REFLECTION ON ‘STABILITY’

Growing up I lived on the same street, in the same house, in the same room from birth until I took off for college at 18.   Not only that: it was the same neighborhood that my Mother, and her Father (my Grandfather) grew up in. This formed my understanding of home. For many years home, for me, was synonymous with consistency, sameness, and uniformity. Growing up I also had the chance to travel. When I was 4 years old, we drove from Iowa to Vancouver Island, Canada and I still remember that trip, especially Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.   When I was 6 years old, my grandparents begin volunteering in their retirement as missionaries on the border of Texas and Mexico, and we would go for a few weeks every year.   Many weekends we visit family in various parts of the Midwest. And parts of each summer were spent at the family cabin in Fairbault, Minnesota. It was during these trips, explorations and adventures that I felt full of life, excited and ready to learn new ways of living and being.   Home became the place where I was, the people I was with, the ways God guided me to grow and flourish.

– Submitted by Rev. Paula Cripps-Vallejo, Pastor of Humboldt Park United Methodist Church, Chicago

Questions for Reflection:

1. How many times did you move before you turned 18?
2. If you moved more than 3 times, how has frequent moves impacted you? 
3. If you moved less than 3 times, how has ‘housing stability’ impacted you?
4. If you were going to “move home,” where would that be?

REFLECTING ON The Similitudes 1:1-10

The Shepherd of Hermas, writing in the 2^nd Century, reminded his readers that the servants of God live in a “strange country” far from their true home of heaven. Given our alien status, it makes little sense for believers to collect possessions, fields and houses. Hermas suggested that whatever believers had beyond what was sufficient for their needs was for the needs of widows, orphans and the poor. God gave his people more than enough for the purpose of generous giving—not for adding to their “comforts of home.”

Questions for Reflection:

1. What is the last purchase you made for your home? Was it “necessary?”
2. How do you decide when you have “what is sufficient”?
3. What—if any—objections do you sense when you read The Similitudes? Why?

There is no devotional for Sunday, February 14.

REFLECTING ON ‘HOMELESSNESS’

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines homeless people in 4 categories: 1) individuals or families not having a fixed, regular or adequate night time residence or who sleep in shelters or public places not designed for overnight accommodations, 2) individuals or families who will lose their housing within 14 days if they have no subsequent residence identified, 3) unaccompanied youth or families with children who have moved more than 2 times during the last 60 days, 4) individuals or families that are fleeing domestic violence, dating violence or stalking if they have no other residence.   Individuals and families that share living quarters temporarily are actually considered homeless.

The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimates that almost 128,000 people were homeless in Chicago at some point in 2015. Over 50% of those experiencing homelessness were families with children. Analysis by the National Coalition For the Homeless shows that poverty and homelessness are inextricably linked. A growing number of people simply cannot afford to live in a house or apartment.   Low-wage jobs, part time employment and chronic unemployment are major contributors to the problem.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Do you know anyone who would fit into any of the categories of homelessness?
2. If so, what have you done to help them?
3. What would happen to your housing if you suddenly lost your job, experienced a catastrophic illness or experienced divorce or death of a wage earning spouse?
4. What would you do?
5. What would you want those around you to do to help?

In just a few days, we will shower our significant others with flowers, candy, gifts and food and wine as part of our annual observance of Valentine’s Day.  In the process, we are expected to spend close to $20 billion (with a ‘B’).  That’s a lot of LOVE!  But what if we took just 1% of that to “love our neighbors as ourselves” this year?  We could free up $200 million and give hundreds of people the gift of home.

How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day? Consider spending just a little less and giving the money you save toward our Lenten Compact project to ‘make a home’ for a refugee family.

REFLECTING ON ‘PROPERTY AND OWNERSHIP’

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Thus says the US Declaration of Independence.

There has been much discussion about the origin and meaning of the phrase, “pursuit of happiness.” Most historians believe the founders were strongly influenced by the Virginia Declaration of Rights also written in 1776, which states, “… all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights…namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.”

From the beginning of our nation, acquiring property has been considered essential to one’s well-being (happiness), and home ownership is considered the access point to the “American Dream.”

Questions for Reflection:

1. How has “the American Dream” influenced your decisions and life goals?
2. Has property ownership been a part of your definition of “the good life?” Why?
3. What do you think happens socially and economically when acquiring property is held up as an “unalienable right” “endowed by our Creator”?
4. Do you think God has an opinion about the “right” to pursue happiness in this context? What might it be?

