DOVER, Del.– People’s Church opened their doors all the way back in 1909. Over the last decade, during the winter months of December to March, they opened their doors as an overnight shelter for people in the community who struggled with homelessness and substance abuse.

But, this winter will look different for the historic church with a budget shortfall and zoning concerns prompting it to close it’s shelter doors.

“The city said you’re not zoned for this,” Rev. Hodge said. “Your certificate of occupancy is place of worship, not dormitory, therefore, you can’t have people spend the night here.”

Since February, zoning disputes with the Dover City Council have resulted in federal grant funding being pulled from People’s Church– something Reverend G. Derrick Hodge says is only hurting the larger homeless community.

In a statement to WMDT, Dover’s Director of Emergency Management and Communications Kay Sass said the city is working with the church to resolve the zoning dispute, saying the following:

“We are still very willing and very hopeful that People’s Church will finish the process that has been started. On Sept 1st they had what we call a [pre-application meeting]. They still have to submit the paperwork and go in front of the Planning Commission but we are willing to help them cross the finish line to get this done. We see the value that they bring to our unhoused population and to the city as a whole. It isn’t that we do not want them to operate, we simply need the zoning to be in compliance and want to assist them in doing it.”

Despite the changes to the overnight shelter, Reverend Hodge tells WMDT the work doesn’t stop here.

“All of our programs except the winter overnight sanctuary will continue despite the legislature’s choice to defund us,” Rev. Hodge said. “We’re going to continue, we will continue feeding people five nights a week the hot meals.”