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Ahead of hurricane season this year, Ferncrest Manor Living Center in New Orleans submitted a summary of its evacuation plan to the Louisiana Department of Health just like the 93 other nursing homes in Louisianas most storm-prone parishes.

Ferncrest Manors plan garnered special attention from state health officials. The nursing home listed a campground with rustic cabins and recreational vehicle park in Tangipahoa Parish as a possible evacuation location for its medically-fragile residents.

State health officials and the fire marshals office identified significant problems with the site Yogi Bears Jellystone Park in Robert during an inspection earlier this summer. They reported standing water in building entrances and a hole in the roof of the facility. They saw mice and feces on the grounds. Officials concluded nursing home residents wouldnt be able to navigate the cracked, muddy sidewalks or handle the lack of outdoor lighting either. In addition to those deficiencies, Ferncrest Manor wanted to bring too many residents to the site. At the beginning of hurricane season, the population of the nursing home was 114, and the capacity of Jellystone Park was 99. It didnt have adequate showers or sinks for that many people, according to a letter sent June 20 to Ferncrests administrator Jesse Shaffer.

The Department recommends that this unlicensed evacuation site NOT be utilized at this time, Tasheka Dukes, director of the Louisiana Department of Healths health standards section, wrote to Ferncrest Manors leadership.

Ferncrest Manor did not respond to request for comment about its evacuation plan, but the staff at Jellystone Park campsite said the nursing home canceled its evacuation contract with the campsite about six weeks ago, shortly after it would have received the health departments letter. Doreen Foret, who helps supervise the campsite, said the nursing home had contracted with Jellystone Park since 2006 to provide evacuation space, though the home never actually sent residents to the Robert campground for a hurricane or any other emergency.

In all, state officials recommended 16 nursing homes from hurricane-prone areas reconsider evacuation sites they planned to use, according to documents provided to the Illuminator in response to a public records request.

In May and June, state officials inspected all 12 unlicensed facilities the nursing homes proposed for shelters. Nine were deemed inadequate.

Only three unlicensed sites, which collectively serve five homes, passed inspection, according to letters the health department sent to nursing home owners and administrators in late June.

Under current law, Louisiana cannot force nursing homes to change these evacuation locations before the end of this hurricane season in November, Stephen Russo, a health department attorney, said in an interview last week. Still, health inspectors have put the nursing home owners on notice that they will be watching them closely if they choose to use any of the questionable locations. The owners could put their nursing home licenses at risk if they move to one of those locations and something goes wrong, Russo said.

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Most south Louisiana nursing homes evacuate residents to licensed health care facilities such as other nursing homes and rehabilitation centers in safer parts of the state for hurricanes. They are also allowed to set up unlicensed emergency shelters at sites that include schools, churches and conference centers. Unlicensed facilities are under more scrutiny following the disastrous evacuation of seven nursing homes ahead of Hurricane Ida. Last August, Bob Dean moved nearly 850 people from his southeastern Louisiana facilities to a former pesticide warehouse he owns in Tangipahoa Parish.

The residents ended up on air mattresses on the ground without enough clothing, toilets or food. Hundreds eventually had to be rescued and 15 died within a month. At least five of those deaths were attributed to the evacuation. The health department shut down Deans homes and pulled his lucrative nursing home licenses in response to the scandal. Several evacuees and their families have sued Dean, who is fighting both the lawsuits and government sanctions.

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The Louisiana Legislature reacted to the Dean debacle with a new law to strengthen nursing home emergency plans and evacuation standards, but it wont be fully in place until May 2023. Until then, the state doesnt have many tools to push back against nursing homes and their choice of evacuation sites, even if health officials have concerns, Russo said.

Some problems health officials identified at unlicensed shelters are similar to those found at Deans warehouse. Several nursing homes were told their unlicensed sites werent big enough to hold the number of residents they planned to house. Many also lack enough showers, sinks and kitchen capacity.

Deans warehouse was also overcrowded, exacerbating the facilitys shortage of toilets and showers. His staff struggled to feed the residents in the days after the hurricane because there wasnt a working kitchen on the site.

Nursing homes that wanted to adjust their evacuation plans in the aftermath of Deans evacuation problems had plenty of time to do so. The homes owners werent required to submit their evacuation plan summaries for review until March, six months after Ida and Deans warehouse debacle.

Documents reviewed by the Illuminator show five nursing homes listed Creekside Junior High School in Pearl River as an evacuation location. The health department expressed several worries about the site, including that the building might not be able to withstand a strong hurricane. Gym of the junior high school is to be used for community sheltering, for several facilities, only for Pre-Storm and Post-Storm; the gym is not structurally sound to safely shelter nursing home residents during a hurricane/storm, Dukes, from the health department, wrote to the five nursing home owners.

Officials also wondered how Creekside Junior High would function as a shelter for nursing home patients when students would also be expected to use the school for class. Health officials have also asked the Archdiocese of New Orleans to find an alternative to the evacuation center it built in Bunkie for its nursing homes. The site, run by the Notre Dame Health System, doesnt have enough hand washing stations or showers to meet residents needs, officials said, and the archdiocese hasnt identified a place nearby to house nursing home staff who would have to work at the evacuation center.

