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Churches Discover a Homelessness Solution Right in Their Own Backyards

Churches Discover a Homelessness Solution Right in Their Own Backyards

Jamal Love was fixing his wife’s bike fender when he decided to ask a neighbor for help—a fellow resident of a tiny house community on a church property in St. Paul, Minnesota. Love and his wife had recently moved into this six-house settlement, which includes individuals transitioning from long-term homelessness. Initially, they saw themselves as "intentional neighbors" there to give support, but their perspective changed. "We received community, and we were the ones who needed it," Love said.

Sacred Settlement Mosaic, where the Loves live, is part of a growing trend of tiny house communities addressing homelessness. It’s a partnership between Mosaic Christian Community and Settled, a nonprofit developing "sacred settlements."

Churches are uniquely positioned to tackle homelessness due to their ample land and legal protections under the 2000 Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which limits regulations on church property use. Gabrielle Clowdus, founder of Settled, describes this act as a "divine golden ticket," allowing churches to use their land to help the poor.

However, claiming these rights can be challenging. For instance, The Rock church in Colorado is suing the city for interfering with housing people in RVs on church property. In Minnesota, Settled spent three years advocating for a law allowing churches to build affordable tiny homes on their land.

Recent legal developments, like the Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to criminalize public land camping, may increase the urgency for such initiatives. While some experts, like Margot Kushel from UCSF, believe tiny homes are better for temporary shelter, she agrees that churches can expedite housing solutions due to their unique status.

Jim Dean, from Interfaith Family Shelter in Washington State, saw this firsthand with their Faith Family Village. The church's land simplified the process, avoiding the need for zoning changes. Churches often maintain better relationships with neighbors, making such projects more feasible.

Different churches have varying approaches. Interfaith Family Shelter partners with community and government entities, limiting stays to 90 days and focusing on families. Green Street Church in Nashville offers longer stays in their tiny home community, The Sanctuary, which has been operating for nearly a decade. Despite limited amenities, pastor Caleb Pickering notes, "For the most part, them staying here is better than where they were."