Why Should the Church Care About Housing?

Around 90% of churches have engaged in some way with meeting needs around food poverty; in contrast, less than 20% have engaged with local housing need and, where they have, such engagement has tended to focus on emergency and crisis intervention to support those who are homeless, rather than approaches which seek to prevent homelessness occurring. Conscious that 8m people are living in substandard, overcrowded or unaffordable accommodation across the country, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Housing, Church and Community has called for this to be a major element of the church’s mission in coming years and are encouraging a culture change that sees engaging with housing need as a creative and natural way to engage with our local communities.

In advance of a HeartEdge webinar exploring ways in which all churches can get involved in housing need locally and the theological basis for doing so, The Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, Bishop of Kensington, has written an article for HeartEdge explaining why the Church should care about housing. To read the article please click here and to register for the webinar, to be held on Monday 26 April, click here.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hiss Golden Messenger - Sanctuary.