February 28, 2024

Sunday morning, February 11, I met twelve people who were camped out in the church parking lot. Their larger camp had been broken-up down at Williams Park at the Lutheran Church. I didn’t know they were coming, nor had I ever met them. They just showed up because they heard that we were a church who would welcome and love anyone. They heard we were a place to find sanctuary.  

I have spent every day with them, getting to know their stories, developing trust, and building relationships. I quickly learned that this group was here seeking a safer place to live, without drugs and the heightened danger level of some other encampments and shelters in the area.

In order to stay on our property, they’ve agreed to live by a certain standard. In the first day or two there were two I asked to move along because they weren’t willing to uphold that standard. Specifically, one person was causing disagreements and the other person was trying to control the camp by blocking resource people from coming in. All agreed to take background checks. None of them have violent histories or sex offenses. They have 24/7 access to our bathrooms. They understand that if they mess up even one time, the whole camp will be shut down. They’ve been disciplined in the way that they have lived above and beyond many people’s fears and assumptions about the unhoused.

One thing we’ve learned from this is that when a person is experiencing homelessness, especially in an unsafe environment, it is hard to do any planning beyond one day at a time. These few weeks in a safe and stable location have provided an opportunity for some of them to plan out their next steps to get back on their feet and into permanent housing.

At its largest size, the camp had 11 neighbors. The group committed to not growing. As we have found housing for each person, the camp has decreased in size.

• This week, four were willing to get up early and go with me to take a tour of Pinellas Hope, which is a transitional place with cottages. I got up at 6 AM and drove them on the church bus up there. (I have learned many are rightfully skeptical of area shelter programs because they have been abused and mistreated, and/or found the conditions to be very unsafe.) After the tour, two said yes and stayed, and two were maybes, but they wanted to see if they could get into Boley housing first.
• Next Tuesday two more have chosen to enroll with Pinellas Hope. While there, they receive food, laundry facilities, and a case worker helping them to find a job. Allendale UMC has committed to pay for their “rent” to stay in a cottage there for up to a year to help them transition. That cost for each person is $200 a month. We will soon be paying $800 a month to house 4 people who are working to transition to a home of their own. (Please let us know if you want to help share in these costs.)
• One individual who grew up in the foster care program is looking to return to Knoxville, TN. We are working to find someone to receive him there and we are hoping DayStar will help with his bus fare. Allendale UMC will be giving him money to help him get started when he arrives.
• Another couple is submitting an application for a new affordable housing complex. One of them works in a local restaurant many of us eat at.
• Finally, the last gentleman has a need and a desire to be admitted into an Assisted Living Facility. We are working on that as well.

None of this work would have been possible without the committed work of our city employees in the mayor’s office. The city has been working with us to provide resources every day. It was only after I earned their trust, that the city’s caseworkers and I were able to team up to get every single one of them placed in a housing solution.

While we don’t have an exact end date in sight for the camp, know that this is a temporary thing. If all goes well, we could see the camp end sometime next week. That is optimistic.

I have also spent considerable time listening to a lot of fear from many of our neighbors. Many have listed off statistics or stereotypes that they have felt give credibility to their fear and concern. The thing is, none of the fears have been substantiated with any facts. No one from the camp has urinated or defecated on anyone’s yard. No one from the camp has stolen anything. No one from the camp has harassed any neighbors.

I have sat in the camp for hours, so I have witnessed many slow down and stare. I have been in surveillance pictures people have taken. Literally multiple times an hour. The residents in our camp have responded with nothing but love and grace: they have smiled and waived. They have welcomed those of you who have been willing to come and listen to their stories. They have been thankful for those of you who have brought them food, drink, or clothing.

Someone I deeply respect in our neighborhood encouraged me to write this update to you. They said they felt like the church has a public relations problem. Maybe so. Although I want you to consider a deeper problem: The problem of dehumanizing people and reducing them to a statistic based on their housing status because of fear.

I preached on that this Sunday. If you want to listen to my own struggle on my journey, I encourage you to watch here: https://bit.ly/allendale-2024-02-25

Oftentimes, the way we talk about an issue places the blame in the wrong area. For example, in this neighborhood’s history, we once might have had a similar conversation about the “race issue” as people who were not white began to move in… but we can see now on this side of history, the issue was never a race issue; the issue was/is racism. Here are some framing suggestions from Jonathan Russell, Director of the Alameda County Office of Homeless Care and Coordination, for the way we talk about homelessness:

• Homelessness is not a mystery we need to “solve.” It’s a social injustice that we need to end.
• Homelessness is a policy choice, not a personal choice.
• We’re not “all one paycheck away” from homelessness. Many of us are in fact generations of wealth and social privilege away from it. Not naming these truths obscures the very real racial and social injustices which do make some radically more vulnerable to being pushed out of their homes.
• If we made groceries essentially unaffordable for millions of Americans and then observed the devastating effects of severe malnourishment, we wouldn’t call the problem “foodlessness” and wonder what caused it. So why do we do it with homes?
• The most important housing statistic in the world: 100% of people deserve to have dignified affordable housing in their community.

I encourage you to continue to reach out with any concerns or anything else you may need. If you are ever in need, I will be there for you.

“Those people aren’t my neighbor,” said a man in my office the other day. Who is my neighbor? That is a question we all must wrestle with, because if those sleeping in tents without a house are our neighbor… that’s a lot of fear we must overcome and a lot of loving we must learn to do.

Sincerely,

Rev. Andy Oliver
Pastor
Allendale United Methodist Church