James 5:1-5 

How does James (and God) feel about income inequity and the  gap between the rich and the poor?  How do you feel about it?  What does James suggest is the root of the problem?  Without employment and living wages, people are at risk of homelessness and housing instability.  Does James suggest an answer to this problem?  Does the gospel have an answer to this problem?

For Further Reflection

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a household would need more than one full time minimum wage worker to afford a two-bedroom rental apartment at fair market rent anywhere in the country. In fact, in the median state a minimum-wage worker would have to work 87 hours each week to afford a two-bedroom apartment at 30% of his or her income, which is the federal definition of affordable housing. The current Illinois minimum wage is $8.25 per hour.  In Pennsylvania, the current minimum wage is $7.25 per hour (also the federal minimum wage).  Contrary to popular belief, the majority of minimum-wage workers are not teenagers: approximately 79% of minimum age workers are 20 or older (The Economic Policy Institute, 2008).

Why do you think so many people are opposed to increasing the minimum wage?  If we do not raise the minimum wage, what other ways could we make sure that housing becomes more affordable for families?

Here’s a disturbing statistic: According to a report released by the University of Michigan’s National Poverty Center, 1.46 million households currently live on less than $2 per person per day.  How would you live on $2 a day?  Read the full report HERE.

Jeremiah 22:13-17 

God, through Jeremiah, condemns those who “build palaces by unrighteousness and upper rooms by injustice” and identifies the source of this opulence as the unpaid wages of the workers.  Do you see this dynamic happening today?  If so, where?

What is the obvious answer to Jeremiah’s question: “Does it make a person a king if he has more and more cedar?”  Why then, do we aspire to accumulation of luxury goods and high-end amenities for our homes?

What actions ensure that it will “go well” with us?  What does it look like to “defend the cause of the poor and the needy” in this context?

Amos 1:13-15 

Wars are frequently waged to gain control of land and the resources that are on/in the land.  Nations often want to “extend their borders” (both literally and figuratively) and accomplish it through horrific acts of violence.  Historically, how have wars that our nation waged extended our borders?  How do you think God views our “expansion plans”?

What, if anything, could people of faith do about the past?  Would  corporate confession and repentance and some form of restitution help?  If so, how?  What could people of faith do about border expansion that might be proposed in the future?

Ezekiel 45:1, 7-9; 46:16-18

In Ezekiel’s vision of the future layout of Jerusalem, what limits are placed around the Prince in relationship to property?  Can you think of a current example of a leader (or group of leaders) who takes property from others for his/her own gain?

What protections are in place in your community to make sure people are not dispossessed or displaced by those in power?

Micah 2:1-2 

All of us live on land that did not belong to us or to our ancestors but was taken by force or fraud from its original inhabitants because we had the power to do it.  We are not the only nation to seize land by force or government policy.  Can you think of other examples of “forced relocation”?

What motivates “land grabs” and “speculative real estate deals” and even “urban pioneering”? What “power” you have?  (If you don’t think you have any power, think harder.)  How can people of faith “plot good on their beds” rather than evil in relationship to real estate and housing?

FOR FURTHER REFLECTION

A trend over the last 30 years is for young (predominantly white) artists, students and professionals to move into poorer urban communities of color in what has become known as “gentrification.” Property values increase, new capitol comes into the community, and crime rates often fall.  Cities often encourage this shift by improving infrastructure and adding amenities to the community  because it represents development and increased revenue.   However, as good as all this sounds, “gentrification” has a dark side.

According to Teresa Cordova in her article “Community Intervention Efforts to Oppose Gentrification” (In Philip W. Nyden, Wim Wiewel, eds., Challenging Uneven Development: An Urban Agenda for the 1990s, (1991) New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 25-48.), “gentrification is a creation of real estate agents, property developers, and banks who control the “who” and “where” of urban property shifts.”  In other words, those with power shift the way urban property is reused, and “profit” is the typical motivation.  As property values increase, property taxes and rents rise, often making the community unaffordable for existing homeowners and tenants.  Families are forced to find a more affordable community.  It also promotes speculative land purchases as people look for the next “hot” neighborhood.  Buy a cheap property, hold on to it and then flip it for a large profit.

How do you see this phenomena happening where you live? Where are displaced people moving?  Who are the real estate and development “power-brokers” in your community.  What power do you have to ensure that the poor will maintain a place in their communities?

Over the past 6 years, the city of Chicago’s Planning Department has been preparing to transform the elevated train tracks running along Bloomingdale Ave into a 2.5 mile linear park known as the Bloomingdale Trail.  While this would bring much needed green space to the Logan Square community, there are fears that it will simply increase the speed of gentrification in the neighborhood.  If you live in Chicago, consider contacting Logan Square Neighborhood Association to see what they are doing to ensure continued economic diversity around the Bloomingdale Trail.

Deuteronomy 19:14; Proverbs 23:10-11

Why do you think God is so concerned about maintaining property lines?  What do property lines represent?  Where do you see boundary markers being moved today in a way that is detrimental to peoples’ inheritance?  Consider the impact of zoning laws, urban renewal proposals or eminent domain laws in your community.

For Further Reflection

Since 1962, a fire has been burning in an old coal mine beneath Centralia, PA.  Through “eminent domain” laws, which allow the State of Pennsylvania to seize ownership of private property without the owner’s consent for reasons of public safety or economic development, Centralia is now a virtual ghost town with a population of 10 people (2010).  In 1962, the town had a population of over 2,000.   How do you think the people who lost their property feel?  How do you think God feels?

Book Recommendation:  Root Shock by Mindy Fullilove.  This groundbreaking book examines the immediate and long-term impact of the federally funded program, Urban Renewal, on communities in Pittsburgh, PA, Newark, NJ, and Roanoke, VA.

Isaiah 5:8-10 

Why do you think God is opposed to the practice of property expansion?  What motivates people to expand their property holdings?  How do you see people today “adding house to house and joining field to field”?  As a society, how do we reward accumulation of houses or land?

Why do you think people pursue purchase of vacation condos, winter homes in Florida, summer homes in Michigan, downtown weekend condos, etc?  If you own extra housing/property, how could you use it for the benefit of others?

Luke 4:16-30

“The day of the Lord’s favor” was understood by the Jews to be the year of Jubilee when the land would be returned to its original owners.  Jesus’ coded words would be good news to those living under Roman occupation.  However, the Jews of Jesus’ day understood Jubilee to apply to Jews only.  Gentiles were excluded.  How did the crowd feel about Jesus’ interpretation of Jubilee?

When have you wanted to limit God’s vision of blessing to only those who deserve it or to those who are part of a certain group?  Who are the “undeserving” in your community that are included in the promise of God’s Jubilee blessing?  How does Jesus’ words challenge your vision of the future?

Leviticus 25:24-31

The Law permitted the re-purchase of land that was sold by the owner or by his relatives (to keep it in the family).  However, redemption of houses inside walled cities had an expiration date.   Why do you think there is a difference in how “urban” land and “farm” land is treated?  What social benefits would a community experience if this law were practiced.  What social and ecological ills might be prevented?

For Further Reflection

In December 2011, 65 homes (one out of every 1037 homes) in Lancaster, PA, received a foreclosure notice. In Chicago, the rate was one out of every 351 homes—a total of 3,406 homes.   Foreclosure not only affects owners.  Renters in foreclosed multi-unit buildings are often displaced when the property is taken by a bank, putting them at higher risk of homelessness.

Could a “land redemption” law like the one you read today help to stabilize a community?  Who do you think would oppose such a law?  Why?