The archdiocese planned to put residents from three nursing homes Chateau De Notre Dame in New Orleans, Our Lady of Wisdom Health Care Center in New Orleans and Wynhoven Health Care Center in Marrero at that location, according to records from the health department.

The archdiocese said the Notre Dame Health System is still negotiating with the state health department over its evacuation plans. We are working towards resolutions to all of the concerns and confident issues are being addressed sufficiently, archdiocese spokesperson Sarah McDonald said in a written statement Monday. The leadership and staff of Notre Dame Health System want to assure families and residents that in the event of an evacuation all appropriate health and safety measures will be in place for the proper care of residents, she said.

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Over a dozen nursing homes could evacuate to facilities that failed state inspections - Louisana Illuminator

Garth Schutte, 40, is under a conservatorship. His family isn't allowed to know where he is or speak to him. What's funding this is your tax dollars.

SACRAMENTO, Calif Garth Schutte, 40, has been taken by the state.

His mother, Jill, and older brothers, Ian and Russell, aren't allowed to speak to or see Garth. They don't know where he lives.

That's because Garth has been placed under a limited conservatorship.

In California, a conservatorship is a legal tool approved through the probate court which takes away the rights of someone who is unable to care for themselves and gives them to another person.

While general conservatorships strip someone of their civil rights entirely, limited conservatorships have seven separate powers that can be taken and given to another person depending on the conserved persons unique needs and ability to handle certain aspects of their lives.

But Garth has not been conserved by just anyone; he is under the custody of a $12 billion state agency:The Department of Developmental Services (DDS).

DDS serves hundreds of thousands of Californians with disabilities and their families with services and support. The Schutte family shared their story with us in hopes it will shine a light for others who receive these services especially those considering conservatorship.

360,000 people could potentially be subject to this system, said Ian.

360,000 is the number of people the Department of Developmental Services serves as of our interview. In 2023, that number is expected to increase to over 400,000.

I want to help as many of those 360,000 people as I can because even it just happening to one person is awful, said Ian.

We never expected anything like this, said Jill. If I couldve predicted this... we wouldve left the state of California.

Garth has developmental disabilities; autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder, court and medical records show. For the first 39 years of his life, he relied on his mother to assist him with everyday things like showering, shaving and even using a catheter because ofa diagnosis of catatonia.

He was catheterized in the home and I was trained by three different medical staff, said Jill. Kaiser was providing all his medicine and his catheter, which was being mailed to the house. You cant buy catheters theyre prescription only.

The catheter is part of how Garths conservatorship began.

In Aug. 2020, record-breaking heat hit Sacramento. Jill noticed Garth wasn't eating or drinking quite as much and took him to the doctor.

Garth says things differently and he mentioned to one of the nurses, My mom puts a red plastic straw in my private part,'" Jill said.

Hospital staff are mandatory reporters. By law they have to report any sign of potential abuse Jill said Garth was trying to explain how he needed to be catheterized and it sent an abuse alert to Sacramento Adult Protective Services (APS) as well as Alta Regional Center the state-run facility under DDS providing services and support directly to people with disabilities as well as their families.

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When we look at California state law regarding mandated reporters, the reporters only report suspicions. Its the sheriff and police that do the investigation, said Jill. Adult Protective Services expand the investigation, not the regional center.

Yet court records show Alta Regional Center took Garth and placed him in a state-funded care facility.

Jill, Ian and Russell were not notified, despite Jill having Kaisers model of power of attorney over Garth.

For three months, no one told their family where Garth was.

We had absolutely no idea. They would not even say, is he in Sacramento? Jill said. We did not know.

This wasnt unfamiliar territory to the Schutte family.

Fifteen years prior, Garth had been taken by an Alta Regional Center employee who was helping watch Garth in Jills home. In court records, the regional center wrote Jill was unable to care for Garth, but a court investigators report later said Garth was taken in a deceptive manner.

The first time Garth was taken, it took Jill nine months and an attorney to get him back. 15 years later, in 2020, they were at a loss, which is why the Schutte family decided to get conservatorship over Garth, despite not doing so for Garths 39 years of life to help maintain his independence.

As they began the lengthy legal process, Garth was suddenly dropped off at Jills home by medical technicians after three months with no knowledge of his whereabouts.

I was shocked. I was thrilled, said Jill.

Less than 24 hours later, three Sacramento sheriffs deputies arrived saying Garth had been returned to Jill due to a clerical error.

The deputies took Garth outside and spoke with him alone. Ian recorded all 47 minutes the deputies were there; throughout the recording, Garth expressed his desire to remain at home with his mother to the deputies several times.

After Garth made his wishes clear and the deputies did a home inspection, their concern vanished.

Were glad hes got such a good home here, a deputy said.

The deputies updated Adult Protective Services and Alta Regional Center on their welfare check. Before leaving, one deputy offered the Schuttes advice: The most important thing you can do is go get that conservatorship as quickly as you can because thatll prevent them from pulling all this.

The Schutte family took it to heart and moved forward with the legal conservatorship process.

By petitioning the probate court for conservatorship, several things are instigated, including the court appointing an attorney for the potential conserved person.

The court appointed attorney Dewey Harpainter to represent Garth. Harpainters office is in Auburn.

As Garths attorney, Harpainter is legally required to advocate and represent what Garth wants. Jill says Harpainter refused to meet in person with Garth.

