The arrival of spring brings the end of the season for PACEM, a network of churches that provides overnight shelter for hundreds of unhoused individuals in the Charlottesville area each year. Since 2004, the group, officially known as People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry, has since 2004 operated cold-weather shelters across a rotating set of churches.
To prepare for next winter, one group is petitioning Louisa County to amend its land development regulations to allow more potential warm places for people to sleep.
“The current zoning codes create an overwhelming obstacle to offering this ministry to our unhoused neighbors,” wrote David McWilliams, pastor of the Zion United Methodist Church, in a letter to Louisa Planning Commissioner James Dickerson. “Not only has our team identified several Louisa County families sleeping in their cars, but we have personally spent funds to temporarily house people at the Loyalty Inn.”
The Planning Commission meets on April 10 and on its agenda is another set of potential changes to land use rules. Such amendments are fairly commonly approved by the Board of Supervisors, including a recent change that put a cap on the amount of property that can be covered by solar panels.
Now, a group called the Louisa Homeless Coalition wants the county to change the zoning code to accommodate its desire to use churches as shelters.
The current definition of “religious assembly” allows for “related incidental activities,” but does not allow people to stay overnight. There is an existing definition of “emergency shelter” for people temporarily or permanently unhoused.
However, most zoning districts require a conditional use permit for “religious assembly.” The Louisa Homeless Coalition wants to modify the definition to expand the scope of “religious assembly” for churches that currently hold permits or are otherwise authorized to operate.
“A religious assembly may operate an emergency shelter … for the duration of a State of Locally Declared State of Emergency, or to provide hypothermia shelter from November to March, without benefit of a conditional use permit,” reads a suggestion sent at least three times to Dickerson.
In his letter, McWilliams said Charlottesville’s PACEM locations sometimes hit capacity because residents from Louisa travel there for services. PACEM’s service area also includes Fluvanna, Nelson, and Greene.
PACEM used nearly two dozen spaces in the current season, according to the group’s website. The final night of PACEM service for men this season was April 4. The final night for women will be April 18.
Another item on the Planning Commission’s agenda on April 10 is the proposed deletion of a provision that allows for additional lots on agricultural land, if affordable dwelling units are provided.
Trinity Presbyterian Church, where PACEM shuttles unhoused men for overnight stays, often hits
capacity as it also provides services to Louisa residents. File photo.
