A group of neighbors, who have not released their names, living close to the former Calvary Lutheran Church, are announcing their disappointment with Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church’s recent decision to place a shelter for 20 homeless men at the building located at 7002 23rd Ave. N.W.

The group says the space has lacked an active congregation since members of the Calvary Lutheran Church joined Our Redeemer's in the spring of 2008. Neighbors have been engaged in discussions with Our Redeemer's representatives about three months regarding operating requirements for the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. SHARE (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort) homeless shelter.

While sentiments about the shelter run the gamut from negative to supportive, some neighbors were able to reach a consensus that the shelter would be acceptable to most people, provided the following three conditions were met:

1. Our Redeemer's must be accountable for what goes on at the vacant building

2. Our Redeemer's must provide direct oversight of the shelter, and

3. Our Redeemer's must conduct sex offender background checks on potential shelter residents

Our Redeemer's has wavered on what type of oversight and screening would be appropriate for the SHARE shelter. On May 7, members of Our Redeemer's voted to welcome the “self-managed” shelter to stay for up to one year at the empty Calvary building.

As to background checks, Our Redeemer's said in a letter to neighbors on May 13 that the 20 homeless men “are pre-selected and pre-screened."

Neighbors said that process does not include formal background checks, and potential shelter residents are not required to present valid IDs to verify identity.

The group of neighbors opposed to the shelter maintain that there are about 462 homeless or transient sex offenders in King County and said of those, 206 are level 3 offenders.

"The neighborhood surrounding the vacant church has an abundance of small children, licensed daycare facilities, elementary schools, and a popular park with a playground," according to a press release issued by the neighbors. "Many neighbors question how these neighborhood characteristics can be compatible with a shelter whose residents might include level 3 sex offenders."

One reason the neighbors said they are concerned is what they call Our Redeemer's "track record of running poorly managed programs at the vacant church, including a soup kitchen."

“We are worried that a self-monitored shelter is moving to an area zoned single family residential,” said a couple who has lived in the neighborhood for eight years. “The neighborhood is already negatively impacted by the unruly behaviors and aggression routinely exhibited by patrons of the soup kitchen.”

The neighbors maintain they are not indifferent to the issue of homelessness and said many are already actively involved in providing services to the homeless.

They said the root of the problem is the city's unwillingness to regulate shelters, day centers, and soup kitchens that are routinely run by churches as part of their outreach programs.

While some are opposed to a shelter at the vacant building under any circumstances, others would be willing to accept and possibly embrace it, if controls and screening processes are put in place, the neighbors said.

Our Redeemer's will hold a public meeting at Calvary Lutheran Church at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 20 to discuss more details of the shelter.