NYCHA allows churches to continue worshipping at its community centers, stemming growing eviction fears

Church groups who worship at housing project community centers are saying a collective ?Amen? after the New York City Housing Authority said it would work with pastors who meet on their properties.

?We?re super excited,? said the Rev. Dimas Salaberrios of Infinity New York Church, which meets in the Bronx River Houses.

?We?ve always had a great relationship with NYCHA. So we?re excited about continuing to serve our city together.?

Local politicians and clergy staged a small protest last week after receiving notices that their agreements to use NYCHA community centers were being reviewed.

The fear was that church groups would be ousted, in the same way that the city recently barred worship services in public schools on weekends after the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a ruling that sided with the Department of Education, leading to 60 religious groups in the city having to find new locations.

NYCHA officials said that is not the case.

?The New York City Housing Authority is not evicting any of these organizations from our property,? an agency spokeswoman said in a statement.

The groups have been using NYCHA property under short-term agreements that expired at year?s end.

?We have offered each of the five groups an extension to remain at NYCHA facilities,? the statement continued.

City Councilman Fernando Cabrera, who was arrested at last week?s protest, called the agreement ?a great victory.?

?It?s a win-win situation,? Cabrera said. ?Everyone wins if we keep the status quo.?

The fight is not over, he added. More rallies are being planned to protest the ban on worship services in public schools, including a rally Thursday at the Mayor?s State of the City Address at Morris High School on Boston Post Road.

?This is not a moral issue, it?s a policy issue,? Cabrera said, ?and it?s a policy of worship that will make houses of worship homeless. We?ll be there to call on the Mayor to do the right thing.?

tsamuels@nydailynews.com

Source: http://feeds.nydailynews.com/~r/nydnrss/tech_guide/~3/RGHArxeWFdQ/nycha-churches-continue-worshipping-community-centers-stemming-growing-eviction-fears-article-1.1003444

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