What Works?

My friend Dean Simmer posted a link to an event that I think has lofty aspirations, but is going to fail miserably (if you define success as I do: the long term renewal of Detroit). I need to point out three things:

1. I don’t bother disagreeing publicly with people who I don’t care about.
2. At least these people care about Detroit.
3. Prayer is part of the solution.

The fact that a group of people care enough to try this is wonderful. However, this event betrays a major worldview issue amongst Christians. How did Detroit get in the mess it’s in? Christians have been fleeing Detroit for the suburbs for a very long time. I hesitate to use the term “white flight” because it makes it sound like I think the solution is a bunch of white people moving to Detroit.

I think that Jordon Cooper said it best (speaking about Saskatoon):

My other question is what if we made a commitment to the places abandoned by the empire?  I expressed my frustration before about the 1000 Christians descending on the west side to “clean up the place” for a day.  I guess it gives warm fuzzy’s to people who don’t actually shop, live, or even visit the lower west side but I am talking about making a long term commitment to a place that are often left behind.  These places aren’t just in the inner city either.  I was outside of Ottawa a couple of years ago and some of the rural communities look like the last the good thing that happened to them was during the Diefenbaker years.

So, please, do pray for Detroit. But move to Detroit, plant a church in Detroit, and serve the poor in Detroit if you really want to see amazing things happen. There must be a sustained witness of the Kingdom, meaning simply, Christians need to make a comittment to move back into the places from which we have fled and we need to live there as good neighbors for the long term.

Homelessness in Detroit

Dean Simmer reports some hard statistics to swallow:

According to Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries:

• In the Detroit area, there are at least 3,700 people in need of emergency shelter on any given night. To meet the need, there should be 1,400 more beds available.

• There are less than 940 transitional housing beds for over 5,086 homeless men, women and children per night.

• Over 2,000 people live on the streets each night in abandoned buildings or “double up” with family or friends.

• Over 10,000 families in Wayne County will become homeless at least once during the next year.

• Families now constitute 26% of the number of homeless persons per year.

Heartbreaking. Let’s figure out how we can help fix this.

I want to start a Modest Needs-like fund at Christ Church, Ann Arbor as a pilot program. A sort of replacement for the traditional discretionary fund. If it works, I want to write up a proposal for use elsewhere.

According to the minds behind Modest Needs, many people find themselves in a housing crisis over an emergency expense: medical bill, vehicle breakdown, etc.

This does not account for “cronic” homelessness, due to drug abuse or choice. It is a start, though and may address a portion of the 26%. I have some experience working amongst the homeless in Atlanta, and I think there are not very many good, long-term solutions available now. There are many misconceptions about homelessness, and a definite stigma attached to it.

A person does not become homeless in a moment, but it is often a process–a series of negative experiences. “Get a job” is not an adequate response, but neither is a handout. It is a complex issue, but we’re willing to talk about it.