The San Francisco Archdiocese, which owes $400 million to sexual assault victims after a recent settlement, needs money. So does the Oakland archdiocese, which is about to close 13 East Bay parishes as it buckles under the pressure of an estimated $100 million to $500 million of liabilities, largely from what it owes in sexual assault settlements.
The Bay Area, meanwhile, needs housing, particularly affordable housing. Perhaps there’s a win-win solution: Under a 3-year-old state law by state Sen. Scott Weiner, SB4, nicknamed Yes in God’s Backyard, faith-based organizations can bypass many of the requirements to building — including an environmental review — as long as they’re building 100% affordable housing.
With church attendance plummeting, I’ve often wondered why churches don’t sell more of their property to help the poor, which is what faith groups are supposed to be doing anyway, right? Perhaps the move could provide a little penance for past sins, too…