Regional affordable housing plan pushed by Charleston justice ministry
The Charleston Area Justice Ministry’s annual Nehemiah Action Assembly is by design a public confrontation of elected officials. Politicians are typically herded on stage in front of thousands of people to be pressed by faith leaders about their positions on a given issue. Any deviation from “yes” or “no” answers are limited to 30 seconds, and they can be cut off by moderators at any point.
The past five events have been marked by at least some contention. But Monday’s assembly focusing on affordable housing was generally amicable. All the council members in attendance from Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, the city of Charleston and Charleston County agreed to support CAJM’s nine-step plan to fund more affordable housing throughout the Charleston area.
They agreed that rapidly rising housing costs was a region-wide-crisis, and that it would take a major concerted effort by local leaders to help solve it. County Council Chairman Vic Rawl and Charleston City Councilman Dudley Gregorie went a step further and suggested ways the faith organization could work with them.
