EDITORIAL

It is rarely surprising and often encouraging when passions run hot

during debates about the future of Costa Mesa’s Westside.

There are any number of pressing issues there: how or whether to

redevelop the area; how to attract new business; how to improve the

quality of the schools. But it is distressing -- to put it mildly -- when

the passions turn ugly and attacks are made on undeserving targets.

The latest victim is Habitat for Humanity, which is planning on

converting six apartments on Pomona Avenue into owner-occupied

condominiums. Questions about the project and the organization, itself,

have come from various corners of the community, notably Councilman Chris

Steel and possible candidate Joel Faris. They range from the mundane,

such as whether there is enough parking, to whether Habitat for Humanity

should put restrictions on who can live in the new homes -- including

limits on the number of people and requirements that they speak English.

That Habitat for Humanity is being caught up in the nasty, regressive

side of the Westside debate is shameful.

The group’s history is a line of success across the country and around

the globe -- it has built more than 100,000 homes for families to move

into and own, homes that have been built by Presidents Carter, Bush,

Clinton and people from all walks of life. Its credentials are

well-documented and nearly undebatable.

Homes built right here in Costa Mesa.

If there is any legitimate concern about Habitat for Humanity, it is

whether or not the agency has been too slow to determine the fate of

those people now living in the Pomona Avenue apartments.

With plans calling for fewer people to live there after the

renovations, at least 16 people will have to move. But at this point,

those residents don’t know much in the way of details and Habitat Housing

-- formed by Habitat for Humanity to own and manage the property prior to

construction and in control of the property since last summer -- is still

figuring out the best way to relocate them.

By now, those details should have been worked out and should be a top

priority for the group until a solution is found.

But to question Habitat for Humanity’s practices or whether it will

improve the neighborhood is misguided, at best.

Such questions do nothing to move the discussion about the Westside

along. With truly important and difficult issues to address, it is a sad

waste of time to spout off in such useless directions and pick on

legitimate entities like Habitat for Humanity.