A church in Worcester, Massachusetts, is the source of controversy after the zoning board approved a small homeless shelter to open inside.
The Zion Lutheran Church in the Greendale section of Worcester is in a very residential neighborhood, so some people who live in the area are concerned about how the neighborhood might change if a homeless shelter opens up.
This is all part of a larger restructuring of sorts for the church.
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
Worcester Community Housing Resources is planning to buy the church campus to house its offices and the shelter. The church would become a tenant.
The Friendly House would help run the six-bedroom shelter inside the church, catering to mostly small families.
While the zoning board found that the plans fell within zoning rules and ultimately granted approval during Monday night’s meeting, public comment over the shelter was very split and contentious at times.
“And we’re not saying don't have a shelter, we're saying move it downtown," Jason Callahan said, who lives near the church. "The reason why most of us who I've spoken to have said this is the shelters tend to attract people with untreated mental illness.”
David Webb, a resident and small business owner, voiced his support of the plan.
“The first step to helping people get their feet on the ground, is a roof over their head," Webb said. "This is great for the city. It will be life changing for hundreds of families a year. So let's ignore the not in my neighborhood crowd whining about home values and insurance, trying really hard to do enough math to justify their position.”
After renovations, the goal is to open the shelter in 2024. Residents can appeal the decision.
