ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 3, 1996 TAG: 9602050059
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A9 EDITION: METRO
HABITAT for Humanity has an excellent reputation for making home ownership possible for low-income working people who otherwise could not afford it. The number of families helped may not be big, but Habitat chips away year after year at America's lack of affordable housing.
With the help of donated materials, money and labor, plus the sweat equity required from the buyers, the private, nonprofit organization can build modest but solid homes at below-market cost, then provide interest-free loans to keep monthly payments within reach of the new home-owners.
Now, Habitat plans to build two blocks of homes near the 10th Street Bridge in Roanoke's West End area. This is potentially the biggest project in the 10-year history of Habitat's Roanoke Valley affiliate; moreover, it involves clearing up one of the city's most visible areas of blight. In performing such double duty - making home ownership more widely available and improving the neighborhood in which the houses are built - Habitat reaffirms its reputation for good works.
HASTE makes waste, they say, and Gov. George Allen's hasty push for higher speed limits in Virginia almost surely would lead to an increased waste of lives in highway fatalities.
The 65 mph speed limit on Virginia's interstates is high enough, and shouldn't be raised simply because Congress has given states license to set whatever limits they please.
The Senate Transportation Committee was right this week to say a resounding no to Allen's efforts to raise the limit to 70 mph on interstates and on other divided, limited-access highways. May the committee's roadblock stand for the duration of this General Assembly session.
LENGTH: Short : 39 linesby CNB