Homeless shelter or pickleball? NJ church awaits key vote over its future.

An Episcopal church in Toms River, New Jersey could soon learn whether its proposal to build a 17-bed homeless shelter on its property can proceed, even as it's under threat of being paved over for a pickleball court.

Last month, Christ Episcopal Church on Washington Street in Toms River became a flashpoint in the wider fight over rising homelessness across New Jersey after Mayor Daniel Rodrick announced a plan to take over the church property through eminent domain, the power given to the government to convert private property to public use. In its place, he’s proposed a park and courts for the popular paddle sport.

Dozens of outraged residents and homeless advocates attended a township council meeting in April to oppose the mayor’s efforts. Nonetheless, the eminent domain ordinance moved forward by a vote of 4-3. A final decision on whether to seize the property was scheduled for later this month, but on Tuesday, Rodrick announced that township officials would postpone the vote until the end of July to make way for negotiations with church officials.

However, religious leaders at Christ Episcopal Church tell Gothamist that they have no intention of pausing the shelter project. And Toms River's board of adjustment will hold a hearing Thursday night on the church’s application to rezone the property for the homeless shelter.

Mother Lisa Hoffman, the rector of Christ Church, said in an interview that the vote “could go either way.”

“We have a lot of community support, but it's a very difficult situation in Toms River with the unhoused currently,” she said, adding that the church was blindsided by the mayor’s eminent domain proposal.

”There was no official words sent to us. We didn't see it coming. We've never heard anything about that. There's never been any rumblings. So it was shock and dismay,” she said.

Homelessness has been rising across New Jersey as home prices continue to soar. In 2024, the number of New Jerseyans experiencing homelessness rose to 12,680, a 24% jump from the previous year, according to a report by the nonprofit Monarch Housing Associates.

Some municipalities around the state have taken a hardline approach in response. At least eight towns have passed or considered measures so far this year that could potentially jail or fine homeless people thousands of dollars for sleeping in public, in the wake of a 2024 Supreme Court decision upholding a similar law in Oregon. One of those towns, Summit, in Union County, introduced a similar law last month. But after public outcry, councilmembers amended the measure to protect people without readily available access to shelter from facing arrest.

In Emerson, in Bergen County, the local land use board rejected a proposal from nonprofit Family Promise to open a new facility in their town to house homeless families.

I just want to affirm that Christ Church, Toms River, is not for sale.

Rev. Sally French, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey

Rodrick has been particularly outspoken on the issue of homelessness in Toms River. The Republican mayor has openly feuded with Jersey-born rocker Jon Bon Jovi, calling for his family’s pop-up restaurant that feeds homeless people in Toms River for free to be shut down.

Monarch Housing Associates found that Ocean County, where Toms River is located, had 556 reported homeless people as of January 2024, a 28% annual increase.

Rodrick did not respond to questions from Gothamist about whether he’ll still pursue eminent domain to take over the property if the church is given clearance for the homeless shelter at Thursday’s meeting, or when he plans to reach out to the church for negotiations.

Hoffman at Christ Church said that Rodrick has not reached out to her yet.

Rodrick faced criticism at an April 30 council meeting to introduce the eminent domain provision. Councilmember Tom Nvison accused the mayor of “hating humanity.” Local resident Scott Sage called the use of eminent domain a waste of taxpayer money and said it was “being spent for political retribution on a house of worship.”

“ It's ridiculous. It's nonsense. It's childish. It's juvenile. Grow up,” Sage told the mayor.

But other local residents expressed disapproval with the church's proposed homeless center. Some said they feared the facility would be a “magnet” that would attract more homeless people to the community, according to the Asbury Park Press.

The Rev. Sally French, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, which oversees Christ Church and other churches across the state, said that even if the board does not grant the variance the diocese would try to keep the project alive.

She called Rodrick’s efforts to take control of the property by eminent domain “disappointing” and said that the organization has raised more than $12,000 for a legal fund since the mayor announced his intentions.

“ I just want to affirm that Christ Church, Toms River, is not for sale,” French said.