On Tues., May 20, the Northshore United Church of Christ went to the state Supreme Court to appeal a ruling barring it from playing host to Tent City 4.
Two years ago, the church hosted the eastside homeless encampment on its Woodinville property. The City of Woodinville would not grant the church a permit because of a temporary building moratorium that included, apparently, the raising of tents.
Northshore, which was joined in court by representatives from camp sponsors SHARE/WHEEL and the ACLU, claims that helping the downtrodden in times of need is part of its religious practice and that any governmental action which bars that is in violation of the First Amendment.
The church's pro bono attorney, Robert Hyde, told the Supreme Court last Tuesday that a government action that appears neutral, but "indirectly burdens religion is unconstitutional." The court will announce its ruling sometime between 90 days and one year after the trial ends.
A loss for the church could be financially devastating, as the City of Woodinville has stated that it will seek compensation of up to $100,000 from the small congregation. A large portion of this sum would replace the money spent on 'round-the-clock security the city posted at Tent City 4. "The legal issues are important to correct," said Northshore moderator Hank Gulden, "but we're also saddened because, with a huge financial penalty hanging over the church's head, it's difficult to resolve conflicts and move forward with our 25-year history of ministering to this community's needs."
The courts have ruled that the city cannot collect the $200,000 in legal fees that it's spent in the past two years.
Tent City 4 had stayed in Woodinville previously, in 2004, in a similar emergency situation. Mary Miller, a spokesperson and member of Northshore, theorizes that the city's council was less hospitable two years later due to the replacement of sympathetic council members and because previously supportive council members felt taken advantage of.
Tent City 4 has been through a lot in the past few years. The nomadic Eastside village roams among various congregational and city grounds, settling down for 90 days at a time in each location before pulling up the stakes and moving on. The camp has been at or near its 100-person capacity for several months. Tent City 4 is currently at Temple B'nai Torah, where they faced a similar legal battle in 2005 when the City of Bellevue tried to limit the length of Tent City 4's stay. Bellevue and the synagogue reached a settlement. Miller says that the people of Bellevue have been very supportive of the Tent City 4 and Temple B'nai Torah this time around.