I’ve seen headlines about different levels of government starting to “crack down” on homelessness. I haven’t read the articles, but I assume that the crack down has to do with treating those experiencing homelessness as criminals. Can’t have homeless people hanging around you know. It might raise some uncomfortable questions. And then people might have to acknowledge that there is a problem. What a great way to solve homelessness. Not!
What contributes to an increase in homelessness? Lots of things. Too often we concern ourselves with direct reasons – what did this person do to end up homeless? Those type of questions have their place. But they are not the best questions, or really the only questions that we should be asking.
By focusing on these direct, personal, issues, we ignore some deeper reasons – the systems in place that are hidden from our sight. Homelessness is a big challenge because there aren’t nice easy, neat, solutions. The causes of homelessness are many.
Last night I was talking with one person who is experiencing homelessness and he used language like “being stuck no matter what I do.”
I often describe homelessness as something similar to a black hole. Often people who are homeless try their best to get out of homelessness. They make the phone calls that need to be made. They work. They follow the rules. They do everything they are supposed to. They may even start to move in the right direction. And then Bam! Something happens that sucks them back in. Their vehicles breaks down, or they get sick – and a vicious cycle smacks them hard.
Let’s say their vehicle breaks down. How do they get to work? What if they get sick? What are they going to pay and what are they going to not pay? What about the added stress of this? If they can’t get to work, how will they earn any money? If they have no money, how will they have food? Or pay for what limited shelter they do have? Miss a “rental” payment to the motel you are staying in? You get kicked out and it is reported on your credit. This knocks down your credit, impacting where you can stay next. And this means you have no permanent address either, which impacts what services you can receive and what financial support you can receive too.
While the direct questions feel satisfying, they don’t solve the problem for most people. And they allow us to avoid the bigger questions. Questions like this – why does homelessness exist at all in the world’s richest nation in history?
There seems to be plenty of housing – but not necessarily the right housing. We are awash with upper income housing in our area. Landlords are often weary about renting to the poor. I get it – they have been screwed out of rent money. I described the situation above.
People don’t want affordable housing or shelters or anything like that built near them. Not in my backyard! is the response. People know there is a problem and agree that affordable and low income housing is needed. They just don’t want it near them. There are almost too many stereotypes to fight against concerning people in poverty – drugs, violence, crime, laziness, etc.
There are areas that, through policy and through other practices, avoid the recognition that homelessness exists. It is too uncomfortable for people to acknowledge. It is much easier to wave it away and pretend that all is well. If it is present, we might have to do something. And we don’t really know what to do, so that gets awkward.
Experts in poverty are now saying that the elderly who experience homelessness will double in five years time and triple by 2030. This is serious problem that is not getting better by avoiding or ignoring it.
I wish there were simple solutions to homelessness. Oh how I wish there were. I would implement each simple answer. We’d solve the problem in no time. Instead, it seems as though the problem keeps getting worse in proportion to the the headlines about how great the economy is.
Yet, the great economy isn’t working for everyone. In fact, it’s screwing some people over.
Maybe it’s time to ask some deeper questions. Maybe it’s time to reconsider what we value. Maybe it’s time to look at the actual problem.
Laced up Lutheran 
Matt,
You are preaching to the choir here. I am one listening, yet I am exhausted just reading it!
And then near the end you say:
I wish there were simple solutions to homelessness. Oh how I wish there were. I would implement each simple answer.
I am inclined to think there is not a simple answer.
Here in Lubbock, our method of dealing with the problem, in my view, is to deploy the professionals. We have a group that is organizing all the agencies and churches that care in order to streamline services etc and implement policies and innovations and all that. They too tell us how complex the intractable poverty is and how only THEY, the professionals, can really handle it. And Lubbock is turning out putting money where these professional’s mouths are.
However, the homelessness is not actually improving – at least not nearly like the media tells it. However, we have a money making machine at work here promising Lubbock that you need not worry about this problem, we have it under control – care to donate???
I think homeless people need a job. I think they need job training first. I think they need sobriety. I think they need help with that too in the meantime. I think they need their psych meds and frequent medical eval. I am in favor of anger management classes too. I am in favor of art therapy even. I think housing first is a strong in road into the problem. I am quite certain all of this will cost money.
But in ALL of this complexity there is very little talk about Jesus, about worship, about agape.
The last discussion I had with anyone on THIS aspect of ministry where it was initiated by others (not me) revolved around whether you feed and clothe FIRST before the Bible study or after.
I recall a pastor who used to bring in his entourage of ministers who would set up a grill and prepare awesome smelling burgers, meanwhile he held a Bible study in which he passed out pencils and paper to take notes. Once the Bible study was done, if you wanted a burger, your pencil was like a ticket to the meal. And I recall people complaining about how manipulative this was, how lame his study was, but how good the meal was etc.
This has been the extent of that discussion, in my experience.
But you know what?
If worship of God is a PARTY (and Jesus seems to have partied with needy people a lot), then it seems to me that there is a blending of these things which should take place AND that worship should be the centerpiece of our efforts to help. I think all the programs are great, fine, wonderful – all that. But not always necessary and certainly not the centerpiece – or the magic fix.
Think of this:
Raising a family is complicated too. And there are all manner of complexities inherent in it – not counting the things that come along in life to interrupt it (ie cancer, teacher strikes, the high price of cabbage patch dolls etc). And yet we have nifty little sayings like: The family that prays together stays together…. or the family that eats together stays together….
That is an oversimplification, but it does highlight the central part of all that complexity that goes into raising a family!
LOVE
And those of us Christian enough about it will say that Jesus is the irreplaceable center of THAT.
When we make a commitment to LOVE Jesus and love Jesus IN those around us, we will find the central focus of everything else. The complexity will settle in when we do this.
What are the first and most important commands? Someone asked Jesus.
Love God and Love others, he said.
Everything hangs on these…
It goes for homeless ministry too. A very LOT of complexity hangs on these.
X
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Amen to all of that. I’m willing to bet you aren’t surprised that at our truck stop ministry with the homeless that during the meal, we do worship. It is the centerpiece of the ministry. It came about organically – meaning we built community and trust first, and worship became the next logical step. And it’s been powerful. Last night, for the reading, I read from Amos 8 where God warns through who trample on the needy. Powerful scripture when you are with people who are needy and poor. They knew exactly what that Scripture was about – they’ve lived it. Worship, faith, Jesus, etc. – those are the things that make church and service from church different from non-profits and social services. It’s our unique offering that no one else can offer. IN worship we experience vulnerable community – something no non-profit or social service can offer. IN worship we encounter God directly.
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The ones we’ve seen make it out have usually experienced getting a break. For example,!the family who were able to get under roof when the landlord waved the security deposit and 1st month’s rent. Almost unheard of.
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Amen.
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As formerly homeless people we know full well what a pit it is. Had God not led us into it by design we certainly would not have been able to exit. The problem is indeed a difficult one.
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Amen.
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