Court: Religious freedom trumps city in dispute over homeless camp

[paulsby]

from www.komotv.com

SEATTLE (AP) - The Washington state Supreme Court has ruled that Woodinville lacked grounds for barring a church from hosting a homeless encampment.

The unanimous ruling Friday holds that a development moratorium should not have been applied to Tent City 4 in 2006.

The self-governing group of 60 to 100 homeless people moves about every three months to sites volunteered by owners in the suburbs east of Seattle.

When Northshore United Church of Christ agreed to host the encampment, Woodinville cited a moratorium on land use permit applications in residential areas.

The high court ruled that the action violated Washington's constitution, which guarantees "absolute freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment, belief and worship."