After Roanoke upheld zoning violations against The Least of These Ministry, supporters, business owners and unhoused residents offered sharply different visions for what downtown should become.

Roanoke, VA

Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff

Published: 2:05 AM EST May 20, 2026

Edited: 2:07 AM EST May 20, 2026

Tears, frustration, prayers and competing visions for downtown Roanoke filled City Council Chambers this week as the Roanoke Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously upheld zoning violations against The Least of These Ministry, a faith-based homeless outreach organization operating on Luck Avenue.

The 6-0 decision leaves uncertainty surrounding several services the ministry provides to unsheltered residents, including warming buses, outdoor lockers and portable restroom facilities. For some downtown business owners and property managers, the ruling represented long- awaited enforcement after years of growing concerns about sanitation, safety and the concentration of homelessness near businesses.

For supporters of the ministry, however, the hearing felt like something larger.

Many described the services not as optional outreach programs but as emergency survival measures for people with nowhere else to go. “This cannot be an us v. them situation,” said Scott Swazzil of Blue Ridge. “It’s us. It’s a bigger issue than TLOT.”

The hearing centered on a February 25 zoning determination involving the ministry’s property at 420 Luck Ave. SW. City officials argued the ministry’s outdoor operations exceeded the site’s permitted zoning classification. The city’s citations focused primarily on warming buses, outdoor lockers and portable restrooms.

Technology center owner testimony reflected concerns voiced by several neighboring businesses. “There are unintended consequences with the intent of providing these services,” one business owner told the board. “People camp at TLOT and on our property. There is trash, and there are needles. It is dangerous.”

Bill Chapman, a major downtown housing and restaurant developer, also supported the city’s position. “I have built 20% of Downtown Roanoke’s housing and restaurants,” Chapman told the board. “The lockers and port-potties have a negative impact on my properties and their marketability.”

Todd Atkins of Roanoke said removing the services would not solve the problem. “If you take the lockers and porta potties down it will not decrease the number of people sleeping downtown,” Atkins said. “We need innovative leaders who are willing to think outside the box and love people the way they need to be loved.”

Pastor Bill of Central Church of the Brethren delivered some of the hearing’s sharpest remarks. “We’re not trying to get rid of lockers and porta potties,” he said. “We’re trying to get rid of people.”

Lindsey Mills of Salem told the board she had once been homeless herself and credited the ministry with helping restore stability to her life. “There are people who come to TLOT who may have never known hope,” she said. “They get it there.”

Amber West, who identified herself as homeless, became emotional while describing the value of the ministry’s outdoor lockers. “The lockers keep things from getting wet,” West told the board. “I have things from my kids — reminds me of where you come from and where you need to get back to.”

Additional voices gathered outside the hearing reflected the complicated realities facing people living unsheltered downtown. Greg, a 57-year-old white man staying in Roanoke, said he originally came to the city to work with family. “I got tired of my cousin yelling at me all the time, so I quit,” he said quietly. Leslie, a 43-year-old Black woman, described trying to rebuild her life while carrying trauma from abuse and homelessness. “I have a daughter,” Leslie said. “I just need to get myself together.” She also spoke about the cruelty she says she has experienced while living outside. “Everyone teased me saying I look like a man,” she said. “The folks who raped me know I am NOT a man.”

At the nearby Kirk Family YMCA, which some unhoused residents use for showers within walking distance of TLOT, one employee shrugged when asked about the situation.

“It’s their life — not mine,” the employee said.

John Chaver of Roanoke challenged the language often used surrounding homelessness. “These are people — people that need help,” Chaver said.

The ministry’s founder, Dawn Sandoval, defended the operation and said local police officers had regularly brought unsheltered individuals to the warming buses during freezing weather. “Police officers brought unsheltered people to our warming bus 24/7,” Sandoval said.

The hearing followed a prayer gathering held the night before in the ministry’s parking lot. Supporters gathered in small groups after singing worship songs including “Battle Belongs” and “Blessed Assurance.” Prayer leaders called for unity ahead of the hearing.

“Scripture talks about unity,” one prayer leader told the group. “We want to see from that hearing tomorrow a beginning of unity in the hearts and minds of all those involved.”

An anonymous volunteer who said they had worked with the ministry for about two years described the warming buses as “saving lives,” saying unhoused residents could otherwise “freeze to death in extreme temperatures.” The ministry’s name comes from Matthew 25, where Jesus tells followers: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Wednesday’s ruling does not immediately shut down the ministry itself, but it could force major operational changes if the city moves forward with enforcement actions tied to the violations.

Questions now remain over whether the ministry will pursue further legal appeals, whether the city will allow time for compliance, and whether alternative solutions or locations could emerge. As the meeting adjourned, small groups lingered in the hallway quietly discussing homelessness, downtown development and what responsibility the city bears toward people still sleeping outside.

Sources:

• City of Roanoke Board of Zoning Appeals agenda materials

• Hearing attendee notes and quotes from May 13, 2026

• Prayer meeting notes from May 12, 2026

• Volunteer and community interviews conducted in downtown Roanoke

The Roanoke Rambler Staff