Ocean City, Maryland, church and town clash over homeless encampment as tent removal deadline extended to April 1

The Town of Ocean City says tents set up at St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church violate local zoning rules, and the dispute between the church and town officials has raised broader questions about shelter access and code enforcement. The town has now extended the deadline for removing the tents to April 1, after the church requested more time.

Town Manager Terry McGean said the church had been notified earlier this year and given time to address the issue, but little progress had been made toward a long-term solution. “The tents are a zoning violation,” McGean said. “It really is almost as simple as that.”

McGean said the town had worked with the church for months. “It’s not something we take lightly,” he said. “We understand it’s an admirable goal of the church, but there’s a right way and a wrong way of doing things.”

Church leaders said the encampment was created in response to a growing need after it became illegal last year to sleep on public property in Worcester County. Pastor Jill Williams said the church has been working toward opening an indoor shelter but needs time and resources to make that happen.

One woman living at the encampment, Jennifer Foley, said the tents have provided a critical step toward stability as she works to rebuild her life. “This facility allowing us the tent is what I need,” Foley said. “It’s my leg up for a few months until I can earn the income.” She said serious health challenges in recent years have made it difficult for her to return to work, leaving her without stable housing, and that the encampment gives her a temporary place to stay while she looks for employment.

Foley also spoke about the stigma faced by people who are homeless or struggling. “There’s such a stigma on people that are homeless and people that are struggling,” she said. “We’re real people who actually are just like them.” Seeing neighbors in that way, rather than as a problem to be moved along, is an act of protecting the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Foley said the timeline for removing the tents raises concerns about what comes next. “Where do we go?” she said. “We would end up walking and we would end up on other properties, potentially.”

McGean said resources are available through the town’s homeless outreach team, which works with local agencies and law enforcement to connect people with services. Church leaders and those staying at the encampment, however, say not everyone can access those programs.

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