Editor’s note: This guest commentary was submitted by Pastor Val Metropoulos and the Amazing Grace Lutheran Church council: Mark Smalley, Mike Barkstrom, Amy Ostwald, Phil Stegemoeller, Kristine Finazzo, Chris Seelke and Dee Erickson.

Grays Harbor River City homeless camp has been in existence since June of 2015, when a large number of people were evicted from property they were occupying along the Chehalis River. Homelessness was not a new problem at that point, but several factors converged that made the large numbers of people living outside or in cars or in structures unsuitable for habitation impossible to ignore.

After every other avenue was explored, it became clear that the solution was in state law RCW 36.01.290, that says: “A religious organization may host temporary encampments for the homeless on property owned or controlled by the religious organization whether within buildings located on the property or elsewhere on the property outside of buildings.”

At this time, Washington state law allows only church-owned property to host homeless tent encampments, unless the city decides to get involved in addressing the problem.

Currently River City camp faces a crisis. Tent encampments hosted by churches work best when they move every 90 to 120 days. That minimizes the impact on neighborhoods and congregations. That means we need four churches in our area to make it work. At this time there is no church ready to take River City next, even though it has been at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Aberdeen almost five months.

The requirements of a hosting church are small compared to the benefit of lives potentially changed. A parking lot, grass or dirt area of approximately 30’ x 100’ is needed and a water source. Fencing, port-a-potties, propane and a Dumpster are paid for out of the River City Community Support account funded entirely by donations.

The people of River City homeless camp have been given hope through the tangible support and care they have been shown by churches and many community members in the last two years. Turning our backs on them now, asking them to go back to life on the streets would be cruel.

But it is a very real possibility.

If you have connections to a church, synagogue, temple or other religious organizations on Grays Harbor, please talk to your leaders about taking the bold step to invite these needy, worthy people onto your church property.

What we receive from loving others far exceeds what is asked of us.

Over the last almost two years the camp that formed from the original group moved off the riverfront has been guests of four churches — Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Aberdeen, Hoquiam Presbyterian Church, Hoquiam Baptist Church and Our Lady of Good Help Catholic Church in Hoquiam. While a tent camp is not a great solution — it’s not pretty and it faces real challenges every day — it is the only legally sanctioned option currently available. It is one tool that provides safety and support for those who are ready to take the steps to a better life.

During the last 22 months much has been accomplished by the camp residents who have taken advantage of the relative safety, and community that River City offers. It is a closed camp, fenced, able to be locked, when necessary. Within camp, residents support and watch out for one another. They report that they are safer from violence, their possessions are less likely to be stolen and there is less pressure to do drugs in camp than living on the river or in the woods. Life in camp makes access to support services available for help securing employment, housing, medical care and addiction treatment.

Some people have returned to their homes and some are in recovery or have taken other steps to turn their lives around. Many camp residents have moved into permanent housing. Many hold jobs, in seafood processing, housekeeping or construction. Others do odd jobs when they can find them.

Eight people who spent the winter of 2017 in camp qualified for housing vouchers through CCAP, six found housing. Two found jobs and purchased a 5th wheel trailer to live in.

With each of these successes, a spot opens for someone else on the street to take a step forward (capacity is 18 residents in the current camp).

Finding housing, however, is extremely difficult. There is a severe lack of affordable, decent housing and landlords who will accept Social Security, disability payments or housing vouchers. That results in people not given the opportunity to be responsible renters. It is very challenging to save up enough money for first and last month’s rent, plus damage deposit and PUD costs. Lack of prior rental history adds to the problem. It all makes for a vicious cycle.

We’re not alone in facing unprecedented numbers of people needing housing. The problem has exploded across the country. But, we who call Grays Harbor home face a disproportionately large problem in comparison with cities across the country. The problem is too large to be addressed with old models and ways of doing things. Ten year plans have come and gone and while the current effort shows real promise with participants determined that not only will the problem be studied, it will result in actual housing for desperate people, no solutions happen overnight and they often overlook the folks most in need. Ignoring the problem has only resulted in a worse problem and band aid fixes drain the communities’ resources of compassion, money, and time.

Real change that makes this a better place for people who live in houses and those who do not, requires the community to come together, drawing from what has worked in other communities, adapting it to fit our unique setting, and making a commitment that acknowledges we are all in this together. This will only be the great city it’s capable of being when we learn from the past, engage the imagination and energy of all people and commit to that vision.

Christians remember that Jesus said that when we feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, visit the lonely and imprisoned, and clothe the naked, we are actually doing those things for him, loving God by loving our neighbor. (Matthew 25:40). Every faith has its own version of this mandate to love our neighbor and many people of no faith live this truth just in being decent human beings.

For more information, contact Pastor Val Metropoulos, Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Aberdeen. 532-8250.

(After supplying propane, heaters and other camp necessities is this past brutal winter, River City is out of funds. If you would like to help, donations may be sent to River City Community Support in care of Hoquiam Presbyterian Church, 210 K St. Hoquiam, WA 98550.)