From Don Fornoff, Bishop’s Task Force on Homelessness:
The Task Force extends best wishes for a fruitful and faith-filled New Year. With good reason, it appears to be a challenging year in many ways, especially so for unhoused peoples and those on the brink of homelessness. In general, from what I can glean from reading news and commentary, senior citizens are experiencing more housing anxiety. Homeless families with children are increasing. Point-in-time counts are up everywhere.
Nationally, homelessness is up 18%. There is strong reason to believe responses may not be forthcoming. A void of leadership at USICH is possible. Also, in my opinion, an administration looking to cut costs and is poor people unfriendly is about to be installed.
State-wide, eviction filings are at record levels. According to the Washington State Standard, 1 in 50 renters face eviction. Washington state policies don’t allow rent control. The right to counsel helps, but programs are overwhelmed. In addition, the negative fallout from Johnson V Grants Pass is growing, as six jurisdictions have passed some sort of ban on homelessness, relying on law enforcement rather than taking care of their down-and-out residents. Others have passed renter protections, but this leads to ‘checkerboarding,’ as one pol described it. The result could be a chaos of solutions.
My description of these issues is simplistic, pointing to the need for the reader to investigate further the extent of these issues and their sub-issues. Responses should consider people’s need for housing, shelter, and health care. Advocates argue that local cities and counties and the State spend time and money building more appropriate shelter, more affordable housing, and more services.
The Task Force encourages you once again to look at your own jurisdiction to see what is needed in terms of advocacy, services, and shelter. Actions should include rent stabilization, capital funding for affordable housing, no cuts for homelessness services, protection of rights for those who are unhoused, right to counsel, and a progressive revenue stream to fund what is needed.
May I leave you with this prayer by Alan Paton, called ‘For Courage to Do Justice.’
O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others Open my ears that I may hear their cries; Open my heart so that they need not be without succor; Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong, Nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich. Show me where love and hope and faith are needed, And use me to bring them to those places. And so open my eyes and my ears That I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for Thee.
