . . . We're not just sticking our noses in the air and saying we'll get to this when we get good and ready.’”

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

1990?!??!?!! all of their statements basically amount to lies.

jmc39 said...

While I am not surprised, I am deeply disappointed that a church would continue to not live up to its professed standards and morals. Matthew 25:40.

Thanks for sharing this information with the public.

Anonymous said...

Now you know why I call it the Church of the "I have a scheme?"

Anonymous said...

Amazing...

You would think the media would have access to this same historical information when they're doing their current stories re: Shiloh...I don't think it can be stressed enough by the media outlets that Shiloh has been lying about their "plans" for these properties for over 20 years...and this article only provide further proof of that fact...