Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Saint Cloud is suing the city in federal court, trying to keep a “tiny house” it uses to shelter a homeless person. City officials say the 132-square-foot trailer violates residential code requirements and must be removed. Attorney Robert Feigh responds the church is entirely within its rights to provide shelter to the homeless individual — or to any person — “under its exercise of its religion, its Christianity.”
Feigh says the courts have consistently held that it’s an exercise of religious activity, adding “there’s specific federal legislation which basically says that cities’ authority to prevent this type of activity are extremely limited.” Feigh says he’ll ask the court to block any further action by the city until the issue is settled.