Phoenix Church Ordered to Stop Feeding the Homeless

categories: Criminalization, Local Policy

Published November 12, 2009 @ 11:15AM PT

A church in Phoenix has lost a court battle to run a charity dining hall for the city's homeless. The problem is, the court's ruling sets a precedent for all churches zoned in residential areas of Phoenix. While the ruling raises larger issues about the concentration of the homeless in cities, the immediate concern is the challenges the city's homeless may face finding a meal in the coming weeks.

The controversy surrounding the Crossroads United Methodist Church's weekly pancake breakfast began last spring when neighbors complained about an increase in the number of homeless people in the neighborhood. With the increase in homeless individuals in the area came an uptick in their undesirable behaviors, including "panhandling, burglary, public intoxication and vandalism, among other things," according to AZ Family.

The judge's ruling is harsh at first glance, but it's important to consider the perspective of the church's neighbors. Just as any homeless person should have a right to safe, decent, and affordable housing, the neighbors of Crossroads United Methodist Church have a right to feel safe in their home. Still, this ruling seems to be a strategic interpretation of residential zoning laws designed to control the homeless population. Restricting services from residential areas will keep "unsightly" homeless people out of certain parts of the city and concentrate them in others. And you know what they say: out of sight, out of mind.

Crossroads United Methodist Church has not decided if they will continue to fight the judge's ruling. At the very least, if they decide not to fight, I hope they and all of the other churches impacted by this decision choose to relocate their weekly meal rather than cancel it completely. While taking a stand against the concentration of the homeless and the poor is a fight worth waging, the immediate needs of those who are hurting cannot be ignored.

Image: La Jace

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Comments (9)

What!!!!????

Posted by Rowland Scherman on 11/12/2009 @ 01:04PM PT
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WHAT!!!!?????? I CAN NOT BELIEVE THIS, I AM OUTRAGED ABOUT THIS!! THIS IS SO WRONG!!!!!

Posted by Carla Williams on 11/12/2009 @ 11:44PM PT
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yes, the 'invisible people' don't want to be visible or make ugly wealthy neighbordhoods, that's it, discrimination.

Posted by jose ibarra on 11/14/2009 @ 06:54AM PT
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SICK AND SAD --- CRAYZ AND UNHEARD OF THE COURTS NEED PRAYER AND LOTS OF IT

Posted by kim brown on 11/14/2009 @ 08:48AM PT
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I am very much appalled by this. What kind of people do we have in office in Phoenix?? I can't believe that we would have an Ebenezer Scrooge for a judge. Whatever happened to "Love thy brother"? I'm not religious by the way. Homeless people are everywhere - I see them at I-17 and Peoria with their signs.

People need to realize that the problem of homelessness is not going away and definitely won't go away if people decide to sweep the problem under the carpet. That's just making it worse. I know - a lot of people in Phoenix have this idea that we're supposed to have this "Paradise Mentality", free of societies ills because the weather is so nice. Hence the "Not in my neighborhood!" attitude. Well, society cannot improve itself if people think that it's other peoples' jobs to take care of the poor and needy. Society will only advance when WE THE PEOPLE do our part in helping those less fortunate than ourselves, and at the same time, help them become more responsible citizens.

Crystal

Glendale, AZ

Posted by Crystal Klinger on 11/15/2009 @ 07:20PM PT
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Are the neighbors christian or have and belief in helping the disadvantaged? Don"t they understand how fortunate that they are in this time to have food and shelter. Maybe one day those same people that are sooo in denial of the problem will loose their job and home and then they will become one of them. What heartless individuals. Whose the judge that ordered this? Lets not reelect him.

Posted by Mary Ann Thompson on 11/18/2009 @ 11:48AM PT
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New word (hyphachristian) A big majority of these people are veterans with real problems,I bet thier ass (the hyphachristians)weren't yellin get out and starve to to death,when these people were serving thier country. which is a whole different subject.This is a ridiculous situation in our country, in the land of plenty,obviously, when we are constantly living as though every thing is disposable. EVEN PEOPLE

Posted by sherry mcculley on 11/19/2009 @ 03:00PM PT
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The argument presented by McCulley is based on a personal attack ad hominem and does not address the issue. It's insane to read that the (hyphachristian) had anything to do with this ruling.

If you read the article properly, it was the neighbors who instigated the ban... not the church. Just because you live by one doesn't give you any association with the congregation. It is the political and judicial systems that are at work here (an in many other major cities nationwide). To be effective agents of change, we must be equipped with the facts based on truth and not hype. Then move within the system responsible for the prejudice to make changes as proven by other civil rights campaigns. It might be a slow process but it is a process of action rather than petty name-calling and bickering.

Posted by Karen Gates on 11/22/2009 @ 01:13PM PT
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Ms Gates I was not implying that the church was attacking there own program or mission.Church tithes back in the begining were ment to help the widows,orpans,and the destitute. Did you know that Federal Funds were pulled from all or most of the programs that suported our cities Homeless Shelters,in my area the only surviving shelter is funded by the local communities,volunters,clothes,food,money,this shelter did not recieve goverment funds.but they are flooded with more people because it is the only place to go.As far as our country's Veterans go, it makes no sense to me.that they are not better cared for period.hunger and homless should not be an issue in our country,But you are right about the system,and as long as we the people continue to let them the government without accountability spend our tax dollars however the choosing.this is what we all get.sorry if the word (hyphachristian)offends you,it refers to people who love Jesus but don't have a clue of his teachings,worship the messenger not the message you know?

Posted by sherry mcculley on 11/24/2009 @ 05:01AM PT
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Author

Shannon has worked in homeless shelters and service organizations in San Francisco, the Triangle region of North Carolina, and currently in the greater Boston area. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.