Each morning throughout Lent, we are taking our Compact for housing justice to the streets through public prophetic prayer and protest.  A full list of locations will be posted at 40 Days of Prayer and Protest.  Here is a list of locations for February 11-13.

Thursday, February 11 – 7 am at California Blue Line El station just down the street from the construction site of the Logan Square Towers–two new luxury high-rises that will displace working families from Logan Square.

Friday, February 12 – 7 am at 2525 N. Milwaukee, the former Milshire Hotel, a single room occupancy (SRO) hotel that was closed in November, 2014, displacing dozens of low-income tenants.  The property remains boarded up.

Saturday, February 13 – 9:30 am at Wellington and Damen, near Lathrop Homes which is slated for a redevelopment that will replace of 525 units of public housing with 500 units of housing for the wealthy.

REFLECTING ON ‘HOME’

If I were not a pastor, I would be an architect. As a youth, I spent hours viewing (and drawing) house plans and blueprints. What I discovered was that I loved design, but not the drafting. I enjoyed thinking about space and how space can be configured in multiple ways. I came up with multiple iterations of my “dream home.” Each one was bigger than the one I lived in—and I grew up in a pretty large house (4 bedrooms, 2 baths, family room, full basement, walk-in storage). And the housing I saw in magazines inspired me to dream even bigger and better (ie more luxurious). When I moved into the Chicago, I became fascinated by how architects could design large homes on tiny lots (25’ X 125’ is the standard city lot), and I sometimes dreamed of tearing down walls in the church parsonage.

I am still enamored with architecture and design. Last year, I attended Chicago’s first Architectural Biennial and came away with a new appreciation for how design impacts social relationships, and I appreciated the growing emphasis on sustainability and affordability. But while good design can make a house flow, it cannot create the experience of home. A larger, more luxurious house does not ensure more positive socialization. In fact, the larger the home, the more likely we experience isolation.

I once went on a tour of new homes in Texas. These beautiful homes featured large bedrooms each with its own adjoining bathroom and “homes within homes” (master bedroom suites with sitting rooms and a wet bar). Initially, this was very appealing. Having raised a family in a home with one bathroom, I knew all about bathroom scheduling conflicts. Yet, in the end, I walked away somewhat saddened by the experience. These family houses literally disconnected families from one another. No one ever had to cooperate over sharing anything! Parents and children could remain in their individual suites and never interact, never bond, never be a family. I suddenly had a new appreciation for our single bathroom.

When we value space more than relationships; when we pursue luxury over community; when we turn our houses into investments, we become poorer, less human, less alive. God’s design for home is about building relationships and connecting people to one another. This Lent, I’m leaving the comfort of my house to better experience the home God is building. I hope to meet you along the way.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Have you envisioned your Dream Home? What does it look like and include?
2. Do you agree that God’s design for home is abut building relationships and connecting people? If so, how could your house become an even better tool to accomplish God’s plan?

– Submitted by Rev. Bruce Ray, Pastor of Kimball Avenue Church, Chicago

“Hot Neighborhoods on the Rise,” shouted the headline on the first page of the Chicago Tribune Business section on Sunday, February 7.  I don’t usually read the Business section, but the subtitle included the words, “Humboldt Park” and given all the concern about gentrification in the neighborhood, I had to read on.  Unfortunately, the article confirmed the concern.

Becky Yerak’s story (which you can read HERE) focused on three Chicago neighborhoods that have seen a significant increase in prices.  First on the list: Humboldt Park, where the median price of a single-family home increased 62% and condos increased 184%–in 1 year!

Why are houses selling like hot cakes on Fat Tuesday? According to Mario Greco, a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group quoted in the article, it’s “the 606”–the elevated train line that the city turned into a bike/running path/elevated park along Bloomingdale Ave.  “The 606 is making people not only open to [living south of Armitage  Avenue and west of Kedzie Avenue], but looking to live along the trail because properties are still a perceive value–and most people think they’ll go up faster because of the 606,” he said.

But families aren’t the only ones looking at houses along the 606.  Prices are increasing because investors have been “flipping”–buying low-priced homes, fixing them up (a little) and then selling them for a profit.  Humboldt Park is no longer a neighborhood or a place to settle down and raise a family.  It’s not about people.  Now the neighborhood has been reduced to a “perceived value” and a place to make profit.

