Homelessness Is Vexing American Cities. Do Christians Have a Solution?

[Michie]

How the church should help the rising number of people sleeping on the streets.


Across the country, American cities are unsuccessfully grappling with how best to address homelessness. This month, Austin criminalized sitting, lying, or camping in public. Sausalito, an upscale community in the Bay Area canceled its annual art festival when its location conflicted with the proposed place to relocate the homeless population that is currently living on the city’s waterfront. Los Angeles is considering moving forward with establishing a government-funded tent encampment.

Nationally, here’s how The New York Timessummed it up in March of this year.

"Homelessness in the United States rose for the fourth straight year, with about 580,000 people living on the streets or in temporary shelter at the start of 2020, according to an annual nationwide survey that was completed before the pandemic.

But the report, which was released on Thursday, almost certainly underestimates the spread, depth and urgency of the crisis, and not by a little, federal officials warned.

Beyond the myriad factors that leave people on streets, expiring COVID-19 moratoriums on evictions mean that millions may soon find themselves without housing.

For decades, Christian ministries have served food and offered temporary housing to people experiencing homelessness. Whose needs have these organizations traditionally met? And how successful have they been?

Continued below.
Homelessness Is Vexing American Cities. Do Christians Have a Solution?

 

[dqhall]

How the church should help the rising number of people sleeping on the streets.


Across the country, American cities are unsuccessfully grappling with how best to address homelessness. This month, Austin criminalized sitting, lying, or camping in public. Sausalito, an upscale community in the Bay Area canceled its annual art festival when its location conflicted with the proposed place to relocate the homeless population that is currently living on the city’s waterfront. Los Angeles is considering moving forward with establishing a government-funded tent encampment.

Nationally, here’s how The New York Timessummed it up in March of this year.

"Homelessness in the United States rose for the fourth straight year, with about 580,000 people living on the streets or in temporary shelter at the start of 2020, according to an annual nationwide survey that was completed before the pandemic.

But the report, which was released on Thursday, almost certainly underestimates the spread, depth and urgency of the crisis, and not by a little, federal officials warned.

Beyond the myriad factors that leave people on streets, expiring COVID-19 moratoriums on evictions mean that millions may soon find themselves without housing.

For decades, Christian ministries have served food and offered temporary housing to people experiencing homelessness. Whose needs have these organizations traditionally met? And how successful have they been?

Continued below.
Homelessness Is Vexing American Cities. Do Christians Have a Solution?

They used laws against vagrancy, loitering, prowling, trespassing and littering against homeless people.

It is better to work if one is able. Rent is high. People rented out rooms in their homes for extra income. People shared living space.

There are some Christian homeless shelters. They let people stay for short periods of time. One used to let people stay two weeks per year. There are waiting lists for Section 8 housing. My cousin was in a government subsidized Section 8 apartment due to a disability. She inherited and stopped getting Section 8 rent assistance due to her new found wealth. Now she pays rent in the same apartment.

 

[Jay Sea]

How the church should help the rising number of people sleeping on the streets.


Across the country, American cities are unsuccessfully grappling with how best to address homelessness. This month, Austin criminalized sitting, lying, or camping in public. Sausalito, an upscale community in the Bay Area canceled its annual art festival when its location conflicted with the proposed place to relocate the homeless population that is currently living on the city’s waterfront. Los Angeles is considering moving forward with establishing a government-funded tent encampment.

Nationally, here’s how The New York Timessummed it up in March of this year.

"Homelessness in the United States rose for the fourth straight year, with about 580,000 people living on the streets or in temporary shelter at the start of 2020, according to an annual nationwide survey that was completed before the pandemic.

But the report, which was released on Thursday, almost certainly underestimates the spread, depth and urgency of the crisis, and not by a little, federal officials warned.

Beyond the myriad factors that leave people on streets, expiring COVID-19 moratoriums on evictions mean that millions may soon find themselves without housing.

For decades, Christian ministries have served food and offered temporary housing to people experiencing homelessness. Whose needs have these organizations traditionally met? And how successful have they been?

Continued below.
Homelessness Is Vexing American Cities. Do Christians Have a Solution?

Unless there is a shift in the view of human rights beyond the idea that everyman/woman is totally responsible for his/her state in life and must pay money for everything even for what is minimally necessary for life then there is no hope for many. Wars are fought for wealth and power because people are afraid that they will lose what they have and the more, the more they have. Lay aside these fears and share wealth STOP, MR./MRS. SCROOGES, be real citizens of the Kingdom of G-d. Look after your neighbours by forcing the government to give minimum payment to everyone and work to housing everyone, tax speculators in people needs like healthcare etc.
All Christians need to be political radicals.
I we cannot create the Kingdom life here for all then we deserve the other place in the after life
In LOve
Jay Sea

 

[dqhall]

Unless there is a shift in the view of human rights beyond the idea that everyman/woman is totally responsible for his/her state in life and must pay money for everything even for what is minimally necessary for life then there is no hope for many. Wars are fought for wealth and power because people are afraid that they will lose what they have and the more, the more they have. Lay aside these fears and share wealth STOP, MR./MRS. SCROOGES, be real citizens of the Kingdom of G-d. Look after your neighbours by forcing the government to give minimum payment to everyone and work to housing everyone, tax speculators in people needs like healthcare etc.
All Christians need to be political radicals.
I we cannot create the Kingdom life here for all then we deserve the other place in the after life
In LOve
Jay Sea

When they start to give people more money for not working than they pay those who work, inflation and shortages will happen.

Some will produce more children than they can feed or house. Whose fault is that? Why should I pay?

Jesus taught about two sons. One told his father he was going to work in the vineyard today, then did not go to work. The other said he was not going to work in the vineyard, then did go to work. Which of the two sons did the will of his father?

 

[Jay Sea]

When they start to give people more money for not working than they pay those who work, inflation and shortages will happen.

Some will produce more children than they can feed or house. Whose fault is that? Why should I pay?

Jesus taught about two sons. One told his father he was going to work in the vineyard today, then did not go to work. The other said he was not going to work in the vineyard, then did go to work. Which of the two sons did the will of his father?

I was not talking about giving money other than what is necessary to live. ie. basics no frills and community expectation of some contribution to local society.
In LOve
Jay Sea

 

[Tavernier]

Christians can definitely do something substantive - by voting with their minds, not their hearts; by voting for common sense and not the left-wing nonsense that created this problem in the first place - and which is only perpetuating it.

 

[rjs330]

Unless there is a shift in the view of human rights beyond the idea that everyman/woman is totally responsible for his/her state in life and must pay money for everything even for what is minimally necessary for life then there is no hope for many. Wars are fought for wealth and power because people are afraid that they will lose what they have and the more, the more they have. Lay aside these fears and share wealth STOP, MR./MRS. SCROOGES, be real citizens of the Kingdom of G-d. Look after your neighbours by forcing the government to give minimum payment to everyone and work to housing everyone, tax speculators in people needs like healthcare etc.
All Christians need to be political radicals.
I we cannot create the Kingdom life here for all then we deserve the other place in the after life
In LOve
Jay Sea

What are you doing for them?

 

[Eftsoon]

Christians can definitely do something substantive - by voting with their minds, not their hearts; by voting for common sense and not the left-wing nonsense that created this problem in the first place - and which is only perpetuating it.

Christianity is neither right nor left wing.

 

[dqhall]

I was not talking about giving money other than what is necessary to live. ie. basics no frills and community expectation of some contribution to local society.
In LOve
Jay Sea

Are you willing to donate the money to them? Donate to a homeless shelter or food bank. Food and clothing are essential needs. Shelter would be nice. Zoning laws prohibit tents and tarps as residences in my county, even if I own a vacant lot.

The word of God is more important than food and water, but who can comprehend it?

If you give a couple money for their basic needs and they have six children, they may come back asking for three times as much, then what?

 

[Crwth]

Christianity is neither right nor left wing.

Well, I think you'll change your mind on that once you've hung around these forums for any length of time.

 

[Jay Sea]

Are you willing to donate the money to them? Donate to a homeless shelter or food bank. Food and clothing are essential needs. Shelter would be nice. Zoning laws prohibit tents and tarps as residences in my county, even if I own a vacant lot.

The word of God is more important than food and water, but who can comprehend it?

If you give a couple money for their basic needs and they have six children, they may come back asking for three times as much, then what?

yes, but what I am talking about is government responsibility on behalf of their citizens which under pure capitalism is impossible if not tempered by the Kingdom of G-d among us lived by not just the people but by the elite and wealthy in society. The greater the wealthy the greater the responsibility to pay their taxes and add support the welfare of the community of G-d which excludes no one. There ar e no outcasts.
In LOve
Jay Sea

 

[Jay Sea]

Christians can definitely do something substantive - by voting with their minds, not their hearts; by voting for common sense and not the left-wing nonsense that created this problem in the first place - and which is only perpetuating it.

