Editorial: Allowing homeless to camp isn’t best solution

It’s understandable for Puyallup Nazarene Church’s neighbors to be concerned about who has moved in next door. Most people don’t want to find homeless men and women camping in cars, vans and other vehicles in nearby parking lots.

For almost year, Puyallup Nazarene has allowed about 10 homeless men and women to live in their cars in the church’s parking lot and use the church’s facility. Church officials say they will be moving the homeless along at the end of the month.

The city began receiving complaints in March, shortly after a fire started in a van on the property.

But for many residents, that’s the least of their concerns. Neighbors are worried about the backgrounds of people who are living so close to their homes. Church members don’t want to endanger the lives or well-being of anyone in the neighborhood; that’s why they do Washington State Patrol background checks on anyone who is interested in camping in the lot. Most of the men and women staying have drug or alcohol histories but any kind of violence is unacceptable. Church officials have had to send some away who didn’t pass the background check. There is nothing, though, to prevent people from coming and going.

The Freezing Nights program, which several Puyallup churches are involved with during the winter, also performs background checks of people who participate. The program gives the community’s homeless a cot in a warm church hall on nights that dip into uncomfortably low temperatures.

The difference, though, is that for the Freezing Nights program, homeless men and women are not told in advance which church they will be sleeping in on any given night. Instead, participants gather at St. Francis House where organizers can make sure that everyone has had a background check and no one is drunk or high. They are loaded onto a bus and then taken to that night’s church. Men and women can’t participate if they simply walk up to the church.

It’s a significant difference in the process that shouldn’t be overlooked. Freezing Nights gives organizers control and the ability to monitor those who are involved. Someone stays up all night to make sure things run smoothly and only those who have been approved are allowed to participate. It ensures the safety of neighbors living by the church.

It’s generous of Puyallup Nazarene to continue serving the homeless community. About half of the men and women staying in the parking lot have jobs. Even with a job, an apartment is out of reach for many because of the deposit, the first month’s rent and the last month’s rent. Camping in the parking lot gives them a place to get ready for work.

However, it’s not the solution. Like the Freezing Nights program, Puyallup Nazarene should work together with other churches to serve the valley’s homeless. They should take advantage of services in the community and the city’s social service budget which helps support the needy.