Humboldt Park is becoming a hot neighborhood.  Unfortunately, I know a lot of people who are likely to get burned.

 

HomeMaking:  A 40-Day Communal Fast for Housing Justice

What is a Communal Fast For Lent?

Lent has traditionally been considered a personal time to ‘fast’—deny ourselves something we enjoy, focus ourselves on God and our neighbor through prayer, and give ‘alms’ to those in need. Sometimes, Lenten fasts only result in charity.  In addition to a personal fast, 6 churches in Chicago are participating in a corporate fast that will help us engage the issue of housing injustice together. Isaiah 58:6-7 makes clear what the Lord expects a true fast to accomplish:

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

Why a “Compact for Housing Justice?”

The prophets of the Scriptures understood the relationship between housing and security. Micah 4:4 describes the day of restoration when all shall sit under their own fig trees and no one will make them afraid. Isaiah 32:17-19 looks forward to a day when people will live in peaceful habitation, secure dwellings and quiet resting places. Safe, secure, affordable housing is part of the vision of the Kingdom of God. At the same time, God condemns those who have the resources and power to accumulate land and houses at the expense of the larger community. (Micah 2:1-2 and Isaiah 5:8-9).

At the time of Jesus’ birth, his family experienced housing insecurity. Shortly after his birth, his family was forced to survive Herod’s violence by taking refuge in Egypt. At the start of his ministry, Jesus, who had “no place to lay his head,” announced the Year of the Lord’s favor—a reference to Jubilee and the return of families to their ancestral homes (Luke 4:18). Jesus also called his disciples to self-denial—not as a form of penance, but as an act of breaking the chains that bound them to the values of a culture of accumulation and exploitation (Matthew 16:24-27). Moved by the Spirit, Jesus’ early followers immediately reassessed their understanding of private property and redistributed their resources—including land and homes, thereby providing safe and secure housing for those who were poor. (see Acts 4:32-37).

Jesus has called us to live out the vision of the kingdom, breaking the yokes that bind us and our neighbors and providing shelter for the poor wanderer. When we tolerate homelessness and housing insecurity; when we stand idly by as people are denied access to housing; when we accept the inevitability of the “market forces” that displace families, we must re-hear Isaiah’s call and heed Jesus’ command, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves…” Through self-denial in the season of Lent, we must reassess our relationship to our homes and realign ourselves to God’s vision of safe and secure housing for everyone.

Why Fast for “Housing Justice” This Year?

Fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., announced that the civil rights movement would move north—to Chicago—to address unfair housing practices and segregation in the city. After moving to Chicago on January 7, 1966, Dr. King participated in non-violent demonstrations and protest marches, and met with city and business leaders to seek an end to housing discrimination. After 7 months of protests, Mayor Richard J. Daley announced a Summit Agreement in which the city would enforce the 1963 “Fair Housing Ordinance”, the Chicago Housing Authority would open additional public housing to African-American families, and the Mortgage Bankers Association would give minority families access to home mortgages in all neighborhoods. In exchange, Dr. King would end the marches. Dr. King called the Summit Agreement “a significant step” and led no additional marches. However, the agreement was never implemented (Mayor Daley called the agreement “unenforceable”) and housing discrimination continued to Dr. King’s great disappointment.

Despite some progress over the past fifty years, Chicago remains “the most segregated city in the nation” according to an analysis done by the US Census Bureau in May 2015. While the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and additions to the Civil Rights Act prevent discrimination on any basis, access to safe affordable housing continues to elude poor and minority families in the city—especially on Chicago’s north side. As housing costs rise and as new market rate development expands, the city is becoming more segregated and less affordable. People are still being denied access to housing on the new bases of poor credit scores, insufficient income, and criminal background checks.

Even when families clear the hurdles, fewer homes are accessible due to the cost of housing. According to Trulia, a real estate sales website, housing prices in Logan Square and Avondale have increased 113.5% in the past 5 years –more than any other neighborhoods in Chicago.   As of October 2015, the median sales price for a home in Logan Square was $320,000! And the average rent for an apartment was $1,822! More and more homeowners and renters are “housing burdened”—meaning they are spending more than 35% of their income on rent or mortgages. Gentrification—defined as “the transformation of neighborhoods from low value to high value”[i]—results in the displacement of long-time residents and businesses. Low-income minority families are most impacted by gentrification. Though thousands of new housing units are planned for Logan Square, few of the units will be truly affordable. At the same time, the Lathrop Homes public housing development to the east of Logan Square is being dismantled. The result of these housing pressures will be increased homelessness.

