I would too, with a difference. I don't feel that principles are damned by that, because well-being/roof/food are an ethical issue as well. It may not be as public, but it is probably just as important a consideration (Especially as it's a matter of basics, not a matter of extravagance.)

No judgement though - want to be clear on that. You know the situation best. I've gone against city hall myself over wrong-doing by those who felt they were above the law because of the power/money. It concerned building too and the law only being ignored in the average joe neighborhoods. So I get that. Ultimately lost, but went down fighting after months of unrelenting persistance. It came down to being called to a back room meeting with town big cheeses to make me go away. I laid it out plain and simple, citing their own statutes. It came down not to right and wrong, but to them knowing I couldn't afford to sue*. At the end I told them that they knew damn well what they were doing was wrong and called them out on their obvious lack of conscience.
So, yeah. Been there.

Good luck with whatever you decide, snowgoose.

(*I did try to get the neighbors involved, but they were too afraid of retaliation by the town powers to speak up. I didn't surmise that, they said it flat out. Pretty much tells you all you need to know about that town(!))