At one point I said, If youd like I can drive Garth up to Auburn. I will sit in the car so you can have private questioning with him,' Jill said. He denied that at least five times.

When the Schutte family attorney brought this up in court and requested a new attorney be appointed for Garth, the judge refused, Jill said and court records show.

At the time of our interview with the Schutte family in early June 2022, Harpainter had yet to meet with Garth.

That changed less than a month later after we reached out for an interview. Court records show Harpainter eventually met in person with Garth after we began investigating. The meeting took place just six days after our initial interview request to Harpainter.

Harpainter did not respond to repeated requests for an interview.

When a conservatorship is requested the court also appoints an investigator to interview the conservatee, assess the family dynamic, and write a report that goes directly to the judge.

The court investigator called me and we talked over many, many things, said Jill. I (also) encouraged him to talk to Garth privately.

After the investigator spoke with Garth in a one-on-one phone call, he wrote that Garth expressed a very strong desire to remain at home and told the investigator, (I) dont wanna go to a group home. I would like to live at home.

Criminal background checks were done on Jill and Russell who were petitioning for shared conservatorship custody. The investigators report also went through Adult Protective Services records and past abuse referrals, which were deemed inconclusive.

It means they didnt have evidence to confirm or deny Garth was abused, APS told us.

The court investigator recommended to the judge that his family care for Garth, and the conservatorship should be granted.

But the state regional center, Alta, told the judge a different story it claimed a number of allegations of abuse by the family from medical professionals in their written assessment of Garth.

Jill said shes had years of experience with Garth as well as a 22-year career as a disability expert for the California State of Rehabilitation and that, at no time did any doctor or professional advise me that anything being done was abusive.

The assessment also alleged Jill locked Garth in a windowless room, which Jill admits to, for Garths own protection. Because of his OCD, Garth often tries to break through the window glass in his room so he can pick up litter at all times of the day and night.

I mentioned that to a doctor the doctor said, Can you put a plywood or something based on the size of the window? Jill recalled.

She did, but not before she said she consulted with the fire department about it.

Its always putting Garth first, Jill said. His needs and wants but above his needs and wants... his safety.

The assessment also said Garth spoke directly to Roseville police after a lieutenant contacted Garth and the regional center following the Schutte's filing a missing persons report when Garth was taken in 2020. The assessment said Garth told the lieutenant he didn't want to return to his mothers house as well as recounted physical and sexual abuse by his mother and brother.

We reached out to the Roseville Police Department. They said they have no records of the call and therefore couldnt confirm it.

The regional center told the judge just because APS reports of abuse were inconclusive, it does not mean the claims are unfounded and that Jill and Russell would be inappropriate conservators.

Instead, they recommended the Department of Developmental Services be appointed as conservator. They also said DDS should ask for a power the family didnt: control over who Garth sees.

Ultimately, the judge listened to the regional center. He gave temporary conservatorship of Garth to DDS... not to the family as recommended by the court investigator.

With the conservatorship appointed, DDS decided Garth should move out of his mothers home and into one of their care facilities what they call a vendor.

After 39 years of living with Garth, Jill moved Garth into the new facility.

We did not want him to see our tears as we drove away, Jill recalled.

But the DDS care home struggled with Garth.

Because they couldnt help him sleep and he couldnt sleep - they call 911, Jill said she learned.

Court records show Garth had been hospitalized for 43 out of 88 days after being moved to care homes and under the care of DDS, meaning between November 2021 and February 2022 Garth spent about half his time at that point in emergency rooms rather than the care home.

Because Garth is under the conservatorship of DDS, taxpayers are footing the pricey ambulance rides and hospital stays.

One of the caretakers had so much trouble she actually asked for help from the family Garth had just been taken away from.

She would call (us asking), Can we come help her? Jill said. She actually wanted us to spend the night there.

Jill shared text messages between her and the care home facilitator with us. Here are a few, including the facilitator addressing the regional centers abuse allegations:

Garth no longer lives at this care home. Jill said he has moved residences five times in six months. With each move, Jills involvement in Garths life has been drastically cut by DDS, claiming Jill and Ian are triggering Garth. Jill believes whats triggering is the memory of the home Garth had with her.

As of mid-July 2022, Jill hadnt seen or spoken with Garth for 12 weeks. Visitation, including phone calls, between Garth and his family, has been severed... especially between Jill and Russel, the two who tried to get co-conservatorship.

We have not been (to his care home). We are not allowed to go there. We are not allowed to know the exact address, said Jill. We have not seen him or heard from him.

Its not for a lack of trying; Jill has repeatedly requested visitation with Garths regional center service coordinator, who is acting as his conservator in making decisions for Garth on behalf of DDS.

We cant provide you a date when you will be able to call or visit Garth, his service coordinator wrote in an email to Jill. She also said, Garth has not expressed any interest in having contact with you at this time.

Jill said shell respect his wishes, but wants to hear them from Garth himself.

Because we will follow the instructions, said Jill. [The regional center] could not do that.

We also reached out to Garths service coordinator asking to speak with Garth. Alta Regional Centers legal manager responded with the same message: Garth has expressed no interest in speaking with you.

We asked if Garth was informed that an investigative reporter wanted to speak with him and if we could ask him directly. We never got a response.

We were, however, able to speak with Garth directly during a visitation with his brother Russell.

