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https://n2v.almanacnews.com/square/print/2008/12/23/letter-habitat-for-humanity-should-consider-neighborhood-groups-plan

Town Square

Letter: Habitat for Humanity should consider neighborhood group's plan

Original post made on Dec 23, 2008

I am writing this letter to respond to Jennifer Doettling's recent commentary about the proposed Habitat for Humanity housing project in the Menlo Park community of Belle Haven. While I and my colleagues in the Belle Haven Neighborhood Association (BHNA) highly respect and admire Habitat for Humanity, Ms. Doettling's comments overlook the problematic location of the project and underestimate the depth of community opposition to the proposal.

Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, December 24, 2008, 12:00 AM

Comments

Posted by Anna
a resident of Menlo Park: University Heights
on Dec 23, 2008 at 4:01 pm

The neighborhood association's proposal sounds like a terrific idea. If Habitat for Humanity could help with rehabilitation of existing, unoccupied homes, the families who live there would be integrated into the community rather than living in isolation in a less-than-desirable part of the neighborhood. Does anyone know if Habitat for Humanity has responded to the proposal?

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Posted by who pays
a resident of Menlo Park: Sharon Heights
on Dec 25, 2008 at 7:52 pm

Doesn't the neighborhood proposal depend upon getting permission from the property owners? Are they willing to give away the properties? If not, who will buy them? Isn't the main problem with providing low income homes, including through a group like Habitat, the fact that property owners want to make a profit.
The city owns the land for the current Habitat project, I think, but hardly anywhere else. So all the nice intentions aside, until there is a willing property seller and enough buyer money this all sounds good in theory but won't work in reality.

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