Churches want to collaborate with Connecticut municipalities to get people sheltered, Carrie Howe, outreach coordinator for Center Church in Hartford, said. Center Church hosts a seasonal overnight warming center and regular soup kitchen services.
“We’re not asking for anything more than the ability to create a plan so that we can offer our space,” Howe said. “If it means building structures, then we’ll go through the logistics and include the people who need to be included in that plan. We just need the permission to do so.”
A proposed bill under consideration in the state legislature would allow religious institutions to establish temporary homeless shelters on their property.
The bill would grant religious institutions the ability to establish no more than eight dwellings, of no more than 400 square feet, on their property for homeless residents.
Some conservative state lawmakers expressed concern over the level of power the “as of right” bill would grant religious institutions. For example, they wouldn’t be required to undergo a public hearing or get a special permit as other groups might.
Republican State Rep. Doug Dubitsky, who represents several towns including Lisbon, Norwich and Canterbury, is worried about the control the proposed bill grants religious institutions.
“What the ‘as of right’ concept does, is it essentially cuts out of the decision making process the elected officials of the town and the voice of the people of the town,” Dubitsky said. “It gives the decision as to where to locate homeless shelters in a town to, perhaps one person, who is not necessarily accountable to anybody in the town.”
Housing advocates and religious service providers spoke at a public hearing in support of the bill.
They argue the bill is about trusting religious organizations to do what’s best for their communities. This can be done by caring for homeless residents and ensuring it is done safely, according to Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness Chief Executive Officer Sarah Fox.
“If a church as of right deems, with their congregation, that this is the right thing for them to do and they want to bring people inside in an innovative way then I think they should be able to look into that,” Fox said. “We are dealing with life and death circumstances in every community across the state.”
The structures would still abide by health, safety and building codes, and would not be permitted within 1,000 feet of a school, according to the bill.
Shelter residents can not live in the temporary shelters for more than 12 consecutive months. Only one family or two unrelated individuals would be allowed to live in the shelter at the same time.
The bill is currently under review by the General Assembly’s Planning and Development Committee.
