wfn.org | UCC - Seattle Church Hosts Controversial Homeless Encampment

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Seattle congregation hosts controversial homeless encampment

> Written by Ryan Singleton
> February - March 2009

Area homeless fill the parking lot of University Congregational UCC 
in Seattle. Catherine Foote photo.
The Seattle/King County Coalition for the Homeless (SKCCH) is a 
volunteer organization that hosts an annual One Night Count, when 
workers tally the number of people affected by homelessness in King 
County, according to its website. The count contains two main 
components - a street count, and a shelter and transitional housing survey.

"The 2008 One Night Count documented an increase in how many people 
are on the streets and without shelter," SKCCH's website reported. 
"Volunteers observed a 15 percent increase in people surviving 
outside in the same areas counted in 2007."

In response to this growing problem, the tent community - dubbed 
"Nickelsville" after Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels - organized to 
provide shelter, safety and resources for the homeless. This 
self-governed encampment officially launched Sept. 22, 2008.

Though Nickelsville, which provides shelter for about 100 people per 
night, has no religious affiliation, it began finding refuge in 
church parking lots after receiving its fourth eviction notice in 
three weeks. The city of Seattle issued the notices because camping 
is illegal within city limits.

University Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Seattle's 
University District was the first to offer its resources to the 
homeless community, allowing Nickelsville to occupy its parking lot 
throughout October and November. When University Christian could no 
longer support the controversial community, University Congregational 
UCC voted to accommodate the encampment.

"Our congregation was following the Disciples congregation's lead," 
says Catherine Foote, senior minister at University Congregational, 
of the Dec. 5, 2008, move. "When [University Christian] reached the 
end of their ability to sponsor Nickelsville, they laid the pack down 
and Congregational was ready to pick that pack up."

University Christian found it necessary to amicably end its close 
relationship with Nickelsville for two major reasons, according to 
Janetta Cravens Boyd, the church's recently installed senior minister.

For roughly two years, University Christian had been in a 
search-and-call process to fill its head pastoral position. During 
that time, the congregation postponed many of its ministries, such as 
developing programs for children's education and outreach to people 
with disabilities.

Shortly after Cravens Boyd filled the role, Nickelsville came to 
University Christian's parking lot, continuing the postponement of 
the congregation's plans for other ministries.

"The church wanted to get started with some of the other things it 
had been dreaming about for the past two years," says Cravens Boyd.

Coupling this with the lack of time, University Christian could only 
provide resources for two months of encampment for Nickelsville, says 
Cravens Boyd.

Nickelsville has been able to find refuge in churches because of the 
Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 
(RLUIPA). RLUIPA is "a federal statute that [seeks] to provide 
stronger protection for religious freedom in the land-use and prison 
contexts," according to the United States Department of Justice's website.

Despite legal precedence for this argument, University Christian 
filed for a short-term permit with the city of Seattle to house 
Nickelsville. University Congregational is filing for both short- and 
long-term permits. University Congregational's goal is to offer its 
parking lot to Nickelsville through the end of February if the 
community needs it, according to the church's website.

Even with RLUIPA, churches believe permits are necessary because 
Mayor Nickels enabled city officials to force encampments off public 
and private land. The mayor made this decree while supporting King 
County's Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness.

The county's Committee to End Homelessness introduced a decade-long 
initiative in March 2005.

University Congregational is asking the city to waive its filing fees 
while the church studies the permits. Fees could exceed $2,000, 
according to a member of the Nickelsville community, who wished to 
remain anonymous. He also said that the city has posted violation 
notices around the homeless community and church, warning that it 
will fine the church for allowing people to camp on its property.

Currently, King County cannot provide adequate shelter for all 
homeless persons. By one estimate, the county is "at least 2,000 beds 
short every night," according to University Congregational's website. 
"In addition, shelters offer little privacy or predictability, and 
people do not have a place to store their possessions or stay during the day."

Nickelsville's long-range goal is to secure a plot of land "where up 
to 1,000 people could live in temporary structures while the city and 
county continue to plan for and construct more permanent structures 
as part of the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness," according to the website.

Though University Congregational has a history of supporting people 
affected by homelessness, their efforts with Nickelsville are 
different, Foote said. The congregation considers itself in 
partnership with the encampment, much like it considers itself in 
partnership with the city and county in their efforts to end homelessness.

"Our hope is to continue to work with the city and to work with our 
own vision of love and justice so that people in Seattle don't have 
to be homeless," Foote said.

Ryan Singleton recently graduated from University of Chicago with a M.Div.