Take
action on Housing and Homelessness!
Call on
your members of Congress to support housing and homelessness programs at the ELCA Action Center.
Today, the unmanageable cost
of housing is one of the most serious drivers of poverty across the
country. For around 75% of
extremely low-income renters, over half of
their monthly income must be spent on rent. This leaves very little money for
food, healthcare, child care, transportation, and other vital day-to-day costs.
Unreasonably high rent costs force families to face terrifying instability that
can include overcrowding, eviction or homelessness. Families across our nation
deserve housing that is affordable, which is a challenge in both urban and
rural communities.
Through outdoor congregations,
shelter ministries, worship and support, Lutheran churches throughout the
country are taking action by providing support for our communities. The ELCA
social message on Homelessness envisions a world where all people live in
safe, affordable, and decent housing, grounded in our theological understanding
that, “housing is a fundamental human right.” We are called to care for our neighbors and
each other as Christians dedicated to serve Christ.
When families are able to rely on
affordable housing, this can make the difference between fearing eviction and striving for greater economic mobility.
As
Congress prepares to pass a final spending bill and set our federal investments
at the end of this year, we must make sure that support for housing and
homeless programs does not fall off the radar of our elected leaders. Housing, for too many years, has been given little support
at the national level—compounding the effect of the affordable housing crisis.
Let us remind our lawmakers that, as Christians, “working
for justice with and for homeless people is doing God’s will.”
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