Borough orders Catholic church to stop housing homeless

A Catholic church in northern New Jersey has been ordered by the borough of Palisades Park to stop using its basement as a sleeping area for the local homeless. The demand comes nearly a week after

News 12 Staff

Dec 21, 2016, 3:44 PM

Updated 2,817 days ago

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A Catholic church in northern New Jersey has been ordered by the borough of Palisades Park to stop using its basement as a sleeping area for the local homeless.
The demand comes nearly a week after a homeless day laborer was found dead in the basement of St. Michael Roman Catholic Church.
The Bergen County Medical Examiner has yet to release a cause of death for the 34-year-old. He was one of approximately six day laborers that the church's pastor, the Rev. Minhyun Cho, took in during a recent cold spell.
Borough administrator David Lorenzo says St. Michael doesn't have the zoning or permits to operate its basement as a residence.
Cho says he's worried others will die if they are forced to sleep on the streets.
The Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report.