Lawrence, Massachusetts, church ordered to shut down tent community for homeless residents

A city order has forced House of Mercy Church in Lawrence to shut down a tent community it had opened on church property for homeless people. The church received a cease and desist order from the City of Lawrence on Thursday.

According to a Facebook post from the church, the order carries a fine of $300 per day for each of its four violations. The church said it had recently “created a safe, clean place where the homeless” could “stay in peace” on its private property. In the same post, it said it was trying to respond to a problem that “does not disappear simply because we close our eyes to it.”

MassLive reported that the encampment housed 60 people in 26 tents set on wooden pallets, with porta potties and two shipping containers being converted into housing. In a video the church shared on social media, a resident who previously worked as a nurse and is struggling with rising housing costs said, “This is the safest place we’ve had in a long time.” The church said the encampment encourages residents to pursue recovery from substance use disorder or to find work, offering a safe place to sleep for people with few other options (Psalm 82:3).

Mayor Brian De Peña said in a statement that the establishment or operation of unauthorized encampments, temporary housing structures, or sanitation facilities without the necessary permits and inspections raises serious questions about the health, safety, and welfare of the people living in them and of the surrounding community. The report also notes that De Peña was indicted in August on four counts of wire fraud and seven counts of money laundering. The indictment alleges that he fraudulently used a pandemic small business loan; he has not been convicted of those charges in the reporting provided.

On Wednesday, the church posted videos showing the encampment being dismantled and items being thrown into a dumpster. The church has asked for donations through PayPal to help pay the fines. On Friday, it said it wanted “to find a way to work with the city and continue to help our homeless friends living in tents to better their lives through stability, services, and by continuing to provide them with a safe place to sleep.”

In his continued statement, De Peña said the city is facing a “persistent and increasingly serious homelessness crisis” that places a heavy burden on residents, property taxpayers, businesses, municipal employees, and public safety resources. He said that what “began as a relatively small homeless population has grown, by local estimates, to more than 400 individuals,” and that the city spent more than $1.9 million responding to homeless-related conditions and incidents during the 2026 fiscal year.

House of Mercy and De Peña’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday evening.

Source: Read the original report