How Can We Fast for Housing Justice?

STARTING WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 10^th, 2016, AND CONTINUING THROUGH EASTER

WE WILL…Give up the “Comfort of Home”

We buy and rent movies to watch in the comfort of our home. We purchase video games to play in the comfort of our home. We download music to listen to in the comfort of our home. And we stock our pantries with snacks and beverages to enjoy while we watch movies, play video games and listen to music. Select one of these “comforts” to give up for Lent. (You may also select a different “comfort”)

AND/OR…Give up purchases of home décor, home furnishings and home improvement (including decorations for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter)

THEN, WE WILL…Give the money we’ve saved to offer hospitality to a refugee family

The Biblical understanding of “hospitality” has nothing to do with creating a welcoming and cozy environment for our families and friends. In the early church, the Spirit’s gift of hospitality was understood to be the provision of secure shelter for the poor wanderer. (Making Room by Christine Pohl, 1999). This past year, thousands of families were displaced due to war and violence in Syria and Central America. These victims have sought shelter, but have been turned away repeatedly. Often, refugees are targets of discrimination or deportation if the US does not officially recognize their refugee status. Throughout Lent, we will collect funds with other Logan Square Ecumenical Alliance churches to sponsor a refugee family and provide a shelter in Chicago for these “poor wanderers.”

AND WE WILL…Spend the time we’ve freed to preserve Public Housing and Lathrop Homes

For the past decade, the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) has proposed replacing the Julia C. Lathrop Homes—the only public housing development on Chicago’s north side—with a “mixed-income” community. Under current plans, 525 units of public housing would be eliminated at the site along the Chicago River. And CHA has no plan to replace those units on the north side. For years, Lathrop residents and allies—including our church—have been fighting this plan, which is nothing less than “government-sponsored” gentrification. As we enter the season of Lent, we will continue to support efforts to preserve public housing at Lathrop and throughout the city, starting with the Keeping the Promise Ordinance Hearing on February 17. Our actions will culminate on Palm Sunday (March 20).

To help us fulfill Isaiah’s goals of true fasting, we’ll also participate in the following activities and actions for housing justice:

• Together, We’ll Remember the Chicago Freedom Movement

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., moved into Chicago’s North Lawndale community in January 1966, marking the beginning of the Chicago Freedom Movement and the fight to end housing discrimination and segregation in Chicago. On Thursday, February 18, at 7:00 pm, we will join San Lucas United Church of Christ and other local churches to view the documentary, “Eyes on the Prize,” and then discuss current instances of housing injustice and how we can address them as people of faith.

• Together, We’ll Stand Up for Affordable Housing along the ‘Bloomingdale Trail’

Working with community allies, we will advocate for truly affordable housing and tax abatement along the newly opened ‘606’ and the Bloomingdale Trail. Already, this neighborhood amenity has attracted speculative home buying and new real estate development—pushing gentrification toward the western edge of Logan Square. Long-term homeowners and renters are in danger of displacement due to rising property taxes. During Lent, we plan to learn more about the politics of gentrification and push for protection of existing homeowners and renters and for the creation of additional affordable housing along the trail.

• Together, We’ll Read #Occupy the Bible

As we prepare for public witness for housing justice, we will read Occupy The Bible by Rev. Dr. Susan B. Thistlethwaite, professor of theology at Chicago Theological Seminary. Each Wednesday during Lent, starting February 17, we will enjoy a discussion of the book with other LSEA church members. The discussions will be held at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 2837 W. Armitage Ave., starting at 6:30 pm and concluding at 8:00 pm. The evening will begin with a light meal. You will be able to order the book through our church.

Together, we will experience God’s gracious transformation and renewal so that housing justice becomes an ongoing part of our ‘Jubilee’ lifestyle.

Plus:

We encourage you to

• use the daily Lenten Devotional to engage Biblical texts and other resources that address Housing and Housing Justice. Devotionals will be posted daily on this site.
• participate in the daily Morning Prayer and Protest at various important sites around Logan Square and beyond. (A list of locations will be posted each week.)

[i] [i]“Health Effects of Gentrification,” published by the Center for Disease Control