Since DDS got conservatorship, Russell has laid low in hopes of continuing to remain in contact with Garth, unlike other family members who've lost all visitation. As of June 2022 he hadn't seen Garth for six months. Russell requested visitation and was approved. He, his wife Elizabeth, and their kids met at a local park while a care home worker supervised.

About halfway through their visit, we were able to speak with Garth.

I terribly miss my mom, Garth said.

When asked who he would like to live with, he told us his family, specifically his mom.

Garth also expressed the same desire weeks later directly to a judge.

On July 27, 2022, the Department of Developmental Services temporary conservatorship over Garth expired. The agency wanted to renew it and a court hearing was held in Sacramentos probate court.

Judge Gevercer granted us permission to film, despite DDSs repeated objections.

During the 40-minute hearing, the judge gave time for all to speak including Garth himself, who until this point has rarely had a voice in court.

I want to live with my mom, Garth said to the judge.

The judge told Garth to talk to his court-appointed attorney, Harpainter, about his desires. He also ordered DDS and the Schuttes to meet and hopefully reach an agreement over Garths current situation.

In the meantime, he extended DDSs conservatorship over Garth until the next hearing in December.

We requested an on-camera interview with the Department of Developmental Services for seven months. They declined all requests for interviews.

Prior to releasing our investigation, we sent them a three-page letter outlining our findings and asking 15 questions related to allegations of failed practices, including a 2022 state audit that found numerous failures for the last 10 years.

They refused to answer our questions and sent us a written statement (available in full at the bottom of this article) about how their priority was to keep their clients safe and a short video (below) of Director Nancy Bergmann reading the written statement. Neither answered any of our questions.

So, we attempted to talk to DDS attorney Meredith Nixon following the hearing. She also refused saying, no comment.

Two days prior to our investigation airing, the Department of Developmental Services announced immediate "actions to support" the individuals they conserve in a three-page press release. The release named three items DDS will do to improve the system for those in "conservatorships where DDS is the court-appointed conservator." They include forming a panel of experts to conduct a review of DDS' conservatorship program, forming a "working group" from multiple state departments to review their conservatorships, and "enhance oversight and review."

However, the press release didn't include direct actions or steps, like budgeting nor an exact time frame of when these items will take place. We reached out again asking for an interview so we could ask about the specifics of their new plan. They declined.

Jill had retired to care and spend more time with Garth. Following the hearing, she decided to return to work at an organization assisting people with autism, like Garth, so she can continue paying for the costly legal fees in hopes of gaining care for Garth.

The Schutte family plans to continue fighting in hopes of getting Garth home. They also hope in sharing their story, they shed a light on limited conservatorships and the system around it for others - as well as taxpayers.

Read this article:

'I want to live at home' | The battle of a conservatorship funded by tax dollars - ABC10.com KXTV

OLX Autos Outlook Business: Q&A

Spokesperson - Amit Kumar, CEO, OLX Group

To understand the trends in Indias automotive market we spoke to Amit Kumar, CEO, OLX Group on the road ahead for pre-owned cars in India and how COVID brought about a fundamental change in consumer behaviour towards the same.

Q1. Where do you see the trend of the growing popularity of used cars going in 2022? Has it slowed down? Has it accelerated further?

Owing to the increased need for personal mobility, affordability, support from financers, and low new car penetration in India, pre-owned car sales are expected to reach 1.5x times that of new car sales over the next five years.

A recent study conducted by OLX Autos with CRISIL on the pre-owned car market, reveals that by 2025- 2026, the Indian pre-owned car market will reach a size of over 7 Mn vehicles and outpace the new car market.

Q2. Going by the trends, which car models will be popular in 2022? Could you share some data on the most popular car bought and sold on OLX?

Based on the recent trends, the top three brands being sold on OLX Autos are Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Mahindra. In terms of the car models, the top-selling ones include hatchbacks such as Swift, Alto and i10. In addition, SUVs such as XUV500, Innova and Scorpio are also gaining huge traction. The average selling price of used cars was up by approximately 17%-20% year-on-year from approx. INR 4 lakh in January 2021 to INR 4.8 lakh this January 2022.

Q3. The current market environment has put a lot of stress on the supply of new cars chip shortage, restricted availability of raw materials, and longer wait times. How will this impact the supply side of used cars?

The demand for pre-owned cars is way ahead compared to pre-covid times. There are multiple factors behind this growth, the sector supply crunch, the need for personal mobility, and the desire for upward mobility. While chip shortage, rising cost of new cars and longer wait times are slowing the new car market, the pre-owned car market is gaining momentum.

As per our study with CRISIL, replacement demand this fiscal year made up only 19% of all new automobile sales, this typically ranges between 24-25%. This increase in demand is affecting the pricing for pre-owned cars, given their limited supply. This pressure on supply is also evident in the typical age of cars being traded which has increased from approx. 6-7 years during pre-covid times to approx. 8-9 years now.

Q4. How does OLX Autos perceive the used car market in India which has many venture-funded startups operating in the domain?

As stated the pre-owned car market will reach a size of over 7 Mn vehicles and outpace the new car market by 2025-26.

We at OLX Autos believe that given the per capita car ownership in India (23-25 cars per 1000 households as compared to 900+ per 1000 households in the US) is still amongst the lowest in the world it continues to be an aspiration for most Indians.

