Federal Judge Rules Against Homeless Ministry In Wenatchee Lawsuit
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the city of Wenatchee by Lighthouse Christian Ministries (LCM) over the loss of its operating permit in 2025. The nonprofit, public interest law firm representing Lighthouse plans to appeal the ruling to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco
LCM lost its conditional use permit for its property on Columbia Street in Wenatchee after a hearing examiner ruled in favor of the city, which cited multiple permit violations.
LCM is a religious organization that supports underprivileged and unhoused individuals with a housing program, but the soup kitchen and food distribution program it operated for six years drew complaints from the public over the impacts to neighboring businesses.
Calls for police to trespass or remove LCM's patrons from neighboring businesses escalated fourfold from 2019 to 2024. After LCM implemented measures to reduce the impact on neighbors, calls to police dropped significantly in the seven months before the CUP was revoked last year.
The Institute for Justice, representing LCM, says the city revoked the operating permit without warning or any prior citations. The non-profit invested $1.6 million to convert vacant warehouse space into a soup kitchen that served hot meals daily and housed a food distribution program.
An attorney representing Lighthouse says the city destroyed a soup kitchen that was feeding hungry people to appease a handful of vocal complainers and the decision was prejudiced
“Wenatchee abused its zoning power to shut down a soup kitchen, not because of any real problem, but because influential neighbors didn’t like who was being served,” said Riley Grace Borden in a news release. Borden vowed "to keep fighting until Lighthouse can reopen its doors.”
Kollin Oliviera, the Lighthouse director, said of the dismissal, "This is a bump in the road, not the end of the road. Our ministry is about inspiring hope and never giving up, and we’re going to see this fight through to the end.”
The Institute for Justice said it will argue on appeal that the court dismissed Lighthouse's due process, equal protection, and takings claims at the earliest stage of the case and intends to appeal to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.