The Ballard Homes For All Coalition (BHFAC) is spearheading an effort to encourage the churches of Ballard to make one or two parking spaces available for the use of homeless individuals living in their vehicles. BHFAC was formed in response to 36th District Representative Mary Lou Dickerson’s call to action from November 2007:
It has come to my attention that Ballard is experiencing an increase in homelessness, especially among more vulnerable populations such as the elderly. After talking with a few people, including Rob Mattson, it is also evident that Ballard lacks many of the necessary services to assist people living on the street. Given the dropping temperature, this is something we urgently need to start working on.
On June 3rd, 2010, BHFAC held a public meeting at the Crown Hill United Methodist Church on their program “Congregation-Hosted Safe Parking for People Living in Vehicles.” This program aims to create safe places for homeless people living in vehicles to park.
Sally Kinney presented a review of the relevant legislation which would permit this. Under the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), a religious congregation is allowed to use its property unencumbered by municipal/county/state zoning and landmarking laws and regulations in pursuit of its religious mission. This year, our state Legislature has also passed a similar law to RLUIPA.
Jean Darsie presented a draft of a suggested checklist for host congregations which will offer car-camping. This document addresses congregational procedures, community issues, types of car-camping programs, suggested forms, and suggested elements of Code of Conduct to be signed by congregation and camper. A PDF of the draft checklist is available here.
Additional coverage of the June 3rd, 2010 meeting is available: 1)Â the Ballard News Tribune article: “Group Looks to Create Safe Harbor for Car Campers” and 2) the Real Change article: “A Place for Car Campers”
Another meeting was held June 17th featuring Nancy McKinney from the Ballard Food Bank as a guest speaker. Topics discussed at the meeting included dealing with bad behavior, and refining the suggested checklist for host congregations.
The next meeting will be Thursday, July 1st, 7 PM, at Crown Hill United Methodist Church, 8500 14th Ave NW. This is a public meeting, and the public is invited to participate in the discussions and shaping the policies.