Helping people off the street

One of the calls God has on all Christians is to care for those that don't have enough. In the First Testament they are often listed as the orphans, widow's, foreigners, with the poor and the sick referenced as well. Today, we could easily add onto that list, but the reasons remain similar. We need to care for those that don't have good family or relational supports, who don't have enough, who are seeking refuge, who might be ostracized because there is something about them people dislike. 

These difficulties often culminate with people who live on the street or who are homeless. Everyone's story is different and their are usually a series of underlying issues. The surface level ones might be the most evident like addiction, mental health, jobs etc. These struggles are often interconnected in difficult ways. But my short time working with and talking with those on the street near the distillery district and in the beaches of Toronto have told me that there are bigger causes at the heart of this. 

These people would often talk to me about their upbringing, about how they didn't have support growing up, and then as they ventured out as adults. I don't just mean financial support, but also physical, emotional, spiritual etc. Some of their upbringing was outright awful, you can imagine, but many were just outright negligent. There is much anger and sadness that still stems from this. If you add in any kind of mental illness or addictive tendencies and it felt for many like their fate was already determined. 

Many people I talked to wanted to get out. They wanted to get a place of their own. One of the problems I often heard was that the social community on the street was not conducive to trying to quit, or get a stable job, or stable housing. People often mentioned avoiding shelters for this very reason (though I cannot comment on this as I have no real experience with shelters). There is also the prices in Toronto, but out of the people I talked to this was not their primary difficulty. I also heard a few people mentioning that they were used, manipulated and treated worse at jobs because the employers new their situation. 

I recognize that there are a lot of community supports out there, especially when it comes to the practicals, but are we creating social and familial supports that support the whole person and support them through the difficult times. For many of us this comes with family, but for many on the street this is not a reality. 

So the idea I propose might have a few different levels. 

1) Churches, families, or groups becoming support families for those that have shown a desire to go beyond homelessness. This will probably need to exist in moderate perpetuity. In my mind I relate this to a more involved AA sponsor or refugee supports. 

2) Creating a structure of housing that helps individuals in the in-between, while they are trying to get on their feet. Ideally, though I recognize their is a of fear/security worries in this idea, this would be people living with these individuals or these individuals being invited into homes.

I have a fellow priest friend recommend that major corporations, partially out of PR for themselves, should donate housing facilities or even just units in preexisting buildings. We could offer these as rent free for a time, with support groups living in the building to continually be present and accessible. My friend went a little farther and said that we should offer them rent free with no strings attached. I am a little more concerned for upkeep, safety and community, but I am not convinced I am right. 

3) Creating a structure of resources to support the supporters and the individuals to continually move past homelessness and to keep them accountable in their relational ties. 

With all of this I would recommend some other caveats from those receiving this ministry. Like the desire to change, to quit any addiction, commitment to rehab, or AA, a job or classes. Again, I recognize that much of this exists. My hope and belief is that if we care for the whole individual they will be better able to help themselves. 

I don't believe this will end homelessness, but I believe that it could make a monumental difference in many people's lives.