Is voting enough when both sides left and right are nowhere near working as if the Kingdom of G-d exists now among us. The members of both sides at least as portrayed in the US, UK etc. still go by tricklnomics and not the spirit of living in G-d's Kingdom Now. If they want to be in His Kingdom to come they need to prove themselves in His Kingdom NOW.
In LOve
Jay Sea

 

[Eftsoon]

Well, I think you'll change your mind on that once you've hung around these forums for any length of time.

We've split into factions, but this is an artificial split. We've introduced it.

 

[Eftsoon]

Is voting enough when both sides left and right are nowhere near working as if the Kingdom of G-d exists now among us. The members of both sides at least as portrayed in the US, UK etc. still go by tricklnomics and not the spirit of living in G-d's Kingdom Now. If they want to be in His Kingdom to come they need to prove themselves in His Kingdom NOW.
In LOve
Jay Sea

Left VS Right is , in many ways, an illusion. There are substantive differences, but ultimately, as you see in the US, it isn't left vs right that dictates the overall vector of things.

 

[dqhall]

yes, but what I am talking about is government responsibility on behalf of their citizens which under pure capitalism is impossible if not tempered by the Kingdom of G-d among us lived by not just the people but by the elite and wealthy in society. The greater the wealthy the greater the responsibility to pay their taxes and add support the welfare of the community of G-d which excludes no one. There ar e no outcasts.
In LOve
Jay Sea

Jesus said you will always have the poor among you. Venezuela experimented with communism. They taxed the rich and middle class until most of the nation was poor. The government workers were paid. There was hyperinflation as they printed bolivars to pay their bills. People left Venezuela to work in more capitalist nations until they were put out by the pandemic. Elsewhere in Central America and the Caribbean where fertility rates were among the highest, the poverty rates were among the highest. Lust is evil in as much as it consumes more than it produces.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

When they start to give people more money for not working than they pay those who work, inflation and shortages will happen.

Some will produce more children than they can feed or house. Whose fault is that? Why should I pay?

Jesus taught about two sons. One told his father he was going to work in the vineyard today, then did not go to work. The other said he was not going to work in the vineyard, then did go to work. Which of the two sons did the will of his father?

Must be nice to have never suffered long term unemployment. In 2006, I was married with 3 kids, owned a home, had a nice job, two cars. In 2007 when the economy went belly up, we were homeless, scrambling for ANY job and down to one car. We were on welfare for 3 LONG years.

I've been VERY fortunate and blessed that in 2015 I got into a job that even with the 2020 pandemic has been steady and even received a promotion this year. I made sure that we donated extra with each raise to those who havent been as fortunate.

 

[dqhall]

Must be nice to have never suffered long term unemployment. In 2006, I was married with 3 kids, owned a home, had a nice job, two cars. In 2007 when the economy went belly up, we were homeless, scrambling for ANY job and down to one car. We were on welfare for 3 LONG years.

I've been VERY fortunate and blessed that in 2015 I got into a job that even with the 2020 pandemic has been steady and even received a promotion this year. I made sure that we donated extra with each raise to those who havent been as fortunate.

I was homeless for intervals of time between 1982 and 1987. There was temporary construction and agricultural work available. I did not have a car. I got help from homeless shelters/soup kitchens. I got food stamps for one month of my life after I became sick. I got off food stamps before the next month. Can not recall ever collecting unemployment. I bought a used 400cc motorcycle and drove to a town where there were more jobs. I worked 60 hours a week. Learned apartment maintenance. My parents bought a pick up truck for me. Dad became wealthy. He shared with his adult children. None of us are homeless. I am 61 and may be eligible for SSI as early as this year, if I wait until I am 70, I will get more. Not sure I will live that long. If I give, I am supposed to give in secret. Not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

I feel your pain, but did you have a family as well? I certain did not plan 10 years in advance that you know what, Ill have kids so I can go on welfare for 3 years.

 

[Crwth]

Left VS Right is , in many ways, an illusion. There are substantive differences, but ultimately, as you see in the US, it isn't left vs right that dictates the overall vector of things.

Curious.. what does dictate the "overall vector of things" then?

 

[Eftsoon]

Curious.. what does dictate the "overall vector of things" then?

I mean that there are centres of power outside 'government' which direct things. Left or right, the grand narrative doesn't change.