Multifaith leaders rally to bring justice to the homeless

Leaders from different faith communities in Vancouver and Calgary are acting in solidarity to bring attention to the plight of the homeless and to advocate justice for the poor. In the midst of a wealthy Canadian society, homelessness is rapidly growing. Finding creative solutions that express our concern for the poor and respect every person’s right to housing involves dialogue and working together beyond denominational, faith or cultural boundaries.

When the Vancouver City Council insisted that a local Alliance church obtain a social service permit to continue its outreach programs to the homeless, a social action group, Faith Communities Called to Solidarity with the Poor, stood up and challenged the demand. The social service permit requires churches to police and monitor the poor by imposing regulations and collecting their personal information. Led by Bill Chu, a friend of CPJ, the group of Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh leaders argued that the church should not be a source of surveillance; instead, it should be able to freely show compassion and offer respect and dignity to the poor.

Located in downtown Vancouver, the Tenth Avenue Alliance Church has long been living out God’s call to love one’s neighbor and care for those in need by providing meals and shelter to the homeless. By demanding a permit from the church, the city is narrowing the zoning definition of the church to simply a place of "religious worship" and not as a place of refuge for the poor. In response, the multifaith group has continued to rally the public and petition the city to recognize that "worship" includes services to the poor and to waive the social service permit requirement for churches.

In Calgary, a similar grassroots effort of local faith leaders has come together to address the issue of poverty and homelessness in the city. Currently, the city’s homeless population is estimated to be just under 3,500 (Calgary Committee to End Homelessness, 2007). Determined to tackle the challenges of homelessness, leaders from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Baha’i and Buddhist faith communities gathered together and spoke out for the need to provide safe, decent and affordable housing.

Spearheaded by Bishop Fred Henry, this multifaith community is part of the Calgary Committee to End Homelessness, a group working together with community leaders to address the roots of homelessness and develop a ten year plan to end homelessness in Calgary. The vision of the group is for all people facing homelessness to have access to safe, secure, and appropriate housing and the necessary resources and supports to sustain it by the year 2018.

These groups in Vancouver and Calgary remind us that the role of faith communities is to be on the side of the poor and to stand against unjust issues of poverty and homelessness. This involves both helping the voiceless and speaking out on their behalf. "The practice of charity cannot be limited to alms-giving but it implies addressing the social and political dimensions of the problems of poverty," says Bishop Fred Henry. By working together, these diverse multifaith groups can be a strong voice, ensuring that the needy among us are not forgotten.

The Catalyst, autumn 2007, Volume 30 / Number 4