This unorganised industry is growing and therefore disruption is bound to happen. Startups are poised to take advantage and create that disruption to provide the phygital customer experience that customers are looking for. Ultimately, the player with a differentiated customer experience will succeed.

Q5. Tell us a bit about the recently launched home inspection model. How comfortable are users to sell their cars from their homes?

Pre-covid, most of our business (90%) was an in-store experience. However, during Covid, this was impacted and we created a new way of serving our customers. We pivoted to a model best suited to the customer preferences in terms of safety and convenience to meet the consumer-led demand.

Even though we are back to normalcy, consumers are preferring to take advantage of our home inspection facility which is witnessing a rapid growth

Q6. What has been the growth witnessed by OLX Autos in the last 2 years with the inclination towards personal mobility due to the pandemic-driven growth of the pre-owned car market?

OLX delivered a strong performance for the year, as it expanded its direct-to-consumer autos transactions business. Revenues increased 93% to US$3 billion. OLX Autos contributed significantly to this growth, with a revenue of US$1.6 billion, up 173% YoY. OLX Autos scaled operations significantly, with a record 175,000 autos transactions, up 79% from the previous year. Our core Classifieds business recorded growth across key markets, with monthly app user base rising 7% to 124 million, active listings growing 11% to 174 million and monthly paying listers increasing 10% to 4.1 million, as per a report on the global figures by Naspers.

Q7. How is OLX Autos reinventing itself to keep pace with the competition and changing consumer preferences?

OLX Autos is reinventing itself as a one-stop destination for anyone that wants to sell a pre-owned car, while also catering to the largest traditional dealer network in this space to help them grow with a wide variety of technology solutions.

Some of them being -

Home Inspection Model

Self Inspection Model

Online Price discovery

Q8. With many OEMs entering the used car space with their own branded outlets, do you see this as an opportunity or a hindrance to your plans in India?

This space is too large for any individual player to dominate in a market that is still 90% unorganized. We believe the more the players, the easier it will be to drive awareness about the various channels to sell cars and raise the bar for customer experience. In the past, we have demonstrated that despite the competition, we were able to achieve tremendous growth. This market will grow at a CAGR of around 15% over the next 5 years to reach over 7 mn which leaves a lot of room for growth hence the real battle is about understanding the needs and preferences of the consumers, creating awareness around better platforms that provide a differentiated customer experience.

We are focused and driven to provide great customer experiences that create positive word of mouth for our brand. This is an investment phase for us where we are building the right products, solutions, and capabilities that are scalable.

Read more:

COVID Has Shifted The Balance In Favour Of Pre-Owned Cars For A Long Time To Come - Outlook India

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) Seven months following a devastating fire, a Bloomington church has started the process of building a new permanent home.

Construction began this week on Victory Churchs new building after a January fire totaled the previous building. Executive pastor Jarrod Herald said after speaking with insurance, it was more cost-effective to tear down the old building and start over from scratch.

In January of this year, the church caught fire and it took multiple fire departments nearly nine hours to fully extinguish.

Herald said the church will once again be located at 18180 U.S. Highway 150.

We just felt like God said here on 18180, this is where God wants us to be and so we decided to take the whole building down, re-build and make it better; we were always told if you could do things differently what would you do? Well, were doing it now, Herald said.

Herald said tentatively, that the plan is to open the new building by April 2023.

Weve totally re-oriented our sanctuary, the steel building will actually be bright red and weve taken that time to re-do our logo and the new building will also have a great Victory kids wing and area for our youth ministry, Herald said.

Currently, Victory Church is holding its Sunday services at Cornerstone Christian Academy.

Original post:
Construction begins on new Victory Church | CIProud.com - CIProud.com

Churches are one of the largest landowners in the country. The Catholic Church is one of the largest private landowners in the world. According to a 2020 study from UC Berkeleys Terner Center for Housing Innovation, California faith institutions collectively own about 38,800 acres of undeveloped land. Almost half of that land is located in resource rich areas, where there is better access to schools, public transportation, grocery stores and economic opportunities.

The movement to take advantage of that land is known as YIGBY Yes in Gods Backyard. But its not been easy. Affordable housing is notoriously difficult to build in California, and without deep pockets or the experience of developers, many churches have tried and failed.

Jordan Court is one of the few church-led affordable housing developments successfully built in the Bay Area. The process started in 2014, when Rev. Phil Brochard and the All Souls Episcopal congregation were trying to decide what to do with an apartment building the church owned next door. The parish had used it as a makeshift office space, but it was becoming decrepit and underused.

At the same time, we had members of our congregation who were themselves starting to feel the housing crunch that was happening, said Brochard. We wanted to be part of strengthening the community in a different way and one that was going to provide space for people who are most vulnerable.

The church decided on an affordable housing development specifically for seniors with low incomes, to help serve the citys aging population. They also figured senior housing would be a pretty easy sell to neighbors.

But the projects road to completion was a long and tiresome one with all the usual speed bumps that face affordable housing developments: high construction costs, bureaucracy and neighbors saying "not in my backyard."

For some, they didnt want to see a bigger structure here we added a story to the building that was previously here, Brochard said. For some, it was just that they didnt want poor people living in their neighborhood and they felt like they or their families would be at more risk.

