Review by Heather Hedlund

If you talk to nearly anyone in the Seattle area about the greatest challenges in our community, they'll almost always mention housing affordability. Nearly everyone in our region is affected in some way by the lack of affordable housing, but it is particularly evident in our high rate of homelessness. I've gotten a first-hand view of this since I started volunteering at Lake Washington UMC's Safe Parking program last summer. This program serves women and families with children who are living in their cars. A similar program at Overlake Christian Church serves single men and couples. As I empty trash cans and put away donations, I pray that each person will be able to find safe and permanent housing.

Because housing insecurity shows up in so many of the places where I serve, I'm always on the lookout for new ideas on how to make things better. I was excited to read Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness by Kevin Nye, who has worked in homeless services in Los Angeles and Minneapolis. Nye's first-hand experience dispels some of the myths and stereotypes around homelessness and offers a distinctly Christian perspective on how to address it.

Too often, Christians approach the issue of homelessness from a judgment-first perspective. We assume that someone is unhoused because of their own personal failings. Maybe they have an addiction or a mental illness. Perhaps they just aren't working hard enough. We overlook the systemic issues that are really at the root of housing instability. For example, African Americans are vastly over-represented in the unhoused population. It's not hard to draw a line from decades of housing discrimination to this result. Low wages, lack of access to healthcare, along with crippling medical debt, and lack of affordable childcare are other examples of systemic issues that contribute to homelessness.

The irony of a judgment-first perspective is that it's the exact opposite of how Jesus approaches us. Nye reminds us of what Paul says in Romans 5:8, "God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us." Jesus didn't ask us to clean up our act first; he loved us enough to die for us before we made any changes at all. Jesus offers grace first, then helps us to change, rather than requiring change before grace is offered. Nye writes, "grace reminds us that we treat people based not on what we think they deserve, but on how God has commanded us to treat one another – how God has treated us." (And in my experience, I often find I am wrong about what I think people deserve when I actually understand their circumstances.)

Nye offers policy suggestions rooted in his Christian faith and informed by his years of experience working with people experiencing homelessness. He helped me have a more nuanced understanding of the interplay between homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. Nye also encourages us to follow Jesus' example of abundance. Nye writes, "Whenever there was not enough, Jesus provided in excess." Turning water into wine, feeding large crowds, telling Peter to cast his net on the other side. All of these miracles resulted in leftovers! More than enough! Too often, we try to solve problems like homelessness with solutions that are "just enough" but are actually not anywhere close to enough. Might we be more efficient if we provided abundant solutions that gave people more margin? It might even cost less in the long run.

Homelessness is a complicated issue, and there are no easy answers, but some strategies have proven more successful than others. Nye encourages us to view this issue through the lens of our faith, incorporating the wisdom of people like him working on the ground and data on which strategies actually work. This will equip us to advocate for effective policies, vote for lawmakers who will make positive change, and contribute our time and resources to organizations that bring real help.