Seen and Yet Invisible

In the early light of morning, the edges of our church tell stories.

A solitary figure sleeps on the Marion Street patio; head tucked into the crook of an arm. Someone else lies on the narrow strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street, curled beneath a tarp. On our entry porch, another person quietly gathers their belongings, carefully arranging them so they will fit in a single cart.

I do not know if they know each other. Their lives may not have crossed, except in my seeing of them. Yet each carries a story, a history, and a daily rhythm on the margins, visible only if we stop long enough to risk seeing them as neighbors.

For some of you, living alongside unsheltered people has been a norm for a long time. For this pastor, it is a new reality. I have served mostly in rural congregations, where connection to food pantries, clothing drives, and fundraising efforts for folks in crisis was typical. These were ministries at a distance. This is the first time I have served among “outside neighbors” and had the privilege to welcome them as part of our family.

This congregation has a long history of supporting our outside neighbors. From hosting

Family Promise to being an early warming shelter space - from maintaining an unlocked porta-potty to distributing sack lunches - this church has been an integral part of caring for those who find themselves living in their vehicles or on the streets.

We know that, in recent years, homelessness has surged without a corresponding increase in shelter beds or affordable housing. In January 2025, the Point-in-Time (PIT) count recorded 2,154 people experiencing homelessness in Marion and Polk Counties - the highest number on record, an increase of 471 since 2023. Of these, 953 were unsheltered, and nearly 47% said it was their first experience with homelessness.¹

In response, Salem has expanded its shelter capacity.

• The Salem Navigation Center operates 75 low-barrier beds, available 24/7 and allowing pets and possessions.²

• The ARCHES Nest provides 18 private rooms, housing up to 36 individuals and designed especially for families with children.³

• And from the work of our congregation partner Church @ the Park, 250 shelter beds now exist across three micro-shelter sites in Salem⁴:

  • Village of Hope – 80 beds for vulnerable adults

  • Catholic Community Services Family Shelter (a collaboration) – 132 beds for families

  • Young Adult Shelter – 38 beds for ages 18–24

Church @ the Park also offers a women’s shelter (28 beds), a safe-parking program serving 30 households, and daily day services, turning crisis into connection.

But many communities are moving in the opposite direction. Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, camping bans have spread, even where shelter space remains limited.

• In Florida, HB 1365 now prohibits camping on public property unless a certified site exists, with enforcement backed by resident lawsuits or the Attorney General.⁵

• Texas has made camping in unapproved public spaces a misdemeanor, with fines up to $500.⁶

• In California, over two dozen cities have enacted stricter camping bans—adding buffer zones and time restrictions.⁷

• In Washington State, at least six cities adopted anti-camping ordinances in 2025, including a citywide ban in Spokane.⁸

  
  

These laws don’t solve homelessness. They conceal it - raising local costs, creating criminal records that hinder employment and housing access, fragmenting medical care, and pushing people into more dangerous and unseen places.⁹ Encampment sweeps often result in lost IDs, money, and belongings, while severing community ties and increasing risks of overdose, injury, and death.

This is why radical hospitality matters deeply. It is not merely charity. It is solidarity.

When a couple moves from a truck into housing, it shows that relationships can be stronger than red tape. When someone living outside is welcomed inside, it shows that human connection can bridge gaps that policy leaves open. When we join hands with Family Promise or Church @ the Park, we affirm solutions grounded in dignity, not punishment.

We can’t house everyone. But we can see those around us. We can learn names, hear stories, and honor the humanity of the people whom society chooses not to notice.

Radical hospitality doesn’t hide the unseen ones, it draws them into the circle of our shared life. And in that shared life, it is not only their circumstances that are transformed, it is ours as well.

Let us see our neighbors, together.

Pastor Robin

Footnotes

1. Salem Reporter – Record number of homeless people counted in Marion, Polk counties ↩

2. City of Salem – Navigation Center details ↩

3. Salem Reporter – Family shelter resources ↩

4. Salem Reporter – Micro-shelter capacities and funding ↩

5. Florida HB 1365 summary ↩

6. Texas HB 1925 details ↩

7. CalMatters – Camping bans overview ↩

8. The Columbian – Washington city anti-homeless laws ↩

9. NAEH – Criminalization worsens the homeless crisis ↩