A few weeks ago, I woke up to a text message saying it had snowed overnight, despite there having been no measurable snowfall in North Carolina since 2022 nor any forecasts of snow for that morning. Intrigued, I looked out…
As COVID aid expires, homelessness spikes across America
Soaring housing costs, rising poverty and the end of COVID-era relief checks and eviction protections contributed to a spike in homelessness in the U.S. last year, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. More…
Supreme Court hears case that could empower cities to fine people for being homeless
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments April 22 in a case that could decide if homeless people can continue to be fined or jailed for sleeping outdoors even when shelter space is unavailable. Under review are rulings by the…
At holidays, LGBTQ youth homelessness spikes
The holidays may be winding down, but for some LGBTQ youth, year-end celebrations mark the beginning of a very different season: experiencing homelessness. According to Marian Edmonds-Allen, executive director of Parity NYC, a faith-based organization focused on healing divisions between…
Two roads diverged in a cold food court
Ninety percent of my dissertation was written in the food court at the mall. I’m an extreme extrovert. Prolonged silence exhausts me. Plus, the irregular noise of an ant walking greatly distracts me. So, crowded restaurants and coffee shops are…
City of Fort Worth to buy Southwestern Seminary housing units for $11 million
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary could get an $11 million infusion of cash if a planned sale of 15 acres of property to the City of Fort Worth goes through. The sale of most of its Carroll Park student housing complex,…
When my church and I let Jesus down: Jesus in the distressing disguise of the homeless
My wife and I were in the mountains of North Carolina (Bakersville) for a week and a half during the Christmas season staying in what used to be her parents’ home. On a few days it was cold, bone-chilling cold….
What churches should know — and do — about a homelessness problem you likely didn’t know about
When it comes to college, “getting in is only half the battle,” according to Anthony Abraham Jack, professor at the Harvard School of Education. Elsewhere he has said: “Before all else, colleges must meet students’ basic needs.” Unfortunately, the nation’s…
Why is there still ‘no room’ for so many homeless in America this Christmas?
More than 2,000 years ago, when Jesus was born, there was “no room” for his family in Bethlehem. Likewise, as Christmas 2021 approaches, we have no room for hundreds of thousands of our fellow Americans who live in tents, cardboard…