Modesto church suspends proposal to house homeless families. Here’s why

In the face of strong opposition from neighbors, the Modesto Church of the Brethren has suspended its offer to the city to be considered as a site for tiny homes as temporary housing for homeless families.

A city official said as of last week the church was one of just three organizations that had submitted a proposal since November when the city asked for potential sites for tiny homes.

Church member and homeless advocate Derek Castle told City Council members at their Tuesday evening meeting that the pause will give the church time to address neighbors’ concerns. Castle also wants the city to be part of that process.

Castle, who created the proposal on behalf of the church, said the plan is a continuation of the church’s relationship with Family Promise, which provides temporary shelter and services to families with children.

Family Promise placed homeless families in host churches, including Church of the Brethren, for many years until it started using a different model in the COVID-19 pandemic. Castle said there were no problems in the roughly 20 years Church of the Brethren hosted families. Family Promise has its office on the church’s property.

Church wants to be a good neighbor

“We want to protect our neighbors,” Castle said in an interview before the meeting. “Their concerns are the same as our concerns. We don’t want people loitering at the church. We don’t want people who are troublemakers. We don’t want to feel insecure coming to church. Whatever happens, we want make it not only church friendly but neighborhood friendly.”

But the proposal drew strong opposition at a March 29 meeting the city held at the church. That opposition included claims the church would become a magnet for homeless people, and the homeless people would be mentally ill and drug addicts.

Church of the Brethren pastor Andrew Sampson said in an interview that there were at least 150 people at the meeting before he had to leave after an hour. He said about three quarters were “angrily opposed,” with the remaining people roughly split between those who supported the proposal and those who wanted to learn more about it.

The church is part of the Woodland West Community Neighborhood group. Two residents spoke Tuesday against the project, saying the proposal was not a good fit for the neighborhood.

“My concerns are for (our) children, what they will see and be exposed to,” resident Ron Sims said. “... We cannot have this in our community, in our neighborhood.”

Woodland West Community Neighborhood steering committee chairwoman Terhesa Gamboa told council members the committee does not support the initial proposal.

She said if the church moves forward with another proposal it will need to work closely with its surrounding neighbors and the steering committee to avoid the secrecy of the first one. She said secrecy breeds rumors and misinformation.

The church had submitted its proposal in response to the city’s request in November for partners to serve as host sites for the tiny homes and for partners who would provide case management and operate the sites.

The City Council committed $3 million in November toward the purchase of the tiny homes and any infrastructure, such as utilities and bathrooms, to support them. Companies make homes that are easily assembled and comfortable. The Church of the Brethren calls its proposal Peace Village and it would consist of tiny homes of 170 or 288 square feet.

The city funding does not cover the cost of case management and operating the sites.

The city calls these tiny homes bridge housing because they provide the first level of shelter for homeless people and serve as a transition to permanent housing. The tiny homes are an alternative for people who won’t go to shelters, though the shelters in Modesto often are running at capacity.

A city official said last week Modesto had two other potential sites for tiny homes. Both are vacant lots, and the city continues to evaluate their suitability. The city has declined to name the sites but has confirmed one is owned by the Modesto Gospel Mission, which envisions having 10 tiny homes on its lot.

The Church of the Brethren is on Woodland Avenue and is surrounded by single-family homes. The church’s proposal calls for putting the homes on part of the roughly 2 acres of open space on its property.

Its proposal was for 17 tiny homes for Family Promise clients, and three tiny homes for Downtown Streets Team clients . The Streets Team provides case management, stipends for volunteer work and other services for people who are homeless. Castle said all clients who stayed in the tiny homes would be vetted to ensure they were good matches for the project.

No projects after six months

Councilman Chris Ricci said it’s been six months since Modesto committed funding for tiny homes but work has not yet started on any projects. He said the city needs to focus on quick solutions to get homeless people off the streets as it works on bridge housing and other longer-term projects.

Ricci and Councilmen Nick Bavaro and Eric Alvarez have advocated Modesto offer safe camping, designated areas with basic services for homeless people to sleep, but do not have the support of their four council colleagues . Ricci suggested Tuesday the city look at using vacant properties to provide shelter.

There still would be much work and questions to be answered if the Church of the Brethren asked the city to resume its evaluation and the city found the church suitable for tiny homes.

That includes the church congregation deciding to move forward with the project (the congregation’s initial decision was to simply submit a proposal) and coming up with the funding to cover the cost of having tiny homes on church grounds.

Those costs include the use of the church kitchen, showers, restroom and other facilities. Family Promise also would need to decide to take the next step to participate, and the City Council would need to approve purchasing the tiny homes and any infrastructure the project needed.