BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The Justice Department announced it’s suing the City of Brunswick for allegedly violating the law while trying to close a faith-based resource center for homeless people.
According to a news release, the Justice Department alleges the city “violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) through its efforts to interfere with and permanently close The Well, a faith-based resource center affiliated with the United Methodist Church for those experiencing homelessness.”
“We will take the steps necessary, including filing suit, to protect religious exercise against unreasonable and improper restrictions,” U.S. Attorney Jill Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia said in the release. “This office will steadfastly defend against unlawful local action the right of institutions like The Well to lawfully use their land to help their communities as an expression of their religious beliefs.”
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The lawsuit alleges that The Well has been helping the homeless since 2014. In public filings seeking federal funding, the city “touted” The Well’s services as part of the city’s efforts to reduce homelessness, but then “later engaged in a campaign to close” the establishment,
According to the Justice Department, the city blamed The Well for “unrelated criminal activity” in the city.
Even after the establishment adopted suggested safety measures, the Justice Department said the city filed a lawsuit in state court to try and close The Well.
According to the news release, the “complaint alleges that the city’s efforts to close The Well have imposed a substantial burden on The Well’s religious exercise, that the city lacks a compelling interest and has not employed the least restrictive means of enforcing its purported interest. The complaint seeks injunctive relief prohibiting the city from substantially burdening The Well’s religious exercise.”
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