PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — It was a tense evening in a Tigard church Tuesday night as a few hundred packed in — some hoping to learn more about a proposed program for the homeless to safely park in their lot, while others were outright against it.
The event was intended to be an informational session as the Christ the King Lutheran Church considers potentially letting a non-profit, Just Compassion, use three of their parking spots, but things quickly escalated.
“This is an opportunity to open a space that is safe, hygienic, clean, monitored, and managed,” Pastor Dorothy Cottingham said.
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The church would offer up two to three parking spots — not the entire lot — and it would be for passenger vehicles only (no RVs and no trailers). The church would connect the people to services during the day.
While some people did show up to voice support for the program, others did not. In fact, the church’s parking lot was packed with hundreds of concerned cars from residents who found themselves in a high-tension yelling match inside the building.