As an urban congregation, All Souls is always in relationship with a wide range of individuals and groups in the surrounding community. In all we do, we seek to bring our Unitarian Universalist values of compassion, equity, and justice alongside the practical concerns related to running a congregation and maintaining a building.
During the time All Souls was closed during the pandemic, people experiencing homelessness began sleeping on the covered porch outside of the sanctuary. In addition to wanting to respond compassionately to our neighbors, it quickly became clear that it was a significant issue of both safety and work environment for our building staff. While many of our unhoused guests were kind and respectful, some were notably hostile. Since some of our building staff live in the neighborhood, this was not just an issue of workplace safety but also of everyday safety since they would see people outside of All Souls. Also, with people sleeping on church property, their presence inevitably brings the unwieldy combination of personal belongings, trash, and human waste, and at times, drug paraphernalia. Since 2020 All Souls staff have been consulting with a social worker and local service providers to learn about best practices and identify actions for our specific situation.
When Covid restrictions eased enough that All Souls and MYSA (our school rental) returned to the building, the presence of unhoused people raised security concerns. For obvious reasons, Mysa needed to know that the grounds are secure. The consistent presence of trash and human waste was preventing Mysa from using the playground – a space the school is entitled to use per the lease agreement. To address the issue, a team of congregants, staff, and Mysa personnel, met over the span of several months and issued a report outlining options. The top recommendation was a trial period focused on communicating clear expectations and boundaries. Specifically, individuals could sleep on the porch overnight if they agreed to be gone during the day and maintain the space. For a period of this time, All Souls had a portapotty whose costs were donated by a congregation member.
This model required frequent interaction between All Souls staff and guests, often multiple times a day, every day of the week. We also enlisted the support of a very gracious volunteer from the neighborhood who was previously homeless himself. Ultimately, however, this approach proved to be untenable. Not all of the people were cooperative, and the trash and human waste left behind was a significant burden and hazardous. Volunteers and staff researched hiring security firms and cleaning firms and quickly found both of these options to be prohibitively expensive. Spending $50,000 – $100,000 a year on security and cleaning fees felt like a poor use of our resources.
Following this trial period, which the Executive Team deemed unsuccessful, the policy became that All Souls did not allow people experiencing homelessness to sleep on the porch or loiter during the day. Even with this policy, however, enforcement and clean-up are ongoing challenges because individuals still have access to the porch overnight. Both staff and congregants have been threatened with physical violence.
The reality is that many people experiencing homelessness have issues with mental health, substance abuse, immigration status, and more due to systemic failures in government policies and programs. We have a responsibility to play a part in the solutions, and we do. At the same time, we cannot do it all, and establishing clear expectations and boundaries is part of being a sustainable institution.
Fencing was one of the options identified in the report, and the Executive Team (of Kathleen Rolenz and Traci Hughes-Trotter) concluded that it was the best. We certainly understand that a fence changes the visual appearance of the church and simply doesn’t feel good. Theologically, we are committed to a world that tears down walls and fences rather than building them. Unfortunately, there are times when the practical concerns of running an institution require implementing a solution you wish you could avoid. The Executive Team believed that a fence offered the best long-term solution for supporting our building staff, maintaining a sufficient level of security for our congregants and renters, and the financial well-being of the church–especially since a federal grant covers the cost.
Though not our first choice, in the long run, having a fence will allow All Souls to focus our limited staff time and financial resources in areas where we can be more effective. We are not well-situated to house people on our property or provide the kind of direct, expert support that people need. Instead, the church supports people in our community through advocacy and organizing, education, and direct service through our Migrant Solidarity Team, cPublic Safety Team, Pantry for All Souls, Share the Plate donations, Thanksgiving Food Collection, and more.
We have an active relationship with Miriam‘s Kitchen, the service provider for our area of the city, and a social worker who specializes in people experiencing homelessness. If you are interested in getting involved in these efforts, please contact Rev. Rob Keithan, Minister of Social Justice. He’s happy to get you connected!