HUD Instructs Plant City Living Center to Rescind Restrictions on Christmas

According to many Internet sites and the American Family Association, Sonja Horn issued a memorandum to the "Community Managers and Administrators" October 29, 2007. The memorandum states that Sonja Horn is the "Regulatory Director" and that the memo is a "Fair Housing Update". The memorandum states:

"Any religious symbols or religious words associated with Christmas should not be used. For example, the following items should not be on display: nativity scene (or any of the people represented in the nativity scene alone or together), the Star of David, angels, etc. This means no angel on your Christmas tree either. If you are in doubt of whether or not you should put something out, please call me."

This memo has gained Internet exposure and the attention of the American Family Association because of a call from an eighty five year old grandmother who lives in the Plant City Living Center. She is upset because she has been told that she cannot place an angel on top of the Christmas tree.

While the memo looks at first glance like it is from the Department of HUD, there is nothing on it to indicate that. According to my research, the phone # listed for Sonja Horn is actually that of Southeastern Property Management in Birmingham, Alabama. I found this information on the Manta website. Manta is an organization that lists company business information. I called the phone # listed on the memo for Sonja Horn, just to be sure and the recording states that the business reached is SPM. SPM is Southeastern Property Management.

HUD does not have the ruling above. In fact, there have not been any recent updates on the HUD site since this one in 2001 by Secretary Mel Martinez. It states:

"This time of year many housing authorities are asked to give direction to residents, managers, and administrators regarding religious symbols or
displays in common areas during holiday seasons. As Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, I urge public housing directors not to prohibit such displays. It is not this Department's policy to discriminate against people of faith by barring the use of religious symbols to celebrate faith-based events, nor is it a result of HUD policy."

In December of 2006, a similar situation occurred with a different nursing home in Florida. That home was the Orlando Cloisters in Orlando, Florida. It was managed by the same management company: SPM.

The 2007 memorandum issued by Sonja Horn at SPM Management also states:

"Christmas Trees, Hanukah Menorahs, Santa Claus',Season's Greetings, snowmen, and wreaths are all acceptable icons that are associated with Christmas. Feel free to use them!"

According to Wikipedia, a Menorah is a "candelabrum...that symbolizes the burning bush as seen by Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 25." Wikipedia quotes the Torah as stating "God revealed the design of the Menorah to Moses". The Jewish Virtual Library states that the Menorah is "one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith". In my book, that is also a religious symbol.

According to information in the sources below, Southeastern Property Management and their contact (as seen on Manta) William Weldon have repeatedly tried to enforce a policy that HUD does not have. They seem to have an agenda other than upholding the law. Our government should not be about restricting our religious freedoms; our government should protect our religious freedoms. People should be able to display both their Menorahs and their Nativities and Christmas Angels.

The American Family Association has updated their site stating that they had been in touch with HUD and Steve Edelstein, attorney for Plant City Living Center, and that the restrictions that SPM tried to place on Christmas are going to be (once again) rescinded.

Sources: Manta-SPM Southeastern Property Management
www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/library/theletter.pdf

www.onenewsnow.com/2006/12/nursing_home_will_allow_angels.php

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menorah

http://faq.afa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=170&Itemid=35

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/menorah.html

www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1923023/posts

(you can see the memo and hear the Grandmother's recording in the freerepublic.com url)