One neighbor appealed the project, causing All Souls to miss out on an opportunity for millions of dollars in funding.

But All Souls had their advantages, too. The project got some help from the state Legislature, with a new state law designed to spur housing construction. SB 35 was passed in 2017, and streamlines project approvals in cities that have failed to build enough housing to meet state-mandated requirements. If a project meets certain criteria and contains fewer than 150 units, local governments must greenlight them within 60 days. Jordan Court contained 34 units and met all the criteria.

Another thing going for All Souls: its size and financial stability. The church has many affluent congregants who volunteered their skills toward developing Jordan Court, including an architect who assisted in the design process and an attorney who helped sort through the legal red tape. The church could also afford to build affordable rather than market-rate housing, which would have earned a profit.

Were also in a position where we didnt need the income stream for us to be able to survive, Brochard said. Weve been a pretty stable congregation over the last 15 years or so. We felt we had enough stability that we could make this choice.

All Souls built Jordan Court in partnership with Satellite Affordable Housing Associates. Though SAHA has helped house 4,000 residents across the Bay Area, this is the first project it has completed on church property.

Weve had other glimpses and potential projects with congregations, but this is really the first successful one weve done, said SAHA CEO Susan Friedland.

Friedland has talked with parishes who wanted to build affordable housing for their congregants, but backed out after realizing theres no guarantee that the finished projects would have room for them.

Under fair housing laws, affordable housing projects must be open to anyone who qualifies.

Because we take government money we cant lease the building only to a certain group of people we have to open it up widely. Thats often a game changer for a congregation, said Friedland.

Another misconception is how financially lucrative an affordable housing project could be.

Some organizations see they have surplus land and they want to monetize it, said Friedland. But building affordable housing isnt always a great way to maximize profit. Its not a moneymaker.

Developing affordable housing takes a lot of time and resources, which can be daunting for new developers like churches. Since 2020, state Sen. Scott Wiener has been working on legislation that would make the approval process easier specifically for churches that want to develop affordable housing, but it has failed both times he has introduced it. Wiener plans to introduce a similar bill in December.

Pastor L.J. Jennings leads the Kingdom Builders Christian Fellowship in Oakland. Born and raised in the East Bay, Jennings has seen his neighbors and family members get pushed out of the area by the rising cost of living.

We talk about gentrification, but my word is displacement, Jennings said. When I look at who is being pushed out, its minority folks, its people of color. Its changing the demographics of our city, of our communities.

Before becoming a pastor, Jennings worked in residential and commercial real estate and decided to put his experience and skills to use. In 2010, a year after opening the Kingdom Builders Christian Fellowship, he built a sober-living facility on land the church owned. Seven years later, he opened a hundred-bed home for formerly incarcerated individuals looking to reenter society.

All of [the tenants in our facilities] are classified as homeless, said Jennings. We knew right away early on that we needed to address the homelessness crisis, so thats what weve been doing.

After learning the ins and outs of building subsidized housing, Jennings wanted to help other churches do the same. In 2019, he started the Kingdom Builders Project, a nonprofit with two goals: to help churches build affordable housing and to make the projects as financially sound as possible to help struggling churches stay afloat.

The Kingdom Builders Project has been working with churches across the East Bay on housing projects: four in Oakland and one in Hayward. All the churches are Black churches.

We know in the Black community that Blacks are being displaced in record numbers, Jennings said. So as a community, were really trying to stem the tide of Black displacement. Were fighting for our survival.

While building housing may align with a churchs mission to serve its community, its not always cost-effective. According to Jennings, this is because faith institutions arent familiar with the financing of housing developments and therefore dont know how to negotiate with savvy housing developers.

We have these situations where nonprofit housing developers are getting land from the church and the church doesnt benefit from it other than their name on the building, Jennings said.

For example, many affordable housing developers make money through a developer fee, a sum of money included in the total housing development costs. Jennings argues housing developers should share that fee with churches, especially if the church is involved in that development process and owns the highly valuable land.

There are other ways to access revenue streams, Jennings says, if only churches knew how to tap into them. Traditionally, an affordable housing developer would manage the apartment property or contract it out, but if church members learned how to manage the property, they could keep that revenue. Jennings envisions the church providing other services, too.

Whether its computer assistance, whether its after-school care, whatever it is its for the community and the residents, he said. We would help them develop their services that are going to be housed inside the development so that they can create additional revenue.

Jennings also wants to increase the odds that churches can house their own members who are at risk of displacement. Getting a unit in an affordable housing project usually happens by lottery, to make it a fair process. Jennings says that in the time it takes to build the housing, churches can work with their members to help them qualify.

Were working with them on their credit, were working with them on their budgeting, making sure theres job stability, Jennings said. Were working with them on all the areas so that when the application opens, our people are ready to apply.

The four housing projects in Oakland are in the early stages and havent started construction yet, but Jennings says they look promising. The project in Hayward, however, is running into roadblocks from the churchs neighbors and confusing county regulations.

The Blessings of Faith church, located a few blocks away from downtown Hayward, wants to build a 42-unit complex for seniors with low incomes in a small parking lot behind the church. Pastor Tally Knott grew up in Hayward, attended the church and witnessed the displacement of seniors and others in her community.

I was always around seniors, so my care for older people came about by just being around them, said Knott. This is my home, these are my people. I understand the community here and the needs of the people.

