Over the years, I have had a particular conversation many times. Someone tells me, “I’m a Christian.” I respond, “Tell me what that looks like.” The answers vary. Some point to a prayer they prayed years ago. Others say they believe in God, read the Bible occasionally, try to be a good person, or pray […]
Ecclesial Homelessness: When Christians Have No Church to Call Home Read More »
Effective Charity, Government
I regularly read articles from the Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness Initiative [1], and I am grateful for their work. Its writers have challenged the assumption that Housing First is the only compassionate response to homelessness. They understand that giving someone a key is not the same as seeing a life restored. They also recognize that
When Government Funds Christian Ministry, Whose Definition Governs? Read More »
Effective Charity, Government
Last month, in my post Crunching the Numbers, we looked at homelessness in Oregon and asked a simple question: if the current approach is working, why do the numbers look the way they do? Oregon’s homeless population has continued to grow even as millions of dollars have been spent, programs have expanded, and reports have
Housing, Recovery, and the Deeper Question of Wholeness Read More »
Government
Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) releases the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress, to understand the state of homelessness in America. The report is based on the Point-in-Time Count, an annual census taken to estimate how many people are experiencing homelessness. This report provides a benchmark for understanding trends
Crunching the Numbers Read More »
Government
Recently, former President Barack Obama described America’s homelessness crisis in stark moral terms. “It is morally… an atrocity that in a country this wealthy, people are living on the streets.” Few people who work directly with the homeless would disagree. Anyone who has spent time walking through encampments, working in shelters, or sitting across the
An “Atrocity” in America: What Homelessness Really Requires Read More »
Government
A couple of months ago, I published a blog post titled “When Housing Becomes the Answer to Everything—and Solves Nothing.” In that article, I reflected on the growing assumption that homelessness is primarily a housing supply issue and questioned whether decades of housing-first policy have truly addressed the deeper causes of suffering on our streets.
Update: National Homelessness Policy — What’s Changed (and What Hasn’t) Read More »
Government
Each year, communities across the country participate in the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count and the Housing Inventory Count (HIC). These processes are designed to measure homelessness and housing capacity, and the data collected is used by government agencies to guide funding, policy, and planning decisions. For many years, Medford Gospel Mission has participated in these counts
Why We Are Stepping Away from the PIT and HIC Process Read More »
Articles, Effective Charity, Government
When temperatures drop, the City of Medford announces the opening of a severe weather, low-barrier warming shelter, and local news outlets quickly report it. Like many in our community, I am grateful whenever steps are taken to ensure people do not freeze during extreme weather. Preserving life should always matter. However, one line in the
For the third year in a row, Oregon remains under a declared Homeless State of Emergency. Each extension is justified by urgency, compassion, and the promise that staying the course will eventually produce results. In January 2023, Governor Tina Kotek declared the emergency, and it has since been extended multiple times under continued executive authority
Oregon’s Homeless State of Dependency Read More »
Articles, Government
True Charity has its share of amazing content on their website. This recent article puts words and data to what many of us already know—not because we read it in a report, but because we’ve lived it, seen it, and walked alongside people who are caught in it. Beyond the Welfare State is one of
Why Poverty Persists—and What Still Works Read More »
Effective Charity, Government