On November 22, Lutherans and Anglicans are called to lift up National Housing Day 2014, learn more about the issues contributing to poverty, homelessness and substandard housing, and advocate for changes.
Inadequate housing and homelessness impacts a growing number of Canadians. An estimated 400,000 people are without access to a healthy place to live. These numbers continue to increase despite economic growth and prosperity here in our country.
“Our churches have a faithful record of working with and for people who are homeless or who struggle to find affordable housing,” says Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson. “But still home ownership and even affordable rental options are out of reach for many. We are called to support the agencies and programs that address these issues, as well as explore and advocate for new approaches to address poverty and homelessness.”
At the 2013 Joint Assembly, the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and the ELCIC unanimously endorsed a shared commitment to learning, action, advocacy and prayer concerning homelessness and affordable housing.
“Every day and night thousands of children, women and men are fed and housed by the churches in partnership with social agencies. This is holy work,” says Anglican Archbishop Fred Hiltz. “We press on with the call for a comprehensive national housing strategy reflecting the 2012 commitment of all members of Parliament ‘to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to adequate housing’ for all people living in Canada.”
Several resources have been prepared by the ELCIC and ACC to assist churches and their members in lifting up National Housing Day on November 22. They include:
- Homelessness and Affordable Housing: A Backgrounder
- A Prayer for those who are homeless and precariously housed
If you are in the Toronto area, consider participating in the Come & See Pilgrimage where you can visit local churches committed to working alongside those who experience inadequate housing.
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,376 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.
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