We, the residents of Roanoke, stand in full support of The Least of These Ministry (TLOT) and oppose any city action that restricts their ability to serve our unhoused neighbors.

TLOT provides services that no other organization in Roanoke offers — services the city itself has relied on during emergencies, cold snaps, and crises. These include:

• A warming bus that has saved lives during freezing temperatures
• A 24-hour accessible restroom — the only one downtown
• Lockers that reduce theft, loss, and street clutter
• Hot meals, showers, laundry, and basic dignity
• Emergency sheltering when the city needed it most
• Compassionate, consistent support for more than 100 people weekly

TLOT has been praised by Roanoke Police, honored with awards from multiple agencies, and publicly recognized by city leadership for its essential role in keeping people safe.

Yet now, after complaints from a small number of business and property owners, the city is attempting to curtail or shut down these life-saving services through zoning enforcement.

This is not a zoning issue.
This is a priorities issue.

Restricting TLOT will:

• push people back onto the streets
• increase public health risks
• strain emergency services
• remove the only safe, warm space available to many
• and harm the most vulnerable residents of our city

Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of Roanoke residents believe in compassion, community, and practical solutions — not punitive actions that make homelessness worse.

We call on the City of Roanoke to:

1. Suspend all zoning enforcement actions against TLOT immediately
2. Work collaboratively with TLOT to ensure their services can continue uninterrupted
3. Acknowledge the city’s reliance on TLOT and support their mission rather than undermine it
4. Prioritize humane, effective solutions over pressure from a small group of commercial interests

TLOT is not the problem.
TLOT is part of the solution.

We urge city leadership to stand with the people of Roanoke and protect the essential services that keep our neighbors alive.