Church can put 8 houses to better use

There is an unmet need in Arlington Heights for housing of both modest income families and people suffering from mental illness. This is a need which is not subject to reasonable dispute.

So, it has occurred to me that a simple act of kindness by the Orchard Free Evangelical Church can go a long way toward addressing these problems.

That act, of course, is to donate to the people in need of housing the eight houses the church hopes to demolish (along with cutting down more than 100 trees) — all to expand its parking lot. The donated housing could be managed by local nonprofits for the benefit of those in need.

Parking or housing? Which is the better use? The motto of Arlington Heights is City of Good Neighbors. Let’s make it one.

Mark Hellner

Arlington Heights