Cape Girardeau takes lead in opposing homeless shelter in old federal building

As Cape Girardeau takes a lead role in opposing the New Life Evangelistic Center's request to use the old federal building on Broadway as a homeless shelter, it is planning a multipronged response to demonstrate it is the wrong idea at the wrong time in the wrong building, Mayor Jay Knudtson said Thursday.

City hall will be a clearinghouse for compiling data to show that any need to aid the homeless is being handled by existing agencies, Knudtson said. The city is also soliciting detailed reasons why the federal building, replaced last summer by the Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. U.S. Courthouse, is an inappropriate location for providing residential services as the city tries to revive the Broadway corridor, he said.

The Rev. Larry Rice's proposal, which leans heavily on providing long-term help to aid in the transition from homelessness to productivity, would mean a large population at an inappropriate location, Knudtson said. "His application is about transitional housing, stays of 12 to 24 months for 125 people," he said. "He is wanting to give those people an address."

In response, Rice said it was Knudtson who is misplacing his energy. Increased unemployment in Southeast Missouri, a higher foreclosure rate and economic instability in general are all reasons a major response is needed, Rice said.

And giving the homeless an address rather than just a place to stay for a few days is exactly how to handle the problem, Rice said.

"Animals have shelters. People need homes," Rice said. "We are talking about human beings, not dogs. He has no concept of what it is to be homeless. He can't put himself in a position of being homeless."

Rice founded the New Life Evangelistic Center in the early 1970s. The ministry operates 12 shelters, including nine in Missouri. It also operates 15 free stores and a network of commercial television stations and noncommercial radio stations.

Rice operated a shelter in Cape Girardeau in the early 1990s as well as a free store. His plans for the federal building at 339 Broadway include transitional housing for families and single people, emergency shelter on an as-available basis for up to two weeks and a free store. Rice said he also is willing to provide space for specialized providers to help those who use the building.

Rice is using a federal law that gives homeless assistance priority in the use of surplus federal property. The New Life Evangelistic Center applied to the Department of Health and Human Services, which will determine if the application is in order and whether the ministry has the ability to do what he promises. The city's response is an attempt to persuade the department the building should not be given to New Life.

There is no evidence that people are sleeping on the streets of Cape Girardeau, Knudtson said. When someone in that situation is found, police take them to the Salvation Army, which helps provide an overnight hotel stay and follows up with extra nights at an area church, he said.That assistance is adequate for any homeless issue that may exist, Knudtson said.

Rice, however, said Knudtson's view is a limited vision for caring for vulnerable people. "The opposition we are encountering is not unusual," Rice said. "The fact is I cannot in good conscience allow the mayor and the city council to literally steal this from the homeless. Federal surplus property is to be used to help homeless people. As long as there is one homeless person, there is a problem."

Charlie Cook, a spokesman for the General Services Administration, said he anticipates a decision by the Department of Health and Human Services within 30 days. Rice said if the decision goes against New Life, it won't end his attempt to obtain the building.

"If it is not granted, there will be a long legal proceeding, and in the end the courts will recognize that the building should be given to the homeless," he said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

339 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO