Oregon churches put up huts to help growing homeless population

I recently posted this article from Vox about “Yes in God’s back yard.” Congregations are getting into the affordable housing business in a variety of ways. Some are using already owned properties, some converting parts of their buildings into housing, and some are leveraging their seldom-used parking lots for housing.

This video from 2019 shows how congregations around Eugene and Springfield, Oregon, are finding that hosting homeless residents on church property is a win-win for their communities. They’ve constructed huts in their parking lots, akin to tiny homes (tiny tents?!) where people can get off the streets. These safe space spots are often a welcome alternative to pitching tents on private property or in the woods. And the resulting connections, relationships, work for both the tenants and congregations!