Today is Thursday, July 7th, 2022, and this is the Daily Article podcast. Welcome. Today's

article is written by Dr. Ryan Dennison and narrated by Chris Elkins of the Denison Forum.

Hotsdown, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, has a poverty rate roughly 30% greater than

the average for the state.

So when the housing market boomed there in recent years, as it has throughout much of the

country, many people were unable to keep up.

Nearly half of renters there are considered rent burdened when housing costs more than 30% of one's monthly income.

As a result, homelessness has become an increasingly large problem. Montgomery County, where Pottstown

is located, has seen homelessness rise 118% in the last year, and there is little evidence that will change anytime soon.

Fortunately, several churches throughout the county have stepped up offering support for those in need.

Unfortunately, the borough has told two such churches that doing so places them in violation of

the zoning code's definition of a church.

The borough's notice to the churches in question states that it is the opinion of this office

that the use of the property has changed and by definition is more than that of a church.

Their definition of a church is limited to a building where persons

assemble regularly for religious worship, and that is used only for such purposes and for those

accessory activities that are customarily associated therewith. Apparently, that definition does not

leave room for ministries like free mental health support

and counseling, free food and hygiene products, and weekly meals for the public, all of which were

cited as examples of ways that the church was no longer acting as a church.

The ministries were given the opportunity to apply for exceptions that would allow them to

continue helping their communities in these ways, but they're hesitant to do so because of the

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