OCEAN CITY, Md- With the town’s April 1 deadline for removing tents approaching, St. Paul’s By-the-Sea Church is taking steps to move people indoors, sparking a growing debate over how Ocean City addresses homelessness.
Inside the church, leaders are preparing quickly, clearing space, interviewing staff, and converting part of the building into an overnight low-barrier shelter before Tuesday night.
"We decided as a parish that we were going to take a step forward and just follow the gospel," said Rev. Jill Williams.
For months, the church has allowed people experiencing homelessness to stay in tents on its property. Town officials have said the tents violate zoning codes, leaving the church with a tough choice: remove the tents and leave people outside or bring them indoors before being fully ready.
"Everyone can be in a sleeping bag, literally on the front lawn, but that's not fair to those people," said Jill Lake.
Church leaders estimate around a dozen people could stay inside on the first night, with that number potentially increasing as the busy tourist season approaches and temporary housing options shrink.
"There is currently no shelter in Ocean City, for people to go to that does not have a barrier. So it doesn't have a police track. It doesn't have requirements of sobriety. It doesn't have a program that you have to adhere to," said Rev. Williams, highlighting the broader challenges within city limits.
While church leaders admit this is not how they hoped to launch the shelter, they say waiting any longer is not an option.
Officials from the town declined further comment, saying they will wait to see how the situation unfolds next week.