Don’t separate church buyouts

By The Gazette Editorial Board

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Separation of church and state is an important principle of American society, helping to guarantee religious freedom for all.

But that principle is being misapplied in governmental policies that forbid using federal buyout funding to purchase flooded Cedar Rapids structures that previously had been used for “inherently religious” activities.

We agree with Cedar Rapids' Flood Recovery and Reinvestment Director Joe O'Hern that the city was right to use $1.44 million in federal funds to purchase five flooded churches and two church-related properties as part of the Voluntary Property Acquisition Program.

As O'Hern recently told a Gazette reporter: “They're simply flood-damaged properties.” They should be eligible for federal buyout funds just like any other property. The city has acquired more than 1,000 residential properties and dozens of commercial properties through the buyout program.

More than $60 million has been distributed to flood victims, using community development block grant money, hazard mitigation grant program funds and local-option sales tax revenues.

But last week, we learned that the Iowa Department of Economic Development had notified the city it had improperly used federal CDBG funds to purchase a flood-affected property at 726 L Ave. NW - the former home of the Jesus Church of Cedar Rapids.

IDED officials said the L Avenue property was ineligible for federal money, because the building had primarily been used for religious activities before the flood.

That same policy could affect as many as five other flooded properties purchased with federal funds through the City Hall buyout program.

City leaders say they will try to change the minds of IDED officials.

We respect the principle of separation of church and state, but fail to see how that standard is upheld by denying federal funds be used to purchase damaged buildings just because they had been used for religious purposes.

City officials created the buyout program after the 2008 floods in order to reduce the loss of life and property in the event of future disasters.

The purchase has nothing to do with the religious activities that had formerly taken place on these properties; it's about cleaning up a flood-damaged area for the good of all Cedar Rapids.

As O' Hearn said, “They are just blighted structures we're trying to get out of the neighborhood.”

It doesn't make sense to treat flooded, abandoned churches any differently than other type of non-residential, flood-affected property.

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