Since starting the development process, Knott says the church has gotten pushback from neighbors who fear the apartment building will be too large for the area. Others in surrounding homes fear it will bring crime and disorder to their quiet community.

We live in a community where people are comfortable and dont want change, but everyones going to become older one day, said Knott. I was even thinking about putting up signs that say Seniors Matter.

Despite the setbacks, Knott and Jennings are resolute in their goal to build affordable housing in their communities. Theres no guarantee that these projects will work out exactly as envisioned, but it makes sense that faith organizations like the Kingdom Builders Project are giving it a try. Churches and other faith institutions have provided shelter to their communities for centuries.

With the affordable housing crisis, there are no silver bullets, said Tia Hicks, program officer at the Bay Area chapter of the nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). This is just one opportunity to really get at our regional affordable housing crisis.

Since 2019, LISC Bay Area has worked with 20 churches in the East Bay that wanted to develop housing on their property. One church is set to start construction on their property by the end of this year while others are selecting development partners and getting started on the approval process. Hicks says faith institutions are some of the best organizations to get involved in housing because they are usually entrenched in the communities they serve and understand the specific needs.

It enables communities to retain ownership over what gets built, she said. Especially if were prioritizing racial equity in our work, in supporting Black congregations, theres a lot of powerful synergy there.

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California Churches Want to Build Affordable Housing on Their Land, So Why Is It So Hard? - KQED

Next week construction will start on the new playground that has been years in the making.

BUFFALO, N.Y. On Monday, State Senator Sean Ryan and other local leaders held a groundbreaking for a playground in the Elmwood Village.

The space is located at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church where construction is beginning next week and should be fully installed.

The playground is set to include a playhouse, slide, accessible staircase, ground-level activities, and an obstacle course. It was designed by KOMPAN Playground.

Plans for the playground were originally created in 2019 but were delayed because of the pandemic and supply chain issues as a result.

"We are blessed to be able to donate this space for this great project. We feel it is an amazing step in the continued growth of this community. We feel that it will be a positive in this community," Jamie Owens the pastor at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church said.

The playground is funded by $135,000 made up of grant funding and donations, including $25,000 from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.

After facing some unprecedented challenges caused by the pandemic, we are excited to finally get this project to the finish line. When this playground is installed next week, families in the Elmwood Village will have a new, walkable community gathering place where kids can get some fresh air and exercise. A special thank you goes out to our community partners and donors, whose generosity made this project possible, Ryan said.

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Construction to begin at new Elmwood Village playground - WGRZ.com

Two temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced during the past year now have official names given by the First Presidency.

The second temple in Rexburg, Idaho, will be known as the Teton River Idaho Temple, while the temple announced for Birmingham, United Kingdom, will be called the Birmingham England Temple.

An announcement of the temple names was published Monday, Aug. 15, on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

During the October 2021 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to build 13 new temples, including one identified for Rexburg North, Idaho. In the April 2022 general conference, President Nelsons list of 17 new temples included a temple for Birmingham, United Kingdom.

The name of the new Birmingham England Temple lines up with the two dedicated and operating temples in Great Britain the London England Temple and the Preston England Temple.

And the Teton River name for the second Rexburg temple helps alleviate possible confusion with the dedicated and operating Rexburg Idaho Temple.

Both temples are still in planning stages, without exterior renderings, site locations or groundbreaking plans announced.

The two are part of the 58 Latter-day Saint temples that have been announced and are being planned. With the 173 dedicated temples and 51 more under construction, the Church has 282 temples worldwide operating, under construction or renovation, or in planning and development.

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First Presidency names 2 temples: Teton River Idaho and Birmingham England - Church News

KENSINGTON, Maryland Meg Foulger Pratts youth was filled with Sunday afternoon outings to survey the construction of the Washington D.C. Temple.

Her father, Sid Foulger, worked as the general contractor of the historic temple project and regularly brought his family to the site. They watched the temple in each phase of construction from excavation to completion.

We have been close to this temple for a long, long time, she said.

Pratt still remembers the day her father came home and announced that while digging the caissons the retaining structure of the temple the team hit bedrock.

He just thought it was so significant that this temple was on bedrock, she recalled. They hadnt anticipated that completely.

In retrospect, the day was also significant for Pratt who with her husband Brent Pratt has always seen the temple as the bedrock of her life.

The Washington D.C. Temple in Kensington, Maryland, on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

The temple, the Churchs 16th in operation and the first built in the Eastern United States, was dedicated in 1974.

In the year before the dedication, Brent Pratt joined the temple project overseeing the work on some of the finishing stages. He would later serve in the Washington D.C. Temple presidency and, for more than three decades, worked in the construction business in the area, overseeing massive development projects.

He said while the construction of the temple was not perfect, it was as close as possible. We strive to be perfect, he said. Its not perfect perfect. But it is as close as we can get.

Throughout the years, the Pratts have personally experienced the comfort, peace, knowledge and revelation that comes with temple worship.

The temple is a light in the nations capital city, Brent Pratt said.

It is a monument in a city of monuments, Meg Pratt added.

The Washington D.C. Temple in Kensington, Maryland, on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

The temple closed in 2018 to update mechanical and electrical systems, refresh finishes and furnishings, and improve the grounds. Brent Pratt, a member of the local temple rededication committee, has coordinated many of the logistics of the open house and rededication. Meg Pratt has worked with hosting.

