Church vs City Over Homeless Shelter | Washington DC News

A Maryland church is locked in a legal and moral battle with Ocean City over its overnight homeless shelter, claiming city officials are targeting their religious mission under the guise of zoning laws. St. Paul’s-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, which opened its parish hall to provide safe sleeping space, says it’s being pressured to “clean up” the area and remove homeless residents — with one official allegedly admitting the goal was to get them off the island. The church argues this violates religious freedom and cites federal protections, while the town insists it’s just enforcing codes and supports homeless services through other programs. Even basic infrastructure like washers and dryers faced roadblocks, with plumbers backing out and the town citing permit issues — a move the church says is part of a coordinated effort to shut them down. Despite the tension, the rector remains steadfast, highlighting the human stories behind the shelter and affirming that helping the homeless is core to their faith — and they’re not backing down. Thank you to our sponsor Garrett Waller Performance: http://coaching.garrettwaller.com Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ad042948d905ab50