Give them shelter

By Sam Lucero
News and Information Manager

Related articles this week: • Shelter gets preliminary approval • Shelter seeks volunteers, donations Past articles: from November 9, 2007 issue: • Front-page photo: Shack-a-Thon at St. Norbert College • Homeless shelter opens     Diocese supports plans to open shelter at local church • Hunger, homelessness in spotlight     National Hunger, Homelessness Awareness Week     is Nov. 11-17 from October 26, 2007 issue: • On Nov. 1, where will Green Bay homeless go?     City plan for most marginalized may not happen,     but church hospitality center ready from September 28, 2007 issue: • Alternative to COTS homeless shelter in works     Green Bay's New Community Shelter in mix,     advises patience from August 31, 2007 issue: • Green Bay nixes winter shelter at church     COTS offered a place to sleep to people     who couldn't go to city's other shelters • Bridging the Gap by Bishop David Zubik --     A scraped knee and beyond     Emergency shelter in downtown     is all about caring for each other

Last Sunday was the feast of St. Martin of Tours. Martin was born in modern-day Hungary in the year 316. The son of a senior officer in the Roman army, Martin followed in his father's footsteps. While traveling by horse in the city of Amiens, Martin the soldier came across a scantily dressed beggar.

Martin removed his military cloak, cut it in half and gave part of it to the stranger. That night, Martin dreamed of Jesus wearing the cloak. Legend holds that Jesus said, "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized. He clad me."

This story of St. Martin of Tours came to mind while following the homeless shelter debate in Green Bay. Last August, the Green Bay City Council voted not to issue a zoning permit to COTS, Churches Offering Temporary Shelter. COTS had operated an emergency shelter at St. John Evangelist Church the past two winters without a zoning permit. The shelter served men and women with mental illness and alcohol and drug addictions, a segment of the homeless population that was not accepted at other area shelters.

Pressure from advocates for the homeless, including former Green Bay Bishop David Zubik, led the city to propose a new shelter plan for those with addictions and mental illness. The new emergency shelter was to be operated by New Community Shelter, an established homeless shelter in Green Bay, but New Community officials backed out of the arrangement due to staffing concerns.

With no resolution in sight, the Diocese of Green Bay announced Nov. 2 that it would step in to assist St. John the Evangelist Parish in the operation of an emergency shelter at the church. Knowing that the possibility existed for homeless people to be left out on the streets overnight in Green Bay's winter weather, diocesan leaders, in the spirit of St. Martin of Tours, took a stand.

With the authorization of Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of Milwaukee, who is serving as apostolic administrator of the diocese, and in the face of a legal challenge, the parish began sheltering homeless people on Nov. 6.

"The Catholic Church by virtue of our faith and tradition, has a moral imperative to care for the poor and the homeless," stated Deacon Tim Reilly, diocesan administrator.

Diocesan officials are working with city leaders to resolve zoning issues, and last Thursday the Green Bay City Council granted preliminary approval to zoning changes. An additional vote was to take place Nov. 15.

While some residents have criticized the diocese for violating zoning laws, they must understand that the church, as Deacon Reilly explained, has a moral imperative to act on behalf of the homeless. In Catholic social teaching, it's called a preferential option for the poor.

If there is outrage to be expressed in this controversy, it should be aimed at homelessness and at the conditions that lead to it.

A fact sheet on homelessness published in June 2007 by the National Coalition for the Homeless, states that the rise in homelessness over the past two decades is due to a shortage of affordable rental housing and to an increase in poverty.

Between 1973 and 1993, 2.2 million low-rent housing units were eliminated from the housing market, the coalition reports. Between 1991 and 1995, median rental costs paid by low-income renters rose 21 percent. In addition, federal support for low-income housing has fallen 49 percent from 1980 to 2003.

Declining job opportunities and cutbacks in public assistance also account for increased poverty, which leads to homelessness, the coalition fact sheet notes.

While more jobs are available, low wages prevent the poor from escaping poverty. One survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that 13 percent of people in homeless situations are employed. Cutbacks in public assistance since "welfare to work" reform in 1996 have also stymied the working poor.

For the homeless who suffer from addictions and mental illness, the news is even worse. Because they lack health insurance, documentation, transportation and other necessities that most of us take for granted, treatment and recovery services that are needed to overcome addictions are not easy to access.

According to the coalition, homelessness "results from a complex set of circumstances that require people to choose between food, shelter and other basic needs."

Here in the Diocese of Green Bay, we are privileged to express our opinions for or against an emergency shelter. However, we have a moral obligation to uphold the human dignity of all people. It's an obligation that comes from our creator. Therefore, we must call on our government, community and church leaders to work together and address the issues that lead to homelessness: create jobs that pay a living wage; provide affordable housing; offer access to health care; provide adequate support for those who cannot work.

Like St. Martin of Tours, we must reach out to our brothers and sisters as if they were Christ.