After a four-and-a-half year renovation project and delays connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Russell M. Nelson will rededicate the Washington D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, Aug. 14.

We have waited for this for a long, long time, Meg Pratt said. This is a temple that we have loved for so many years. It thrills me to see it now, more beautiful than its ever been. I feel like everything has been refined and elevated.

Since the temples original dedication in 1974, millions of people have seen the prominent and commanding edifice from the Capital Beltway.

Motorists travel the Capital Beltway near the Washington D.C. Temple in Kensington, Maryland, on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Excitement for the temples reopening began the day the temple closed in 2018, said Jeffrey Cook, who served on the local temple committee as the Awareness Committee chair.

Cooks parents served for more than 25 years as ordinance workers in the temple; his father was a temple sealer. He lost two of his brothers in separate automobile accidents in 1980 and 1982. To be involved in the reopening of the temple was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the sacrifice of others to provide the temple blessings to all of Heavenly Fathers children, he said.

In the years the temple was closed, he said it was amazing to hear from faithful members who had similar stories as mine, he said. The members I have served with have been an eternal blessing to me.

He and his wife, Heidi, retired from their work to take part in the open house. They also used the time to prepare for a full-time mission. In one week, the couple will fly to Munich, Germany, to serve in the Alpine German Speaking Mission for the next 18 months.

Kent and Kathryn Colton served as president and temple matron of the Washington D.C. Temple prior to its closing for renovations in March 2018. Since then, they have overseen the work of the temple open house and rededication committee.

First moving to Washington, D.C., in 1974 so Kent Colton could work as a White House fellow, the couple attended the original open house and dedication of the temple. They too have witnessed the temples bedrock impact on the area.

Washington, D.C., is a very intense community, with all the vital organs of national and international government, Kathryn Colton said. Many of our patrons that come here are involved in positions that are very stressful, she said. And as they would come to the temple, it was their refuge, really a place to find peace amid all the turmoil of the world that they were aware of and involved in.

They knew the temple had taken its place as a monument in the city when radio personalities began using it as a reference point in announcing the traffic, she said. Now it is simply everyones temple.

The Washington D.C. Temple in Kensington, Maryland, on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Mount Vernon Virginia Stake President Keith Davey said he has been excited and humbled that in anticipation of the temples rededication, there has been a personal rededication to making and keeping covenants, receiving ordinances, and temple service. Patrons take their holiness into the temple, where it is expanded and they leave to make their communities better places.

The temple is a light on the hill, a blessing to the area, he said. The temple brings us closer to God, closer to mankind and develops an anchor for us all that will impact society at large not just the members.

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Why, for Latter-day Saints, the Washington D.C. Temple is the bedrock of the community - Church News

The Catholic faithful in Angola have a deep love of the Blessed Virgin Mary and profound devotion to her, ACN has reported, adding that the Diocese of Mbanza Congo that is situated in what the foundation refers to as a very impoverished region in the Northwest of the country, still has no shrine.

The Angolan Diocese was the very place in sub-Saharan Africa that witnessed the first ever Christian baptisms and where the first Cathedral was built in 1595, the ACN August 10 report indicates.

The foundation stone for a Diocesan shrine to Our Lady of Victories in the village of Bungo that is part of the Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Kikudo was laid in 2019, ACN has reported.

However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the already existing desperate economic situation in Angola, the construction of the Shrine came to a halt, ACN has reported, adding that the situations in the country tore up their careful financial planning, and the building work had to be suspended indefinitely.

As for the Catholic faithful, already living in poverty before, they were now quite simply unable to help the Church anymore, ACN has reported.

The charity foundation is appealing for financial support towards the construction of the Shrine, saying, We are proposing a contribution of 21,000 to support this project, which we believe will inspire renewed faith, hope, and love in many people. Will you help us?

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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Catholic Charity Rallying for Support to Fund Construction of Marian Shrine in Angola - ACI Africa

There will be no major traffic shifts this week in Johnson County, but drivers can expect to see construction work in Marion and Morgan counties as crews continue on the Interstate 69 project.

Within Johnson County, northbound traffic will shift to new pavement north of State Road 144 as soon as next week, with southbound lanes switching to the new pavement the following week. The State Road 144 bridge over I-69 will open in September, which will eliminate the traffic light currently installed, according to the weekly construction update from the Indiana Department of Transportation.

In Marion County, drivers will see intermittent 20-minute stoppages Tuesday night on State Road 37 as workers install overhead power and communication lines near Epler Avenue. Nightly lane closures will continue on Interstate 465 between State Road 67 and Interstate 65 for median removal and bridgework. The southbound I-65 ramp to westbound I-465 will remain closed as construction crews work on the Carson Avenue overpass, INDOT officials say.

In Morgan County, two overpasses opened at Teeters Road and Myra Lane last week, as Morgan Street and Egbert Road extensions opened west of State Road 37. Temporary driveways for Martinsville First United Methodist Church and Ozark Fisheries will close permanently this week, and State Road 37 will remain restricted to one lane in each direction in the vicinity for temporary driveway removal, paving and striping, INDOT officials say.

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Heres the latest on I-69 construction in Johnson County - Daily Journal