Dallas Housing Authority Bans Elderly Worship Service

A group of elderly residents at a Dallas public housing project have been ordered by the government to shut down their church.

The Dallas Housing Authority said the services violate the U.S. Constitution and the agency’s contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“It’s all federal money, so we’re subject to constitutional prohibitions,” DHA president MaryAnn Russ told The Dallas Morning News. “It’s like prayer in public schools. It’s the same deal.”

But a HUD spokesman said the Fair Housing Act does not prohibit religious activity in common areas of public housing.

The Lake Highlands United Methodist Church has been conducting the worship services at the housing project for about 14 years. Many of those attending are elderly and unable to drive to other churches.

“It’s just something we will miss terribly,” 84-year-old Myrna Hardy told the newspaper. “It’s like putting a big hole in our lives.”